Northern Belle

Here is the second installment of my guest writers.  They are given the words "Southern Belle" and then write whatever comes to mind.  This one is written by my best friend Noel.  Enjoy!

I spent the better part of my childhood and teenage years fighting against anything and everything southern. I hated the country roads. I hated the accents. I hated the music, from southern rock to pop country. I hated people calling me “Darlin” and “Sweetheart,” and I most certainly hated the fact that I was born and raised in the south. (Food didn’t count though. I loved the food.) This is of course very natural – to rebel against what you’re given. Every other place on earth seems far more interesting than what you’re surrounded by. I wanted to be a California surfer girl. Or live in New York City. Or be in a military family and live all around the world. Anything but the Deep South. I didn’t know WHY I hated it so much. I guess I just thought the grass was greener on the other side. Or maybe I just needed a reason to be unhappy. I tried to escape the south when I went to college, but a full scholarship brought me to the University of Georgia. I tried to escape the south when I got my first job, but a once-in-a-lifetime intern opportunity pulled me right back in. I tried to escape the south by switching jobs, but the most amazing person ever came waltzing right into my life. The nerve. Finally, a little over two years ago, said amazing person and I moved to New York City. I had waited for this all of my life. I may have cried a little. And that’s when – big surprise – my appreciation for the south grew. I became PROUD of where I grew up. I finally saw the beauty in those country roads and the delightfulness of a sweet Southern Belle accent. I would tell my coworkers stories of my childhood, exposing them to things unfamiliar to them. And I ran around with a big pot of grits, forcing them down New Yorker’s throats while screaming, “They’re the best thing EVER!” As crazy as it sounds, I have become more of a Southern Belle since I moved to New York City. I have become more aware of my hosting ability and more conscious of gift giving and thank-you notes. I make collards and grits on a weekly basis. I sew. And most of all, I love visiting the south and surrounding myself with the people that help make the south what it is. Southern Belles make it a unique place, which is why embracing those traditional qualities is so important. Though I might be watching from afar, I no longer suppress any form of southern-ness that I experience.

I may not be your typical Southern Belle, but I was raised in the south. And there are some things that just don’t leave you, no matter how far you go.

Noel is an advertising copywriter living in New York City with her wonderful boyfriend, Austin, and their dog Dagmar.  She will one day travel the entire globe and probably be voted president of at least two countries she visits.  She is currently completing 30 challenges given to her by her friends on her 29th birthday, and you can keep up with her adventures on her blog, Year of 30 Challenges. Be sure to check out her incredible photography on her etsy shop,aperturious, and buy a print before they're in MOMA and cost a million dollars apiece.*





*Bio written by Charity - sorry, I can't help but brag on her!  :)

Thank You Notes

Hey y'all!
I celebrated my 29th birthday yesterday! Woohoo!  This means, of course, that I now have to do that task which was pounded into my brain throughout my childhood, and I will now lovingly empart to you:  "Don't forget to write your Thank You Notes!"

"No, I haven't written my thank you notes from my birthday party!  My friends haven't even gone home yet!"



Different people have different rules about thank you notes: if you thank the person face to face you don't need to send a note; for big events you have a calendar year before the notes need to be sent - but let's be real, here. Differing viewpoints and opinions as to what make a woman a belle, and that's great, but there is one thing I cannot waver on.  A Belle sends thank you notes.  Whether or not you said "Thank you" in person is irrelevant, and an email or a text (please!) does NOT cut it.  If someone was kind enough to give you a gift or do something for you, they are owed the respect of a hand written, personal, thank you note.  For weddings, the newlyweds can often get informals (I just learned about these when I got married, and I am obsessed now - these are cards with the couple's name on them, or just his or hers) when they order the wedding invitations so they match.  Inexpensive thank you notes can be bought pretty much anywhere, from high-end stationary stores to Target and Wal Mart.  If someone thinks so much of you that they go out of their way to do something nice, just for you, why wouldn't you want to make them feel warm and fuzzy with a little note of thanks?

