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NovemberThankful
Dear Nashville Readers,
As the vibrant leaves of fall dance through the streets of Nashville, I find myself reflecting on the spirit of thankfulness that this season brings. Here in Music City, we’re not only rich in music, but also in community, heart and a deep sense of giving. This month, I’ve had the joy of seeing how gratitude weaves its way through our daily lives, touching every corner of our city. It’s something that deserves to be celebrated and shared.
I had the privilege of visiting Soles4Souls, an incredible local organization that turns unwanted shoes into opportunity. While touring their space, I came across a simple yet powerful display: hand-drawn thank-you cards from children whose lives have been touched by this wonderful cause. These cards—adorned with colorful crayon hearts, big smiles and sweet messages—were a reminder that the smallest gestures can have the biggest impact. Seeing those heartfelt notes of gratitude was an uplifting reminder that generosity, no matter how small, creates ripples of hope and happiness.
As I look around at all the people and places that make Nashville so special, I can’t help but feel incredibly grateful for the way this city gives back, in both big ways and small. Whether it’s a handwritten note, a perfectly brewed tea, or a new home for a family, thankfulness is alive and well in our community.
This season, let’s all take a moment to express our gratitude to those around us, whether it’s a quick “thank you” to the barista at your favorite coffee shop or a handwritten card to someone who’s made a difference in your life. Because here in Nashville, we know that gratitude has the power to transform—not just our own hearts, but the world around us.
With love and thankfulness,
JENNIFER KAUFMAN, PUBLISHER @BELLEMEADE_LIFESTYLE
PUBLISHER
Jennifer Kaufman | jennifer.kaufman@citylifestyle.com
ACCOUNT MANAGER
Stephanie Krejci | Stephanie.Krejci@citylifestyle.com
EDITOR
Kit Garrott | kit.garrott@citylifestyle.com
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Myra McEntire, Michele Bogle, Morgan Webber
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Bonner Morgan, Amy Allmand, Emma Manning
Corporate Team
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Howington Construction
Turning dreams into spaces for lifelong memories
ARTICLE BY MYRA SIMMONS MCENTIRE
Belle Meade Lifestyle spoke with Samantha Howington about her business with her husband, Randy: Howington Construction. Samantha offered insight into their process and how Howington Construction executes niche, custom projects, creating spaces where families will make memories for years to come.
BML: TELL US ABOUT HOWINGTON CONSTRUCTION.
SH: We started in the industry by chance. We had so much fun building our house, and Randy did such a good job that I asked him, "Why don't you do this full-time?" He took off from there!
I have a degree in fashion design, so I love the selection aspect of working with clients and helping bring the vision to life. Our core values are accountability and transparency. We expose the customers to all the costs by sharing invoices and receipts, as we want them to understand how they are spending their money. Building a home or any home project is one of the most significant investments you can make, so we are committed to transparency. We pride ourselves in being local and community people. We live on the west side of town and prefer to work locally in our community.
BML: YOU DO A LOT OF CUSTOM BUILDING. HOW DO YOU TAKE THAT BUILDING EXPERTISE AND PROVIDE CREATIVE SOLUTIONS FOR CLIENTS THROUGH REMODELS AND NICHE PROJECTS?
SH: We love using our building background to develop creative solutions! We just built a dollhouse to mimic a client's home, and creating an experience for our client's grandchildren was the most rewarding part of the project. We build in partnership with Firefly Forts, expanding the family's home experience in the backyards for kids. Finding the client's niche desires and making those projects come to life is essential because creating family traditions enhances our customer's experience. We're creative when it comes to solutions for clients who want something specific or have ideas. We bring those ideas to life.
BML: TELL US ABOUT SOME OF THE NICHE PROJECTS YOU'VE DONE.
SH: We put a bunker in for a client that's 16 feet underground. It's a cool shelter, for sure! We put a shooting range on another client's farm for their outdoor needs. The dollhouse is built to scale, and the architect did a great job. It's adorable and mimics the house, which is a beautiful custom home. We love finding the special project items people want to build and making them happen. It means a lot to the families and to us to create a family experience for a lifetime of memories.
BML: WHAT ARE SOME UPCOMING PROJECTS YOU'RE WORKING ON?
SH: We're excited about a project this winter. The original homeowners designed the main closet suite, which doesn't meet the new buyer's needs. There's so much joy in being creative, working with that buyer to understand her apparel needs, and then rebuilding the closet to specifically meet the functionality while making it a beautiful masterpiece. This project will be fun because it's completely custom and will deliver value to our client.
