Debbie "Marvelous" Smith calls her catering business Sequins & Seasonings. The first part of it becomes obvious when you see that presentation is very important to her, including her eye-catching fashion sense. The second part of her company name reveals itself deliciously in the first bite of her soulful flavors.

She's sensible as a cook, aware that many people have dietary restrictions, but her overall culinary philosophy seems to be that life's too short for meals that are dull and lifeless.

"Food should be satisfying," she says. "Calories have got to matter, and they shouldn't come from mediocre food."

The delightful Ms. Smith does so many different things that you wonder how she does them all. Besides spreading the love through her cooking, the mother of three works as a pharmacy technician at a Publix in Fairhope, is a longtime tax preparer, and is heavily involved with a charity organization for homeless women and children.

It's her cooking that is requiring more and more of her time and energy, and she considers that a huge blessing. Having grown up in St. Mary Parish in southeast Louisiana, putting flavorful home-cooked meals on the table has long been second nature to her. It became a way to bring in some extra income when she really needed it. Going through some hard times a few years ago, she says, a few separate events happened in quick succession to lead her down the catering path. She had prepared an assortment of breakfast items for a small farewell gathering for a church leader who was moving away.

"It was nothing out of the ordinary, just typical stuff like shrimp and grits, eggs and hash browns," she says. Her expertise caught the attention of a youth pastor, who told her: "You're praying about what direction your life should take, and here it is. People should be paying for this."

Many had told her over the years that she should open a restaurant, but she had always been wary that doing it for a living might take the joy out of it. But soon after the church event, an opportunity came Debbie's way during her week-night shift at Downtown Cigars on Main Street in Daphne. 

"I was working there on a random Tuesday in December, and a gentleman walked in, and I asked, 'Can I help you,' she recalls. "The guy with him said, 'I don't know, can you cater for me next week?'" He had waited too long to book his usual caterer for a Christmas party he was giving and was in a bind. "He said he didn't care what the menu was or the budget," she says. They touched base on the details the next day, and it was all set.

"He was a flight instructor in Mobile and had a big, beautiful home," Debbie says. "At the party, there were 25 or 30 people. I made brisket, garlic mashed potatoes, and fresh green beans with potatoes and sausage. "I did a beautiful spread, and they enjoyed it. I took pictures of everything and put them on social media, and it took off." 

Her catering business got another lift recently, and it was again a result of social media. She saw that one of her favorite comedians, Mississippi's Mary Ryan Brown, would appear at OWA Theater, which is just a few miles away from her house in Foley. She sprang to action with a message via Facebook offering to cater the backstage area (called the "green room") free of charge as something of a love offering.

"I wanted to make sure that she had some good Southern cuisine, that it would be magical and tasty," says Debbie. "I wanted her to be so full that she would wonder if she could make it from the green room to the stage."

Though she had no expectations other than hopefully meeting the performer, she does admit that she got excited at what happened next. First of all, Brown quickly took her up on the offer and later posted a photo of the two of them together in a dressing room on the night of the show. As a direct result, her Sequins & Seasonings site doubled its number of followers. In addition, the manager of OWA Theater hired Debbie on the spot to cater other events there. So since that fateful evening in April, her full-flavored dishes have been an unexpected highlight of the visiting performers' downtime before the shows.

Here's what Mary Ryan Brown had to say about it to her 73,000 followers: "One week ago, a stranger messaged me, told me that she simply could not have me eating unseasoned food when I came to do a show in Foley, Alabama, and offered to cater my green room. Today, I met my new friend D Marvelous Smith (tagged), who not only provided a perfect menu — complete with gorgeous presentation and even mints and Emergen-C for a girl who has been touring all week but also took the bobby pins out of her own hair and gave them to me when I couldn't find my own. Marvelous is, as her name suggests, a marvel in hospitality and encouragement. She prayed over me before my show and hugged me after! Thank you, Marvelous, for making the end of this weeklong tour run absolutely perfect." 

The marketing-minded caterer realizes her memorable nickname may sound boastful to some, but she says it actually comes from Bible scripture and serves as a reminder to be grateful and mindful of the beauty within herself and the world around her.

"At first, I used it as a pseudonym for my poetry writing," she says. "You might meet me as Debbie Smith, but by the end I'm gonna be Marvelous — your girlfriend, your friend-girl, your catering hookup. It begins with Debbie and ends with Marvelous."

She has lots of repeat clients and is picking up new ones all the time. Her food has become an essential element for many special occasions. Her food will be part of the third Christmas in a row for one family, and another has hired her in succession to cater an engagement celebration, then the wedding and eventually a baby shower. 

As if she doesn't have a full plate already, she says she recently got approved by the State of Alabama to become a foster mother, continuing a circle of compassion that's always been part of her life. Her biological mother was a foster child, she says, and she was too for a period. While she certainly stays busy and obviously doesn't mind taking on new challenges, she says she does have her limits.

"There are 24 hours in a day, and I sleep for about five or six of them," she says, "but for the rest of them, I'm on the move. I am intentional about rest when my body needs it, though, so that my go time is productive and the busyness of the business doesn't detract from the blessing of it all."