{Giveaway is Closed} The winner is Susan from NC!
I’ve met so many fascinating, talented and creative women since I started blogging all those years ago. One of them is Leslie Anne Tarabella, who is as Southern as I am and lives in Fairhope, AL. I’m trying to remember when we first met and it’s been in the last 4 years, I think when she came here to Georgia for a visit and we got together with another mutual friend (who Leslie Anne introduced me to via email, if I remember right). She was longtime friends with Rachel, who I’ve shared here on the blog with her beautiful Victorian house off the Marietta Square, the Trammell House. I’ve shared the Trammell House two times, so check this one out too. Leslie Anne lived in Marietta for many years with her husband and then they moved closer to home in Fairhope, AL.
{the 3 of us 4 years ago touring another local house: me, Leslie Anne, and Rachel, 2 of the most charming Southern girls I know!}
So, back to when I first met Leslie Anne online. She used to use a fake name when she left comments on my blog, because she was nervous about putting her real name out there. She started her blog, Fairhope Supply Co. several years ago and when she would visit from the blog and leave a comment, I think she called herself Hope. I thought that was hilarious once I found out her name wasn’t really Hope. It wasn’t until years later that she finally started using her real name and I got to know her as Leslie Anne. She’s so cute and witty and a great writer. I’ve met up with her in Marietta and Fairhope and always have fun with her. It’s no wonder that her book is entertaining and funny too, since Leslie Anne is such a happy positive Southern gal!
Leslie Anne has been writing her blog for over 5 years and she’s also a contributor to AL.com and her blog is filled with her Southern stories about home, family, church, and more. Leslie Anne says she’s an accidental author after her blog was discovered and she was asked to be a newspaper writer. The book is a compilation of her most popular blog posts and columns, with witty stories and fun anecdotes.
On a side note, I have to ask her though if she makes up these Southern names woven through her stories. Southerners are known for their 2 name handles, but some of hers are a little suspect. There’s Great Aunt Vina-Mae, cousin John-Jack, Rosie Belle, Billy Mac, and many more. I have to get to the bottom of these Southern styled names! Are they for real? I honestly don’t know anyone with names like this. But Leslie Anne has a fun way with words and you’ll enjoy her short stories.
Leslie Anne and her rescue dog, Doug. Go read the Doug story, it’s cute! She has another dog, a beagle named Lois Lane.
There’s a whole section on Our Charming Southern Ways….oh how fun these are! I relate so much to these Southern ways, since my family is Southern to the bone too. From Are Southern Women Prettier to Humidity Threatens our Crowning Glory, these humorous Southern anecdotes will have you chuckling along and nodding your head, especially if you’re Southern too.
The other book sections involve our Precious Southern Families, Our Darling Southern Manners, Our Delicious Southern Food, and our Divine Southern Churches. And by the way,Leslie Anne married a guy from New Jersey and calls him her Yankee husband.
If you’re Southern (or even if you’re not, you’ll enjoy Leslie Anne’s cute and witty book. She does have a Fannie Flagg style of writing, with humor and hilarity. It’s definitely a feel good book that will have you smiling as you’re being entertained with words. She reminds me a bit of the old newspaper columns here in Atlanta and two of my growing up favorites, Lewis Grizzard and Celestine Sibley. I loved reading their columns in the newspaper when I was young and looked forward to their columns every single week. They are both gone now.
From Leslie Anne’s blog….Although my viewpoint is from my life in a small Southern town, I’ve learned that people everywhere love their families, dogs, good food, God and a good story . . . not necessarily in that order, of course.
If you’re in Birmingham, Leslie Anne will be signing books at Barnes and Noble at The Summit at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, Feburary 17th, so mark your calendars!
Here’s a little snippet from the book about being Southern:
Some folks call themselves Southern just because of where they were born or where the moving van dropped them off. Others know they are Southern because the South lives within them. You can see the sparkle in their eyes when they see a friend walking they way or someone mentions a fish fry with hushpuppies and grits or suggests, “Let’s go out and sit on the porch.” The answer is never “I’m watching my cholesterol,” or “It’s too hot.”
