Monday, My Day

Greetings, all! After an impromptu hiatus from the blog last week, I'm excited to be back. No real reason for skipping the week other than I was in a bit of a creative rut. Does that ever happen to you? Sometimes you just need to step away and get a fresh start. Let's hop to it! 

Favorite Links:

I'm digging tanks by KTees right now, especially this Red, White, Blue, & Champagne, too one for the 4th.

On snapchat last week, I posted a story about my hunt for the perfect beach bag. Have you seen this site? You can design everything yourself from the type of leather to the personalization!

I just started reading Savannah Blues by Mary Kay Andrews. It's the quintessential summer beach read. Perfect for not having to think too hard after work. 

As you know, I am a podcast junky. My current favorite? Deep South Details! These two women seriously give me a case of the giggles. You'll love their endearing conversations, fantastic music choices, and entertaining interviews.

Favorite Happenings:

Tupelo Honey Cafe is well-known as being an Asheville Staple, but they're opening their Atlanta doors two weeks from today. I am already salivating over the menu. 

You can find yours truly in Simply Buckhead this month as the featured contributor. Pretty much as famous as I'll ever get :)

Hunter and I did a tasting and tour at Atlanta's first distillery, Old Fourth Ward Distillery over Memorial Day weekend and had so much fun. The space is incredible and the booze divine. Tours take place Thursday-Saturday and come with a bottle of gin or vodka!

The Perfect Recipe for Book Club

Last week, I hosted monthly book club at our house. Our book club was instated long before book clubs were cool (I think 2008 was our first meeting!), and over the years, we've inducted members, lost members, had members complete graduate school and live in China. Needless to say, my book club is pretty awesome. I've hosted book club at our house a few times, but this time I was extra excited because we read Where'd You Go, Bernadette? 

Where'd You Go, Bernadette? created quite the cult following a few years ago, but hardly anyone in our club had read it yet. The makings of a perfect book club discussion. Being the hostess, I wanted to provide a great book for discussion, but also a fabulous meal for my friends. I ended up serving my twist on this pasta along with two scrumptious salads, and finished the night with banana split cake for dessert. 

Banana split cake is something my mother in law and husband introduced me to a few years ago, and since the dog in the book is named "Ice Cream," I thought it would be the perfect fit. This recipe calls for creating your own graham cracker crust, but you can definitely use store bought (like I did) in a pinch. Since this is a family recipe, I won't be sharing all of the details here, but you can make your own graham cracker crust by following the steps in the Matrick & Eve recipe card seen in the photos. And if you're really curious about making your own banana split cake, here's a recipe that's pretty close to the family recipe I have. Let me know if you try it and like it! 

Thanks so much to Matrick and Eve for gifting me the recipe card & book mark seen here. Although this post has a sponsored element to it, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

More Recommended Reads from My Book Club:

Books You Should Read if You Liked "Fault In Our Stars"

In my day job, it's pretty much a requirement that I stay on top of the latest and greatest young adult books. The good thing about that is that 1. They're super easy to read. 2. They're generally really entertaining and very relate-able and 3. All the good ones are currently being made into movies. 

 

Case in point: Fault in Our Stars. I bit the bullet and went to see the movie last night, and I must say, it was infinitely (wink wink) better than I thought it would be. Fantastically written with well done casting made it just as good as the novel, and trust me, I'm a tough critic. 

I'm sure most of you have picked up the book by now, and if you have, you probably read it in about two days, sobbed your eyes out, and then went into serious depression because it's over. Luckily, I am here to tell you what YA book you should read next.

Eleanor & Park // If I Stay // Maze Runner  // Paper Towns

Trust the middle school teacher on this one, y'all.

 

Monday, My Day

I read Elembee on a regular basis for blogging tips and tricks; it is one of my go-to resources that I've been leaning heavily on recently. A few weeks ago, Lisa posted about turning Monday into a "My Day" using a spin on the French word for my, mon. I wish that I had the freedom to schedule my day like Mandy & Lisa both suggest, but unfortunately, classroom duty calls. 

