Southern Living’s Southern Football Traditions

I came across Southern Living’s Southern Football Traditions while searching for the 10 Commandments of College Football Fandom the other day.  I was proud to see Mike the Tiger as one of the mentioned traditions.

Photo: Courtesy Jim Zietz/Louisiana State University , Article: Austin Murphy

There’s a few other traditions I would love to experience in person someday, like Tennessee’s Vol Navy.

Photo: Courtesy University of Tennessee , Article: Austin Murphy

This reminds me of a blog I came across last year, Taylor Takes a Taste. This lucky guy did a tailgating tour across the nation last year which brought him to 14 games in 14 weeks.  Of course LSU was on his route.

I recommend checking out his other blog, Taylor Tailgates for an interesting peek at all things college football and tailgating, including tips on where to tailgate, what to wear, and what to eat.  It will be interesting to see what kind of tailgating goes on this weekend in Dallas at Cowboys Stadium for the LSU/Oregon game.  You know the Tigers will bring their OWN party no matter where the game is taking place!

Football According to Southern Living

Well, the countdown is on!!  Only 5 more days until LSU Tiger Football!  Despite all the recent off-field trouble, I’m excited about the season and so ready to watch some football again! The Saints have been looking pretty good in pre-season and I can’t wait to see how they do, too.

I received my September issue of Southern Living magazine last week and was thrilled to see several articles regarding college football in the South.  Here are the “10 Commandments of College Football Fandom” according to editor M. Lindsay Bierman (my comments will be in purple italics):

1. Thou shalt wear team colors.  But think twice before adorning yourself with body paint – you don’t want to be the Internet photo that goes viral.  This is why there is an abundance of purple in my wardrobe.

2.  Thou shalt know – and sing – your team’s fight song from beginning to end.  Sure, you can “watermelon watermelon” your way through the alma mater, but not memorizing the fight song is a fan failure.  “Hey Fightin’ Tigers, fight all the way!”

3. Thou shalt keep your language clean (unless, of course, the quarterback fumbles on fourth and goal). Or the clock runs out while the offense is running around cluelessly, or the QB throws a horrible interception, or the field goal kicker misses a 20 yarder wide right….

4. Thou shalt support the coach.  Even when his calls are questionable.  Usually not hard to do, Les Miles is a stand-up guy.

5.  Thou shalt be respectful to visiting teams.  Remember: Southern ladies and gentlemen never boo. Well, I have to make an exception for Florida, and Auburn, and Alabama, and….

6. Thou shalt set up a tailgate no fewer than three hours before kickoff (six if it’s a night game). Table linens and matching huggers encouraged, but not required.  Um, try at least the day before a night game and three days before a BIG rival game.

7. Thou shalt theme your tailgate food around the visiting rival.  Gator bites, anyone?

8. Thou shalt stay through the fourth quarter – rain or shine.  That’s what ponchos are for, y’all.  Ask my step-dad how he feels about this one.  The clock must read 0:00 before he will exit the stadium!

9.  Thou shalt respect the solemnity of Game Day by planning weddings, births, and other life events around the football schedule.  Amen!

10.  Thou shalt not covet other teams’ bowl games, national championships, or Heisman Trophy wins.  There’s always next year.  No need to covet, we already have a handful!

I’ll be highlighting some more of Southern Living’s college football articles this week, stay tuned!

Geaux Tigers!

 

Back To School T-Shirt

Can you believe it’s almost time for kids to go back to school already?  We don’t have children but most of my friends do, so I know they’ve been shopping for school supplies, getting organized, and making plans for the upcoming school year already. 

I made this cute monogrammed t-shirt on the embroidery machine the other day.  It was my first try at a reverse applique, and I think it turned out precious.  How perfect for the first day of school or school pictures?

Speaking of back to school, be sure and check out my Etsy shop for great personalized gifts like bag tags, tumblers and sports bottles, perfect for backpacks, lunchtime, and teacher’s gifts!

So get your pencils ready, it’s almost time to go back to school!

DIY Floral Art

You may have noticed the colorful and whimsical art featured in my last post:

This was something my friend and her daughter made for her room, and it was a great way to get her daughter involved in decorating her new room.  They started out with a square canvas and brushed on shades of blue for the background.

She knew she wanted a floral theme to coordinate with the bedding.  She added the “stems” of the flowers in a free-form shape.

Then, to make it easy for little hands, she used a variety of items from around the house to stamp circles on the canvas to be the “flowers.”  Just use your imagination and don’t be afraid to experiment with colors and shapes.

And some glitter glue for accent.  These glitter glue sticks from Hobby Lobby are great for kids because they are easy to handle and don’t make a lot of mess.

Stamping and painting:

Almost done, just need to go back and add some leaves and accents :

It looks so much more fabulous in person, you can really see the little glitter accents and the colors really pop and bring the room together.  Best of all, her daughter was so proud of her project and will enjoy it for years to come!

A New Big Girl’s Room

I’m featuring another room in my best friend, J’s, house today.  With the addition of a third child looming in the near future, it was time for her to play musical rooms again and move her youngest out of the nursery into the “big girl room” and her oldest out of her “big girl room” into her “really big girl room.”  I wanted to share this room since I think it turned out so beautifully.  At the age of 5, her daughter, little MHB, had plenty of input on the color and style of the room, which her mom turned into a tasteful, chic room that can grow with her all the way to high school.

She mixed and matched the linens on the bed with sheets from Target, a quilt from Home Goods, and professionally made throw pillows, bedskirt, and curtains.

Most of the accessories were found at local boutiques and TJ Maxx.  The bookcase is a refinished antique piece that I think really adds some class to the room and is a great storage piece.

Fun fabric and trim on the window and bed keeps the room lighthearted and whimsical.  That is a hot pink leopard print peeking from underneath the curtain and used elsewhere throughout the room:

This window seat will be the perfect reading nook as she grows older, again featuring the leopard print.  J is planning on making one of the DIY book slings to hang on one of these walls:

This little green chair from TJ Maxx was the perfect addition.  I love the nail head trim and funky shape:

She used some left over leopard fabric to create a memo board by covering a piece of cork and inserting it into a large painted frame:

All those special touches make the room so fun and unique.  Her daughter just loves it and I can see her enjoying it for years to come!  If you noticed the artwork hanging over the bed, I’m going to feature more about it in an upcoming post.