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Southern Living

Southern Living

For months I have had this post in my drafts folder titled From Scabies to Southern Living.  It’s misleading because I never had scabies.  I did, however, have shingles.  And when I told my bff Megan that Southern Living had contacted me about a feature she exclaimed “Look at you going from scabies to Southern Living!”  She said it in the same tone she uses when she notes that my fashion sense has evolved from frequently wearing a skirt spotted in chlorine stains to not embarrassing her everyday with my wardrobe.  And I thought, that is the perfect title.*

When Marian Cooper Cairns first emailed me over a year ago it was a vague email along the lines of “love your blog, do you read Southern Living?”  I thought it was a scam.  I mean, everyone I can think of in the South reads Southern Living, it’s huge.  What could she possible want with me?  We emailed back and forth and Marian said she’d be interested in pitching a small story about the blog.  I was skeptical, but excited. That was January.  By Easter, when we went home to approve my sister’s boyfriend visit with family, Marian and some coworkers had tried my caramel fried green tomatoes and asked how I felt about her idea of doing a mother’s day picnic.  I talked to my mom and we decided we didn’t think it could be more perfect. Picnics have always been an important part of our family tradition, it was a great fit for us.  That spring Marian got the green light and I got to recipe developing. We decided on Fried Chicken Bites, Roasted Corn Salsa, Raspberry, Mint, & Mozzarella SkewersLime Fizz, and Strawberry Rhubarb Hand Pies.  Marian took the recipes back to her team to test them, tweaked them to their needs, and the ball was officially rolling!  We talked about location and finally settled on the beautiful Cylburn Arboretum in Baltimore.  After much coordination and planning my mom, Megan, Marian, photographer Jennifer Davick, and stylist Allison Banks arrived in Baltimore in early August.

The day they arrived Allison came to my apartment to pick out what we would wear for the shoot, a task that involved 1) lots of cleaning and 2) piling my entire wardrobe onto the bed.  Even though she came right after lunchtime (they went to Baltimore’s Cross Street Market for a lake trout sandwich) and assured us she wasn’t hungry, my mom still made a cheese plate.  A cheese plate she brought with her from North Carolina.  My mother traveled 6 hours in a car with a cheese plate. Does that explain everything about me that you need to know?  Probably.

Photo on right by the wonderful Beth.

After Allison styled us the team was sweet enough to take us to a nice dinner where we laughed and drank and talked about all the wonderful things about the South.  Then, on a particularly rainy Friday, we met at the arboretum.   As we drove to the arboretum I crossed my fingers and toes hoping that the humidity wouldn’t make my hair frizzy and that the weather would hold, a wish that mostly came true.  When we arrived they had been there for hours setting the scene and photographing the food (that they made- I had to do nothing but show up and smile), and despite the fact that it had been raining on and off they had made beautiful photographs and had the sweetest picnic set up.  As they photographed us we stood and sat, poured and laughed, carried pies and baskets, shook out blankets and tried not to be awkward.  It was amazing and completely surreal.

Since then it’s been a waiting game.  Every once in a while we would get an update from Marian, letting us know that people were loving it or that it looked like it could be however many pages.  The past two weeks have been the hardest, waiting for it to show up in my mailbox.  Dan and I have been talking about what this would mean for months.  When friends finally started getting it in their mailboxes on Thursday I thought I would die from anticipation.  Finally, Friday, at a Target in Laurel, Maryland, I squealed with my friend Beth in the magazine aisle and promptly took home all three copies in stock.  The feature is everything I could have hoped for.  The pictures are gorgeous, the food looks perfect, and I’m 90% certain my mom and I are laughing about a “your mom” joke in the first image.  Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity Marian!

Find the Southern Living versions of our recipes hereLime FizzLime Simple SyrupSpring SalsaFried Chicken BitesFruit, Cheese, and Herb Skewers;Strawberry-Rhubarb Handpies.  See the online slideshow here.

*I should note that the reason I didn’t title this post “From Scabies to Southern Living” is because it appalled my mother.  But the fact that it appalled my mother is the reason I mentioned it.  It’s all about balance in these mother-daughter relationships.

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8 Comments

  • Brittney

    24.04.2011 at 07:41 Reply

    Eeek! So happy for you! Both you and your mom look great in the first photo.

  • Jane @ Cottage at the Crossroads

    24.04.2011 at 13:43 Reply

    I saw your spread in Southern Living and here I am checking out your blog. Of course, I haven’t gotten past this post, but I will. I am going to make your blackberries and mozzarella skewers for a golf benefit function this coming Thursday. Come visit our blog when you have a chance. I imagine your life is going to get very busy now! Congratulations and the spread was beautiful.

    • elena

      24.04.2011 at 17:44 Reply

      Thanks, Jane! Let me know how they turn out!

  • Rachel

    24.04.2011 at 14:35 Reply

    It looks fabulous! Great job all around.

    • elena

      24.04.2011 at 17:45 Reply

      Thanks! We’ll have to do dinner soon to celebrate ;)

  • Aunt Jillie

    25.04.2011 at 03:31 Reply

    Eni-I could not be more proud or delighted! My copy of SL (which I finally found here in NJ after 4 stops!)is in my bookbag to show (off!) to all my friends at work. Enjoy all that this will bring. xoxo

  • RLynn

    25.04.2011 at 05:06 Reply

    The Southern Living article is how I found your blog–and I’m staying!

    • elena

      25.04.2011 at 05:18 Reply

      Well thanks! I’m so excited to have you!

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