LIlly Pulitzer Love!

Lilly Pulitzer
WMagazine.com

Colors, patterns, and prints galore!  This is the mere definition of Southern designer, Lilly Pulitzer.  Although Mrs. Pulitzer was not a true-born Southerner, she migrated to Palm Beach, Florida with her husband and opened a juice stand.  The interesting story of how Mrs. Pulitzer came to be known today is that while selling juice, she created a "shift dress" with bright colors to camouflage the juice stains.  While gaining popularity, Mrs. Pulitzer's designs inspired her to make more and more of these colorful creations.

Lilly Pulitzer Designs
myfashionlustlist.blogspot.com

Over the years, Lilly Pulitzer's bright designs have been sported by thousands of Southerners (men and women, alike)!  Her playful patterns perk up many a households because not only does she provide apparel for men, women, and children, but her designs can also be found in the forms of pillows, comforters, and tons of other accessories!  Look through any Southern belle's room and you're sure to find some trace of Lilly, whether it be a headband, a purse, a bangle, or an oh-so-adored shift.  No true Southern belle is complete without her dash of Lilly!

Lilly Lovers
Lilly Pulitzer.com

Southern Cuisine: A Turn for the Worse? Or Just a Misconception...

One stereotype of Southern cuisine is that every staple of food is battered, fried, or covered in grease.  Let's face it...walk down the straw-laden pathways at a local fair and sure enough, buckets of fried oreos, sticks of corn-dogs, and baskets of fritters (whatever those are).  But then again, we're talking about a fair here; not just your ordinary Sunday brunch, but a down-south, cowboy-boot, bon-a-fied fair.  Food at this sort of venue is guaranteed to be unhealthy regardless of local.  It is, therefore, in this sense that Southern cuisine is given a bad rep.

While traditionally Southern foods are known to be high in all sorts of cholesterol and fats, modern Southern belles and beaus enjoy healthy eating with diets high in fresh fruits and vegetables.  However, there are always loopholes to any statement, and one of these loopholes comes in the form of a grandmotherly Paula Deen, the queen of butter.  Grandma Paula, for example, prides herself in creating "traditional" Southern dishes such as the "Gooey Butter Cake" or a "Grits Pie", each of these dishes including the name-sake ingredients: butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, and buttermilk.

So, aside from the crazy-eyed Paula Deen, who continues to promote the Southern stereotype of butter, butter, and more butter (oh, did I mention butter?), Southerners, like any other region, are perfectly apt at creating wholesome, healthy meals or snacks.  While it may seems as if the local fare in a Southern town is the "daily fritter" or "soup du beurre" (aka - soup of butter), in actuality, local gardens, farms, and crops provide natural and organic fruits, vegetables and grains to keep our Southerners healthy!          

Derby Dash!

May 7th, 2011 - the 137th Kentucky Derby.  A day filled with fierce competition, friendly parties, crazy hats, and colorful suits!

From Kentucky Derby Website

Every year true Southerners, and just Southerners at heart, gather to throw the party of the spring.  The girls   don their most colorful dresses and the guys pull out their Sunday best.  In previous years some of the apparel for this event has grown bigger and better each Derby!  Women search for weeks in advance just to find the perfect hat with extravagant accessories: flowers, feathers, and folderol galore!  And, of course, men grab seersucker and patchwork pants as well as colorful ties to accompany their truly Southern pants.

From "Fashion Foie Gras" Blog

Not only are the fashion choices a pivotal part of the Derby, but let's not forget about the original purpose of the Derby: the horse race!  This year, some of the horses coming up are The Factor and Pants on Fire, both with incredible pedigrees, trainers, and jockeys.  These, among the other sixteen racers, have been training nonstop for this pivotal moment in their racing careers.  

The Factor -
From The Kentucky Derby Website

Pants on Fire -
From the Kentucky Derby Website

Southern Finest

Don't forget your please and thank-yous!  That's the name of the game in the south.  Generations upon generations of Southern belles and beaus were raised to regurgitate "yes ma'am" and "no sir" without ever giving it another thought.  Our little angels would boast that they are the most polite children in the country (if they were allowed to brag).  But, without any form of acknowledgment, these Southern beauties continue to hold the title as the "nicest kids in town".

After years of "don't put your elbow on the table" and "what do you say?" (thank you!) almost every Southern kid is encouraged to attend the pivotal Cotillion or Promenade class!  At the tender age of 12, a group of awkward 6th graders gather in an empty church hall or grand ballroom to learn the ever-so-needed steps to the foxtrot, and what that smallest fork is really used for.  They learn greetings, introductions, table manners, courting, and of course, dancing.  Once a winter of lessons has passed, these middle schoolers attend the final ball in which they can show off their newly gained skills.