 

What I can do is find a few little bright spots to make your MONday (and mine) a little happier. Here are a few things that I've enjoyed discovering recently: 

 

 

 

This quiz about your state personality was a lot of fun for me. I got Georgia which made my heart smile. Take the quiz yourself and comment below with your statehood personality! 

 

Loved loved loved watching this quick YouTube video about making someone's day brighter. In this case, the NYC subway drivers. 

 

When I'm stressed, even though it seems like I don't have any time at all, I like to sit down and read (away from the computer, remember?!). My book club has decided to take on How Dogs Love Us this month which discusses the science behind a dog's love for his/her human. So. Fascinating.

Speaking of dogs, my brother and his gf Rachel have an adorable puppy with his own Instagram. Need some smiles? Follow Chewy the Aussie on Insta. 

Happy MONday, friends!

Beach Reads

This weekend, we're making our annual 4th of July journey down to 30A and Watercolor. I absolutely LOVE it down there. It's like time stands still - the Seaside Post Office, the silver food trucks, the Americana decor - it's all perfectly sweet. I am also excited to put dig my toes in the sand, sit under a blue umbrella, sip a cool beverage, and read a good book. I have a few beach reads lined up for our trip; some are deep, some are true, and some are just for fun! Which would you choose to enjoy in the sun?

Lady Almina & the Real Downtown Abbey

Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster 

Bubbly on a Budget

Gone Girl

Beautiful Disaster

Swim

Most Talkative

On Books: Girl in a Blue Dress

When Borders closed in Buckhead a few months ago, I went and stocked up on some random titles that I had never heard of. Mostly because these were the ones that were 70% off. I am finally starting to work my way through them, and I started with Girl in a Blue Dress by Gaynor Arnold.

 
Told from the perspective of Charles' Dickens forgotten wife Dorothea, the novel chronicles the couple's marriage from its romantic beginnings to its tumultuous demise. From the onset the reader is privy to the fact that not only has Charles (called Alfred) ditched his wife, but has found a solstice in both his sister-in-law and a mistress. I was hoping for a romantic love story turned sour, but what I found were a few disappointing and rather disturbing facts about Charles Dickens that made me judge (and somewhat despise) this literary great. Arnold says that she was careful to choose different names for her characters to give them some freedoms in the novel, but that the basic plot is very much based on the famous couple. While interesting and educational, the novel falls short in its story-telling. I found myself having to push through it several times.

Overall, not my favorite book ever, but it was worth the read to learn a little more about Dickens' life.

Read this if you liked: The Other Boleyn Girl

If you enjoyed it try: The Paris Wife

Ringing in 2012

I might be alone when I say this, but I actually love New Years Eve! If nothing else, it's a good excuse to have a great party! Hunter and I spent the evening a little more low key this year. We started the night enjoying some drinks and apps at Serpas, then rang in 2012 with all of my friends at Erin's. We had a blast!

Everyone loved the mini champagne cupcakes that I brought, and we had so much fun playing with all of the 2012 goodies that Erin supplied.

Hunter had a little too much fun at my expense :) 

Today, we recovered.

For dinner, I made a traditional southern-inspired "lucky' meal: Hoppin' John, Collard Greens, & Pork chops w/chive & dijon butter.

The recipes for the collards & the hoppin' john came from Hugh Acheson's cookbook, A New Turn in the South. Believe it or not, the collards were out of this world! Maggie gave me the book for Christmas as part of this awesome spread:

Isn't she so creative?

Just like everyone else, Hunter and I are working on our resolutions. Hopefully this meal got us off to a lucky start. Welcome 2012!

Surrounded by Books

Every month, on the very last page of the magazine, Southern Living has a column written by Rick Bragg. Bragg lives in Fairhope, Alabama, one of the prettiest and friendliest towns in the South, and just over the causeway from Mobile. This month, his column, "Words on Paper," truly resonated with me. In the article he says, "I hope I will never have a life that is not surrounded by books, by books that are bound in paper and cloth and glue, such perishable things for ideas that have lasted thousands of years..."

I could not agree more.

This blog started as a place where I could recommend books, but I realized I rarely do that. So, I thought I'd share my list. Maybe I'll even buy the real thing instead of ordering it on my kindle.

