Ah Sookie, Sookie!  

The supernatural birth of  HBO’s “True Blood” has remade our idea of Southern Style. Sookie Stackhouse is the Modern Southern Bell (MSB).  

(above: HBO’s “True Blood” Sookie and Bill)

MSB‘s are sweet (bless their hearts) but also tough cookies! Often described as “Bulldozers disguised as powder- puffs”, they are women that are kicking-ass and taking names — while looking perfect-as-punch doing it!  

MSB’s make us all long to aquire that sweet southern drawl, grace, ease and quick wit.

While I can’t help you with the accent, I can help you with some key components to achieveing  the MSB style.

Here is my Recipe for the Modern Southern Bell 

• Always offer Firefly “Sweet Tea Vodka”, to everyone who visits your home and smile!  Didn’t your momma teach you that smiling uses less muscles than frowning?  Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka was created on a small still in South Carolina and is distilled 4 times, infused with tea grown on a plantation 5 miles from the distillery and then blended with real Louisiana sugar cane.  Visit their website for some down-home drink recipes  http://www.fireflyvodka.com/
  
  
• MSB’s peddle their way from Farmers Markets to Roadside Stands picking up fresh fruits, carrying them home in the baskets of their classic bikes to make pies and jams for their friends and neighbors.  You’ll turn heads on Electra Gypsy 3i cruiser bike.

(above: Electra Gypsy 3i cruiser bike in  forest green  http://www.electrabike.com/   )

  

• Southern girls know bad manners when they see them!  Never show up to a party without a Hostess gift.  Julia Reed’s “Ham Biscuits, Hostess Gowns, and Other Southern Specialties: An Entertaining Life (with Recipes)”  is a great one!

 

• Southern girls appreciate their natural assets! For Dewy fresh southern skin try Benefit’s“Bathina:Take a Picture it Lasts Longer” Glistening Body Balm  

  

• MSBs know their manners: Yes, ma’am, Yes sir, please and thank yous — send Vintage Marquis Letterpress thank you notes from Paper-Source http://www.paper-source.com/cgi-bin/paper/index.html 

• MSBs have a distinct way with fond expressions:
   

1. Y’all come back!  Keep some “Pink Lemonade” cupcakes from Retro Bakery on hand to keep your guests coming back! (Lemon cake topped with pink lemonade buttercream and hot pink glitter sugar) mmm mmm good!                              

          

2. Well Bless your heart this expression can have two connotations- be careful–So if you choose to excuse yourself from speaking ill of someone else or address any particular male, who showers upon you flattering but unwanted compliments simply place your hand over this sweet Heart Charm Necklace from Topshop.com and say those 3 enchanting words.

3. How’s your momma? That’s right ladies, all Momma’s are right! My momma always said  “Never leave the house without clean undies!”  Try the Bluebell Frill set from Topshop.com

         

4. Love your hair! Except in the summer heat, lawd that humidity is sho’ nuf’ a pain in the patoot — try the Frizz line by Living Proof to help tame the southern mane!  Available at Sephora.

•  MSBs know that having some sweet southern tunes on a “Roberts Revival Radio” from Anthropologie will help bring on the best mood from her elegant gentleman suitor.

 

•  Honey, MSBs know how important summer dresses are!  Pair them with some darlin’ wedges and Ah do declahr, you’ll sure to have some mouths waterin’.

(above: Anthropologie “Sweet Shop” dress)

 

• Darlin’ don’t forget your gloves, I mean some protective hand cream!  Try Sea Island Cotton anti-bacterial hand lotion from Bath and Body Works. Sea Island Cotton fragrance is a clean scent, inspired by pure white cotton flowing in fresh ocean air of Sea Island Georgia!
  Key fragrance notes: Cotton Blossom, Drenched Air, Fresh Linen, Soft Powder

•   Grab your wide brimmed hat sugah, the larger the better! And even in the shade keep your sunglasses handy ‘cause you know that sun is gonna shift any minute.

 

(above: “Santa Barbara” sun hat by UGG Australia)

(above: “Myriam” by Paul Smith Spectacles)

 Now that you’ve read my Recipe, ya’ll need to go grab some Sweet Tea and practice your saunter. Remember you are not sweating, you are GLISTENING!

 

Dripping with Southern Charm,

 

Your MSB Christie

 

This weeks enter to win giveaway is from my Favorite Southern Spirit “Firefly: Sweet Tea Vodka”.  1 lucky winner will receive a HUGE surprise Firefly merchandise gift pack!  My gentlemen readers have been complaining there haven’t been giveaways for them…so here you go guys!  This one is Unisex!

 

To Enter:

1. Scroll back to top of this post and click on the comment icon on top right.

2. Leave a comment (between July 6 and July 11) telling me how you’re gonna put a little “Southern Flair” in your summer!

 

(The Lucky Winner of Last Weeks Giveaway is: Jennifer K.!  Congrats!  Keep reading and Entering!  More giveaways to come!)