A Touch of Southern Grace

Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Summer Reading

I don’t know what it is about summer but it feels like the official book reading season; probably due to all the school summer reading lists we all grew up with, which ironically I was never a fan of summer reading for school. To me the perfect summer day is sitting on a beach, reading a book, listening to the sound of the ocean in the background – does life get much better than that? When I’m at the beach I honestly go through a book every two or three days, it’s a little ridiculous, but it’s a great way to relax. Below are a few book recommendations for summer reading, I have read about half of them and the other half are on my to-read list, and don’t worry there are some great beach reads on this list!

1. Summer At Tiffany by Marjorie Hart

I actually purchased this book when I was at the beach a few years ago and I love it, it is hands down the most perfect summer beach read. Marjorie and her best friend, Marty Garrett, move to New York City for the summer in hopes of finding a summer job. By some miracle they find jobs at Tiffany & Co. becoming the first women to work on the sales floor. This memoir takes the reader on an adventure to a time of glamour, high society encounters, and the decisions and lessons that Marjorie learns that will change her future.

2. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

I have hear so many great things about this book it is almost ridiculous. Gone Girl has been on my reading list for the longest time and I have to read it before the movie comes out. It is a suspense book about a marriage gone wrong, I think it is safe to say that this book will be a page-turner.

3. Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter

I am actually in the process of reading this book, I haven’t had a chance to get too far into but judging by what I’ve read so far it is going to be a really good book. This book tells the story of an almost love story on an Italian coast.

4. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Wall

I read this memoir when I was in college, it is one of those books that will change your viewpoint a little and motivate you all at the same time. Jeannette writes about the hardships she faced growing up and how she came to be the person she is today. It is a brilliant book.

5. The One and Only by Emily Giffin

I have yet to read this book yet, but I have read a few other books by Emily Giffin and have loved them all so far. The One and Only is about following your heart and finding your passion.

6. The American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld

The American Wife is one of my favorite books. The time period the story is set in and some of the elements are reminiscent of what I have read about the Kennedy family. Alice Lindgren grew up in a small Wisconsin hometown and would soon go on to marry the future president.

7. The Vacationers’ by Emma Straub

I have heard that if you like to travel this is a great book to read. This is a story about what sides of ourselves we choose to hid and what sides we choose to show and the bonds that hold us together.

8. Are You A Jackie or A Marilyn by Pamela Keogh

This is another one of my favorite books, and incase you are wondering… yes, there is a test at the start of the book that you can take to see if you are a Jackie or a Marilyn. I think it is safe to say that Jackie and Marilyn are two of the most iconic women there are. This book gives advice on marriage, decorating, professional, entertaining, fashion, and more from the perspective of Jackie and Marilyn.

9. The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

The people I know who have read this book have either really loved it or said it was hard to get through but everyone has said it has some really amazing parts to it plus it just won a Pulitzer Prize. The Goldfinch is a “story of loss and obsession, survival and self-invention, and the ruthless machinations of fate”.

10. Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple

For the past couple of summers I have been meaning to reading this book but haven’t made my way to it yet. This is a story of a family coming to terms with who they are and a daughter’s love for her mother.

Monday, July 7, 2014

Undeniable :: July Issue

The new issue of Undeniable is out for the month of July. For the July issue I wrote an article on how to make a small space seem bigger; I think at some point in time everyone can relate to finding a solution to this problem. Below is the article I wrote for Undeniable, be sure to check out the rest of the magazine! There are some really great articles in this issue!

When it comes to interior decorating one of the most common problems is trying to figure out a way to make the room or the interior of a place look larger than it really is. Whether you’re getting ready to move into a dorm room, first apartment, or update an older house I feel like the first move in decorating is mapping out a plan to make a space look bigger or in some cases how to make a room feel more intimate. Usually small rooms are associated with apartments; however, older houses tend to have smaller rooms as well. To help you achieve the illusion of having a bigger room or space here are a few easy tips that can make a big difference.

Use Light Colors

Lighter colors such as light shades of blue, whites, light yellows, etc. tend to open up a room, giving the room a light and airy feeling. Light colors are better for reflecting light, hence, giving the optical illusion that a room is larger than it really is.

Wallpaper

Often times people tend to make the mistake of thinking that since they want to wallpaper a small room they should use wallpaper with a small print. However, wallpaper with a small print gives the illusion of making an area feel smaller. If you prefer wallpaper over paint be sure to use wallpaper with a large print to make a small room feel larger.

Limit Clutter

The less clutter the better. Limiting the clutter in a small room will make the space seem more open then it really is. Limiting the clutter will also make a room feel more organized and also make the room feel more enjoyable to spend time in.

