Southern Charm

Southern Staples.

This recent weather has inspired thoughts of spring pastels, sundresses and all the other glorious Southern attire winter hides away in the back of our closets.  So in honor of this, I have found these Southern staples that absolutely ooze Southern charm!  (All it took was a quick look at the SL website!)

For the ladies: THE accessory of all accessories for Southern women- pearls. 

Any season. Any outfit. Any form. They are perfect. Pearls in any form are elegant, ageless, and sophisticated. (I mean how many other things could you, your mom and your grandma all wear and it be in style for all of you? Not many I would venture to say.) I prefer pearl stud earrings, but the timeless single strand necklace is hard to beat too. (On any given day, I most likely will have my studs in.  I wear mine at the gym. To sleep in. To dress up. To dress down. You name it, pearls are perfect for the occasion!) 

Check out this guide to different pearl options!

http://www.southernliving.com/healthy-living/mind-body/classic-pearl-jewelry-00417000072167/

For the Southern gentleman, what better than a bow tie?

When I was doing my daily scan of the website, this was the first thing that caught my eye! I had to share it! My fave is by far the seersucker one! (hence the picture.  and have i mentioned my love of seersucker before?!) Check them out. Really. Do it.  I REALLY want to see my sweet little brother in a Carolina blue seersucker bow tie, but I’m not sure that wish will come true…

http://www.southernliving.com/healthy-living/mind-body/bow-ties-for-men-00417000077455/

…and in case you (like me!) have no idea how to actually tie one of these contraptions, here is a video detailing exactly how to do it! (Remember: make sure it is slightly crooked so that everyone knows it isn’t a clip on! #legit #sageadvice)

http://www.southernliving.com/general/southern-how-to-00417000077438/

I hope these are Southern staples that are here to stay, because I LOVE them both!

Is Chivalry dead?

I sure hope not. Every girl loves a chivalrous Southern gentleman.  And thanks to my dear friend Shannon, there is a guide for that!  Hey boys of the South, take a look, this guy has some pretty good advice!

Here are some of my favorite points from “A Guide to Being a Southern Gentleman” by Jack Sazir, along with some of my thoughts!

Be Willing (and able) to Cook.-In the article, he makes implies you don’t have to be a super chef or anything, just be able to make something. (Hint: Pasta is always a relatively easy option!)

“Again, it’s a matter of proficiency; a grown man who is unable to cook for himself is about as pathetic as a grown man willing to cook for his partner is sweet”

 Know your Bible. Be good with kids. Don’t kiss and Tell.-Yes, yes, and yes. His reasoning behind the knowing the Bible is a little different from mine.  He says at the very least, know it to be well-rounded, as it reflects on your character.  I say know it because you are fully in love with Jesus Christ and you can’t get enough of it.  But either way, it can’t hurt to read the Bible.  As for the kids, such a good quality.  Such a good quality.  And as far as the kiss and tell policy:  we’ve all seen that locker room scene in John Tucker Must Die, and it is a shining example of what not to do.  Keep that in mind.

Be able to Dress Yourself.- Yes, please.  And no, white socks with khakis are never acceptable. 

“Logically speaking, not every person who can pull off seersucker is a Southern Gentleman, but all Southern Gentlemen can pull off seersucker.”

Just dance.-Yes! It doesn’t matter if you can actually dance or not, just try.  That is all we are asking!

(Okay, so this is just a quick teaser.  Read the article and it will make more sense! And it is entertaining too!)

http://thoughtcatalog.com/2011/a-guide-to-being-a-southern-gentleman/

ps. “James Bond wouldn’t have been nearly as cool if he’d had a terrible sense of style.”

Bronzer not Blush.

I’m sure you’ve heard people say Southern women never leave the house without lipstick on. I’m not really sure where that came from, but I have seen that pattern hold true.  As I grew up, I heard over and over “don’t you want to wear some blush?” or “put on some lipstick.” from my mom. And I see where she gets it from, my grandma always has lipstick on. I mean always. Like she goes to bed with the stuff on.  So I fought it. I mean what 14 year old wants to wear lipstick when Lipsmackers Starburst Lipgloss is THE new thing?!

As I got older, I altered this expectation..bronzer not blush. Thanks to my slightly darker complexion, bronzer can serve two purposes: pressed powder and highlighter. Score! One less step in the morning is always a benefit! As for the lipstick, tinted lip conditioner is the way to go in my book. I look like I’m wearing makeup but its not like I’m stepping out for a formal occasion.  But yet when I’m home, I step it up and break out the peach powder and the lipstick. It is easier to appease my mom and grandma then to fight it.  I mean I love the South, I love my mom and grandma, I can wear the stuff for a few days.  Who knows, maybe when I’m a grownup I will be in love with lipstick.  Maybe.

How would you describe the South to someone who has never visited?

