Reading a book can be a magical experience. They can take you across the world, through time, even into the eyes of another creature. A collection of books seems to whisper of adventures and begs to be housed somewhere equally as promising. In honor of Independent Bookstore Day, I am sharing a short collection of Georgia bookstores that are worth the visit.
Read MoreWeddings, like ballet performances, are supposed to look effortless. However, any bride who has planned her own wedding knows that in reality the journey to the alter is anything but. For me, the twelvemonth road was packed with decisions of all shapes and sizes, most of which were obligatory. Luckily, designing, developing, and creating the wedding details were not only the most self-expressive part for me and my husband, they were what gave our wedding that magical, personal touch.
Read MoreI vividly recall the first slip dress I fell in love with. I was about 19 years old and found it on the sale rack at an Anthropologie. I do not know for sure if it was the lovely cinnamon color, soft fabric, or asymmetrical hem that stole my heart, but something possessed me to buy it despite the slight tightness around my hips. I was significantly smaller then than I am today, but have always had an hourglass shape. Love certainly blinded me that day in the store, but every time I tried to wear it afterwards I could not ignore the obviously bad fit for my body type. Though that slip dress perpetually found itself returned to the closet unworn, I could not bear to part with it for years. Eventually I let it go and resolved that a slip dress was just not for me.
Read MoreHigh school reading lists are the subject of debate, outrage, and, frequently, chagrin. Everyone from teachers to preachers to parents to politicians have strong opinions on what teenagers should or should not be required to read in school. Rather than haggling about titles and content, students want to know two things:
How long is the book?
Is it remotely interesting?
Despite finding the movie Young Frankenstein hilarious, I suspect it, along with the many other parodies and adaptations of the monster I had seen in pop culture, contributed to my aversion. The story seemed to be totally outside of what would compel me. I assumed it had no character development, thin plot, and an oversized dose of horror. By the time I learned the author was a woman, my ignorant opinion on the matter was fully formed and unassailable; that the monster’s father was actually a woman meant nothing.
Read MoreWedding planning, as I’ve mentioned, is a beast of a thing to tame. There are likely hundreds of decisions, big and small, that must be made along the way. Some are difficult decisions by the themselves, others are difficult processes that require research and time to find the outcome everyone is comfortable with.
These fourteen decisions are key elements in most weddings. And while the ranking will be different for everyone, this is my ranking from easiest to most difficult.
Read MoreYes we all know about the come back of flares, high waists, and tie dye… this is not about that.
This is about style. Unlike trends that come and go, style has everything to do with comfortability, body type, self-expression, and yes, fashion. And while many of the fashion choices of our mothers and grandmothers may stay frozen in time along with whatever used to be cute about Baby It’s Cold Outside, there are certainly tips and tricks that have proven tried and true over the years. And I, for one, have begun to pay closer attention to their stylistic leanings that have stood the test of time.
Here are three style inspirations I learned from my matriarchs.
Read MoreWeddings are a beast of thing to plan at any time. Throw in the uncertainty of a global pandemic and you’ve got yourself a monster. There may be some who opt to wait for normal times, but as far as I can tell that horizon may be years to come. And so we charged forward, with love as our standard, into the fray against foes known and unknown. Here are five takeaways that may aid the next bride wild enough to charge.
Read MoreMusic can be the thing that pulls people through tough times. These releases from 2021 have likely done just that, for those creating and those listening. Ranging from fun to feeling, this look back at select songs from the year by women across all genres is a playlist that will not disappoint.
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