I always forget that I know an honest-to-goodness bona fide famous fashion designer. Actually, I know two. These are normal-looking regular people whom you can see any day walking around my small Alabama town, yet they’ve got fashion awards and magazine and newspaper spreads from around the world. And they know the Vogue folks by first names. Cool! I usually just think of these two as extra-nice people who are so sweet to always say “hello,” but when New York’s Fashion Week rolls around, I remember how special they really are.
The first is Natalie Chanin. She’s the owner and designer of Alabama Chanin, a company in Florence, Alabama that creates handmade one-of-a-kind clothing and home decor. Under Natalie’s direction, local artisans — many of them former textile workers who lost their jobs as the mills closed — use recycled and organic as well as new materials to make these breathtakingly whimsical works of fiber art. Natalie has the soul of an artist combined with the practical good sense of a business owner. And she’s not greedy — she shares! She’s written a lovely and inspiring book with instructions for several of her signature projects (“Alabama Stitch Book”) and regularly holds hands-on workshops where she passes on her secrets. She’s a vibrant part of the community and throws an everybody’s-invited picnic and open house every year. Go to her Web site, http://ad.dev.alabamachanin.com, where you can see more photos from her latest collection, learn more of her story and even order your own Alabama Chanin original.
Tomorrow: Who’s the other famous fashion designer living in Florence, Alabama? Come back and find out!
Demos’ Restaurant opens in Florence, Alabama, at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 28. If you want downhome comfort food at a great price served with a smile, this is the place to be. The family-owned and -operated business started in Murfreesboro, Tennessee and has three other locations around the Nashville area. When my mother-in-law still was able to get out and about, Demos’ in Murfreesboro was her favorite place to eat. In fact, even though she hasn’t been there for several years, the Demos’ folks still remember her and ask about her — that’s the sort of people they are and that’s the sort of attitude they’ve brought to Alabama. Go see for yourself, order a seafood-stuffed baked potato and tell ’em Tennessee Pitts sent you. The Florence restaurant is behind Books-a-Million at 339 Seville Street (the street off Cox Creek Parkway that goes between the entrances to Kohl’s and Wal-mart). If you miss it Sunday, be there at 11 a.m. on Monday when it opens for lunch. And visit 
I’ll admit that I usually spend December evenings curled up on the
couch watching Bing Crosby movies in my pajamas and eating the best part of Chex Mix — the burned crunchy bits at the bottom of the pan, but the invitation to a Christmas party in Huntsville, Alabama, for this past Saturday night said dress to impress. Marlene, the hostess, wanted a glam cocktail party, so my husband and I tried our best. How do you think we did? My husband always looks so spiffy in a suit. For the party, he went with classic all black and since he couldn’t find his Christmas tie, he substituted his Beatles one for a festive touch. My dress was a two-year-old (three? four?)
black halter from the sadly now-defunct Parisian’s, with the added feature of not being tight or binding in any way — my only prerequisite for party clothes. All I can say is, 
“Damn. We look good!” Marlene kept the festivities to proper cocktail hours so we could go out to eat or whatever afterwards, but before we did that, John and I stopped by my daughter and son-in-law’s apartment for a quick snuggle with almost 9-months-old grandson. Good company, good food and good baby time to top it off. Could it get any better?
Demos’ alert! The Florence, Alabama, location will open at 11 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 29. This middle Tennessee family-owned and -operated restaurant is a favorite of almost everybody who eats there — the other four Demos’ are in Mufreesboro, Nashville, Hendersonville and Lebanon. The Florence one is behind Books-a-Million, and I ducked in there the other day to check it out. It was bustling, with training going on in the kitchen and folks busy in the front putting away napkins, organizing menus and generally getting ready. If what I saw and heard is any indication — an attentive bunch in the kitchen listened gravely as they were instructed to “Hold the plates this way. Not this way. Not this way. But this way” and a sign above the pass-through read “There is only one boss here: The customer.” — the legendary Demos’ commitment to service and value is alive and well.
Training began this week at the newly finished Demos’ restaurant in Florence, 
Alabama. “Today (Monday) is our official first day of training. We won’t open until the end of the month,” said Felicia Demos, chief financial officer for the family business, in an e-mail. Demos’ is a middle Tennessee icon, with restaurants in Murfreesboro, Nashville, Lebanon and Hendersonville famous for offering delicious homestyle food at great value and with excellent service. My husband and I are both from middle Tennessee and we eat at Demos’ whenever we’re nearby. I cannot believe our luck in getting one practically in our own backyard. We must have been living right. Who knew? Visit 
Coffee with Cathy 