Paintings/Prints

I love a gallery wall just as much as the next person but when decorating a small space a gallery wall is not necessarily the best way to go. One large painting or print usually works for a small space rather that a lot of small ones. However if you are in love with the idea of a gallery wall and really want to go for it is better to make all the frames the same color – remember monochromatic color combos work better for a smaller space.

Lighting

For small spaces the more lighting the better. Allowing natural lighting to flow in will open up a space. To achieve natural lighting either pull window curtains back or use sheer window dressings.

Mirrors

Mirror are one of the best decorating elements to use to make a small room look larger, and besides who doesn’t love a beautiful mirror or mirrored piece of furniture. Mirrors reflect light and color making a room feel instantly bigger.

Tables/End Tables

Using a glass or Lucite tables will help to keep the space feeling open. Using mirrored end tables will also help to reflect the light and colors in the room.

Sunday, July 6, 2014

Sunday Night Thought

Friday, July 4, 2014

Happy Hour Time

Well Happy Friday and a very Happy Fourth of July to all! I know I am a little late getting this post up for today, but I hope everyone had a wonderful day full of memories, family and friends, and of course fireworks! Here’s to a long weekend, some downtime, and fun to be had. Cheers!

“Attitude is the difference between an ordeal and an adventure”

Drink Special!

Leave-It-To-Me

1 ½ ounces gin

2 teaspoons raspberry syrup

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1 dash maraschino liqueur

Ice cubes

Shake with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass

Around Town!

Nashville, TN: First Saturday Art Crawl at Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, Saturday, July 5, 6:00pm

Greensboro, NC: Tour de Food at Greensboro Cultural Center, Saturday, July 5

Birmingham, AL: Red, White & Brew 5k Run/Walk at Trim Tab Brewing Co, Saturday, July 5, 9:00am

Louisville, KY: Louisville Bats vs. Toledo: Game 1 at Louisville Slugger Field, Sunday, July 6, 6:00pm

Memphis, TN: Levitt Shell Concert Series: Salute to Music Made in Memphis at Levitt Shell, Saturday, July 5, 7:30pm

Happy Fourth Of July

Thursday, July 3, 2014

Red, White & Blue Deliciousness

Is there anything better on the Fourth of July than a flag sheet cake {Ina Garten’s flag cake is the best} or some other red, white, and blue deserts – in my opinion that is a pretty hard combination to beat! I hope everyone is excited for the upcoming Fourth of July holiday and thankful for the long weekend. Incase you are still in search for the perfect festive element to add to you lunch/dinner get together here are a few festive treats that no one will be able to resist!

Here’s where to get the recipe. Click on the name of the red, white, and blue treat to be directed to the website where you can find the recipe.

1. FlagCake

2. Red,White and Blueberry Yogurt Popsicles

3. Red,White and Blue(berry) Margaritas

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Faux Calligraphy

Lately I have noticed there have been a lot of tutorials on Pinterest, blogs, etc. on how to do faux calligraphy, so I thought I’d join in and do one as well. A few years ago I’d just graduated college, it was winter time and it was freezing, I didn’t have much to do at the time, I’ve always loved the way calligraphy looks, and I decided why not teach myself how to do calligraphy – I ordered a calligraphy book off of Amazon and I can honestly say it was a lot easier than I thought it would be to learn.

I’ll admit, I have a legitimate calligraphy dip pen and ink but I’m not going to go the whole nine yards just to write a name or address on one envelope. Knowing how to do faux calligraphy definitely comes in handy when you are trying to make your writing look a little more special than normal for a special occasion, the technique of faux calligraphy come in very handy around Christmas time. Faux calligraphy is basically fancy cursive (I promise anyone can do faux calligraphy). For writing faux calligraphy I have found that using either a Le Pen, a Sharpie fine point pen, or a felt pen tend to work best.

The first step in faux calligraphy is to write out the name, address, etc. in regular cursive. During the first step I like to try and dress up what ever I’m with a few loops and embellishment {if your search copperplate calligraphy in Pinterest you will find some great embellishment inspiration}. After you finish writing out the name start to go over what you’ve written with the pen. An added bonus to faux calligraphy is it does not have to be perfect, in my opinion I think it looks a little better and a little more whimsical when it’s not perfect. Bottom line there is definitely room for mistake so don’t worry about messing up, just have fun with it.

The last step to faux calligraphy is knowing which section of the letter to make dark/thicker with the pen. In calligraphy there is the upstroke {the thinner part of the letter} and the downstroke {the thicker part of the letter}. Whenever you find yourself bring your pen in a downward motion while writing a letter that is the section of the letter that should be thicker. To achieve the effect of having upstrokes and downstrokes in faux calligraphy go over the “downstroke” section of the letter a few times with your pen to create a thicker line, giving the illusion of having upstrokes and downstrokes.