What I'm Loving Today!

Have you seen the new mittens and scarves at Lilly Pulitzer? I just ordered these today...they aren't available to ship yet, but you should place your order now so that you won't miss out! These will be perfect for my trips to Georgia or early jogs on the soon-to-be very chilly Florida mornings!

This is the Lilly angora scarf to match the mittens...so cute!

Well, I certainly don't need this watch, but love it! It's the Hermes Kelly watch.

Love these monogrammed felt Gigi bags from The Pink Monogram. These match their monogrammed clogs...so cute!

These monogrammed felt clutch bags are also from The Pink Monogram...look at all the colors and they are monogrammed as well! These are so chic.
I really really need an Hermes belt!!! Classic. Timeless. On the hunt.
Love this look...ribbon bows on ballet flats. I will be sporting this look real soon y'all!
Oh Lord, now I have to monogram my placemats. What a fabulous look!
Have a fabulous day y'all!

MANNERS IN THE SOUTH--ALIVE OR GONE WITH THE WIND?

Lord have mercy, I'm glad Mama doesn't read the New York Times! According to this article, manners are on decline in the South. The Times based the article on a recent court case in Atlanta...of all places.

One night in August, two men walked into a bar...The Tavern at Phipps Plaza. They sat at the bar, ordered drinks and pondered the menu. Two ladies stood behind them. A bartender asked if they would mind offering their seats to the ladies. Yes, they would mind! Very much. Angry words came next, then a federal court date and a claim for more than $3 million in damages. {The men happened to be black and the ladies were white} The men's lawyers argued that the Tavern at Phipps used a policy wrapped in chivalry as a cloak for discriminatory racial practices.

In the end, a jury decided in favor of the bar.

Lord have mercy, the men sued the bar. Have you ever? Where are their manners?

Sometimes I wonder if manners are alive in the South or are they Gone With the Wind?! Is it because of the outsiders? Is it because people are just too busy to care anymore?

My parents raised my brother to always give up his seat for a lady or an elderly person. He was raised to say "Yes Ma'am/No Ma'am" and "Yes Sir/No Sir". In the South, this is not considered being subservient--it's about showing respect!

Do you teach your child manners? Do you think it's important that children say "Yes Ma'am/No Ma'am" and "Please" and "Thank you"? Do you believe the two men were acting tacky...not to give up their seats at the bar for the ladies?

I'm Not Skipping Thanksgiving

No Ma'am...I'm not skipping Thanksgiving this year! I've spent the last few days bringing out my Thanksgiving decos and will keep them out until the weekend after Thanksgiving. That probably means I'll be half-dead by that weekend, with the Thanksgiving Feast, early morning Charity Turkey Trot 5k race, Thanksgiving Day parades, Black Friday marathon shopping, et cetera....then, taking down all the turkey decos and putting up the Christmas decos. Lord have mercy, I'm already exhausted just thinking about it all! Actually, I plan to spend some time at my Mama's between Thanksgiving and Christmas, so I'm not going all out on the Christmas decorations this year...yes ma'am, that's the plan!

This morning I went to Church and since it was All Saint's Day, the names of departed souls were printed in the Church bulletin. It always makes me sad to see my daddy's name there...still can't believe he's gone! I lifted up prayers for several close friends who are ill, my family members, close friends, and several social network friends, whom I've never even met.

"HERE'S WHAT I WORE"

Boucle Dress Suit: Talbots...long time ago.

The flower pin is from Stein Mart...long time ago.
Accessories:
Pocketbook: Chanel
Shoes: 'Vara' pumps, by Ferragamo
Cologne: Ferragamo
Hair bow: I actually didn't wear the gold barrette, but wore a tan grosgrain ribbon bow.
Lipstick: 'Talisman' by Chanel
Earrings: Pearls
Wedding Band: 'Eternity' by Cartier
"The Roost" is ready for Thanksgiving...
Autumn wreath is on the front door...
The tree is decorated with turkeys...
Old glory on the tree top...
Faith, Family, Friends...

Little feathered turkeys all over the tree!
This afternoon, I'm actually doing some planning for Thanksgiving...favors, treats, Thanksgiving Feast menu, et cetera...
The cornacopia is out...
Love my cornacopia!
Jazzed up the mirror with this feathered wreath...
I'll probably give out more of these gifts for Thanksgiving...Turkey Spice Rub!
I'm very OCD...organized to the hilt. Plan. Plan. Plan.
Organizing the platters, dinnerware, and serveware.
The kitchen is set up with some Thanksgiving decos...
Kitchen table...
Mums...Lord, I've already killed about 5 mums this season!
Thanksgiving dessert on the sideboard a few years back.
Thanksgiving tablescape...pilgrims and turkeys.
Most definitely will have the same leftover plan...white gift box, autumn tone shred, plastic plate, with the leftovers to take home.
Leftovers...ready to go...raffia and cute Thanksgiving tag!

Are you skipping over Thanksgiving this year? Is your home already decorated for Christmas? Don't be ashamed! Lord, in years past, I've been known to already have ten Christmas trees up and decorated by this date!

What I'm Loving Right Now

Pin All Day...Pin All Night! I'm still loving Pinterest!

