Three years ago, my mother gave me a book of family recipes for Christmas—a collection of photocopied index cards and paper scraps with each author’s original handwriting:  Nanny’s whiskey sour punch, Aunt Bappy’s Kentucky Derby pie, some babysitter named Nettie’s powdered sugar and pecan tassies, and a recipe for “Baptist pound cake” from  one of my mom’s old coworkers, among others. (I like dessert.

It’s that time of year folks—holiday shopping, cocktail parties, and A Christmas Story reruns abound. If you’re looking to rethink some of your holiday décor this year, take a cue from our latest DIY project. As an alternative to traditional boxwood or magnolia, we sourced holiday wreath materials from local tobacco and cotton fields. Start a new tradition by hanging one of these on your door—there’s no better time than the holidays to honor your Southern roots

It's the two-week countdown folks—just enough time to throw together something different for this year's Thanksgiving tabletop. We suggest following the lead of G&G Senior Editor Jessica Mischner by combining the old and new for an effortless, and uniquely Southern setting. Check out her guest blog on Etsy for tips and products that will help you get that high and low look this holiday.

Chances are you’ve discovered Pinterest already. But for those of you who haven’t, here’s your spoiler alert—it is awesome, and addictive. Whether you’re looking for a new recipe or unique holiday gift ideas, Pinterest is a great resource for finding and cataloging images and products that you’ll want to remember a year from now. It's also a great resource for finding everything G&G. Follow us here and you'll find hundreds of our favorite photos from inside the pages of the magazine, on top of our best food and drink recipes, home and garden ideas, and lots of dog photos, naturally.