Rachel and Leslie Anne’s friend, Beth, hosted a really nice book signing party in Marietta before Christmas and Mark and I went. It was so fun to meet Judy (above right) who is a faithful reader of Leslie Anne’s and my blog. Hi, Judy, great to see you that night. She was so sweet!
Rachel set out a beautiful spread of food in her dining room and it was such a fun night. You can see I was noshing on the goodies in this pic.
Back to the book….you’ll also hear a few Bless Your Hearts along the way. I also see on Leslie Anne’s blog that she’s not a fan of sweet tea either…just like me. I get the strangest looks when I tell people I don’t drink sweet tea. Like how in the world could I possibly be a real Southern girl?! For some reason, when I was growing up in a house that had sweet tea in the fridge at all times, I just never acquired a taste for it and never did drink it. I see some of you mentioned peach tea and oh my yes, I love some peach tea. Totally different flavor!
Today I’ve got an extra copy to give away of Leslie Anne’s book, so please leave a comment below and I’ll choose a random winner in a week to send the book to.
Tell me where you are from and if you are Southern or Northern (or Midwestern or from the West Coast) and what do you all think about the South? If you’re Southern, I know you’re proud to be a Southerner, but it’s fun to hear what the rest of the country thinks! And while you’re answering, do you drink sweet tea?
Leave a comment to be eligible to win the book!
If you’d like to order the book, you can find it here:
She sounds like such a fun lady!
Upper gulf coast of Texas here. My parents and families are from East Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi. Double names – Maude Belle , Zoe Mary, Cora Mae, Ruth Amenna and Jeanetta Rankin. My Granny got progressive at the end with those girls and named my mama after the first woman elected to Congress. Or she just ran out of names. One of my uncles, Richard Vance, was always called Son by my Granny. So all his siblings called him Son so therefore the nieces and nephews called him Uncle Son.
I am from Dalton ga. True southern girl. Would love to win.
I was born in the Midwest, but got here as fast as I could (age 16). When I first moved here, I had trouble understanding the accents and idiosyncratic phrases (trim my pencil in the pencil trimmer, how much of that book do you like (lack)?, and “hey!” as the universal greeting for “hi”….) Bless my heart! I married a Southern man (thank heavens!), and raised 4 Southern children (although they’ve wandered to the far reaches), but I love the South. Your blog is fantastic, and on your recommendation, I ordered a copy of this book. I plan to read it and, if I win, I’ll buy 4 more copies and send to my dear Girls’ Weekend friends – 5 other women I met when we were freshmen at the Univ. of TN – 40 (!) years ago, in the fall of ’78. We gather every year!
I grew up in a little town in Georgia drinking sweet tea. Now my husband makes “mildly sweet” tea that doesn’t taste like syrup. We go through a gallon a day when my small grandchildren are here. They love “Big Daddy’s” tea. My husbands grandmothers name was Minnie Pearl and her husbands name was Pinkney Bomer And I am sure there are lots more crazy names in the family. I love the South and grew up reading Lewis and Celestine and look forward to reading this book.
Memphis girl here now living in Wisconsin. When I was growing up we drank ‘ice tea’ and I don’t ever remember it being pre-sweetened. If you wanted sweet tea you added the sugar yourself…and most of it sat on the bottom of the glass because sugar doesn’t dissolve in cold drinks very fast so when you were finished, the last grainy bits mixed with the ice left over were a real treat. Every time I’ve tried ‘sweet tea’ at restaurants since it’s become popular it has been so syrupy sweet I can’t drink it.
I was born in Greenville, MS in the very flat Delta! The only elevations were fire ant mounds, Lived there until I was 16. The best times were the times I spent at my grandparents home in Glen Allen, MS and Lexington, MS. My paternal grandfather had a small farm and my Mamaw’s Farm House Decor looked nothing like the Farm House Decor of today. In fact, I don’t think she thought about Decor at all. But she did tend her house and garden and us grandkids. Her house and garden were always welcoming. My maternal grandfather was a JP and my Grandmoma did think about Decor. I suppose her style was traditional. My Grandmoma was a very hands on woman, an experienced seamstress and a DIY’er decades before the popularity of. Elizabeth Taylor would have been jealous of the prom dresses that my Grandmoma made for Aunt Margaret in the 1950’s! Oh my Goodness! I gazed at those dresses for hours. I’ve lived in Florida, Alabama, Tennessee and Texas. I’ve never lived outside the south or visited outside the south. And I love sweet tea.
