Vintage Beauty Shops

“I think that the most important thing a woman can have- next to talent, of course- is her hairdresser.” ― Joan Crawford

“People always ask me how long it takes to do my hair. I don’t know, I’m never there.” ― Dolly Parton

“Beware of her fair hair, for she excels
All women in the magic of her locks; 
And when she winds them round a young man's neck, 
She will not ever set him free again.” 
― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

“She could hear her hair growing.” 

― Arundhati Roy, The Ministry of Utmost Happiness

“Maybe the hairs on my head were numbered" she went on with a sudden serious sweetness "but nobody could ever count my love for you".” 

― O. Henry

“There will be those who love you for your hair and those who love the beauty of your mind and those who adore the warmth of your heart. but there will be those who will leave you for not conforming to their type of hair, mind and heart. And there will be those who will live/die to see your bad hair days, derailed mind, and broken heart. but what matters most is Who You Are” 

― Goitsemang Mvula

“Her hair was full of lights” 

― Anaïs Nin

“she's got
oceans
tucked away
in her hair
poems swim
under her skin.”
― Sanober Khan, A Thousand Flamingos

“A woman who cuts her hair is about to change her life.”
― Coco Chanel

Engagement Photos by Zach and Sarah Photography - Tennessee

A few weeks ago my beau and I traveled to my hometown for our engagement photo session. With the wedding just around the corner, I felt like we waited too long to do the engagement pictures, plus we'd ended up rescheduling them about five times because of uncooperative weather. 

But the engagement shoot was part of our wedding photo package so we went with it. Other than various snapshots over the years, we don't really have any fancy photos together. Ultimately, I'm glad we ended up doing it because I liked the pictures and I feel like they captured our personalities. 

Sometimes engagement pictures I've seen are so cheesy...we're not really into all that posed stuff. But we had a great photographer (Zach and Sarah Photography) who did a fantastic job making us feel comfortable.

The day of the shoot, we drove all over my small hometown in search of cool spots for photos. It definitely gave me a new perspective on some places I've driven past my entire life. Each time our photographer Zach would see something he liked, we'd pull over and snap a few pics. It was a chilly, sort of overcast day and I wasn't sure how it would all turn out. But I'm pretty happy with them. 

Before too long, we'll have wedding pictures to share...but for now I'm enjoying looking through these. For more pictures by Zach and Sarah, check out their blog!

May Your Days be Merry & Bright - Merry Christmas from Southern Belle Simple

Simple Non-Alcoholic Drink Recipes to Make

I love a delicious cocktail, but sometimes an event (or a person's lifestyle) calls for something non-alcoholic. There's no reason to think that just because alcohol isn't involved you can't serve unique and delicious beverages. This morning, I'm joining those folks at Knoxville's Fox43 to share three simple recipes for delicious non-alcoholic drinks. Check them out!

Simple and Delicious Non-Alcoholic Drinks

1) Power Tea 

This drink would be perfect for tailgating, especially while preparing to cheer on the Tennessee Volunteers. Even if you aren't a Vol for Life, you can still enjoy this tasty concoction. You might want to change the name though! 

Power Tea Recipe: 

Brew 1 gallon iced tea (I used Tazo orange flavored). Stir in 4 cups orange juice. Add 1 liter orange flavored sparkling soda. Stir together, serve with ice and enjoy. 

2) Mocha Madness 

For all those coffee lovers out there, this non-alcoholic drink might give you a little buzz...but caffeine is the only source of its spirit. To create it, brew a pot of coffee. While the coffee is still warm, sweeten it to taste. After it cools, stir in heavy whipping cream to your liking. Some people enjoy a darker coffee, while others enjoy a little coffee in their milk. To this, add two small scoops of mocha ice cream (or mocha gelato). As everything melts together, you get a wonderful mixture! 

This drink would be wonderful for your next book club or game night! 

3) Cheers Darling Hibiscus Mocktail 

This recipe was the simplest of all, but the drink is so refreshing! You start by placing a preserved hibiscus flower in the bottom of your glass. I tried several package stores as well as a gourmet chef's market before finally finding hibiscus at a local grocery store (The Fresh Market).

