Southern Southern Southern!

Y'all know I'm all about all things Southern! I live and breathe my roots! So, it should come as no surprise that I have an addiction to Southern magazines. I love them all!

Love, love love SL!

Yeah, yeah, so I'm already married. So what? What if Southern Hubby proposes again (cause I told him he should!) and I need to plan another Southern Wedding!?

Heard that this beauiful magazine has been cancelled. :( Wonder what will happen to my subscription?? Hmmm..

And now, thanks to Miss Janice, I've got yet another magazine obsession! Southern Lady magazine was on it's way to my door about 15 minutes after reading Miss Janice's blog post!

Head on over there asap to read more about my new find and to enter her awesome giveaway, too. All you have to do is mention what you think Celebrating the South is. To me, celebrating the South, our South, is about tradition- keeping tradition alive, talking about tradition, and living them everyday. We don't need a special reason to celebrate down here- being Southern is enough! :)

Happy weekend, y'all!

xoxo Y

Southern Traditions:Part 2

Hey y'all! Excuse my tardiness but our house has just been in a flurry of activities. Last night I spoke with the president of Perfect Swag. We chit-chatted long into the night. And let me tell you, she is a hoot! Anyway, she had a wonderful business opportunity for me and my little shop. Unfortunately, I can't disclose any of the details just yet, but y'all will be one of the first to know when I can. Promise!

Now let's finish our southern tradition countdown!

Ten Southern Traditions We Need to Keep Alive:

6. Writing thank-you notes: I touched on this earlier this year. You can read the post here. It's polite, it's proper, and it's mandatory. Enough said.

7. Knowing the basics of homemaking: If you have been a reader of mine for a while now, you'll know that I quit my career as a 5th grade teacher to stay home. (No, I do not have children. I think my husband alone is worth me taking care of myself and our home.)

When I first became a homemaker I set out to learn the basics- sewing, knitting, baking, canning etc. Our grandmothers knew these crafts because they had to know them. Making do was needed to survive and save money. Thankfully we are now blessed with abundance. But that does not mean we should let these precious arts go by the wayside. My great-grandma did these to make do, and I'm doing them to make a home a home.

8. Slowing down: Oh, this is such a biggie. And I constantly have to remind myself of this. The busyness of life has seeped into our southern culture and we are now in the proverbial 'rat race.' We no longer sit on our porches with a glass of sweet tea, waving at anyone who walks by- we don't have the time. In between work, and the gym, and PTA meetings, the kid's ballet, soccer, and football practices, and squeezing dinner in there somewhere, we've lost the art of slowing down.

On our honeymoon in St. Lucia, Southern Hubby and I enjoyed sumptuous feasts each night at our resort's restaurant. The food was divine. But we were a bit thrown off by the fact that we had to wait at least an hour and half (sometimes more!) for the food to arrive. It was like they took our order and then went to take a nap before they turned it in to the chef! After a couple nights of this, we were starting to get miffed! But looking around at the European guests, we noticed they weren't irritated at all- they had glass after glass of wine, all the while indulging in stories of that day's adventures. They were savoring their dining experience. It didn't matter when the food got there- they had family and friends to talk to for the meantime and that was just fine.

In our go-go-go! world, Southern Hubby and I were used to being seated, having appetizers, dinner and maybe a desert in under an hour. (maybe a little more if you had to pay the check ;) What we thought was horrible service was actually the Saint Lucian norm- enjoying your company, savoring your meal, and visiting long after the plates are gone.

That night, we walked away full stomachs and a wonderful lesson.

9. Pearls, pearls and more pearls!- I know y'all are all with me on this one!

10. Southern Hospitality: We in the south delight in entertaining! We live for parties and welcoming people into our homes.

Be not forgetful to entertain strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.

- Hebrews 13:2

We Southerners take this very seriously- our home is your home. We must remember, though, that being a good hostess has nothing to do with the quality of your silver and china, or even what you serve at your table- it's more about graciousness of your giving and making special memories. Conversation is a verra close second.

(Did y'all read, "Devil in the Junior League"? Based in Texas, the main character, Frede, has our typical Texan drawl and it is a hoot! "Well, bless your heart," and "verra, verras" are sprinkled throughout the story!)

Happy Hump day to my lovely readers!

xoxo Y

Southern Traditions: Part 1

Southern traditions go deep.

They run through our bodies, in our blood, settling straight in our proud hearts. But somehow, some things are changing. Society, even in the South, is not as warm as it used to be. Gone are the days of saying hello to every stranger you pass on the street. People no longer make eye contact in public, for fear of being perceived as strange, creepy, or odd. Neighbors tend keep to themselves- consider yourself lucky if you know the people to the right and left of you.

I love that people from around the country expect Southern people to be warm and gracious. This is one stereotype I'd like to keep going. We should cherish the things that set us apart. What's wrong with holding parties for no reason? Why not strike up a conversation with the person behind you in line at the grocery store? Let's hang on to the things that have kept us a proud people.

10 Southern Traditions we need to keep alive:

1. Respecting our elders: The generations that have gone on before us know a thing or two about life. We shouldn't shake our heads at our grandparents, thinking, "Things aren't the same as they were when you were young. Catch up to the hear and now!" Honor and keep their memories precious.

2. Hats and white gloves: I have been very into dresses lately. I feel more feminine when I'm wearing a dress. Now, don't get me wrong, I love my jeans. But there's something about dressing like a lady that evokes the spirit of tradition within me. Add a sun hat and white gloves, and my goodness, I'd feel like Jackie O.!

3. Saying ma'am and sir: I believe I once told the story of how Southern Hubby, who hails from the Midwest, was often perplexed when I would answer anyone with this formality, even the girl from the McDonald's drive-thru. To me, it doesn't matter what 'position' a person has, everyone deserves the same amount of respect. This is especially important when addressing someone older than you.

4. Helping out a stranger: Once, SH and I were getting out of our car in a grocery store parking lot. We noticed a woman drop her wallet as she got out of her car. She did not notice it and began heading towards the store. We immediately went to pick it up to return it her. You could see the shock and relief in her face when we handed it to her. She then told us that she had just cashed her paycheck, and that wallet contained the only money she had in the world. She was there to buy food for her children. If you see someone in need of a hand, go offer your help. It won't take but a couple minutes and they will appreciate it more than you know.

5. Properly setting your table and *gasp* using real cloth napkins: When we got married, SH and I were so blessed to have gotten all the dinnerware and table linens we requested. For the first year of our marriage I set our table sparingly, wanting to save our 'nicer' things for company. But I soon realized that my family was just as important as any company that walked through our door. Why not make them feel special and pampered? Why not make every dinner an event? Use the things you deem 'for company' everyday. Those napkins were made to hold the crumbs from your grandmother's ham biscuits.

That's it for today! Come back on Wednesday for part 2! :)

Happy Monday, folks! Let's start the week off with a smile! :)
xoxo Y