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I’ve been on a quest lately to accept imperfection. As an artist, I’m constantly battling my inner perfectionism. It’s my career to make things aesthetically pleasing, yet most of the time my personal life can’t stand up to the pressure. Do you ever feel that way? The voice may start small: “This house is a wreck! We’re never going to host a dinner party again”, but soon a larger cultural pressure chimes in saying “your parties will never look like the ones on social media”. Gosh dang it, Pinterest! So where do we find balance? Is it still possible to...

I boarded a packed mid-week flight the other day headed to New Orleans. Row after row, the people were packed in like sardines. As I reached the back of the plane, seats began to open up and I saw a mom, her son, and an open seat. Perfect! Mom code, I thought. I’ll go ahead and grab this one and spare the “nonkid” business travelers behind me. As any true southerner would, I ended up finding out their whole story. They were flying in from chilly Boston headed on a weeklong cruise to the Caribbean. My new friend was worried...

Last month, we discussed the iconic southern front porch. For all its grandeur, when you pan the lens out a few feet, a home’s porch is simply an accessory. Southern residential architecture is an art form. It’s one of the region’s greatest prides and comes in many shapes and sizes. From grand mansions to chic cottages. There’s a home to fit every personality and price range. There are many stylistic muses for Southern architecture: Neoclassical, Federal, French Colonial, Greek Revival, and the list goes on. For all the inspirational differences, I have found a few commonalities that run strong. First...

What do Julia Roberts, Beyoncé, and Steve Martin have in common? You might be surprised to learn they are all Southerners! I found this article about 53 Southern Celebrities fun and hope you do too. This is a diverse, talented group and you’ll recognize many of them. Curious to find out who else shares southern roots? Click Here: Celebrities with Southern Roots

I came across a great article over the holidays called "Why Northerners Will Never Get Southern Hospitality". The title alone captured my attention and made me chuckle, but the heart of the material gave me genuine pause in the midst of the Christmas chaos. Author Roy Blount, Jr. writes: "Before air-conditioning, climate was a factor [to hospitality]. In the South, people were more likely to be sitting on the porch when folks [walked by]. You couldn't pretend not to be home when there you were, sitting on [your] porch. You could pretend to be dead, but then you couldn't fan...