Life Archives | At Home in Arkansas

Seasonal Carbonara

June 24, 2018 by Stephanie Maxwell Newton

A Northwest Arkansas creative shares his recipe for garlic and herb-roasted cherry tomato carbonara with crispy prosciutto and burrata

Fayetteville native Jonathan Stiers is one of those creatives who doesn’t stop. During his work day, he’s busy in his role as the creative director of Sam’s Club. When he comes home he’s on to the next thing—which includes trying his hand at new dishes and cocktail recipes, learning the ropes of food photography, and sharing design inspiration on his enviable Instagram feed (@jonathan.stiers), passions that all led him to eventually start blogging at jonathanstiers.com. For this issue, Jonathan shares a summery pasta dish that’s perfect for either a lakeside lunch or poolside soirée….

American Dreamer

June 24, 2018 by Tiffany Adams

Meet Kerry McCoy: An unlikely introduction to the history of American flags led this Little Rock entrepreneur on a lifetime adventure manufacturing and selling flags of every kind imaginable

Q. How did you become interested in flags?
A. Honestly, I like to say it was a series of bad luck. After a semester of college, I came back home to Little Rock and got a job as a telephone operator. I was 18, and they offered great benefits; everyone told me I had it made. But my mother could tell I was miserable. She suggested I go to fashion merchandising school in Dallas. I loved it and wanted to be a buyer when I graduated a year later. However, it was 1974 and there was a recession—meaning no jobs for buyers. I wanted to stay in Dallas, so I went to an employment office. They sent me to Betsy Ross Flag Girl, and that was my start in the flag business….

Welcome to Paradise!

June 22, 2018 by Stephanie Maxwell Newton

As we continue our “Entertaining with Tobi Fairley” series, the designer invites us into her resort-worthy backyard for a colorful, tropics-inspired pool party. With flamingos and fruit in abundance, she and her daughter, Ellison, prepare to host a group of school friends for a summer bash featuring snacks and games galore—and, of course, plenty of pool time.

Pool with Punch
With inspiration from old Hollywood, Dorothy Draper, and iconic sites such as The Beverly Hills Hotel, Tobi created a backyard oasis that reflects her style and complements both the architecture and interiors of her home. A palette of black, white, and pink with accents of green—in both the accessories and the landscape—brings the space to life. During the area’s renovation, she updated the pool with a hexagonal tile and installed pavers on the terrace, two features that coordinate with the palette and add a geometric element to the design. The outdoor furniture is from Tobi’s “Carlyle” collection for Woodbridge.

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New West

June 22, 2018 by Stephanie Maxwell Newton

An expanding arts scene along with an understanding of the town’s historical importance give Fort Smith its depth of charm

Above: “Otter” by ROA

In 2018, its bicentennial year, there has never been a better time to visit Fort Smith. It’s a place that holds immeasurable history, both of the European settlers who established it as a military post 200 years ago and the American natives who lived there for generations prior. The city’s position as a western frontier town was immortalized in Charles Portis’s True Grit, and now, it’s experiencing a surge of attention for art of a different form. Since 2015, murals have been cropping up on walls across Fort Smith’s historic downtown as part of The Unexpected, a public-art initiative started by local creative and event organization 64.6 Downtown. While the artists responsible for the larger-than-life works come from all over the world, their subjects tend to reflect the many facets of Fort Smith’s storied history….

A Lasting Impact

June 11, 2018 by Stephanie Maxwell Newton

Make a statement in your outdoor area with container plantings that will thrive through the summer and fall

“Containers are one of the most under-utilized garden features,” says David Munsey III, general manager of Little Rock’s Better Lawns & Gardens. “You don’t need a lot of them to start with; you can make a big impact, colorwise, with just one or two plantings. Plus, they are less expensive than planting a bed and can be used in small spaces or apartments,” he adds….

Our Last Bite at Fassler Hall

June 6, 2018 by Tiffany Adams

New to town and quickly becoming a crowd favorite, Little Rock’s Fassler Hall is a German pub featuring local and European brews and house-made sausages along with a weekend brunch. “Fassler Hall is all about bringing the community together. It’s why we have communal seating—so you can grab dinner with your all of your friends or sit down with someone from the community that you may not know and have a beer,” says general manager Ashley Price.

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The Flavor of South Main

June 5, 2018 by Tiffany Adams

One couple’s passion for locally sourced food continues to grow in downtown Little Rock.

Corri Bristow-Sundell’s interest in growing her own food was piqued at her grandparents’ homestead in east Texas. “They raised chickens, and they had a small kitchen garden where they grew food for themselves and enough to sell. It was a very Southern place,” she says. “I always remember sitting outside shellin’ peas and gabbin’,” she adds with an accent that alludes to her own native Little Rock roots. “I think visiting them really gave me a lifelong love for these experiences.”…

Summer Statements

May 30, 2018 by Stephanie Maxwell Newton

There’s nothing subtle about this season’s look-at-me accessories

Sunny Days

Shades with bold frames and technicolor lenses double as conversation starters
1 Illesteva “Boca II” sunglasses. Scarlet, Little Rock, scarletclothing.com
2 Mirrored single-plate sunglasses. Beehive, Little Rock, lovebeehive.com
3 Alice + Olivia “Walker” cat-eye sunglasses. Scarlet, Little Rock, scarletclothing.com
4 Bay Sky cat-eye sunglasses. Box Turtle, Little Rock, shopboxturtle.com
5 Diff Eyewear “Becky” sunglasses in rose gold. E.Leigh’s, Conway, Fayetteville, and Little Rock, shopeleighs.com
6 Quay rounded black sunglasses. Steamroller Blues, Jonesboro, Little Rock, and Rogers, steamrollerblues.com
7 Black heart-shaped sunglasses. Beehive, Little Rock, lovebeehive.com…

Hand-Built Career

May 29, 2018 by Stephanie Maxwell Newton

The ceramicist behind Julie Holt Studio and Small Batch Pottery creates whimsical pottery pieces from her charming home studio in Little Rock

For your fine arts degree, you decided on a concentration in ceramics, even though you also paint and sew. How did you decide on pottery? Where I went to school—the University of North Texas—had a very strong ceramics department. I’d gotten a bachelor’s in business communications previously at Baylor, but I worked for a year and was like, “Nope, I don’t want to do this.” For a degree in fine arts, you have to pick a concentration, and at the time I was really interested in throwing pottery. It seemed like a natural pick….

Make Mom’s Day!

May 4, 2018 by Tiffany Adams

Recently named to the Salonnière 100, a list of America’s top 100 party hosts, Little Rock-based designer Tobi Fairley will be gracing the pages of At Home in Arkansas in a yearlong series where she will share hostess tips, theme inspiration, and loads of details on how you, too, can pull off a fête to remember. This month, she’s set the scene (and the table!) for a colorful brunch in honor of moms everywhere.

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Seasonal Carbonara

American Dreamer

Welcome to Paradise!

New West

A Lasting Impact

Our Last Bite at Fassler Hall

The Flavor of South Main

Summer Statements

Sunny Days

Hand-Built Career

Make Mom’s Day!

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