Another exciting project is a house I sold to an out-of-town customer who didn't want to think about furniture. They love the houses we build and asked if we could decorate their home. We gave them a couple of inspirations for each room, and they signed off, and we executed. We staged the entire house, down to fresh sheets on the beds. We even got as specific as cooking essentials in the cabinets. It was completely turnkey.
When you think about Howington Construction, this is the value we strive to deliver because it makes us different. We don't aspire to just be a builder, a remodeler or a home service company but a visionary helping clients achieve their family aspirations.
“Finding the client's niche desires and making those projects come to life is essential because creating family traditions enhances our customer's experience.”
- Samantha Howington
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White Chocolate Raspberry Roll-out Sugar Cookies
PHOTOGRAPHY BY EMMA MANNING
PHOTOGRAPHY
Recipe by Morgan Webber of The Sugary Cookie
"I love creating custom sugar cookie sets, French macarons and cookie cakes for all occasions. Basically, anything in the cookie family is my jam!" - Morgan Webber
ingredients:
• 1 cup salted butter (cold from the fridge, cubed)
• 1 cup granulated white sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon white chocolate syrup (Ghirardelli or Torani are great options)
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3 cups all purpose flour (+ about 1/4 cup for the counter surface when rolling)
• 1/2 cup chopped white chocolate
• 1/2 cup freeze dried raspberries (crushed into powder)
Photography: Emma Manning Photography - @emmamanningphoto
directions:
Step 1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
Step 2. In the bowl of your mixer cream butter and sugar until smooth. It helps to cube the butter so it mixes easier!
Step 3. Beat in vanilla extract, white chocolate syrup and egg.
Step 4. Add in the baking powder. Mix until combined.
Step 5. Slowly add in the flour, one cup at a time, scrapping down the sides if needed. The dough may look crumbly. That’s okay-continue to mix until the dough comes together. The dough will be very stiff. It should not be sticking to the sides! If it’s sticky add a little bit more flour!
Step 6. DO NOT CHILL THE DOUGH.
Step 7. Take out about half the dough and put it into a smaller bowl and massage the freeze dried raspberry powder into the dough with your hands.
Step 8. Add the chopped white chocolate to the remaining dough in the stand mixer and mix on low until combined.
Step 9. Lightly flour your work surface and take an equal amount of both the white chocolate and raspberry dough. I like to put the white chocolate dough down first and begin to roll it out then add dollops of the raspberry dough on top and continue rolling to 1/4” thickness.
Step 10. Bake at 350 for 8 minutes. Let cool on the cookie sheet until firm enough to transfer to a cooling rack.
Makes about 24 medium sized (3-3.5”) cookies.
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Friendsgiving
BRINGING FAMILY TRADITIONS TO THE TABLE WITH FRIENDS, NEW AND OLD
ARTICLE BY KIT GARROTT | PHOTOGRAPHY BY BONNER MORGAN
Friendsgiving has become an annual event for many friend groups at the beginning of November. Lifelonghome-town friends or new-job-new-city friends celebrate Thanksgiving in a casual, potluck, all-hands-on-deck fashion. While scheduling a group dinner in November is challenging, friend groups make the extra effort for this occasion. Friendsgiving can be anything from a seated dinner to a buffet with football as the main entertainment or a game night with turkey and pumpkin pie.
For many, Friendsgiving is not just a gathering, but an exciting opportunity to create new memories with both new and old friends. It’s a chance to relive the magic of childhood traditions around the holidays. Friendsgiving beautifully blends our families’ traditions while intentionally (or
unintentionally) creating new moments to look forward to every year. Friends learn more about cherished holiday moments and how they reimagine and share their unique family traditions. One friend brings sweet potatoes with marshmallows piled high with extras for everyone - just in case. Another friend brings mulled wine that her grandmother taught her how to make when she turned 21. Another friend brings paper turkey feather hats, which everyone must wear until the night is over. The joy of creating these new memories is what makes Friendsgiving so special.
This holiday-within-a-holiday is a creative, jolly opportunity for friends to distill family traditions and reimagine them, creating new memories with every year and every burnt turkey.