Excellent question.  This was a question that was posed to author Maya Angelou (reppin’ the tre fo!) in this months Southern Living.  It makes me think about what I would say. There is so much, how do you put it all in words?! The food, the people, the sights, the cities, the easy way of life. So much to love.  But I love her response, she sums up the South through food, a key part of our culture.  Here is what she said:

“I would tell them about the food. I love the slow way of cooking. I like the country foods: the greens and the beans and the cornbreads and the biscuits. Not just for the taste, but because it infuses the house with an aroma that says “You are welcome. You’re going to have some good food. It’s going to take some time. And once you eat it you won’t want to leave.”

I love this.  I feel like this everytime I go to my grandmothers house to eat. That’s another reason I love the South, I love Winston-Salem. It’s home.  In the same interview, Maya was asked why call Winston-Salem home.  Her response was simple but true.  I’m with Maya, rhododendrons are wonderful.

“Winston-Salem is so beautiful. I’m delighted to be in the Piedmont where the Smokies and the Blue Ridge come together. We have 10-foot-tall rhododendrons and 6-foot-tall azaleas. Now that’s unheard of.”

Maya Angelou knows what the South has to offer. That wonderful Southern Charm.

http://www.southernliving.com/community/interview-with-maya-angelou-00417000076368/

Pork and Politics. Oh my.

Normally, I try my darnedest to stay out of political issues.  Politics kinda repulse me, whatever.  But there is one thing I feel the need to address.  Gov. Rick Perry.  It was brought to my attention that a few years back (1992) Rick Perry made a comment (that was later published in a book) that outraged North Carolinians, to say the least.  He compared good ole’ NC BBQ to roadkill.  What?! Here it is, straight from the horses mouth:

“Ive had road kill that tasted better than that.”  (The bbq in question was from Kinston and was served at the Republican National Convention in Houston.)

I read this and I thought this was pure insanity.  As did Jeffrey Weeks of the Charlotte Food Examiner.  “Rick Perry might as well have told us that “ain’t” ain’t a word, or that Dale Earnhardt is not the most important sports figure of the last century (excepting possibly Michael Jordan, another Carolina boy), or that tea can be made without using sugar (yeah, right), or that Andy Griffith wasn’t the best fictional sheriff in the long and glorious tradition of fictional sheriffs.” Yeah, you tell him Jeffrey!

As many can attest (especially my father, I swear he thinks its a genetic mutation or something) BBQ is not my favorite.  It’s not my go to, and I never crave it.  Ever.  But that being said, I do eat it (and appreciate it), and when I do it is normally pretty good. 

I feel like I owe it to the great state of NC to like the stuff.  Many traditions and memories revolve around BBQ. For my family, a beach trip is not the same without a trip through Lexington.  One of my most vivid childhood memories involves BBQ- my mom lost me (yes- SHE LOST ME! ah. im still scarred.) at the Lexington BBQ Festival. I was like 5.  In a crowd of what seemed like millions. Wow.  So you can see, in the Beroth household, BBQ is pretty important.  And it MUST be NC BBQ.

That being said, I am judging Rick Perry.  And so are the other citizens of North Carolina.  Now, I understand that this comment was like two decades ago, but still. Come on man. Smithfield’s even took it upon themselves to mail Ricky some BBQ, hoping for a better response.  Take a look at their blog, which discusses this! http://scnbnc.com/blog/

There are so many things wrong with this quote that I don’t really know where to start.  Actually, that is a lie.  Why, Rick Perry, have you tasted roadkill?! Second, I learned from the examiner article that Perry prefers Texas style BBQ, which get this is made from a cow. Yes, a cow. What?!  Weeks goes on to describe this insanity well “Now I have heard that Texans like to drink a lot, and I guess it must be true, because only a state full of drunken cowboys could come up with the crazy idea that you make BBQ out of cows.  People of America, you make steaks out of cows. Read my lips, BBQ comes from a gosh-darned pig.”

With all that being said, this is just part one of this blog post (I didn’t really want to bore you in a super long post!), part two is to come! Stay tuned, it should be entertaining! :)

to spank or not to spank?

In a recent discussion with friends, the topic of spanking your kids came up. Out of curiosity, I glanced over research articles on the topic and stumbled upon an interesting one.  It combines two of my favorite topics: sociology and the South.

The article highlights the attitude differences among college students in the Northeast and in the South in regards to spankin.  When I read the title, “Regional Differences in Spanking Experiences and Attitudes: A Comparison of Northeastern and Southern College Students” , I took a guess as to the result.  I guessed that Southerners would be more likely to spank and be spanked. I was right.

The basic points of the article are this:

-Both groups of students agreed that their parents normally gave an explanation of why they were getting spanked.

-Students in the Northeast tended to think their spankings were undeserved while those in the South thought they were, in fact, deserved

-Southerners tended to think that the spankings were an effective tool, and as a whole, overwhelmingly endorsed the practice.

This article, although not completely surprising, was really interesting.  It did a really good job of highlighting the cultural differences between the two areas, and taking those into account.  It makes you think, are you going to spank your children? hmmm…

If you are curious and a nerd like me, the article is cited below, so go find it!

Flynn, Clifton P. “Regional Differences in Spanking Experiences and Attitudes: A Comparison of Northeastern and Southern College Students.” Journal of Family Violence 11.1 (1996): 59-80.