GiveAway time is coming!

Please keep an eye out for my up coming giveaway which will be a copy of a new realease from a very popular Southern Aurthor (I have it, but it hasn't hit the shelves yet!!!).  IF you love to read keep an eye out and I will hopefully have it up in the next few days!

Join the Southern Sisterhood!

People watching at the really, really big discount big box...

This morning I had to go to ****mart.  Not one of my favorite activities, but it seems in the season of life I am in (3 kids, house and a budget), it is a necessary evil.  Sometimes you just have to go. 

Generally, I will choose my times wisely,  going when it isn't overly crowded and avoiding weekends like the plague (really...if someone in my house needs something from ****mart on the weekend...it is just NOT happening!).  Anyway, today's trip to the really, really,big, discount, big box entailed having to stand in line at the pharmacy.  While I stood there, I started looking around at all the other people around me and noticed one thing...they all looked absolutely miserable.  Now, I am not talking just blah...I am talking not happy with a capital NOT.  At first I decided it was because I was in the pharmacy section and maybe everyone was sick and not feeling well, but then I noticed everyone who worked there looked that way also.  This really got me curious and I started looking further than the pharmacy department...everyone was just plain old unhappy looking.  As they made their way up and down the aisles, they just looked pretty PO'd.  So did all the workers.  I generally make it a point to appear pleasant and smile at others (yes, even strangers!) but it seemed that if eye contact was made and even the slightest smile was shared...folks looked back with just a little bit of suspicion!  EVEN the workers!!!  There was no "happy place" in that place, I can assure you.  Maybe they are in need of a major Bobby McFerrin "Be Happy" intervention!

So why is it ...everyone looked all mad and generally morose?  I don't just blame this on ****mart  - though I understand that ****mart can cause that feeling - but come on folks, do you have to share your misery?  I think a lot of people in our society have forgotten that you don't have to wear every single emotion on your face and have settled into a negative vibe all the time.  There is always something to be thankful for and keep at least a bit of positive spirit.     I am not an expert. but being mad isn't a becoming look for most folks, especially the ones I saw at ****mart. 

Jowls. Are. Not. Flattering.  I am just saying...

Guess what I am doing this week?

Do you ever start a project with a plan, knowing just what you want to do and where?  You know...you have made decisions!  Well, that was just where I was at the beginning of this week when I peeled the 1st strip of wallpaper off my dining room wall....now, not so much.....

I promise I had a plan...really, I did. 

But, as I peeled and peeled and adopted the nickname of "Queen of the Strippers" (yes thank you,  dear husband,  I appreciate that) I began to wonder if I should do something different.  My dining room is a big room, (20 feet by 14 feet), so I am looking to warm it up and make it more cozy which is somewhat ironic because it seems in every other house I have had, I was trying to open up the dining room and make it less cozy...oh, the irony. 

Got my 1st wall done!

 

So, my original plan was to use this fabric for the window treatments and chairs and the paint chip (laying on the fabric) for the walls. 

But, as I peeled away the wallpaper a strange whisper started in the back of my mind, "Wallpaper" it called.  "Wallpaper would cover a myriad of wall damage...." and I replied, "You have got to be crazeeee!" but it continued.  Do any of you have these strange decorating voices in your head or is it just me? 

So, after I have heard from several of my besties, and much debate over to wallpaper or not to wallpaper, I thought I would ask even more people so I will have even more voices in my head throw this question out into blogland....

What would you do? 

Southern Lit Pick of the Week: Between The Tides by Patti Callahan Henry

Me with Patti Callahan Henry

I don’t know when I have been more excited to talk about a book than this week. I am so excited because just a few days after I finish Between the Tides by Patti Callahan Henry, I was able to attend a luncheon where she spoke, talked about her writing and I met her in person! When you read someone’s book it is impossible to know the personality that is truly behind the words, so to read a book and then almost immediately meet the author is quite an interesting experience. It was great to hear this author’s thoughts on how writing evolves for her and what several of her books have meant for her personally.

I read Between the Tides in one night. Yes, one night, because a couple of interesting details really drew me in personally…one being a character named Piper. I have a daughter named Piper! Then there was a little boy named Sam, with green eyes. I have a little boy named Sam with green eyes! So, for me, those two coincidences kept me reading until the wee hours of the morning (yes, it was painful dragging out of bed for church the next morning).

