Southern Women

Oh come on... you know what I mean.

The Southern Belle...

Myth or reality?

As far as movie references?

Cold Mountain, Steel Magnolias, Fried Green Tomatoes, Something to Talk About, Ya Ya Sisterhood, Hope Floats, Where the Heart Is, Places in the Heart, and Gone with The Wind.

Memorable movie characters?

Renee Zellweger as Ruby Thewes and Nicole Kidman as Ada Monroe,

Julia Roberts as Shelby and Grace, Shirley MacLaine as Ouiser Boudreaux and Olympia Dukakis as Clairee, Sally Field as M'Lynn Eatenton, Edna Spalding and Mrs. Gump... (Sally is really pretty good you know)

Olivia De Havilland as Melanie Hamilton,

and the queen of southern women....

the very British Vivien Leigh as Scarlett O'Hara.

The illusion of delicacy adds to their charm...

and it is an illusion they cultivate very well.

These characters are tough as nails all tied up in a pretty package.

Smart, resourceful, strong, clever, survivors.

Taking a page from their books might be a good thing, but are they real? As we are getting closer and closer to the deep south I thought while I was here,

I would take a look around and see.

We went to Charleston on Saturday and enjoyed a chilly saturday Holiday Farmers Market at Marion Square.

We ate boiled peanuts ...

and had some of the best pizza I think I have ever had... well maybe tied for the best. I have a special fondness for Annie's Pizza Station in Concrete, WA.

Anyway, we walked the old town shopping area but the shops frankly were high end and not my cup of tea. I want to assure you I am not a complete hillbilly, I had dressed up a bit because after all.. we were going to Charleston and we were surrounded by southern belles of all ages. I did not want to make a bad impression after all. The gals were dressed very well, very feminine, various stages of pre and post op plastic surgeries... it was difficult to tell ages... and everyone was exceedingly polite. When When you looked a bit deeper, many of the businesses were owned by women, law firms, Realtor offices, CPAs, Home Design Firms, etc. There seem to be a very strong female presence in the downtown area... and not just on the consumer side.

We got into town just in time... it had not started raining yet and it turned out to be chilly. So despite trying to dress up a little I ended up putting David’s sweatshirt on over my pretty black velvet turtleneck. I was looking pretty rugged among all the lovely southern gals wearing their frilly, feathery, furry, glittery, shiny winter outfits wandering in and out of shops and salons.

After shopping, lunch, and laundry... we left the high dollar shopping area in Charleston. I needed to pick up a few things so I decided to check on my peeps at one of the local Charleston’s Walmart. David needed man fixing trailer tool stuff and I needed some new mascara and lipstick. I am a devotee of The Pioneer Woman (another southern woman... well an Oklahoma woman and that is close enough in my book) and she noted in her blog her new favorite mascara and lipstick so I figured I better check them out as I was low on the face paint. I was much more comfy in Walmart and was feeling a bit chatty so with a smile I asked the gal shopping in the makeup isle next to me what she thought difference was between ‘classic black’ mascara and ‘glam black’ mascara.

She laughed along with me and said, “well... now I can’t rightly be sure. But being a suthurn woman I would have to choose the ‘glam black’. Anything with the word ‘glam’ or ‘glamorous’ in it would have to be my choice. You see, that way when anyone asked me... what kind of mascara are you wearing? I could say ‘GLAM black.’” We share another friendly giggle but I was a bit curious how she knew that I was not a suthurn woman. (What the hell? Was I wearing a sign or something?) I suppose it could have been my raggedy jeans and men’s sweatshirt. My outfit was decidedly UN-glamorous, and to make matters worse, I had already picked up the ‘classic black’. While I was a little embarrassed by my conservative choice this California girl walked confidently away... but after that gal left the isle I sheepishly snuck back and traded ‘classic’ for ‘glam’. Since I am a granny now I figure I better turn the volume up a bit on my non-existant glamour meter... anywhere up from zero should help. I wonder if David (who is colorblind) will notice the dramatic difference this mascara choice will make on my already black eyelashes. $6 well spent I am sure.

And as far as taking glamour tips from an unknown southern belle that I met in Walmart?

I think I will heed that advice.

After all, there is a good chance she is on to something.