Some tips for writing the ideal thank you note:

• Include a detail about the gift in the note.  This shows the recipient that the present (and the individual!) really means something to you. 
• Tell the person how you plan to use it (for an item) or how much you enjoyed it (for a service performed, a party, or any other event).
• Send the note in a timely fashion.  Some say the happy couple has one calendar year to send thank you notes out, but Emily Post says that a thank you for a wedding gift should be recieved within three months.  I don't know about you, but I would have lost my list of who gave what if i waited a year before I started sending anything out.
• Some Thank You's call for more than just a card.  It's customary, for example, to give a small gift to the host/hostess of a party that is thrown in your honor, for a wedding party, or for pallbearers.  One of my favorite Belles gave potpourri sachets and nice candles as hostess gifts for her bridal shower, another gave flasks to her wedding party and they were all engraved - such a cute idea!

Here's a copy of the note I'm sending today: 

Dear Noel,

Thank you so much for my Wantful gift!  I haven't been able to put the booklet down.  I've decided to get the hanging planter, but it was not an easy choice!  It's going to look great when I get some flowers planted in it for the balcony.  It means so much that you thought of me on my birthday, thanks again! I can't wait to see you when you're back in town. 

Love,

Charity

Pretty simple, and it means so much.  I need to get the others finished up - but first I'll leave you with two sites for great stationary needs at a bargain price.  Happy writing!

InvitationBox.com - beautiful Thank You notes, Casual cards, tons of monogramming (LOVE!!), and a great place to get really pretty printed, personalized invitations for showers, parties - whatever!  sign up for their mailing list to get great deals every week.

Zazzle.com - Cute stationary and cards, plus personalized EVERYTHING.  I used this site to get bags for my bridesmaids, plus cute stamps with engagement pictures on them!  This is a good spot to find gifts to go with thank you notes, or gifts to use as way of saying Thanks.

Coca Cola Cupcakes

Happy almost-February, y'all!  I am so sorry I've been so slack in my posting; I tend to get stressed in January because I make resolutions that I can't keep because I overwhelm myself.  Anyway, here's to getting back in to the swing of things!
I've been trying to get into cooking and baking more, since it's healthier and way less expensive than eating out.  I started thinking about desserts my Mema (all southerners have a mema, or memaw, it's the law) made when I was growing up, and one thing she made, which I understand is a southern tradition, is a 7-Up pound cake.  However, I got sidetracked (surprise!) and found a recipe for Coca Cola Cupcakes.  There's nothing more southern than Coca Cola, and these were delicious and made a TON, so I took most of them to work.  They're great with a cup of coffee for a midmorning snack, or warmed with vanilla ice cream as a dessert with guests.  The marshmallows and coca cola make the batter seem like it'll be too watery, but they are the most light, moist cupcakes ever!  Here's the recipe, have fun!

Coca Cola Cupcakes



Cupcakes

1 C Coca Cola

1/2 C butter

1/2 C vegetable oil

1/4 C powdered cocoa

22 large marshmallows

2 C all-purpose flour

2 C sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla

1 C buttermilk

2 large eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 325.  Line cupcake tins with cupcake liners (the silver metallic ones work best for this recipe).

In a small saucepan, mix cola, butter, oil, and cocoa.  Bring to a boil, remove from heat, add marshmallows.  Cover with lid until marshmallows begin to melt, stir well.

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and baking soda.  Add buttermilk, eggs, vanilla, and mix well.  Add ingredients from part one.  Spoon the batter into cupcake liners until they are approximately 2/3 full.  Bake at 325 for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool completely before frosting.

