Indholdsfortegnelse for March/April 2021 i Southern Lady

If there is one treat I can’t resist, it is a luscious layer cake—preferably vanilla with fluffy white icing, my perennial first choice since girlhood. But I’ll happily devour a slice of red velvet, chocolate, coconut, you name it. For this issue, it was so much fun to learn about Caroline’s Cakes, featured on page 21. Hardworking mom Caroline Ragsdale Reutter started her South Carolina baking business with caramel cakes made on request for friends and neighbors, and it wasn’t long before the enterprise boomed. Our staff had the pleasure of sampling an assortment of the company’s confections, and let me tell you, they are extraordinary. You won’t want to miss out. Nothing goes better with cake than a cup of hot tea or coffee. On page 97, we shine…

Ready for a change after a decade of practicing law in the Washington, D.C., area, Stephanie Summerson Hall found herself dreaming in color. She recalled Sunday dinners throughout her childhood in Holly Hill, South Carolina, and the splendor of her grandmother Estelle’s spreads adorned with kaleidoscopic glassware. Upon realizing she rarely saw such vibrant tablescapes these days, she set out to bring them back, establishing Estelle Colored Glass—a collection of drinkware and cake stands characterized by elegant silhouettes and versatile hues. “I remember my grandmother had two china cabinets full of all kinds of unique finds,” Stephanie says of Estelle’s array of radiant glass accents. “It was like her own treasure chest, almost like a wardrobe. Whatever the occasion, she could make it special.” With this heritage in mind, Stephanie…

ALFRESCO VISIONS Amid lush surrounds coming alive in verdant glory, host a front-porch gathering steeped in springtide cheer. A china pattern with a simple yet fanciful take on classic blue and white sets a whimsical tone as embossed swirls and dainty cobalt bows dance on the borders of alabaster dishes. Pearlescent flatware with a silver basket-weave design and handblown tumblers with a twirling finish add textural interest. Florals in the tablecloth as well as fresh arrangements about the scene introduce harmonious notes of lavender and vibrant dabs of pink for a palette that reflects the most anticipated colors of the season. BLOSSOMS & BOWS Flirty flourishes enhance the air of enchantment, from picot-edged napkins tied loosely with lilac ribbon to decorative organza bows that echo the china’s motif in a…

Prosciutto, Apple & Brie Tea Sandwiches MAKES 12 12 slices very thin white bread, frozen*¼ cup mayonnaise1 tablespoon prepared pesto½ cup fresh arugula6 slices thinly sliced prosciutto (about 3 ounces), halved crosswise12 (¼-inch-thick) slices Brie cheese, each trimmed to 2x1¼-inch rectangle24 (⅛-inch-thick) slices Honeycrisp apple (about 1 small) 1. Place bread in stacks of two. Using a serrated knife, cut each stack into 2 (2x1¼-inch) rectangles. Discard scraps or reserve for another use. To prevent from drying out, cover bread rectangles with damp paper towels. Let stand until slightly thawed, about 10 minutes. 2. In a small bowl, stir together mayonnaise and pesto until well combined. Spread about 1 teaspoon mayonnaise mixture over each bread rectangle. 3. Divide and arrange arugula over mayonnaise mixture on half of the bread rectangles. Neatly…

SUNNY OUTLOOK Azaleas and dogwoods are the stars of a Southern springtime, their spectacular displays of pink and white dazzling at every turn. But what I really look forward to are daffodils. They grow all around my backyard, and the day I notice the first bright blossoms poking their heads out from the greenery feels like a little celebration. They’re so striking when massed together that they don’t need much embellishment for a beautiful bouquet. Our sweet teacup posy (page 37) brings the perfect touch of cheer to a kitchen windowsill or a guest-room nightstand, and it couldn’t be easier to create. Spring flowers bloom throughout the pages of this issue: spectacular tulips that grace a porch-side table setting (page 43); a lavish pastel Easter arrangement (page 59); edible pansies…

With a childhood spent frequenting church picnics, family barbecues, and dinner parties, Caroline Ragsdale Reutter understood the unifying power of food from an early age. Accustomed to preparing dishes for every occasion, it was her son Richard’s christening where she served the very first of the seven-layer caramel cakes that would become the foundation of a robust baking enterprise. “She would have friends ask if she could make one for them here and there, and she would put them out on the front porch of the house,” says Richard, now president of the company started by his late mother. “People would come by and pick up the cakes, [leaving] a check or cash in a big red tin. Everything was run on the honor system, and we were never off…