CONTINUED >
Dishes and Drinks
A Friendsgiving menu can range from a classic Thanksgiving meal with the usual trappings and turkey to a few pizzas. There are no rules! However, a potluck-style meal is the tried and true Friendsgiving formula. Guests select their side dish, dessert or beverage and put their twist on it. Whether they bring a classic side or a family secret recipe, enjoying the different interpretations of "Thanksgiving food" is always a treat.
A charcuterie board is always a great addition to a night full of friends and drinks. Build your charcuterie board so it can be moved from the kitchen for cocktails to the table for dinner as an edible centerpiece and land in the living room for football at the night's end. Replenish your board as the night progresses, adding cheese that pairs perfectly with the wine for dinner or cookies one of your guests brought as you move towards dessert.
Creating a make-your-own bar set-up is a great way to include any beverage options guests bring for the night. Include a few local wine, beer and spirits options for out-of-town friends to enjoy. Get a recommendation from the local liquor store, like a Gundlach Bundschu Dry Gewürztraminer. This traditional German white wine pairs well with turkey, stuffing and lighter base foods. Get it thoroughly chilled before serving. Or try this Château de Pougelon Fleurie, a cru Beaujolais with notes of black fruits and mushroom undertones. This red will bring together the variety of food friends brought for the evening with a smooth flavor.
Something to Take Home
Give your guests something to remember the night. Since most celebrate Friendsgiving at the beginning of November, give each guest a blank Thank You card and stamped envelope they can send to whoever may be hosting them in a few weeks for Thanksgiving. Or they send it to someone who lives far away and tell them how grateful they are for them even if they can't be together for the holidays.
Set each place with a miniature jar of your family's meat rub and a jar of raspberry jam you made with your mom in July, giving your guests a taste of summer during the darker months ahead.
Hack the Meal Prep
Working smarter, not harder, is the key to truly fun, stress-free Friendsgiving. Don't have time to defrost a turkey? Pick a couple of roasted whole chickens at the grocery, dress them up and serve them with gravy. Don't want to labor over crumbling pie crust? Grab a few pies at the local bakery, plate them, garnish them to perfection and add whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream. If no one asks, you don't have to tell them they didn't come from your oven.
Personal Touches
Friendsgiving is an excellent opportunity to bring different friend groups together! Make everyone feel welcome with personalized name cards and a welcome note. Let your guests know how thankful you are for taking time out of their busy holiday schedule for a night of laid-back fun. Get a set of hand-embroidered napkins you can use every year, passing them from one host to the next. A new tradition that you can add to as your group grows.
Family Traditions
While many friends may bring the predictable dishes, others may show up with a family recipe you've never seen before - like a rice crispy turkey with M&M stuffing. This new-to-you dessert may be the perfect sweet addition you didn't know your table needed. The recipe will immediately circulate in the group text, and guests will fight over the leftovers.
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CELEBRATE THE HOLIDAYS WITH AFTERNOON TEA
HAVE YOURSELF A PRETTY LOVELY CHRISTMAS
ARTICLE BY MICHELE BOGLE | PHOTOGRAPHY BY AMY ALLMAND
"Afternoon tea doesn't need to be complicated; it just needs to be elegant and traditional," Meagan Benson of Pretty Lovely Teas admits. Though hot tea had already become a staple in the
Meagan explains, "Southerners love bringing people together. Breaking out Grandma's China to create something special for others to enjoy with you marries the two cultures well together."
"AFTERNOON TEA DOESN'T NEED TO BE COMPLICATED."
UK during the seventeenth century, it wasn't until 1840 that the customary ritual of afternoon tea was developed by the Duchess of Bedford's habitual need to snack before dinner. Unwilling to wait, the Duchess would request hot tea and cakes to satiate her hunger. Eventually, she began inviting friends to join her. By 1880, formal tea became a fashionable social event with long gowns, gloves and hats.
Nashville resident Meagan Benson met her husband Graham, an English pro golfer, while attending school. Meagan would often join Graham during his frequent visits to the UK while on tour. Enchanted by the people and the culture, Meagan recalls admiring the fanciful hats, enjoying good food and conversation while sipping from a storied porcelain cup. An experience reflective of her youth in Louisiana.
An avid fan of shows like The Great British Bake Off, Meagan honed her baking skills during the pandemic. After years of establishing a reputation for hosting brunches, luncheons and dinner parties, structuring a business model around that experience was a natural progression. In 2022, she and her husband launched Pretty Lovely Teas.