Frosting

1/4 C powdered cocoa

6 TBSP Coca Cola

1/2 C butter

1 1-lb box of powdered sugar

1 C chopped pecans (optional)

1 tsp vanilla

In a medium saucepan, mix coca, cola, and butter.  Heat over medium until melted, then bring to a boil.  Remove from heat, then add powdered sugar, pecans, and vanilla.  stir until well blended.  Let frosting cool until it's thick enough to frost cupcakes.

*I almost skipped the frosting when I made them because sometimes that overdoes the sweetness for me, but these cupcakes NEED the frosting.  It'll be very runny when you first cook it, but give it maybe 15 minutes or so to thicken up.  I just spooned it onto the cupcakes - not particularly "pretty,"  but DELICIOUS.  I did skip the pecans this time, and they were still great.

**I also need to let you know that these passed the "Husband Test" - my darling Blake ate about a dozen of these on his own!

Happy Chinese New Year!

Well, maybe not. I am so sorry I've been so slack in posting! The holidays are hectic for everyone, but that is no excuse. I hope you have all had a phenomenal start to 2012! What resolutions have you made? I'm resolving to write more often and stay better organized. Ha. In any case, expect a coherent, well thought out, and possibly life changing post soon! Have a great Tuesday, y'all! :)

Holiday Cheer

Happy Weekend, y'all!  At this time of year, it's important to keep our "Belle Hats" on, but it's as difficult as it is important.  There are so many ways this month that we can make people around us feel good, make our homes welcoming, and feel good!
It may seem like it goes without saying, but having a home that smells inviting is probably more important than anything else in entertaining.  If you have a luscious spread of food but your cats litterboxes are out of control,  nobody is going to want to eat, or for that matter, stick around for dessert.  What can you do to keep your home fresh without getting a steam clean every month?
I utilize a few different techniques.  First of all, I do try to steam clean about once a year.  I was thrilled with the results the first time I did it, and I just rented a cleaner from Home Depot.  I recommend that if you do this you also rent the fan to dry the carpets afterwards - It was a lifesaver.  You can rent the equipment by three hour increments, and if you're ready before you pick it up you can get it done very quickly.  Here are a few options for between steam cleans:

• Febreze makes vacuum bags that have baking soda and scent in the bag, so you don't have an overwhelmingly chemical smell in your home, but it does smell fresh and clean.  Be sure to vacuum anything upholstered too, especially if you have pets.
• Glade makes some great scented items, such as plug ins, candles, and oils.  I keep a neutral scent in the plug in (clean linen) in our foyer, so guests are greeted with a rush of "clean."
• This option can be a little more expensive, but if you can splurge I recommend it:  Scentsy is a company that makes burners and waxes to go in them.  They are long lasting, strong but not overwhelming, and there is such a broad variety of scents there will be something for everyone.  Plus they're really pretty.
• Okay, this is a topic that nobody wants to discuss, but with all the holiday travel and heavy food, plus the fact that this product is MIRACULOUS, it warrants mentioning:  Bathroom smells are gross, the end.  Poo Pourri is a product that you use that actually eliminates the problem before it...well...arises.  You put a couple of drops in the toilet before you use it and it makes a shield over the water so everything basically disappears immediately.  Keep a bottle of this on the back of the toilet or somewhere obvious but not overbearing for your holiday soirees.
• Anytime you bake something, it smells like home, so to get that great smell in a  hurry, I keep some ready-to-bake cookies in the fridge - when someone says they're coming over, pop them in and you're set - plus, you'll have a great winter snack fresh out of the oven when they arrive!

What are other issues you find you face more during the holidays than other times of the year?

Southern Hospitality Sunday

Hey y'all!
I hope you've had a wonderful week! Once a month, I'm going to have a guest writer tell you what it is to them to be a belle. This month, my dear friend Lindsey tells us of an experience her mother had while visiting her in school. Enjoy!

