Last October, stylist Karen Sexton was able to accomplish her dream of opening a contemporary hair salon of her very own — Sexton Studio. Formerly Salon TaraBella, this up-and-coming spot just south of Riverchase offers a variety of hair, skin, and nail services you’re sure to love:

• $ 70 ($ 140 value) for an organic hair color treatment
• $ 45 ($ 90 value) for a customized facial with hand and arm massage, a paraffin hand dip, and light makeup application
• Conveniently nestled on nearby Helena Road

Why We Love It
Past patrons rave that they have “never been so pleased” with their services, which range from lavishing locks to leaving your skin with a more youthful appearance. Appointments are available Tuesday through Saturday each week.

Sexton Studio on Facebook

Your friends and family have megawatt grins, so why not let their smiles light up the walls of your home with a personalized canvas print?

• $ 12 ($ 72 value) for a 10″ x 15″ personalized canvas print
• $ 19 ($ 89 value) for a 12″ x 18″ personalized canvas print
• $ 29 ($ 129 value) for a 16″ x 20″ personalized canvas print

“I am absolutely thrilled with the quality! They look awesome and really finish off my rooms. I am 100% happy.” — Satisfied customer

Turn Ear-to-Ear Smiles into Wall-to-Wall Art
Fabness’s easy-to-use online design tool lets you add special art effects and preview your photo in different room settings to envision it on your wall. High-quality inks give the prints rich, true-to-life colors, and each canvas arrives gallery-wrapped around a thick wood frame and ready to hang.

Fabness’s Website | Facebook

Thanks to your smartphone, you can reach virtually anyone! Now, if only you could reach your charging cable from the wall to your desk, nightstand, or lap:

• $ 6 ($ 29 value) for a ten-foot USB-to-lightning data cable for iPhone 5 or iPad Mini
• $ 6 ($ 29 value) for a ten-foot USB-to-30-pin data cable for iPhone 4/4S, iPad, or iPod
• Choose white, pink, blue, or green

Nifty Spot’s Website

If you’re going to go out swinging, you’ll want to perfect your stroke. Straighten out your hooks and slices with this deal from Harper/Miller School of Golf in Bessemer, which can help you learn fundamentals like proper grip, posture, alignment, and more:

• $ 35 ($ 70 value) for a one-hour golf lesson at the Frank House Golf Course
• $ 49 ($ 100 value) for a nine-hole playing lesson at the Frank House Golf Course
• Lessons taught by PGA pro Charles F. Miller

Harper/Miller School of Golf’s Website | Facebook

Escape Kit
• A One-Night Stay for Two, Sundays through Thursdays ($ 119) or Fridays or Saturdays ($ 137)
• Hot Breakfast for Two
• $ 30 Spa Credit
• Combine Vouchers to Stay Up to Three Nights

The Destination
Nowhere does the antebellum South live on as it does in Madison. An hour east of Atlanta, this beautifully preserved town—founded in 1809—is chockablock with neo-Classical Revival architecture, numerous antique shops, and the kind of locals who welcome out-of-towners with a smile. This isn’t just the kind of place that used to have a town square—it’s the kind of place where locals still gather in the town square, a place that looks much the way it did when General Sherman spared it, supposedly because of its beauty, on his devastating March to the Sea in 1864.

The Digs
And nowhere does history meet Southern hospitality in Madison as it does at The James Madison Inn, located in the heart of downtown and within walking distance of the town’s best restaurants, shops, and antebellum architecture. Pass through the white columns of this stately brick hotel and into one of 17 elegantly appointed guest rooms, each featuring custom furnishings, a fireplace, a flat-screen TV, and a king-size bed, plus complimentary Wi-Fi and a library of local authors. In the morning, you’ll be treated to a delicious continental breakfast.

The Diversions
• The Spa at James Madison Inn
• Madison-Morgan Cultural Center
• Madison Markets
• Town 220 Restaurant