Often held at Magnolia Acres, Meagan designs most of Pretty Lovely Teas' afternoon tea experiences to be enjoyed in the comfort of your home. Meagan makes authentic English scones and sandwiches from scratch using family recipes. Guests can enjoy must-haves like the moist and flaky cheese and chive scone paired with pepper jelly or preserves. She also makes classic cucumber cheese and pimento cheese sandwiches. The Coronation Chicken Salad with a balanced blend of curry powder, golden raisins and mango chutney makes your mouth water.
With the upcoming arrival of their first child, the business needed to pivot to meet the needs of their new family. June of this year saw the launch of PLT's group travel experience: Pretty Lovely Teas Goes to London. The group will join Meagan in London for an exciting itinerary with five unique afternoon teas—spaces filled quickly, prompting interest in planning future international afternoon tea excursions every 12 to 18 months.
The couple is also excited to extend their brand in the new year with nationwide distribution of their own loose-leaf teas. Meagan hopes to make this holiday season the most memorable yet. The Pretty Lovely Christmas menu will feature popular holiday flavors like gingerbread designed as rooftops to sit atop a teacup and an outrageously flavorsome biscuit provided by Black Sheep Cookies (@blacksheepcookies).
"SOUTHERNERS LOVE BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER."
Morgan Webber's (@thesugarycookie) delicate macarons sit beautifully on any table. The festive 3D-printed sugar cookies from Elise Lowery of Frosted in Franklin (@frostedinfranklin) are as pretty as they are tasty, and the sweets selection is complete with elegant petit fours baked by Susan Seay of Southern Squares (@southernsquarespetitfours).
Meagan offers a divine hot cocoa option for chilly December afternoons, made with real chocolate shavings and whole milk.
The festive settings will fill your heart with joy while the aromatics hug you like a warm blanket by the fireside. Have yourself a Pretty Lovely Christmas this year!
giving dip -
ARTICLE BY ANGELA BROOCKERD I PHOTOGRAPHY BY JANIE JONES
Fall is synonymous with gathering with friends and family and enjoying time together. Whether it is for Thanksgiving, a football watch party or a simple fall gathering, these easy appetizer dips are the perfect shareable snack to share.
fig & honey brie
The perfect cheesy fall dip that is both savory and sweet. The chopped pecans add a subtle crunch that makes this irresistible.
ingredients:
• 8 ounce brie wheel
• 1/3 cup fig spread or jam
• ¼ cup pecans
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
• 1 teaspoon fresh parsley
directions: Place brie in a baking dish. Spread the fig spread on top of brie and sprinkle with chopped pecans. Drizzle with honey. Add fresh herbs, and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Serve with pita chips or crackers.
garlic herb
feta dip
This savory dip is quick and easy to assemble and is perfect to serve with fresh veggies or crackers of any kind.
ingredients:
• ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1 whole garlic bulb, roasted
• 1 ¼ cup feta cheese
• 3 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon dill
• 1 teaspoon parsley
• Salt and pepper to taste
directions:
First, cut the head off of the top of the garlic bulb, and drizzle olive oil on top. Wrap in foil, and place it in an oven heated to 425 degrees. Roast for 30 minutes or until soft. Squeeze roasted garlic into a bowl, and set aside. Next, add the yogurt, feta, lemon juice, salt, pepper and water in a blender and lightly blend. Add the roasted garlic and blend until smooth. Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with fresh herbs. Serve with crackers or fresh vegetables. Enjoy!
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Stepping Into Gratitude
HEARTFELT THANK YOU NOTES FROM KIDS WHO WALK WITH HOPE, THANKS TO SOLES4SOULS
BY TARRISH POTTER
A new pair of shoes can be much more than that for a young child. New shoes can inspire confidence and joy. Soles4Souls provides shoes to kids in need every day. Some kids share how thankful they are for their new shoes with notes and drawings.
"I really want to thank Mrs. Donna for giving me these wonderful shoes that make me feel confident and cool. I didn't really want to go to school with my old shoes because I felt embarrassed, now it's different and I can run and play better. Thank you, I love you!"
PHOTOGRAPHY
Sometimes the thank you notes come from parents, grandparents and siblings.
"To Whom it may concern:
I wanted to thank you for your donation of shoes. I have two grandkids that I'm raising, and they were very happy with the shoes that they pick out. Thanks for your kindness. I have been told by other children that they love their new shoes, too. Thank you just doesn't seem like much, but it is from the bottom of our hearts. Thank you. Bless you."
"i
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