The Sassy Steel Magnolia
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  • July21st

    :: a little swanky . . a bit sassy . . a touch of saucy . . and a splash of billie’s summertime love ::

    Sounds like a pretty good recipe to me. You?

    Billie Holiday – Summertime

    (if you have trouble viewing this video, please click here)

  • July16th

    With thousands upon thousands of blogs out in the World Wide Web, how’s a girl to weed through to find the ones worth reading & following? Even the most level headed of girls can get exhausted just thinking about it! Thankfully you’ve found your way here to The Sassy Steel Magnolia, and I want to make sure you find your way to a few others as well.

    This week’s Mah-velous Magnolia badge goes to two fabulously wonderful Web sites I have been fortunate enough to stumble upon.

    The first site I discovered being included in what’s called a Follow Friday tweet on twitter.  I adore the word Charmed so immediately followed and went straight to her site to scope things out.  Needless to say, I was more than delighted with what I found and have passed her site and posts on to numerous people.  Do yourself a favor and subscribe to Live the Charmed Life – you’ll be quite happy you did.

    The Charmed Life is an attitude. It’s a way of living today as if it’s the only day. It’s taking delight in the life you have, and viewing the world with constant amazement. It’s also being where you are, who you are and embracing the experience. It’s being appreciative, and content with what is. – DeeAnne White, Founder and Creator of Live the Charmed Life

    One of my favorite posts: 100 Ways to be Elegant

    The next Web site I actually discovered via a tweet from Live the Charmed Life, recommending to follow her. Again, I have a special sweet spot for the word Luxurious so taking a few minutes to see what it was all about was a temptation I was happy to oblige.  As soon  as you hit the landing page, luxury and elegance fills your screen through well chosen images and thought provoking posts.  I easily spent hours last night going through post after post finding greater inspiration with every click of the mouse. Your reader will not be complete until you’ve subscribed to The Simply Luxurious Life – trust me.

    Luxury is always in our proximity if only we know where to look, regardless of where we might be living. Whether it be found in wine, food, fashion, home decor, gardening, or entertainment, contentment and pleasure can be found. Here’s to the good life! – Shannon Ables, Founder and Creator of The Simply Luxurious Life

    One of my favorite posts: Why Not . . . Create Your Own Simple Ritual?

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    The Mah-velous Magnolia badge will be awarded each Friday to a selected lady {or a few..or fellas..we’ll see!} who has had an impact on my week.  Who knows — maybe you’ll be up next!

  • July15th

    i ♥ a good summer storm.

    :: they spring up in mid-afternoon & last from 2 minutes to 2 hours. there’s just something about summer storms. my only hope is that 1 day instead of watching them from my office building and dreaming, i’ll be watching them in a gorgeous outdoor patio room {like the ones below} sipping a sweet summer time drink, listening to billie holiday, writing letters to dear diary or reading myself away. ::

    photo credit: summer storm escape one, two

  • July9th

    Jenn{ifer} Gray that is.

    I’ve been flooded with memories of great times these past few days as my dear, sweet, once-time college roommate Jenn celebrated her 5 year wedding anniversary to her doting husband, JP (who was also my once-time college neighbor). It’s crazy that 5 years have flown by as it really does seem just like yesterday I was packing up my Green Explorer and heading to Dallas to celebrate the big day.

    The Mah-velous Magnolia badge is dedicated to my doll, Jennifer Leigh Gray, for all of the wonderful memories we have together and all the love and support she continues to send my way each and every day. The six months Jenn lived in Oxford with me in that house on Taylor Meadows, in the summer & fall semester of 2004 were by far some of the most memorable, life altering months ever.

    Beach chairs for living room furniture, Out Back Jack on the tele, Franzia nights spent out on the back porch, the feelings chart posted on the refrigerator, always getting a little Sneaky at the Tiki – ahhhh – so many great snapshots in time, I couldn’t even begin to tell you all of them!

    I’ve met some truly phenomenal people in my time and Jenn is high up there on the list. Although I hardly get to see her, JP and lil Jackson, I know I can always turn to her no matter what the situation. Her incredibly caring heart combined with a strong passion for life, love, travel and photography, {all wrapped up with a sassy and always classy bow} allow her to really live the life of a Mah-velous Magnolia and I’m so thankful each and every day to call her my friend.

    Congratulations one more time to Jenn & JP for 5 years of marriage – may you have many many more to follow!

    And thank you, Jenn, for always seeing the better Jenn that lies inside. ;)

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    The Mah-velous Magnolia badge will be awarded each Friday to a selected lady {or a few..or fellas..we’ll see!} who has had an impact on my week.  Who knows — maybe you’ll be up next!

  • June11th

    This week the Mah-velous Magnolia goes out to a few fellow lady bloggers. One old, one new, one totally out of the blue…it’s just too bad I don’t know anyone named Sue… *I kid, I kid. Just felt like going for a little rhyme today. So make sure you check out these lovely ladies and show ‘em some bloggin love, because they truly are quite the Mah-velous Magnolias, dahhling.

    • I’ve been following Amanda over at Ruffled blog for quite some time now. I’ve even gotten a few of my friends hooked on her site! “Ruffled inspires sophisticated creativity for your Wedding without any sacrifice. Fashion conscious sensibility combined with trendy attitude and vintage inspired romance reflects the spirit of today’s stylish bride.” Not that I’m in the market for wedding inspiration but the incredible photography, unique ideas and love for vintage keep me going back and always waiting to see what Amanda comes up with next!
    • Miss Carly Jane’s soak and simmer blog is an all around great place to be! Now that Carly has combined her life blog & her food blog, you can find a little bit of everything in one place, which makes it all the more merrier. It’s fun to check in and see what cookin’ in the kitchen, or read her latest adventure (the Memorial Day fishing experience had me laughing hysterically!). But be warned – do not even contemplate saying anything negative in regards to the Kentucky Wildcats..or else you may be black listed!
    • I was skimming around a few days ago from blog to blog (a favorite past time) when I landed in ol’ Paris….via Bardot in Blue….and I never wanted to leave! Author, Haleigh, is a Canadian born, Californian raised, Parisian college graduate and I simply can not stop looking through her amazing photos. Documenting fashion, travel, France, life and all that comes with it, Bardot in Blue is one blog that takes you behind the scenes of a young girl living a Paris dream.

    That’s it for today, lovies! I do hope you’ll take a few minutes to go check out this week’s Mah-velous Magnolias :: Madam Blogger[s]. And as always, I hope you have an absolutely fabulous weekend!

    *besos,

    Jennie B

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    The Mah-velous Magnolia badge will be awarded each Friday to a selected lady {or a few..or fellas..we’ll see!} who has had an impact on my week.  Who knows — maybe you’ll be up next!