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.

Erica Robbins has always had a heart for people, but it wasn’t until 2013 when she moved to downtown Birmingham that her passion for helping others hit a fever pitch. Robbins’ new home overlooked the highway. Over time, she noticed the same man sitting under the bridge each day.  

It all started with the search for the perfect jacket. As an avid outdoor sportsman and attorney, Radcliff Menge often found himself caught between two worlds. There was the country, where he developed a passion for hunting and fishing as a child, and there was the city, where he worked as a mergers and acquisitions lawyer in New York. Equally comfortable in both environments, Menge sought a piece of outerwear that was similarly suited to both. 

Our 2021 Experiential Gift-Guide is uniquely curated to provide thoughtful experiences for your loved-one’s specific interests! Make those around you feel extra special with a memory they’ll never forget.

At one time, the tiny town of Fort Payne, Alabama had a sock mill for approximately every 100 residents, and more than half of the town’s 14,000 residents worked in the sock-making industry. Gina Locklear’s parents added to that statistic in 1991 with the opening of their own mill called Emi-G Knitting. 

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Wedding dress designer Heidi Elnora is no stranger to the spotlight. The Alabama native got her first taste of fame as a contestant on reality television show Project Runway in 2005. Nine years later, she starred in her own show called Bride by Design on TLC. This month, after years designing for the wedding industry with her Heidi Elnora Atelier in downtown Birmingham and Build-A-Bride sister shops, she reached another milestone in her incredible journey. On October 1, Elnora debuted a fifteenth anniversary collection at legendary department store Bergdorf Goodman in New York City. 

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The sweets are sprinkled with smiles for visitors to Unless U Scoops, from the person who greets you at the door to the ice cream shop, to the fellow who serves your order, and the woman at the cash register. The employees are students at Unless U Academy, a non-profit that provides long-term education and training for adults with special needs including autism, Down syndrome, and traumatic brain injury.

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Home-grown food engenders deep pride in Alabama. Restaurant menus name-check local farmers and fishers, and scores of local pop-up markets connect home cooks with the people who actually grew the family’s dinner. Alabama dogs can also do the eat-local thing, with biscuits, cakes, jerky, and other treats made in the Yellowhammer State, often from locally produced vegetables, eggs, and honey. We’ve fetched a few for you, and for the good booooy! or good girrrrl! in your life.