Iowa Midwest girl here! Love unsweetened hot and cold tea, gardening, crafts and quilting, and house projects. I think we are about the same age, so I enjoy your Over 50 fashion blogs!
Proud to be a southern gal from south Alabama! Nothing like the southern culture, humor, and hospitality. I will definitely check this book out. I love your blog!
I was born in Louisiana, but raised in South Mississippi. Laurel, in fact! When was a little girl, I wanted to be a majorette! The book looks good!
Rhoda, thanks for offering the giveaway. I can’t wait to track down this book, I’m sure I’ll really enjoy it!
I was born and raised in Nebraska. I grew up on a farm and attended a one-room country school (with no indoor plumbing). However, my Mother was born and raised in rural Lawrence County, Mississippi – she was 100% Southern!
Yes, I drink sweet tea. When I was little I’d ask Mom to make “Mississippi buns” (biscuits) which I still love. So I’m a Midwestern gal that was raised “Southern” and I’ve always consider that a pretty darn good combination! 🙂
I am a Southern girl, born and raised in Georgia. Still live in Georgia, love sweet tea, went to Training Union, remember all
those Sunday dinners at my Grandma’s house and so many other things your readers mentioned. Would love to read
Leslie Anne’s book.
Born and raised in North Georgia (Ft. Oglethorpe, Georgia area) and am proud to be a southerner and am proud of my southern roots. I love everything about being a Southern woman – with manners, showing hospitality to others and a great love for God and desire to please Him and give glory and honor to Him.
Wow, these comments are great! So many memories. I grew up in Austin, Texas and now live in the Big H with all of the humidity. That alone makes me feel Southern. I never did like sweet tea, either. My mom didn’t ever make iced tea with sugar, although my grandmother did. And, now one of my dogs, a standard poodle, is named Tula Mae! Love to read that book! Thanks, Rhoda!
Born and lived in Mississippi all of my life and so very proud to from The South. Yes to sweet tea but not so much as of late. I have been a fan of your blog since your Bham days and followed The Fairhope Supply Co also. I would LOVE a copy of this book. Thanks so much for the give-a-way!!!
Malinda in Mississippi
Sadly I am a born and bred Yankee from upstate NY. I love all I know about the south…the manners, the chivalry, the weather… Maybe someday I’ll get to move there but I’ve actually heard Yankees are not truly accepted down south. True or false?
Kate, Atlanta is full of transplanted Northerners….OK, Yankees, who have moved here for business opportunities or for other reasons so Atlanta truly is a melting pot now of so many cultures. I would say that you would totally be accepted down here. We don’t have any problem with others moving here and integrating in the culture, because honestly the Southern culture in Atlanta is not nearly as strong as it used to be. What we do have a problem with are those who move South and then try to change everything around them to make it like the place they left or complain about the South and how things are. We love our Southernness and want to keep it intact so don’t take kindly to those who want to change us and it. That’s my best answer for being accepted. I’d say it’s a friendly rivalry and mostly done tongue in cheek.
Hi Rhoda!
Sounds like a great book! I am a Mississippi girl through and through! I live in the northeast corner – just 30 miles south of the Tennessee state line and 30 miles west of the Alabama state line. I grew up on sweet tea (mostly drank straight from a fruit jar growing up on a farm) Love your blog…you seem like a dear friend that I have known forever! I have been following you quite some time & look forward every day to what’s going on in your world! Hope you have a blessed day!
Would love a copy of Leslie’s book; thanks for adding my name in this generous giveaway!
Born and raised in Memphis but live in the Tampa area. Once you’re south of Orlando you’re north of the Mason Dixon line. Love home grown tomatoes and fried okra.
I was born and raised in Texas. I’ve lived in Alabama 30 years. I have a brother named Billy Mack, named after my dad’s two brothers, Billy and Mack! 🙂 Growing up I drank sweet tea but now lots of unsweet tea.