The blossoms come packed in syrup and sort of taste like raspberry. You can eat them, but I don't think I would. From here, just pour a carbonated drink of some kind over the flower. I used a hibiscus flavored sparkling soda (Onli brand, purchased at Publix). This makes the loveliest drink and so easy!

This could be great for a baby shower or bridal luncheon. Of course if you want to make a more adult version, you could top the hibiscus flower with champagne or another type of sparkling wine.

Cheers, darling! 

Keep Your Eyes on Your Own Paper

My mom is a 4th grade teacher and she was recently administering standardized year-end tests for her students. A big part of making sure the test is carried out fairly is removing all distractions from her classroom, covering bulletin boards and just seeing to it that the students can completely focus on their exams. 

Another part of it is ensuring that their knowledge is measured...not what they can get from another student. She was sharing with me how she has to remind them to keep their eyes on their own paper...since it's really supposed to be about what they know and not anything else. 

Then I ran across the lovely artwork pictured above. How often do we get so focused on what other people around us are doing? Comparing ourselves, our lives to people we know or strangers on the Internet, whose lives seem more interesting or more exciting than our own. 

Life is too short and too precious to waste one second comparing or feeling bad about a particular hand we've been dealt. Let's keep our eyes on our own paper and find ways that we can shine as our unique little selves. 

To order a copy of the gorgeous print by the talented Emily McDowell, click here. 

Southern Hospitality at the HGTV Smart Home 2014

Last week I was invited to attend a special sneak peek event for bloggers to tour the 2014 HTGV Smart Home in Nashville. Since I was already planning to be in town for the Cher concert, I thought it was perfect timing, plus it sounded like a really fun opportunity.

The house is located in the beautiful Duncanwood Reserve in Nashville's upscale Green Hills neighborhood. An English cottage-style residence, it has three bedrooms and a whopping 4 and a half baths. Not only is the home beautifully designed and decorated, but it's also equipped with the latest and greatest technological advances, which is what makes it so smart.

The house was conceived by P. Shea | Design and constructed by Carbine & Associates. Just 15 minutes from downtown Nashville, it's convenient to some of the most desirable attractions Music City has to offer.

Not to mention just around the corner from a delicious eatery called the Copper Kettle (where the southern beau & I enjoyed a tasty lunch.) If you eat there, please get the cornbread salad. You won't be sorry.

But the best part about the HGTV Smart Home is you can win it! The house is part of a grand prize package valued at more than $1 million, and also includes a 2014 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid and one hundred thousand bucks to boot. Pretty sweet deal, huh? The HGTV Smart Home 2014 Giveaway opens for entries at 9 a.m. ET on April 15 and runs through June 9. I really hope you win. Then have me over for supper, okay?

Here are a few of my favorite features of the 2014 HGTV Smart Home...in no particular order.

1) The Gorgeous Blue Kitchen Cabinets

2) White Painted Brick Fireplace and Bold Art** on the Mantle

**All the art in the HGTV Smart Home was incredible...I'm working on a post featuring the different artists whose work was included. You're going to love it all.

3) Chalkboard Wall + Stage for Impromptu Basement Concerts 

4) Closets that Went on for Days...Seriously, I could live in here

5) Pops of the Loveliest Shade of Kelly Green in this Guest Bedroom (I never wanted to leave)

6) Industrial Touches (like these great letters) & a Relaxed At-Home Feel 

Seriously, it would tickle me to death if one of my readers won this amazing house. I've got my fingers crossed for you!

This Love of the Land

Maybe it was my reddish hair or pale skin, but I always secretly hoped I had Irish ancestry. After much research, I was only able to pinpoint one or two people from my family tree who possibly came from Ireland. 

While I might not be Irish, I can confidently say that I come from people who had a deep, deep love of the land on which they lived. 

My great grandpa was a farmer who worked the land all his life, never living anywhere but a few miles from where he was born. 

I've never lived on a farm, but I love the idea of being connected to all the people generations back who sweated and toiled and worked the land. One day, I'd like to build a house on my grandparents' farm and spend quiet days with my southern beau, writing and enjoying a happy life together. 