I’m a yankee. Well, not really. What I am is a rural midwestern corn kid turned Army brat who accidentally ended up in the south. It’s no matter, though, the idea is all the same. As I got accustomed to being the south and got used to a whole lot of “Where you from, ‘cause you ain’t from ‘round here,” I started to notice something in particular about the supposed “southern belle.” Sure, they’re sweet. They’ll step out on a limb for you sometimes, but you can bet that when they do, EVERYONE is going to hear about it. It left a pretty bad taste in my mouth. My mind has changed, though, so don’t stop reading because you’re mad at me.

My all the way corn fed, rarely left the landlocked state of Illinois, can’t pump gas and hates driving (well, she doesn’t drive, she just rides) on the highway grandmother was always one for doing things right. Or “proper.” “Proper, proper, proper...” There have been times in conversations with my grandmother that I would swear if I heard the word “proper” one more time, I’d scream. Even now, the very uttering of the word makes me shudder. But, the lesson was driven home. Over and over. Just do things right.

Charity asked me to write something about what it meant to be a Belle. First, you don’t have to be southern. And, as the story that I’ll get to (and that she actually asked for) will show, boys can be Belles too, at least in spirit.

I moved to Mississippi for college, and it was there that I, and my impossible to please mother, finally learned what that “southern hospitality” thing that everyone talked about was ACTUALLY about. For me, you can’t have southern hospitality without a Belle, and Belles are at the very heart of it. My mother arrived in Mississippi for a visit some Friday afternoon. I, of course, had to show her around the Sorority House. They made her feel like they’d known her forever. She hardly went more than a few minutes without someone asking her if she needed anything. Hospitality. That’s what that is. Even though we happened to be in the very deep south, this still wasn’t southern hospitality. Though, I will say that every one of those ladies were true Belles.

My mother really got it during a day’s outing in Starkville. We didn’t do anything in particular. Nothing really even stands out, except how incredibly nice everyone was. She mentioned later that she was SURE that she did not walk by a person who didn’t smile and say “hello.” She said that she was looking for something in a store and a young man approached her and asked her if he could help her find something. She, in turn, said something along the lines of “Oh, you work here?” His response is the perfect example of what it means to be a Belle. He said, “No, I just come in here a lot, so I figured I’d be able to help you.” That, THAT, is southern hospitality. Take a quick run to somewhere north of the Mason-Dixon line, and I’d be willing to bet that will NEVER happen to you. If you’re reading from somewhere north of the Mason-Dixon line, I challenge you to change that. Because, after all, you don’t have to be southern to be a Belle.

So, you don’t have to step out on a limb to help someone in order to be a Belle. You don’t have to do ANYTHING. All you have to do is smile, say hello and look people in the eye. It’s a glorification of the golden rule, that’s all. And when you do things right, or properly (shudder), you’ll very quickly find that you’ve inadvertently made someone’s day. Sure, they’re probably going to look at you funny. That’s only because they aren’t used to it. They’ll go home and think about you though, and be impressed by your simple kindness. You never ever know what someone’s day has been like before they come across you. And you may not ever get to see how much of a difference you’ve made in someone’s spectacularly bad day. Sure, there are days where you just CAN’T pull out the nice face because it’s just been that bad. But those are the days where you need someone else to.




(Lindsey Curcio is a lawyer living outside of Charlotte, North Carolina. She and her husband of 1 1/2 months, David, have several dogs and a couple of cats, and "get away from it all" as often as they can on camping trips around the southeast.)

Thank You

On this day of thankfulness, I just have a couple of things I want to express: thank you, gorgeous readers, for taking an interest in my blog (or for being a supportive friend - or both!). I get so excited to see that someone has left a comment, or get a sweet text on the day's post.
Second, I want to thank all of the Southern Belles who inspire me, and in doing so have inspired this blog. I am so appreciative of how I was raised by them and how I view the world because of them.
Y'all enjoy this day of family and friends!

Happy Thanksgiving!


(On another note, we set up our tree today...I do not recommend using kittens as Christmas Tree Ornaments.)