Between the Tides is a true Southern novel that is set in the South Carolina Low Country where the main character, Catherine, is tasked with completing her Father’s last wish. She must return to a place that she both loved and hated and come to terms with many mistakes of the past, most of them not hers. This book is a journey of moving into the future by way of the past. We get to walk along as Catherine experiences things she never knew, and things that weren’t what she thought they were, both literally and emotionally. It is an interesting journey to watch the characters make sense of the dark secrets we can all hold in our hearts. Also, this book is filled with interesting personalities but one personality - that of Catherine’s deceased Mother, is one I really would love to know more about. (Hint!!! Great Book Writing Powers That Be…I think there is an entire other book about Mrs. Leary!).

I look forward to reading more of Patti Callahan Henry’s work and meeting more of her characters. Fortunately, at the luncheon was able to pick up her latest release, The Perfect Love Song, which is a Christmas story!. She said she doesn’t plan to become an author that produces regularly scheduled Christmas novels, but I am excited about this one because I love a holiday story to get me prepared for the season. So look for my upcoming impression of this newest release!

This post was written as a member of the Southern Mommas Writers

Please check out the Southern Sisterhood @

Southern Mommas

2 months my friends, 2 MONTHS!

Yes, my dear Christmas loving friends...2 months until the day! 

Are you ready? 

Have you pulled out the Christmas CDs yet? 

So glad it is Friday...

I am so glad for Friday this week!  These are just a few scenes from my week.  Happy Weekend!

 For those of us who grew up in the mountains, far away from where the Spanish Moss grows,

 I believe it holds special magic and mystery.

Happy Birthday, Baby Girl!

Today, my baby girl turns 19.


I can’t believe how these years continue to fly by at a break-neck pace.

Today is such a reminder of how life ebbs and flows and seasons change. You see, this is the first birthday that we have spent apart from one another…in 19 years. She is away at school and I am sure enjoying her day, but I still miss her being here and all the fun birthdays are (even though we celebrated last weekend with her). Rather than beginning the birthday celebration at breakfast this morning, I sent her a text message. It is a new season, it is a good season, but sometimes I really miss the old season!

“That day, the day you were born, was the most exhilarating day of my life. Ask me how I spent the morning, ask who came to call, ask me anything about that day and I’ll know. Every detail. Most of all I remember how beautiful you looked. I was so proud of you and me. I should have been filled with doubts about whether I could do right by you but, on the contrary, I knew I was ready! I had a plan. I would love you too much; I would protect you for a while; I would teach you how to fly on your own. You might leave my nest, my daughter, but if I did my job well you’d be back, as my friend.”

~Donna Green, To My Daughter With Love

If you have a few moments, please visit my sweet daughter at Tarleton West 
and wish her a happy birthday!

Ladies Who Lunch and Top Hat Special-Teas...

Is there anything better than a lunch with special friends?  When my friends and I get together there is always so much fun!  We laugh more than we lunch, and it is truly a time of rejuvenation on so many levels.    Although, I am "new" here, I have been blessed by so many new friends who have welcomed me with open arms and have kept me from feeling that loneliness that can often accompany a relocation.  It is so wonderful to meet all the wonderful new souls that God is bringing into my life.

 Last week I had lunch with 4 friends at a
new-to-me place here in town

(more of that being a tourist in your own town!).   

We met at Top Hat Special -Teas and had a great lunch. 

Top Hat is tucked away on a little street,right in down town,

but you could spot it easily with the cute pink exterior paint and flags flying (I love flags!).

It isn't a big, but had ample seating and made for a comfortable and cozy visit.

 So many lovely things to look at, which added to the ambience.

 I loved the extensive collection of Royal Albert's Old Country Roses and that it was actually used!  That is my sweet Mother-in-Law's pattern, so I especially love it because it reminds me of her (I think when she comes for a visit we will have to go back to Top Hat just so she can see it all). 

 Isn't this a fun way to dress up the base of a potted plant and make use of those chipped and broken china pieces?