Thought y'all might like to see a few of things I'm loving this week:

Up first...I LOVE this look...the boots, the pocketbook, the leggings, the sweater, the scarf, and the sunglasses! Perfect!

This pewter cuff bracelet with the monogram...LOVE! This is from Marley Lilly.

This darling pocketbook...monogrammed of course, is on my shopping list! It's available in several colors, but I LOVE the pink. This must-have is available at The Pink Monogram.
I guess I'll never have a Birkin {unless my husband hits the lottery}...but one can dream right? LOVE it!!!!
Again, I love this look. Of course, she's absolutely gorgeous!
Although I love the look of the scarf with the brooch, I tried it and it was total failure on me. {Too much going on} It's still very cute!!!
This little jacket or the vest version would be cute for me to wear during the winter months on 5k race mornings. {I'm thinking pink with black monogram!} These are available at Marley Lilly.
LOVE this look. You can bet I'm going through my jewelry box looking for possible bracelets and watches to "stack." I love the cowl neck sweater also. Glad to see that these are back in style.
Is this dress not precious?! I LOVE it! It's on my list y'all and available in different colors on Etsy here.
That's just a little of "What I'm Loving" this week! There's so much cute stuff out there y'all!

Southern Living

Y'all know that the Southern Living magazine is a staple on my coffee table. Each month I enjoy the time that I'm able to sit down, enjoy a glass of iced tea or a cup of hot tea and go through the magazine, drooling over everything inside...all of it Southern Style!

In the November issue I was excited to see that Southern Living has added a new column with Phoebe Howard, interior designer and Southern style expert..."Dear Mrs. Howard...'Solves Life's Little Decorating Emergencies'. The column will address life's little "decorating emergencies," says Howard, who will deliver practical advice and inspiration to commonly asked questions. Mrs. Howard is recognized as one of the foremost authorities on Southern style and if you visit here website here, you will see why! She also a blog which is a must-read...oh my goodness, it's full of beautiful photos y'all!
In the debut column, Howard tackles the common issue of how to arrange a coffee table by offering a simple, four-step formula. She shows how using key elements: something tall, one oddball object, something fresh and a stack of books can transform the look of any tabletop or space.

This classic parsons table goes well with a modern or traditional setting.
This mid-century modern table fits well with a traditional look.
This table is perfect to prop your feet on...very casual look.
Love this glass and brass table...adds sparkle to the room and is easy to clean!
The white Chinese table...not my style, but cute!

Make sure to get the November edition of Southern Living y'all...pretty cover and pretty stuff inside!

The Day After Halloween

My my, we had an unbelievable amount of trick-or-treaters last night. My front porch quickly became the neighborhood portrait studio with Mamas photographing their little costumed-clad youngins next to our Halloween tree. We saw some really creative costumes and met a lot of new faces during the Halloween parade of visitors 2011.

Well today's another day...All Saints Day--a celebration of all Christian saints, particularly those who have no special feast days of their own. I need to get busy taking down the Halloween decorations and transforming the front porch tree into a Thanksgiving tree! But first, I must treat myself with a bagel and some Cranberry Chutney Bagel Spread*...a tradition on the "Day After Halloween!"

What is Chutney you might ask? Chutney is a relish orginating in India made with fruit and spices. The Chutney preserved the fruit itself so that it could be eaten out of season and it also acted as a cooling condiment to tone down the hot and spicy flavor of Indian curries.

Taste of Gourmet's Cranberry Chutney is a sweet, flavorful condiment filled with whole cranberries and spices to serve with roast turkey, chicken, or pork. You can mix a little of the Chutney into chicken salad or spread it on sliced turkey/ham sandwiches. A great party food treat: Cover the top of Brie cheese with the Cranberry Chutney, wrap it in pastry, and bake until browned! Tonight I think I will serve the Chutney with roasted chicken, green beans, and rice & gravy...yum yum y'all!

Recipe for Cranberry Chutney Bagel Spread:
2 to 3 tbsp Cranberry Chutney
8 oz cream cheese at room temperature

Mix the Cranberry Chutney into softened cream cheese. You can add a bit of milk or orange juice, if needed for softness. Spread onto warm bagels and enjoy! (The spread will last in the frig for a week).

The Cranberry Chutney is the Taste of Gourmet "Product of the Month" during November. Taste of Gourmet has a "Product of the Month" each month...a fundraising project to benefit the St. Jude Children's Hospital. Purchasing the Cranberry Chutney during the month of November will generate a $1.00 donation to St. Jude Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. The hospital is devoted to research and treatment toward eliminating chronic childhood diseases like leukemia and is the only childhood cancer research center designated by the National Cancer Institute.

It's time to start thinking about hostess gifts for the holidays. Food is a gift of love and is a perfect gift to give in this economy. We all have to eat y'all! Stock your entertaining pantry and gift closet while making a donation to St. Jude! A 12 oz jar of the Cranberry Chutney is only $8.95. This is delish y'all and will make a great hostess gift during the holidays. Just take your hostess a jar of the Chutney and some bagels that she can enjoy the next morning. You can order your Cranberry Chutney online here.

Gobble Gobble Y'all...we're on the road to Thanksgiving!