Good compliments are directly tied to our values—what we single out for accolades tells you what we care about. And Southerners’ values don’t always line up with everybody else’s. For example, we’d rather have season tickets than a croker sack full of money (which is convenient because that’s about what season tickets cost). As long as we’re talking gridiron, our love of college football comes with its own bracket of nice compliments:...
Hosting guests is one of the kindest things someone can do, but there’s certainly work that comes along with having friends and family stay in your house. Beyond readying the house and stocking up on food, it takes entertaining and hospitality. It can be a treat for both parties unless the house guest dampens the mood by acting impolite. Most people are happy to entertain but don’t want to be taken advantage of, worry about not having enough food because of too many people, or feel the need to manage clashing attitudes....
Christmas can’t be officially trademarked, but historic Grapevine, Texas, just north of Dallas and Fort Worth, has given it a shot. The state senate issued a proclamation more than a decade ago declaring this town the Christmas Capital of Texas. Over the holiday season, Grapevine hosts 1,400 events in just 40 days, including the biggest Christmas parade in North Texas, that features more than 100 floats. You’ll see enough string lights to outshine the runway at DFW Airport....
Food waste is always a cause for concern, and as diligent as we all are about using up our leftover food, it’s important to know exactly how long it’s safe to keep certain foods hanging around in your fridge. Although we try to freeze as much as possible, sometimes we lose track of how long the package of lunch meat has been sitting in the fridge. Understanding food package labels is also a helpful step in knowing whether dating information is intended for us, the consumers, or the distributors....
Matthew McConaughey goes out of his way to make sure his children don’t let fame and money go to their heads. The Oscar-winner, who shares three kids with his wife Camila Alves, recently shared his parenting ground rules with Oprah Winfrey on her new Apple TV+ series The Oprah Conversation. “We demand respect and trust within the household,” McConaughey explained, per Insider. “We do not allow lying in the house. You cannot say the word[s] ‘I can’t,’ and you can’t use the word ‘hate....
Reba McEntire marked the 30th anniversary of the tragic plane crash that claimed the lives of her bandmates and tour manager with a heartfelt post on social media Tuesday. Ten people, including seven members of the country legend’s band, died on March 16, 1991, when their twin-engine jet crashed just after taking off from Brown Field Airport in San Diego, killing all on board. “No matter how long ago a tragedy happened and no matter how much time goes by after losing people we love…the anniversaries of losing them still sting and memories come rushing in,” McEntire wrote on Instagram alongside pictures of the departed....
Scientists have found an ancient submarine forest of bald cypress trees entombed in Mobile Bay off the coast of Alabama. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the forest flourished on the banks of a prehistoric river near the Gulf of Mexico nearly 60,000 years ago. When the trees died, their massive trunks became entombed in peat and sediment. Eventually, sea levels rose, the coastline receded, and the remains of these ancient trees were buried by the sea....
For over 30 years, Southern Living has been creating signature custom homes that celebrate life in the South, each reflecting our take on the style, comfort, and innovation of the times. For 2021, we are thrilled to announce that our Idea House is currently under construction in the The Breakers at Prospect community in Louisville, Kentucky. This year’s house centers on the concept of the forever home, one that’s designed for all stages of life with spaces that meet the evolving needs of families, from multi-use studio-style rooms and in-law suites to creative outdoor living areas....
After an epic 2,000-mile journey, a puppy found on the side of the road in Texas is now at his new home in North Carolina. The pup’s story began earlier this summer when a woman’s car broke down in El Paso in triple-digit heat. When she got out of her car, she heard two puppies crying on the side of the road. “It was like 103 that day, and so she picked them up and called us and said, ‘You know I just found these puppies, would you be willing to take them?...
Southern Soul Barbeque is scarcely a decade old, and its founders—Harrison Sapp and Griffin Bufkin—learned their secrets cooking in the backyard with their families and friends, not from a long line of restaurateurs. Housed in a converted 1940s gas station just a mile off the beach, Southern Soul has earned a loyal following among vacationers. The broad menu nods at the local Georgia style with smoky pulled pork and tangy Brunswick stew, but they offer plenty of ribs, brisket, and smoked chicken wings too....
