Living
5 Holiday Storage Hacks
Try these 5 holiday storage hacks to organize your Christmas decor We leave our Christmas decor up until after New Year’s Day. I don’t decorate until after Thanksgiving, and I’m just never ready to take it down right away. I love the festive feeling it gives our home too much! The week and weekend after…
Read MoreHunting the Perfect Christmas Tree
A beautifully lit Christmas tree with ornaments scattered amongst the branches is pure Christmas magic. Decorating the tree is one of my favorite parts of the holidays. I love how a Christmas tree transforms the room and the way it ignites memories of Christmases long past. I grew up on a Christmas tree farm. You…
Read MoreWhen a Southerner Gives Directions
Ever been on one of those back country roads in the South rambling through cornfields and pecan groves, passing by roadside stands, and circuitously winding your way through unfamiliar territory? On these roads, signs seem few and far between. Cell phone service is iffy, and your GPS hasn’t a clue. It keeps telling you turn…
Read MoreA Healthy Eating Philosophy via Michael Pollan
Don’t let dieting advice and convoluted nutritional science keep you from creating a simple, healthy eating philosophy. Healthy eating – it is an American obsession. We pursue complicated diets, telling us to eat this not that. We pour over food labels and nutrition guides. We rely on scientific experts to tell us what is healthy…
Read More7 Tips to an Organized Pantry + My Southern Pantry Essentials
Eat more healthy, home cooked meals with a well-stocked and organized pantry. Healthy eating is an important component to embrace gracious living. If we eat a healthy, vegetable rich diet, we feel better, we have more energy, and we see the doctor less – we all know there are countless benefits. Plus, when we feel…
Read MoreAn Afternoon Tour at Blount Mansion
As a newcomer to Knoxville and a public historian, I’ve made it my goal to visit all of the 7 historic homes of Knoxville. I like to start learning about a new city by delving into its past! So far I’ve spent a festive evening at the Mabry-Hazen House and a lovely afternoon tour at…
Read MoreDo You Know these Southernisms?
I just love a good Southern sayin’! There is no denying that we know how to turn a phrase. Even though I was born and raised in the South, there are still Southernisms that catch me by surprise every now and again. Sometimes our colloquialisms are down right poetic. Every so often they are next…
Read MoreSummer Reading: The Girl from the Savoy
This book had all of the right elements: Jazz Age London, the aftermath of World War I, romance, and an aspiring actress with a humble and sweet personality. It had the potential to hit every one of my buttons. But in the end, I am seriously ambivalent about it. The Girl from the Savoy by…
Read MoreEtiquette Guide – The Art of Paying a Call
So…I couldn’t resist creating a cute little print to go with my earlier post about the rules of paying a call in the South. Just think of this as a quick etiquette guide! Want to read the full rules? I would love to hear your opinion! Did I cover everything? Is there a ritual you…
Read MoreThe Art of Paying a Call in the South
In centuries past, women dressed up in their best day gowns and went visiting. They paid calls on friends and acquaintances within their social circle who were “at home” on such and such a day. Tea was served. Cakes eaten. Best manners displayed, and calling cards left. This was a great time for gossip, and…
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