Hope you have a Happy St. Patrick's Day...and if you have Irish ancestry, I'm mighty jealous! 

For Anyone Who Has Ever Felt Ugly

Have you ever felt ugly? I don't mean that you had a bad hair-day or a little pimple. I mean have you ever looked in the mirror and hated what you saw? I've been there. This is kind of a difficult post to write but if I'm being totally honest with myself, there have been plenty of days when I felt downright ugly.

From my coke-bottle glasses/frizzy hair/chubby childhood to my awkward teen years and beyond, I've never thought of myself as beautiful.

Having people in my life, including my southern beau, who speak kind, complimentary words to me helps...and this is not something I take for granted. But there are many people who have nobody to offer up daily affirmations or compliments. And what's more, it really doesn't matter what nice things anyone else might say to us if we feel a certain way (i.e. badly) on the inside.

In the past few years, I've started developing a new understanding of God's amazing grace...and not grace as a churchy buzzword, but what it truly means: divine influence on the heart. This is the only thing that has led to me to finally believe it's possible to experience being beautiful from the inside out. And the ironic thing is now this idea of beauty has got nothing to do with how I look.

Each day I'm learning more about the One who made me...the one who imagined every aspect of my personality. And when you come face to face with that knowledge, the only possible feeling is awe. I am awed that someone wanted me to exist so much that He spoke me into being. I am humbled and honored to be one of His creations. And you are one of His creations too.

I'm learning that this body, while I do believe it is a temple, is not really who I am, but instead just a home for my spirit. And yes, I want to take care of it and treat it with respect...but how it looks isn't really all that important.

I wish I could go back in time and communicate this to my 10-year old self...the one with the crooked teeth and the weird looking toenails. I wish I could say it to my 15-year old self, scared to death about being in high school and wanting to do all the right things as to avoid drawing attention to myself. I wish I could tell it to my 20-something self...in college, feigning confidence with that "fake it til you make it" attitude but all the while feeling like such a fraud.

I'm certainly not saying I've arrived or that I've learned all there is to know. I still have lots of days where I feel like I'll never "get it together." Days when I don't realize for several hours that I have peanut butter on my face...or spill an entire glass of iced tea into the lap of the person I'm having a business meeting with. I'm certain I'll make mistakes and stick my foot in my mouth and hurt people's feelings and say the wrong thing. But little by little, I'm feeling a bit more comfortable in my own skin.

I'm grateful for each new revelation of grace. I'm grateful that it means I have permission to be my far-from-perfect self. I'm thankful that I can share about it here and maybe encourage just one other person who feels the same way. Of course, I hope none of you has ever felt this way. But I'm guessing some have.

And if you have felt this way, I want you to know that those ugly feelings are a lie. You are beautiful. Inside and out.

{images via 1:cobalt123; 2:Martin LaBar; 3:haribote}

Snow Day Baked French Toast

The most beautiful snow passed through Knoxville last night and I woke up to a winter wonderland. I always hate to hear of anyone who has lost power or gotten stuck while traveling so I sort of don't want to revel in the weather too much....but it really was gorgeous to see.

After an early morning stroll around my neighborhood, I came home and decided to make something special for breakfast. French toast has always been one of my favorite morning treats and I tried this baked version so I wouldn't have to stand over the stove making one piece at a time.

I didn't follow any particular recipe, but it turned out great.

First, I sprayed a baking dish with non-stick spray and then I lined it with pieces of whole wheat bread.

For the egg mixture, I combined two eggs, about a cup of vanilla-flavored almond milk and two tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk and poured it over the bread. Then I sprinkled brown sugar and cinnamon over the top.

Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes. I probably should have used more milk...it was a little dry. But nothing some syrup couldn't fix.

Yum!

The snow is beginning to melt, but it was lovely while it lasted. I hope you are enjoying the day.

Wordless Wednesday: What You Can Accomplish

All have their worth

New Every Morning

Happy Monday friends! I hope your week is off to a great start. I just wanted to share a passage that encouraged me and I have a feeling it might encourage you too.

"The most pernicious aspect of procrastination is that it can become a habit. We don't just put off our lives today; we put them off till our deathbed. 

