I know not all my readers are from a little slice of Heaven I like to call South of the Mason Dixon. *not everyone can be so fortunate, darlin ;) But don’t you fret not for one minute! Just because you don’t live here or maybe haven’t been back for a visit in a while by no means goes to show you can’t put a little Southern Sparkle in your every day ways…

[note: I am no expert in Southern culture or every individual living in the South, but I have indeed lived here my.whole.life. so I think that gives me a bit of credibility, hmm? Now be a dear and keep reading on along....]

Try a few of these sayings to put a little Southern sparkle & sass  in your day:

• Well, shut my mouth! – an expression of shock or astonishment, often interchangeable with: Well, butter my biscuit! or Well, I declare!
• I don’t know you/him/her/it from Adam’s House Cat. – if the question “who’s Adam?” comes after this statement, your point has been proven.
• Satan in a Sunday hat - a saying coined in True Blood’s backwoods of Bon Temps, Louisiana, simply meaning a devilish person disguised as an angel. Example: Be careful of that one, that girl’s Satan in a Sunday hat if you ask me.
• You catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar. - be nice and things will more often sway your way, especially in the art of persuasion — sweet goes a lot farther than stink.
• Nervous as a long tailed cat in a room full of rockin chairs! – If that doesn’t paint a good enough picture for you then I give up.

:: and if none of those work for you, try this ::

• add in a honey, dear or darlin to your day – it will put a smile on your face and one on whoever is on the receiving end. Examples: Well, hey huneyy! How are you, dear? Thanks so much darlin! Say it to a friend, a stranger, store clerk, anyone really (except your boss, sometimes they don’t like that). *Note: Suga can also be used but can be more difficult for non-Southerners to pull off seamlessly.

*Tips and Tricks to remember:

Talk slower and add syllables whenever possible for an added effect.  Southerners, some more than others (your’s truly for example), do this without even thinking and are sometimes asked to repeat what they said a few times. All part-n-partial of bein where you’re from, I guess.

G’s – for some reason we aren’t big fans of saying the ‘G’ in ing’s. It can seem odd at first but trust me, you’ll get the hang of it.

Blessing someone’s heart (bless your/her/his heart) is as good as a Get Out of Jail Free card in terms of conversating.

And smile. Smile, smile, smile until your cheeks cringe. A smile opens many doors and can get you out of a lot of sticky situations….remember the flies.

Well today’s lesson is over and it’s time for me to be gettin on with my day. I do so hope I’ve left you all with a smile and a lil Southern Sparkle to help get you through the week. Now darlin, you go on out and have a simply wonderful day and don’t forget to add a little sparkle and sass in any way possible.

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photo credit: IMDb