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Country music icon Shania Twain has partnered with the executive producers of Virgin River to adapt Debbie Macomber’s Heart of Texas novels into a TV series. Twain will serve as an executive producer alongside Roma Roth and Christopher E. Perry of Virgin River fame. According to a news release, the five-time Grammy award-winning artist will also be contributing creatively to the Heart of Texas show. Macomber’s best-selling, eight-part book series revolves around the personal and professional struggles of siblings Savanah, Grady, and Richard Weston who must fight to keep the family ranch and legacy alive after the untimely death of their parents....

Earlier this month, college football fans clad in bright orange or vibrant purple, respectively, flooded the streets of the Crescent City to witness the crowning of the college football national championship. New Orleans welcomed Clemson and LSU fans, national media outlets, and a host of famous faces all eager to watch this epic match-up of the two best teams in the country. One such famous face was that of Super Bowl champion, Martellus Bennett, in New Orleans playing the role of “Professor” for Dos Equis College Football Football College....

Inside The Graduate Nashville you’ll find karaoke like you’ve never experienced before. Billed as “the first animatronic karaoke bar on earth,” the midtown hotel’s Cross-Eyed Critters Watering Hole invites performers, amateur and otherwise, to share a stage with a backup band of robot musicians. What’s the experience like? When you choose your karaoke song and grab the microphone, an animatronic trio—in the form of an instrument-playing bear, fox, and pig—help you belt out the hits....

With the holidays swiftly approaching, the Type As in your life are already dreaming about picking out their pretty, patterned 2023 planners and calendars. And moreover, they’re beginning to think of ways to fill them up. Outside of the weekly grind of work, meetings, school functions, and endless extracurriculars, we’re all excited to have a back-to-normal year of travel where we can plan whatever trips our hearts desire. The travel industry is experiencing a small boom post-pandemic and that trend is expected to continue into the new year....

Archibald’s, Northport This barbecue has been a favorite for more than 45 years. Forget dining in―the cinder block building is intended for pickup. A slab of their popular ribs is $19.18. 1211 Martin Luther King Blvd.; (205) 345-6861. Hours: 10:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 10:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday-Saturday. Buffalo Phil’s Pub and Cafe, Tuscaloosa Great hot wings ($7-$12), chicken fingers ($9), and cold beer right on The Strip. It’s tough to get a table, but you can order takeout for tailgating or eat while standing....

Firefighters are battling a wildfire that started early Saturday evening at Pilot Mountain State Park in Surry County, North Carolina. The Grindstone Fire swelled to 1,050 acres Tuesday afternoon and is currently 20% contained, according to the North Carolina Forestry Service (NCFS). “This morning, smoke conditions were the worst they have been for this incident,” Kenny Griffin, NCFS operations section chief, said in a news release. “We are still going to have smoke in the area for the next several days, but it will decrease over time....

On this episode of Biscuits & Jam, we talk to country icon Wilie Nelson about his growing up in Abbott, Texas, his love of gospel music and chicken fried steak, his relationship with Patsy Cline, his efforts with FarmAid, his new album First Rose of Spring, performing with his kids, and staying positive during tough times. During the podcast, Willie was sitting in his pickup truck at his ranch in Luck, Texas, looking at his horses (he has over 70 of them)....

Black Friday 2021 lands on November 26, so it’s kind of a big deal that stores are cutting prices already. Weeks before Thanksgiving and nearly two months ahead of Christmas, these early deals are worth your while, whether you’re on the hunt for presents to leave under the tree or for a bargain too good to resist for yourself. Lodge Pre-Seasoned Skillet, $13.99 (orig. $26.68); amazon.com Revlon One-Step Hair Dryer and Volumizer Hot Air Brush, $34....

Get to Know Caitlyn Smith Singer, songwriter, and musician, Caitlyn Smith has made a name for herself as one of the most exciting young talents in country music. She grew up in the small town of Cannon Falls, Minnesota, where her Sundays were spent singing in church or enjoying the land of 10,000 lakes, but in the last decade she has left an indelible mark on Nashville. In this episode, we talk about memories of helping her mother cook at their family’s bed and breakfast, how she fell in love with songwriting, the email to Patty Griffin that helped kick off her career, and her introduction to Southern food....