SCULPTURAL SWIRLS With its graceful fluted edge, Torse White by Haviland slips nimbly into a setting full of feminine flourishes. A scalloped place mat and matching napkin embroidered with dainty flora mingle with a salad plate in pale carnation and a fruit bowl awash in stylized waves. Simple glassware and a slim silver napkin ring play up the relaxed effect. TIMELESS OPULENCE A subtle ivory band and exquisite gilt scrollwork give Noritake’s Bancroft a sense of refined panache. Update its appeal with a service plate in deep orchid and a linen cloth strewn with delicate roses, enhanced by a brilliant agate napkin ring. The monogrammed napkin, plus a trio of mannerly gold-and-white dinnerware, upholds the pattern’s formal overtones. (Opposite) Featuring a rim of mottled sapphire encircled by gold, Coalport’s versatile…

SWEET GREETINGS What better way to introduce loved ones to a new baby than a fun-filled rendezvous complete with gifts and delicious goodies? Fine china, lovely mismatched linens, and contemporary touches blend for an inviting color palette of blue, green, and white, animated by dashes of yellow. Slender glass bud vases showcase select stems seen in the serving table’s lush centerpiece, such as daisies, roses, carnations, and blue thistle. Ornamental containers shaped like old-fashioned baby carriages hold nosegays of complementary blossoms and keep company with pacifier-style napkin rings. Bite-size eats and Citrus-Rosemary Punch satisfy guests as they mingle and await their turn to admire the honored infant. Celestial-inspired sugar cookies dipped in royal icing wear hand-painted smiling faces. Dolled up with gift tags, miniature bottles of sparkling wine relay appreciation…

COVER Styling by Sidney Bragiel. Photography by William Dickey. See Jubilant Easter Feast. MIX & MATCH: GARDEN RESPLENDENCE Page 34: Raynaud Touraine Double Filet Green buffet plate; Gracious Style. Herend Princess Victoria dinner plate in dark green; Raynaud Verdures salad plate; Herend Princess Victoria salad plate in dark green; William Yeoward Vanessa old-fashioned tumbler in forest green; and La Rochere Artois wineglass; Bromberg’s. Oneida Golden Aquarius five-piece place setting; Replacements, Ltd. Vintage Floral Jacquard tablecloth in blue; Williams Sonoma. Watermark napkin in green; Bodrum Linens. Page 35: Raynaud Touraine Double Filet buffet plate in green; Gracious Style. Pillivuyt Basketweave Porcelain salad plate and bread-and-butter plate and Fortessa Lucca Faceted flatware set; Williams Sonoma. Julia Berolzheimer Island Wrapped tumbler in natural; Amanda Lindroth. D’Ascoli Clarita tablecloth in pink, Iraca Orchid napkin…

As graceful as petals fanning beneath rays of morning light, the subtly scalloped rim of Raynaud’s Touraine Double Filet Green charger heralds a duo of tabletop designs fit for any spring affair. The plate’s hand-painted edge—thin brushstrokes of pale green and rich emerald—creates an idyllic foundation for tableware kissed with verdure. Featuring a motif of flowers and foliage, a French blue linen creates a crisp backdrop. Two-tone flatware accentuates flecks of gold in the dinner plate’s border, as a fresh olive branch tops off the look. (Page 35) Play up the inspiration plate’s restrained versatility by layering it with a white salad dish encircled by a basket weave-style band. The mostly monotone china gains added interest from blush linens tucked into woven-orchid napkin rings, as well as wispy straw place…

Before a top-to-bottom makeover, the kitchen in this Dallas abode fell short on charm—a mix of drab colors and formal trappings that didn’t invite anyone to linger. But it held one tantalizing highlight: swaths of antique delft wall tile that caught the homeowners’ fancy and inspired both the palette and the European feel of the renovated space. “She coincidentally collects blue-and-white [ceramics] and delft,” says local designer Sherry Hayslip, who worked with the couple to redo the house after they bought it several years ago. “We wanted to maintain that elegance.” Because the wife is an enthusiastic cook who enjoys the company of family and friends as she stirs and sautés, one of Sherry’s earliest tasks was to reconfigure an adjacent powder room and lounge into a prep kitchen that…