International Cherry Blossom Festival

I am going to Mama's in a couple of weeks and will just miss the International Cherry Blossom Festival.  It is underway in Macon, Georgia and will continue until March 30th.  There is something for everyone to enjoy...concerts, a parade, a 5k race, the Military Ball, and shopping...think Pink Pink Pink!

Of course, every festival and parade in the South has a Queen and the 2014 Cherry Blossom Queen is the beautiful Miss Chandler Peavy.

There is also Cherry Blossom Royalty...The Queen with her Princesses--Ambassadors for the festival and city of Macon.

One of my favorite Maconites, Mark Ballard will be coordinating The Color Pink Fashion Show and Champagne Brunch, scheduled for March 27th at 11:00am, featuring celebrity guest models, local Macon fashionistas, and Cherry Blossom Royalty.  You can find more information about this event here.

Smallcakes Macon is offering all kinds of cherry cupcakes to celebrate the festival...this one is a cherry bomb cupcake!

The Macon-Bibb County Firefighters host a Pink Pancake Breakfast during the festival and will be serving up pink pancakes again this Saturday, the 29th.

Today, I  am enjoying the Cherry Blossom Tea from Harney Teas.  This is a blend of green teas and the vibrant flavor of plump, fragrant cherries.  The easy-to-use tea sachets are stored in a pretty pink tea tin.

Check out the Cherry Blossom Festival website and also 'like' their Facebook page for all the information you need to know to celebrating Spring in the South and the beautiful cherry blossoms!

Garden and Gun's Best Southern Town

Garden and Gun magazine is holding their own March Madness...32 Southern towns are up for the Greatest Southern Town Championship!

Go here to vote for your favorite by March 24th and see if your town moves on to Round 2...The final round is April 2nd.

I am torn between Savannah, Thomasville, Oxford, and Thomasville!  Love them all.

Lilly Pulitzer Classic Shift

The Classic Shift

This is the shift that made Lilly Pulitzer famous.  It has two pockets and two small slits on the side at the hemline.  Of course, the best part is the bows at the hemline.  It's fully lined and hemmed with Lilly lace and has the all-important little satin straps at the shoulder to hold your bra straps in place.

Lilly Pulitzer once said of the Lilly shift, "The Lilly holds everything in.  When that whimsical shift is on, you can't tell what's underneath."  That's why I love them.  They are so cute and colorful, while hiding my not-so-perfect figure.  They are also cool and comfy during the hot summer months.

These are my classic shifts...all of them have the bows at the hem and some of them have pom poms on the pockets and hems.

My classic shifts are mostly white-tag Lilly.  This is one of my favorites in the 'Hibiscus Pink Soleil' pattern.

Unless you are searching for little Lilly shifts, Ebay is the best place to find these shifts for ladies and I'm always on the hunt for more.  This cute Sunflower Patch pattern is now on Ebay.  It is very cute, but it is not my size and the starting bid of $129.95 is very high.

This 'Hotty Pink Love Bug' pattern has a low starting bid price on Ebay and is absolutely adorable for Valentine's Day, but it's not my size.

While I do love the Classic Shift, the 'Janice' dress is fast becoming another favorite of mine.  My Easter dress is a 'Janice' and I'm planning on getting a few more of them for summer.  I'm really looking forward to the arrival of Spring and wearing my colorful Lilly frocks!

Thank you for visiting with me today.

We Say Yes Ma'am!

Whenever I go home to Georgia, I'm always pleasantly pleased to hear "Yes ma'am, no ma'am, please, and thank you" everywhere I go.  Of course, most Southerners were taught from birth to use these kind words.

I remember as a little girl, answering my Mama with "Yes."  She would always ask "Yes, what?"  Then I would remember to be polite and say "Yes ma'am!"

I think everyone will agree that "Please" and "Thank you" are kind words.   In the South, "Ma'am" and "Sir" are kind words used as a sign of respect.  But, not everyone is comfortable being addressed as "Ma'am" or "Sir."  I'm always shocked to hear some people are downright insulted to hear them or say them.

We all remember when Brig. General Michael Walsh addressed California Senator Barbara Boxer as "Ma'am."  She politely asked him not to address her as "Ma'am," but as "Senator."  That got the public in a tizzy.  Today, some school teachers don't even want to be addressed as "Ma'am" or "Sir." 

Do you teach your children to address adults as "Ma'am" or "Sir?" 

Are you insulted as an adult to be addressed as "Ma'am" or "Sir?"

I find myself saying "Yes ma'am" to all ladies...those who are young and those of a mature age.