I had a wonderful lunch and know I will be back soon, because there were a few (only a few) of the world's problems that my friends and I didn't manage to solve during our time....ah, next time! 

Temptation...

Temptation comes in many forms, but for Emelda No Shoes, it comes daily in the form of a tiny lizard.  He taunts her day in and day out.  Oh, the misery of being separated from your greatest desire by a tiny pane of glass...

Southern Lit., Pick of the Week: Mermaids in the Basement by Michael Lee West

My read for this week was Mermaids in the Basement by Michael Lee West. West is a writer who lives in Tennessee and I had to appreciate that in addition to writing award winning novels, she also blogs at: Designs By Gollum. I love that she blogs about her life, her farmabilities (hey, it is my post and I can make up words if I like!) and her love of dishes and a beautiful home!


I happened upon Mermaids in the Basement last week while browsing around looking for something new to read. I wasn’t on the lookout for anything overly heavy but wanted my Chick-Lit-Fix and I really wanted a new author and West was just the ticket. How could I not like the leading character, Renata? She struggles with her career, weight, a seemingly horrible love life, and bad hair days and has Daddy issues! Oh, and not to mention her mother recently died and there are layers of secrets to be discovered concerning all the important and overlapping issues in her life and family. She has a Sassy Southern Grandmother on the coast of Alabama with a host of those lovely Southern women friends to keep things lively and her Daddy is engaged to marry someone we all know we would hate on sight!

Although, I got off to a slow start with this book, I warmed to it as Renata explored her Mother’s old trunk and opened herself up to the stories of her Grandmother, her Grandmother’s best friend and her lifelong Nanny. She learns who her parents are from more than one perspective and is able to view them from that of an adult, rather than the child who was limited in her vantage point. Sometimes healing comes only after further pain and that is exactly what had to happen to our leading lady in Mermaids in the Basement. But even with some painful themes, it was a fun book, full of Southern eccentricities. I loved how it closed out sharing recipes for some of the foods that were mentioned because we Southern girls know how important the food is in getting through the tough times! So now I am going to be watching for Michael Lee West’s upcoming trilogy. She is currently working on the first book in the series which is called, Gone with a Handsomer Man, which will revolve around a Charleston “cake lady”. I pretty much love anything set in Charleston so this should be fun!

This post was written as a member of the Southern Mommas Writers

Please come check out the Southern Sisterhood @

Southern Mommas

Fall Family Weekend at Georgia Southern University

We just returned from the Fall Family Weekend at Georgia Southern University.  It was a lot of fun spending time with our sweet daughter and seeing where and what she does on a day to day basis. It has been a hard adjustment, having her away from home, so special times like this are treasured.  I am so glad she likes hanging out with us! 

 She was even able to get her brother into some of the GSU rivalry spirit!

 One of the biggest surprises in having her away at school is how much her little brothers miss her.  I didn't realize how much we (all) would  miss the everyday things.

It was a super weekend and the GSU Parents Association and Administration did a great job organizing and making the entire family feel welcomed. 

Go GSU Eagles!!!

Memories of Fall...

Homecoming by Bo Bartlett, III

(permanent collection  The Columbus Museum, Columbus, Georgia)

In honor of fall I wanted to share one of my favorite works of art. I seem to never tire of looking at this piece, although all I have is a postcard and that doesn't compare to seeing it up close.    It captures my attention and stirs up the nostalgia of days gone by...both good and bad.  It is a uniquely American experience, and felt no more strongly than in the South. 

Sweet Southern Wedding...

Last weekend, I attended a wedding that was simple and southern. It was a small, sweet ceremony and reception held in the Bride's family church with a gorgeous fall afternoon as backdrop.  The Bride, her Mother, her family and friends came together to create a beautiful start to a life time of wedding bliss!

Anticipating the start...

 red roses for love....

 Her Daddy walking his baby girl down the aisle. 

 Beautiful....

 with this ring....

 beauty in the details...

 Mother of the Bride holding the sweet Ring Bearer (her 1st grandchild and nephew of the Bride).

 A time to celebrate...

 My daughter and the sweet Bride...

 The handsome Groom and his Bride cutting that delicious cake.

 She is a beautiful and happy Bride.....

and now they are off for the ride of their lives.