In classic Dixie storytelling fashion, with a rare blend of literary elegance and plainspoken humor, the inimitably charming, staunchly Southern Julia Reed wends her way below the Mason-Dixon line and observes many phenomena- from politics, religion, and women to weather, guns, and what she calls "drinking and other Southern pursuits." To hear Reed tell it, the South is another country. She builds an entertaining and persuasive case, using as examples everything from its unfathomable codes of conduct to its disciplined fashion sense. And then there is Southern food, which is an entire world apart: Gumbo, grits, greens, and, of course, fried chicken make memorable appearances in Reed's essays, which will amuse, delight, and even explain a thing or two to baffled Yankees everywhere.

This Southern gentleman's beloved property in bucolic Americus, Georgia, has absorbed him for over six decades. It consists of four intimate dwellings that exemplify various southern architectural traditions - from a mid-nineteenth-century Gothic to a Palladian-inspired cottage - charming gardens, and out buildings. Gatewood shares his personal reflections on how he has created a unique world for himself tailored to his refined sensibility. Captured in thoughtful photographs, his seductive spaces illustrate a relaxed Arcadian style. Gatewood describes the hunt for discovering singular antique and vintage pieces with a poetic patina. He is an expert on custom paint finishes and composing subtle colour palettes, and has an innate talent for incorporating arresting architectural elements. With flair, he has collected art, antique furnishings, and decorative objects, which are artfully displayed in the beautifully appointed dwellings. Gatewood respects the importance of old world craftsmanship and architectural restoration, and takes delight in designing picturesque grounds and plantings, as well as creating comfy areas for his beloved dogs and peacocks. His close friend, Bunny Williams, has contributed a section about the lessons she has learned from this master of discernment.

Thrown everywhere from lush gardens and gracious interior spaces to a Mississippi River sandbar, Julia Reed's parties capture the celebratory nature of entertaining in her native South. Here, her informative and down-to-earth guide to giving an unforgettable party includes secrets she has collected over a lifetime of entertaining. For this book, she offers up a feast of options for holiday cocktails, spring lunches, formal dinners, and even a hunt breakfast. Twelve seasonal events feature delicious, easy-to-prepare recipes, ranging from fried chicken to Charlotte Russe and signature cocktails or wine pairings-she introduces her talented friends (rum makers, potters, fabric designers, bakers) along the way. Each occasion includes gorgeous photographs showing her inspiring approach to everything from invitations and setting a table to arranging flowers and creating the mood. A handbook section provides practical considerations and sources. This irresistible book is the ultimate primer for every party-giver.

This follow-up to Julia s bestseller Julia Reed s South showcases her entertaining know-how and that of her noted chef friends and her love of New Orleans. Held in a variety of venues, from courtyards to gracious interior spaces, the gatherings menus include such dishes as grillades, grits, and seafood gumbo, and cocktails ranging from the traditional Sazerac to a Satsuma Margarita. Featured are an elegant holiday dinner, a crawfish boil, and a lunch under the live oaks. All are presented in luscious photographs and include tips on setting tables, arranging flowers, and crafting playlists to create a festive mood. Julia s introduction traces the evolution of New Orleans cuisine, from its Creole beginnings to the culinary contributions of other ethnic groups. Sidebars cover iconic watering holes and local specialties such as the po-boy and the muffuletta, as well as events ranging from Mardi Gras to raucous St. Patrick s Day. This enticing cookbook is the ultimate primer is for every party-giver and anyone interested in laissez bons temps roulez.

Welcome to another "Day With Ollie" Today is a very important day for Ollie...It is his first day at preschool. Spend this special day with him and learn all about the fun Ollie has, and the new friends he makes.

After fifteen years of living like a vagabond on her reporter's schedule, Julia Reed got married and bought a house in the historic Garden District. Four weeks after she moved in, Hurricane Katrina struck. The House on First Street is the chronicle of Reed's remarkable and often hilarious homecoming, as well as a thoroughly original tribute to our country's most original city.

In her new book, "But Mama Always Put Vodka in Her Sangria ," " "Julia Reed, a master of the art of eating, drinking, and making merry, takes the reader on culinary adventures in places as far flung as Kabul, Afghanistan and as close to home as her native Mississippi Delta and Florida's Gulf Coast. Along the way, Reed discovers the perfect Pimm's Royale at the Paris Ritz, devours delicious "chuletons" in Madrid, and picks up tips from accomplished hostesses ranging from Pat Buckley to Pearl Bailey and, of course, her own mother. Reed writes about the bounty--and the burden--of a Southern garden in high summer, tosses salads in the English countryside, and shares C.Z. Guest's recipe for an especially zingy bullshot. She understands the necessity of a potent holiday punch and serves it up by the silver bowl full, but she is not immune to the slightly less refined charms of a blender full of frozen peach daiquiris or a garbage can full of Yucca Flats. And then there are the parties: shindigs ranging from sultry summer suppers and raucous dinners at home to a Plymouth-like Thanksgiving feast and an upscale St. Patrick's Day celebration. This delightful collection of essays by Julia Reed, a master storyteller with an inimitable voice and a limitless capacity for fun, will show you how to entertain guests with style, have a good time yourself and always have that perfect pitcher of sangria ready at a moment's notice.

Julia Reed spends a lot of time thinking about ham biscuits. And cornbread and casseroles and the surprisingly modern ease of donning a hostess gown for one's own party. In" Ham Biscuits, Hostess Gowns and Other Southern Specialties" Julia Reed collects her thoughts on good cooking and the lessons of gracious entertaining that pass from one woman to another, and takes the reader on a lively and very personal tour of the culinary--and social--South. In essays on everything from pork chops to the perfect picnic Julia Reed revels in the simple good qualities that make the Southern table the best possible place to pull up a chair. She expounds on: the Southerner's relentless penchant for using gelatin; why most things taste better with homemade mayonnaise; the necessity of a holiday milk punch (and, possibly, a Santa hat); how best to "cook for compliments" (at least one squash casserole and Lee Bailey's barbequed veal are key). She provides recipes for some of the region's best-loved dishes (cheese straws, red velvet cake, breakfast shrimp), along with her own variations on the classics, including Fried Oysters Rockefeller Salad and Creole Crab Soup. She also elaborates on worthwhile information every hostess would do well to learn: the icebreaking qualities of a Ramos gin fizz and a hot crabmeat canape, for example; the "wow factor" intrinsic in a platter of devilled eggs or a giant silver punchbowl filled with scoops of homemade ice cream. "Ham Biscuits, Hostess Gowns and Other Southern Specialties" another great book about the South from Julia Reed, a writer who makes her experiences in--and out of--the kitchen a joy to read.