Never forget: This very moment, we can change our lives. There never was a moment, and never will be, when we are without the power to alter our destiny." 

- Steven Pressfield (The War of Art)  

Steven Pressfield's The War of Art is a must-read if you are struggling to accomplish something in life that you believe you were meant to do. I've been reading and re-reading it for months now and it's just so great.

Maybe the above quote speaks to me so deeply because I'm a recovering procrastinator. As such, it feels so good to be reminded that every moment is a new chance to turn things around. In fact, every second is a new opportunity to do something I've been putting off up until now.

Maybe this sounds Pollyanna of me. Did you know I was recently accused of being Pollyanna and it was meant as a criticism? If keeping on the sunny side and trying to see the good in people and situations is wrong, I'm not sure I want to be right.

When I was growing up, we sang a song at my church about how God's compassion and mercies toward His children were new every morning. It was based on a passage from Lamentations 3:22.

Each new morning is a chance to experience God's love for you and each new moment is a chance to do something different you've always dreamed of. See, I told you it was encouraging.

This is Only Temporary

Last week I was at the beach with my family. There's something about the ocean that inspires me in so many ways. It definitely has a magic of its own. 

Vacation always goes by too quickly doesn't it? I got home and eased back into regular life with a low-key weekend of soup eating and TV viewing.

After hearing lots of chatter about the new Netflix show "Orange is the New Black," I watched a couple of episodes. It's definitely interesting...not sure if I like it really, but there was one line that came up a couple of times and struck a chord with me. 

"This is only temporary." 

The quotes refers to the fact that the show's main character, Piper Chapman, is in federal prison. Since her sentence is only 15 months, she is given the advice that it's only temporary. 

Separate from the show, the line kept coming to my mind. To me, it holds a deeper meaning. Our lives on this earth are so temporary. Even if we live to be really old, like 112 (to me that seems really old), it is but a blink of an eye in the grand scheme of eternity. I guess, if you don't believe in eternity, you may disagree. 

So often I fall into the trap of planning my whole life around something that may or may not happen...the next day, the next week, the next year. The next celebration. The next disaster. I don't always enjoy the present because I'm either worried about or planning for the future. 

Yet you do not know [b]what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.

James 4:14 

While I do believe that my life (and yours) is just a vapor -- a temporary thing that passes away all too quickly, I also believe the quote in my beach photo. 

You (yes, you!) are unrepeatable. There is magic about you that is all your own. 

I believe this about you. And I believe it about me. 

That's why I want this vapor of a life, this temporary chaos we inhabit, to matter. 

It looks different depending on the day. Sometimes it means giving a waitress a $20 tip on a $5 lunch because she seemed like she needed it. Sometimes it means giving a stranger the benefit of the doubt, even when I want to yell at them. Sometimes it means not checking my email during dinner with someone I love. Sometimes it means speaking up. Sometimes it means biting my tongue. Sometimes it means going to visit someone I don't feel like visiting. Sometimes it means loving someone I don't feel like loving. 

Because I know that all too quickly, this life will pass away. And since I don't know what it will be like tomorrow, or even tonight, I want the fact that I'm still here right now to matter for something. 

Most Beautiful Words

I hope you're enjoying these fleeting summer afternoons...no matter how you may be spending them! 

The Ride You are Taking

"When the spirits are low, when the day appears dark, when work becomes monotonous, when hope hardly seems worth having, just mount a bicycle and go out for a spin down the road, without thought on anything but the ride you are taking."

 ~ Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

DIY Easy Affordable Art for your Home

Happy Thursday friends! I'm starting my day with an appearance on Knoxville's WTNZ Fox43 for a fun segment about one of my favorite things: art! Knoxville has a thriving art scene, what with all the talented folks in our area plus the Dogwood Arts Festival, First Fridays, etc. I'm a huge advocate for supporting local artists, but when budgets don't allow for art buying, we can do the next best thing and make our own.

For today's television segment, I'm sharing some easy, affordable and creative ways to add art to your home. I hope you get a little inspiration.

a page from a calendar I framed...cheery! 