Southern Sweet Tooth

You're standing in line at the usual Sunday morning brunch and before you are countless Southern desserts!  From the pies, to the cakes, to the bars, to the cobblers, the choices are impossible to make, but never fear!  We will go through some of the best traditional Southern desserts that always leave your mouth watering when mentioned and never fail to satisfy even the sweetest of sweet tooths!

Number one?  The Red Velvet Cake!  Often seen as a groom's cake, this delightfully decadent dessert is often a chocolate cake dyed red and topped with a sweet cream cheese frosting.  Perfect for any type of celebration: wedding, birthday, or anniversary.  Try Southern queen, Paula Deen's recipe for a sure-to-please treat!

Moving on, number two: Pecan Pie.  This Southern traditional dessert originated in New Orleans when the French were introduced to the pecan nut by Native Americans.  And with this introduction came the well-known and loved pie most often seen around the holidays.  Too many slices of this bad boy and you'll be running to the dentist with cavities galore! (Doesn't seem to stop most people from second helpings, though.)



Number three? Coconut cake! This creamy dessert is perfect for any occasion!  It's definitely a crowd-pleaser because of the think frosting and layers of yummy cake, not to mention the fact that it's made with coconut, which is good for you, right?  Sure!  Pair this treat with a glass of Southern sweet tea and you'll be sure to satisfy any sugar craving for the next year!

Bows, bows, bows galore!

Donning the precious little heads of thousands of Southern Belles-to-be are dinner plate sized folded strips of ribbon in a plethora of colors, shapes, and sizes.  Beginning at the tender age of infant-hood, Southern mothers will pull together any hair that they can to clip in a larger than life bow.

We can take a look at the progression of the hair bow through any Southern girl's life and witness the growth and change one might experience.  Starting off: the baby bow.  A demure decoration often with a theme of sailboats or cupcakes that serves absolutely no purpose except to evoke a much deserved chorus of "awww" and "ooohhh" at the supermarket.

A couple years later, and we've moved past the teensy-tiny toppers on to bigger and better bows.  Welcome the traditional Southern bow; and boy, is it big.  Headbands, clip-ons, ponytails.  The options are endless.  Bright colors, funky patterns, adorable themes; whatever the design, every Southern sweetheart can personalize her style by plopping on a bow.  

And, it never ends!  Since childhood, bows have progressed into the glam and glitz high fashion world.  Take a gander at the lovely Lady GaGa donning an interesting rendition of the beloved hair bow, and taking it quite literally. Matching it perfectly to her platinum hair color, Ms. GaGa has put a spin on the traditional Southern bow by covering it with hair to complement her own.  Creative?  Daring?  Fashionable?  Possibly all of the above! This fashion diva, and many more to come, can modernize the original picture perfect bow with new designs!

Hello, My Name Is...

First things first, when you think about Southern charm what comesto mind? Kentucky Derby parties? Bright, colored houses with huge wrap-around porches and mint juleps for all? Now, come on. We know the quintessential must-have of any Southern belle: the monogram. Take a peek into a typical Southern home and there it is staring right back at you...three initials onany pillow that give the room a true down South home-y feel.

In the Victorian Era, monograms were used to display a certain sense of rank in society and they were typically used only to sign their work. Nowadays, Southern belles monogram everything! My mother always used to say, "Sweetie, if it stands still in the South, it gets monogramed." And, ain't that the truth! Girls are parading through town with their own personal marks on shoes, purses, jackets, jewelry and even cars. Doesn't it just give you a warm, fuzzy feeling in your tummy when you get a sweater in the mail with your initials on it?But, let's not forget about the men! Growing fads for our favorite Southern preppy boys are a popped collar with a monogram as the insignia. Why not throw in the backpack and sneakers, too?

 

When searching for the perfect symbol, policy used to be: first initial on

the left, last initial in the middle, and middle initial on the right. However, times have changed, and by-golly, so have the monograms! Southern belles are putting full names, two initials, or just one initial on their favorite accessories...so, the rules are broken and go with your gut when choosing a new monogram!

Of course, there are always some guidelines to the perfect monogram:

 1 - Make sure that it is big enough to see, but not overwhelming.

 2 - When in doubt, leave it out. It's a terrible feeling when you find that in two years your absolute favorite bag is ruined because of a poor editing choice (examples - "Superstar Sarah" or "The Big Man").

 3 - Don't let anyone tell you it's "tacky" to have a monogram! It is a great representation of who you are! Strut your stuff and let your initials shine!