A Southern Accent

Today was a crazy work day, the kind filled with meeting after meeting after meeting and so many to-dos that I had to make a to-do list from my to-do list to ensure I was covering everything. If I get one more request signed with as soon as possible, I'll scream. If I have to ask someone to do something as soon as possible, I'm gonna start locking my office door to keep them from hunting me down. Job security I suppose, I'm not complaining. Well, maybe a little. I'm only human. I walked out of the office today without any mascara on my lashes. When I get stressed, I pick it off. So not only am I stressed, but I also look like a zombie that hasn't slept in a couple of nights. Doesn't matter really, no one saw me all day because I hid behind my e-mail. Add to that the fact I had to cancel out of a field trip today I was supposed to go on with Walker because of pressing deadlines. You don't know how bad that made me feel, but sometimes work and home co...

You may wonder how these items relate. I did too when Pastor Benji said he would be doing a sermon series on Faith and Film this Fall. But after attending church yesterday, I totally got it. Yesterday was one of those mornings I wanted to sleep in, snuggle in the bed for a while, watching Disney Channel with Walker. But I really wanted to see how Pastor Benji was going to make Toy Story (which I've probably seen a hundred times) into a message. After listening to this, you'll see why I'm so glad I did drag myself out of bed. I hope it inspires you as much as it did me. Let's just say I'm walking around with God on the bottom of my shoe. I've said it before - New Hope Church is an awesome place if you're looking for a church! You can attend in person, or even attend the online campus Sunday nights at 7:00pm . The church is doing so well, the three sermon sessions at the central campus fill up almost every week and they've had to add another ...

Not many other things symbolize fall and Halloween to more people than good old candy corn. When those orange, white and yellow bags start showing up on the shelves, the Halloween decor typically shows up soon after! I used to spend school afternoons with my great-grandmother Bessie, and she always kept a small glass dish of candy on the top of her kitchen counter. When it was Christmas, there were peppermints, but the only other thing I ever remember being in that glass jar was candy corn. She would fill it up at the end of summer, and leave it there until it was time to switch for peppermints. I loved sneaking a couple of pieces of candy corn every afternoon, it was a fun treat. But it just seems like the candy corn back then tasted so much better than it does now. This week I decided to highlight all of the great candy corn ideas I've seen on Pinterest. Hope you enjoy! A couple of facts about candy corn: Halloween accounts for 75% of the annual candy corn production ...

Southern Living magazine recently featured Chapel Hill, NC as one of the South's best college towns. But of course, some of us already knew that without having to read it in a magazine... In their words:  " Chapel Hill 101: From outdoor cafes and public art murals to formal colonial residences fluttering Stars and Stripes, the University of North Carolina's hometown is classic Americana. Why It Made Our List: Think of this city as one big food festival where farmers, chefs, and diners all come together in the name of local ingredients and Southern cuisine. Culinary events take over downtown streets and James Beard Foundation Award-winning chefs like Andrea Reusing think local. At her Lantern restaurant on West Franklin Street, she serves up Asian-inspired dishes." In my words: Chapel Hill is a magical place. I don't just sa...

Dear Mystical Makers of the Wonders That Are A Shoe: I seek a comforting sole, perfect for daily use, for carrying me hither and yonder. My budget doth not allow the expense of a shoe that cost more than my monthly car payment, as it shall be. But alas, I say that feminine foundation that I seek cannot be found, not even in the illustrious halls of Nordstrom, my dependable and ever-so-resourceful typical provider of which I seek. No, when I go through these doors, I see the likes of which I am unsure of - are these items created for women of their child-bearing years and others like me? Have I taken a misstep in the fashion timeline, and missed the point at which we began dressing like women working on the streets. Yes, it is the oldest occupation, but must we reference this line of work for our fashion inspiration? Nay, I shall not be forced to wear 4-inch heels to walk my child into school, shop at the grocer or sit at my desk. When one is already 5ft 8inches tall, I do not r...

This week, Mike and I will celebrate ten years of marriage. It hasn't always been easy, and after about the 5th or 6th year, I realized that was OK. As long as we were both willing to work things out, we still had something in common. Source: tumblr.com via Emily on Pinterest

Ok, who else is so ready for the upcoming Fall TV season? I admit, I never watch anything real-time these days - what the heck did we do before DVR?? That means I've got to set the DVR for the new shows I want to check out and make sure my oldies but goodies are still good to go!Sure, I've still got new episodes of Young and the Restless to entertain me at night, but sometimes Victor and Niki Newman just don't do it for me. Watching TV has always been a large part of my life, I have to admit. I think one huge reason is because my grandfather owned a television store. Days that my mom had to work or I was sick, I went to the store and grandma would make me a pallet in front of a dozen televisions and I could watch TV all day long. They had Nickelodeon - and MTV! We only got three channels out in the country where we lived. I even had a TV cake made for my grandfather's 80th birthday last year. Yep, we love some TV in our family. I also married a TV freak. Mike can...

It's Claire, from Dance Theater South!!! Congrats Claire! I will get the tote to you! Remember, you still have until the end of this month to get 15% off at Macaroy Kangaroo with the discount code "southern".  Visit http://macaroykangaroo.com/index.htm to see all the goodies! They've added even more fun items! Here are a couple of my faves. I'll definitely be getting some Christmas shopping done this month!

It's not too early to start thinking about Halloween is it? So, here's a repost of some Halloween printables I designed last year to get you in the spirit! Just click on the image and it will take you to Flickr, where you can choose the size you'd like to download! I think they would look cute framed on a mantel or wall, or just print out and put up on your fridge or office wall to bring a little spooky spirit into your day!

I drive by the same homeless people every morning and every evening, filled with guilt if I don't give them something. Of course, most of the time I don't (mainly because I don't carry cash), but sometimes if I have a little in my wallet I'll give. Sure, they may buy cigarettes or wasteful things, but I don't judge. If I choose to give it to them, they can choose how to spend it. I think if they stand out in 100 degree weather all day long in the summers just to beg for a couple of dollars, then they've earned the right. Last week I was in Walgreens and a couple I've seen on the side of the road begging for money were counting their change to buy deodorant, toothpaste and water. They didn't have enough for their items, so I offered to buy their items for them. As I walked to my car, carrying my bag of Diet Coke, gum and makeup, I realized how much I take for granted every day. It never ever occurred to me that some people don't even have the basics...

So, being that my blog title is what it is, thought it would be fun to share my southern accent in this fun little activity going around! I was watching a couple last night while laying in the bed and decided to whip my phone out and do one myself - so be prepared, I'm lookin rough - but it's the real me, you see! Here's what you're supposed to do: Say these words: Aunt, Route, Wash, Oil, Theater, Iron, Salmon, Caramel, Fire, Water, Sure, Data, Ruin, Crayon, Toilet, New Orleans, Pecan, Both, Again, Probably, Spitting image, Alabama, Lawyer, Coupon, Mayonnaise, Syrup, Pajamas, Caught And answer these questions: What is it called when you throw toilet paper on a house? What is the bug that when you touch it, it curls into a ball? What is the bubbly carbonated drink called? What do you call gym shoes? What do you say to address a group of people? What do you call the kind of spider that has an oval-shaped body and extremely long legs? What do you call you...