Books to Read (no particular order): 
1. The Paris Wife
2. Georgiana, The Duchess of Davonshire
3. A World on Fire
4. Girl in a Blue Dress
5. Emily Post: Daughter of the Gilded Age
6. Doc
7. In the Garden of Beasts
8. The Marriage Plot
9. A Train in Winter
10. Madame Tussaud

Good Reads: Garden & Gun

This month's issue - from www.gardenandgun.com

Garden & Gun magazine is my latest good read. I have always loved my monthly copy of Southern Living. In fact, I have very vivid memories of devouring stacks of old issues one after another on rainy days at home (occasionally cutting out pictures for a school project or 2) . And, while I am still a Southern Living girl at heart, Garden & Gun is a great sister read. It's a smaller 'zine with fewer issues during the year (bi-monthly), but so far I'm loving our August/September edition.

In fact, I think all of you would get a kick out of this month's cover story Redefining the Southern Belle. I had skimmed the article the first time I flipped through the magazine, but I am so glad I went back to read every word. It certainly puts the icing on the red-velvet cake about what it means to be a Southern woman. Be sure to read-up on all of the amazing women that are highlighted including Emily Giffin & Kathryn Stockett, and be on the lookout for the magazine in and around town. Or, maybe even subscribe!

Books to Get Lost in: Bitter is the New Black

As summer nears its end, I am looking for a book to read as a last hurrah. Something light, funny, and most of all...mindless. Enter Jen Lancaster.

If you haven't read a Jen Lancaster book, you're missing out. Once the vice-president of her company, Jen has to revamp her fabulous life-style after getting laid off. Her days are spent at the unemployment office where she learns you don't make a good impression when you're waiting in line wearing pearls & Christian Louboutin's, and carrying a Louis. Life for Jen is a series of hilarious (and completely TRUE) vignettes that will surely make you laugh out loud!

Start with: Bitter is the New Black

If you like it try: Bright Lights, Big Ass

I'm going to check out: If You Were Here (her latest FICTION piece)

One: You Have to Start Somewhere

Some say you write what you know; I say you read what you know. I know that I am Southern. We eat pecan pie, cheese grits, cornbread muffins, thick bacon, spicy gumbo, and fried anything. We praise college football players and bleed SEC. We know the clear blue waters of the Gulf coast are infinitely more breathtaking than the rocky Atlantic. Our most prized cities are not the ones with the tallest sky-scrapers or most fashionable designer shops, but the cobblestone streets and small-town atmospheres of Savannah, Charleston and New Orleans. And we root for the Braves because we were raised in the midst of their seasons of glory.

In the words of TBS (another Southern classic), “I am the South.” So, I read southern books. It’s what I know. It connects me to my culture (and being Southern IS a culture). I love that my daily life intertwines with the characters in my books. My books don’t take me to a new city or town, they make my city and my region that much more enjoyable and interesting.

Of course, I read many kinds of books on many topics with many themes from many genres, but I felt it was appropriate to start with a Southern book. It’s what I know best and what I continually reach for at the book store. So, I begin by recommending:

The Swan House by Elizabeth Musser

I have yet to meet someone who didn’t find something that they loved about this book. And plus, there will be other suggestions later; good things come to those who wait. Whether the historical-fiction spin, the charming portrait of Atlanta, the lovable main characters, or the heartwarming yet suspenseful story, everyone loves this title.

Follow 16 year old Mary Swan Middleton as she comes of age in racially segregated Atlanta. With her mother deceased and her father searching for a new wife, Mary Swan turns to her maid, Ella Mae for love and support. While searching for answers regarding her mother’s questionable past, Mary Swan learns the value of helping those less fortunate than her Buckhead socialite neighbors and manages to find herself in the midst of a love triangle. With the help of the loyal friends around her, Mary Swan strives to uncover a local mystery, but learns more about her mother’s past than she bargained for. Musser paints both an idealistic and realistic picture of 1960s Atlanta, stopping at such landmarks as the High Museum of Art, the Varsity, and the Piedmont Driving Club. A must read for any Georgia peach.

Read The Swan House if you liked: The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells

If you liked The Swan House read: The Help by Kathryn Stockett

You could also try: The Dwelling Place (the sequel to The Swan House)