The Blog

There are places that feel like a pause—quiet streets, river reflections, and buildings that have stood for centuries. Places like Heidelberg, Germany. In this edition of Pretty Places, we follow Drew Scharfenberg’s experience in Heidelberg, a historic university town in southwest Germany where language, culture, and daily life intertwine in quiet, meaningful ways. Heidelberg has […]

The charm of French country decor isn’t perfection—it’s warmth, history, and the feeling that a home has evolved naturally over time. In the Spring issue of Pretty, we visited a welcoming house in California’s Wine Country where antique furnishings, well-loved objects, and collected artwork create rooms that feel layered rather than styled. Nothing looks overly […]

When we interviewed MasterChef winner and pastry chef Whitney Miller for the Spring 2026 issue of Pretty, she shared one of her favorite springtime recipes with us: traditional English-style scones with a Southern twist. Whitney adds buttermilk, which gives these tender scones a delicate tang and a soft interior—perfect with jam and fresh cream.

The pink coconut cake in Retro Recipes by Bobby Hicks stopped me mid-scroll. Frosted in cheerful bubblegum pink and covered in snowy coconut flakes, it looks like something straight out of a 1950s church cookbook—sweet, nostalgic, and just a little bit over the top. It’s the kind of dessert that doesn’t whisper elegance. It beams. […]

This post contains an affiliate link. We received a digital review copy of the cookbook with the recipe for mango pineapple frozen whip from the publisher. By February, winter can start to feel relentless. The days are short, the food is heavy, and everything seems to skew beige. This is usually when we crave something […]

A guest essay on the plants making a comeback by Anabella Mainetti, CEO & Co-Founder of Mainefactured Tiny Homes In 2026, the plants making a comeback aren’t loud or novelty-driven. Instead, these familiar favorites are rooted in memory, ritual, and lived-in beauty. These aren’t impulse buys chosen for how they photograph in a single season; […]

As much as we love being in the kitchen, we also love a charming place to dine. If you’ve spent time in the Birmingham area, as we did recently, you’ve probably heard of the Bright Star Restaurant in Bessemer. Opened in 1907 in Bessemer, it’s widely recognized as Alabama’s oldest restaurant—and unlike many long-running institutions, […]

Last week I showed you how to start a ginger bug. I know I promised I’d have the strawberry soda ready for today’s Sweet Saturday…but as usual, I didn’t do the math. 🤦‍♀️ You give the ginger bug five days. Then, once you add the strawberry purée, it needs two more days to ferment. And […]

Google “fall fashion trends 2025” and you might feel like you just walked into Hogwarts. (And speaking of the early 2000s, we already broke down another cultural icon in our Napoleon Dynamite post — proof that the aughts are having a moment.) From bangs to beanies, these trends have a touch of magic—so naturally, we […]

If you’ve been around Pretty for a while, you know I love a good cookbook sneak peek. Today’s comes from Mary Bryant Shrader of The Modern Pioneer. I worked with Mary in the past on a couple of articles for Guideposts, and she’s every bit as sweet as she seems on her popular YouTube channel, […]