My first idea is called "Finding Art in Ordinary Places." Art is all around us if we simply take the time to look. From a greeting card sent by a special friend to a vintage postcard collected on a memorable trip, if you like it, there's no reason it can't become art in your home. Another ordinary household object that can become a work of art is a wall calendar. I always save my calendars from year to year because they are just so beautiful.

{a framed greeting card & a framed vintage post card} 

Old books with gorgeous illustrations also make great fodder for framing...I blogged on this when my dear friend used botanical illustrations from a science textbook to decorate a room at his southern wedding/event venue! 

My next idea goes all the way back to the 18th century: silhouettes. Where this art medium was once seen as the poor man's version of portraiture, it is now tres chic! I've done some silhouette art before, also inspired by a calendar in homage to Gone with the Wind.

All you need is a photo oriented to the profile, a sheet of tracing paper and black card stock. I created this silhouette of my dog Leon in just a few minutes and I think it would be adorable framed or mounted on a canvas. Such an easy way to add a bold work of art to your home!

Finally, I'm sharing a beloved collage as inspiration for making DIY art collages for your home. Collage is another time-honored art form and I think collages make great additions to your walls.

My mom actually created this collage for me using old photos of all the grandmothers, aunts and ladies in our family. You could do a collage similar to this one or just use torn paper with bold colors and shapes. The best thing about collage is that you don't need any advanced artistry to make one!

There are so many ways to incorporate art into your home. These are just a few of the easy DIY art projects I have tried and I hope you enjoyed them!

Watch more of my WTNZ Fox43 segments here! 

The Meaning of Life

August Magic

August takes you back to yellow meadows,
To days when Grandmas made you lemonade,
To nights when how you begged to stay out later,
And afternoons with novels in the shade.

{excerpt from a poem called August by Donna Earle}

Only in the south: 10 Bucks for a Buck

While visiting my parents recently, my mom and I stopped in at one of her favorite hang-outs: the local Goodwill. We’ve been shopping at Goodwill (or as we sometimes refer to it, GW Boutique) for as long as I can remember. I'm not opposed to retail shopping, but I prefer thrifting. When I do shop retail, it's usually because I've scored some amazing coupons to help save money. Before my hometown got a Goodwill store of its own, we’d make regular treks to the next closest location, about 50 miles down the road.

Some people travel to sightsee or gain cultural experiences. My family travels for thrift shops. You’ve heard of people will innate extrasensory perception? I believe my family has that for thrift shops, junk stores, estate sales and flea markets. My mom even sniffed out a Goodwill while we were in the quaint hamlet of Franklin, Tennessee recently. Yes, we stopped. It was $.99 day, after all.

When I saw the lovely latch hook rug (pictured above), I couldn’t help but share it here on the old blog. Latch hook is one of the under-appreciated crafts, I think…based on the amount of time and effort that goes into creating them. I tried doing one as a gift for a friend years ago and never actually finished it (sorry Rach).

The deer one above probably took many hours to complete and I’m sure someone loved him very much. Hopefully he won’t have to live at GW for very long before another proud owner takes him home.

Have you found any thrifty treasures lately? Do tell!

Happy Birthday Cynthia Rylant

Today is the birthday of one of my favorite southern writers, Cynthia Rylant. Her simple, yet magical stories are beloved by children and adults and they remain some of my favorites from childhood.

Rylant’s first book When I Was Young in the Mountains was inspired by her time spent growing up with her grandparents in West Virginia. Another favorite of mine is Missing May, a poignant story that made a great impact on me as a child (and began my fascination with whirligigs).

This wonderful book by the author is called Appalachia: The Voices of Sleeping Birds. It paints such a beautiful picture of our region and evokes feelings of longing for a simpler time when time moved (or pretended to move) a little slower.

There’s nothing like getting lost in a good book…having the story wash completely over you and feeling like the characters are really real, even if just for a few pages. I’ve been in a reading slump lately and sometimes it helps me to read something short to get back in the swing of things. Maybe I’ll dig out my childhood stash and reread some of Cynthia Rylant’s books. I’m pretty sure no matter how old I get, I’ll always find some new gem in these sweet stories.

Do you ever go back and read your favorite childhood books? How does it make you feel?