When the call came out for a Christmas cookie swap at work, I was a little overwhelmed. I’ve baked before, of course, but I don’t consider myself a baker. The most recent batch of cookies I made were GIANT because I don’t own a cookie scoop and clearly don’t have a solid grasp on portion sizes. (Note: My friends were understandably not upset about the obnoxious size of the cookies, and yes, they still tasted fine....

Once a peaceful fishing village, Chincoteague Island, Virginia, now bustles with visitors, welcoming them with delicious local seafood, abundant lodging, shopping, and family activities. It’s a great spot to visit any time of year, but this Eastern Shore island especially shines as a summer destination. In summer, 50-cent trolley rides whisk people around town with stops at the downtown shopping district, carnival grounds, community center, Museum of Chincoteague Island, and Chincoteague Chamber of Commerce....

Even with a thoroughly unwelcome frost expected this week (Mother Nature is a bitter, old woman), plants in Grumpy’s garden continue to pop. Here are five really cool early birds that I have begged the Big Guy to spare. My faith is strong. Sensational color comes not from flowers alone. The combination of ‘Elijah Blue’ blue fescue (Festuca glauca ‘Elijah Blue’) and yellow creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia ‘Aurea’), shown above, proves it....

There are a few reasons that shoppers come back to classic beauty products: They are sentimental and reliable. One classic brand that has stood the test of time: Estée Lauder skincare. The timeless beauty products have been passed down from generation to generation, and now select skincare is on sale for 40 percent off at Nordstrom. First up is the Perfectionist Pro Instant Resurfacing Peel, an at-home peel that’s full of AHAs and BHAs that won’t irritate the skin....

This year, Montgomery, Alabama, is ready to usher in the ’20s by harkening back to the flapper era. The historic city on the Alabama River is inviting its visitors to do the same with a series of events centered around F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, who once called Montgomery home. In addition to Montgomery being Zelda’s hometown, F.Scott penned part of Tender Is the Night and Zelda wrote part of Save Me the Waltz while they lived here....

Why ask someone to do something when you can do it yourself? That was the thinking behind the inaugural Black Food & Wine Festival, set to take place October 22-24 at Camp North End in Charlotte, North Carolina. The brainchild of two-time James Beard Award nominated chef Greg Collier and his wife Subrina, the three-day festival will be a celebration of Black food and culture, with more than 75 chefs, artisans, farmers, brewers, and distillers already signed on to participate....

If you’ve ever let the water go a bit too long in a floral arrangement, you know the mayhem of murkiness that stems and spare leaves can make in just a few days. Calcium deposits from hard water can also leave a fog. Even after you’ve disposed of the dirty water, the residue left inside a glass vase can be hard to scrub. But cleaning a cloudy glass isn’t just for your sanity....

In the South, grandmothers go by many names. You have your Memaws, your Gagas, your Nanas, Yayas, and Cookies as well as your Gigis, Gogos, and Grannies. While choosing a baby name is a fun challenge, figuring out what to call grandma can be difficult, too. Kathie Lee Gifford, though, has it all figured out. Gifford became a grandmother on Tuesday when her son, Cody, and his wife, Erika, welcomed a baby boy into their family....

About Madeline Edwards Madeline Edwards grew up in a large musical family that relocated from Santa Barbara, California, to Houston, Texas, when she was in high school. The move had a huge impact not only on her life, but also on her music. Madeline’s sound combines influences of country, jazz, soul, and rock, and is sometimes reminiscent of her musical heroes Ella Fitzgerald and Shania Twain. In this episode, Madeline talks about what finally made her take the leap to move to Nashville, and how she went from no prospects to performing with Mickey Guyton at the CMAs and touring with Chris Stapleton....

Like many holiday dinners, the succulent main course and tasty side dishes are just necessary preludes to what everyone is really waiting for: the dessert. For Easter dinner, church potlucks, or any springtime gathering, a coconut layer cake is sure to be the main feature on the dessert sideboard. And while the skills of a BBQ pitmaster are measured by the taste and tenderness of the meat he grills or smokes, the reputation of a Southern baker is based on her ability to produce a tall layer cake with straight lines and smooth frosting....

Well folks, speculation has finally given way to official confirmation: Netflix has revealed that Virgin River will in fact return for a third season on the streaming platform. According to Netflix, the third installment of the soapy hit will consist of 10 drama-filled episodes. Alexandra Breckinridge, Martin Henderson, Tim Matheson, Annette O’Toole, Colin Lawrence, Benjamin Hollingsworth, Grayson Gurnsey, and more of your favorite Virgin River locals are all slated to return....