The South is the heart of camellia country. Indeed, common camellia (Camellia japonica) is even Alabama’s state flower. Although it seems these plants, which are so well suited to our area, must have been born here, they actually hail from eastern and southern Asia. These lovely evergreen shrubs and trees are members of the tea family, Theaceae, and bring blooms to our gardens during the cold months. More than 3,000 named kinds of camellias exist in a remarkable range of colors, forms, and sizes....
On my neighborhood park walks, I always see a string of people sitting in portable nylon hammocks hanging between the trees. I can’t even scroll through my Instagram stories without seeing people reading or cuddling with their significant other in a hammock. I thought that hammocking seemed like an activity that was uncomfortable and a sure-fire way to get a fresh batch of mosquito bites. But my curiosity finally got the better of me....
Despite not paying much attention to the church calendar, I always cared about one annual event—The Red Bird Bake Sale. I want to say it was because I cared about the work of Red Bird Mission, which is to provide educational programming, housing, and medical clinics for folks in the Appalachian Mountains of southeast Kentucky. But I faithfully showed up to the bake sale year after year with less altruistic motivations: Mrs....
For most people, good prices aren’t the only mark of a successful (and painless) trip to the grocery store. If you’re anything like us, being able to get through the checkout line without your clothes going out of style—or even worse, your ice cream melting—is just as important as saving money. If you’ve ever found yourself at the mercy of a line that oozes like molasses, you’re going to want to hold on to these expert-approved tricks for picking the fastest-moving line from The New York Times....
Chapel Hart has already has quite the year, and it’s not even over yet. The trio, which is comprised of sisters Danica and Devynn Hart along with their cousin Trea Swindle, first appeared on America’s Got Talent season 17 in late July and have continued to gain popularity ever since. Not only have they garnered attention from country legends like Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, and Tanya Tucker, but they’ll also be making their Grand Ole Opry debut later this year....
Whether wedding bells were ringing last year or 25 years ago, every year of marriage is worth celebrating. Each passing year holds its own milestones worth basking in before looking forward to the year ahead. But a wedding anniversary is about more than the past twelve months of a couple’s life. It’s also a special moment for couples to look back on their Big Day–to relive those wedding day jitters, love-filled blessings, and unmatchable newlywed high....
As long as I can remember, Christmas smelled like sugar cookies and Chanel No. 5. It looked like twinkling lights and bright red lipstick—specifically, the Revlon tube that resided full-time in grandmother’s purse. She was the most fashionable person I’d ever met. The opposite of subtle and demure, she dazzled with layers of jewelry and a loud personality, especially during the holidays. It wouldn’t have mattered if we went out on Christmas Eve to our favorite Chinese restaurant, she’d still have showed up with bells on and donning sparkly shoes....
Full disclosure: I’m a bit of a loyalist when it comes to my beauty products. Convincing me to try something new is nearly impossible; I like what I like. The foundation, blush, and brow pencil in my makeup bag set up camp years ago, and they aren’t leaving anytime soon. So when I heard rave reviews about a new cream eyeshadow . . . I had questions. Is it long-lasting? Will it complement the powder eyeshadow I’ve come to know and love?...
Southern gardeners love the look of hydrangeas in the spring and summer. Their showy blossoms in dusty pink, cornflower blue, snowy white, or vibrant purple make a beautiful backdrop for a well-manicured yard from May to October. But did you know these beautiful shrubs are toxic to your pup and other pets? Here’s what you need to know about dogs and hydrangeas, and what to do if you suspect your dog has been nibbling on your favorite flowering shrub in the shade garden....
When it comes to a good old-fashioned road trip, it’s about the journey, not the destination. And we’re just fine with that—so long as our journey is fueled by good snacks. Here, we’ve rounded up 9 classic Southern road trip snacks we’d never be caught in the car without. Peanuts and Coca-Cola It’s almost like this classic combo was designed for whichever poor, unfortunate soul got stuck driving the family car seven hours across Texas....
