TOP: Free People (on sale here) // JACKET: Blank NYC // DENIM: AG
BAG: Zac Posen (obsessed with the mini version here) // BOOTS: Tory Burch // EARRINGS: J.Crew
PHOTOGRAPHY BY: Rebecca Hicks
1. Complete strangers are genuinely nice.
Everything you have ever heard about Southern hospitality is 100% true! Southerners are so nice it’s almost suspicious but, they really do mean it and they are actually that nice.
2. Everything that is edible can and will be fried.
Cupcakes, chocolate bars, Oreos, ravioli, spinach you name it and Southerners will fry it! No one has the South beat on food and don’t even get me started on the BBQ, hands down the best I’ve ever had!
3. Saying Y’all is a way of life.
If you want to say “you guys” replace with Y’all. If you want to say “you all” replace with Y’all. If you want to say “the two of you” replace with Y’all. You get the gist. Although I have yet to say my first Y’all since moving to the South the more I hear it the more it makes a lot of sense as the plural of you.
4. Iced Tea is not tea unless it’s Sweet.
Southern iced tea has sooo much sugar in it you can literally chew it. Don’t get me wrong it is so delicious but not so great for my waistline. When you order iced tea in the South you have to specify that you want unsweet iced tea, you will then undoubtedly get a confused double look from your waitress. To Southerners, iced tea without sugar is just not right.
5. The pace is slower and that’s a great thing.
Coming from a big city I tend to talk fast, drive fast and spend fast. I never imagined I would enjoy slowing things down a bit. The pace of life in the South is calm, family oriented and welcoming. There is definitely time to stop and smell the roses here and that is just wonderful.
6. Monogram EVERYTHING that doesn’t have a pulse.
Southerner’s monogram everything.From their clothes to their jewelry and, even their Yeti Cups, I mean EVERYTHING! This is definitely a classic Southern thing I’m all for!
7. Chik-Fil-A comes before all things even Jesus.
NO JOKE….the drive-thru line goes around the block during lunch hour, people actually sit down inside and even say their prayers before they eat (which is so nice to see.) Who can blame them for loving it so much though! The food is delicious, the diet Lemonade is so good I don’t believe its diet and, a packed house each and every time makes Chik-Fil-A a religious experience.
8. When someone says “Bless your heart,” it can mean just about anything…good or bad.
This little saying can go a long way. Southerners use this phrase for just about everything and you quickly learn to decipher the many meanings this phrase could take on. Watch this to see what I mean.
9. The proper answer to any question is: “Yes Ma’am” or “Yes Sir”.
Being proper in the South is very much expected and respecting your elders is non-negotiable. When directing yourself to anyone older than you, you must use Ma’am or Sir.
10. Saturdays are for College Football.
College football is a big deal in the South and Saturdays are reserved for tailgating and beer guzzling while cheering on your college team no matter how old you are or how bad your team is losing.