TODAY is National Southern Belle Day!

Today is (unofficially) National Southern Belle Day.
It will be "official" on the unusual 

holidays calendar next year!  

Southern Belle Magazine suggested we start this year!   

I'm all in !!!!  Woo Hoo!

Who I Be? by Patricia Neely-Dorsey

 

 

First African-American Homecoming Queen Crowned at University of Mississippi

Commander Kerri Pearson & Courtney Pearson Homecoming Queen

 

 

 

In September, Courtney Pearson of Memphis, TN became the first
African- American to be elected as Homecoming Queen at the University of Mississippi .
Courtney won in a run-off vote, receiving 1,477 votes, compared to 1,387 ballots cast for Ashleigh Davis of Gulfport, MS.

Pearson wants to inspire other African-Americans to believe in themselves.

“I feel like it’s an inspiration for others to be like, there’s nothing that can hold me back, not my race, not my greekness, or my non-greekness – whatever it is that I want to do, I can do it. Now the students are saying ‘Not only do we want you to attend, we want you to represent us at a whole and go and show the whole world what we’re about and what we represent.”

The 21-year-old senior English secondary education major was escorted by her father Commander Kerri Pearson during halftime of the NCAA college football game between Ole Miss and Auburn in Oxford, Miss., on Saturday, Oct. 13, 2012.

Diva Tips for Yard Sales - Yard Sale Tips from Down South Diva on A Dime

I LOVE yardsales!
I would say that at least 50-60% of my ~DIVA on a Dime~ wardrobe comes from yard sales.
The rest , of course, comes from my favorite thrift shops.

There is definitely an art to yardsale shopping .
Many people are experts and have gotten it down to a science.
Let me tell you, some people take their "yardsaling" very seriously !.

For me ,it is just fun, fun, fun...and super exciting !!!
You NEVER know what you might run across at a yard sale !

I have been a yardsale shopper for many years.

At first, I usually only bought household furnishings, decorations and accessories.

I never really even THOUGHT about buying clothing , until I started asking a friend of mine at church where she was getting all of these fabulous dresses she was wearing,

She almost never wore the same thing twice . Every time that I would ask, she would say that she had gotten it "at the yardsale . When she told be the prices ...$3, $5...never more than $10., I almost fell out !!! I couldn't believe it !

At that time, I was one of those crazy , maniac shopping, like many of you are. (LOL)

I thought nothing of paying $80, $90 or $100 for a blouse or skirt that I wanted.

When I look back on it now, I just shake my head.

Now, I let someone ELSE pay $100 for a blouse or skirt ...and I get it at the yardsale for $1 , $2 or no more than $5. It is VERY rare for me to pay more than $5 for any dress, blouse or skirt. I did pay $10, several years ago, for a fabulous beaded evening gown that I still wear and love . Even the gown that I wore when I participated in the Mrs. Mississippi pageant last year only cost $5. I got it at a yardsale in Saltillo.

I want to tell everyone out there that it would be well worth your time and effort if you would give yardsale shopping a try !

Here are a few YARD SALE TIPS to get you started..............

YARD SALE TIPS:


1. Yard sales usually start around 6:00am (sometimes earlier). So be prepared to be UP, DRESSED and OUT OF THE HOUSE before 6:00am.The early bird really does get the worm, in this case. You will get the pick of the litter, when you are one of the first ones to arrive. .


2. Scout out the locations where you plan to go. Many yard sales are listed in the newspaper on Friday and Saturday . But, these are not all of the sales that are out there, by any means. There are too many to count. You cannot possibly make it to all of the sales ,so, decide on some of the locations that you want to try from the descriptions in the paper or decide on a certain part of town. Over time, you will start to discover where you find your favorite things and where the best sales are for the things that you like.

My husband goes all over Tupelo because he loves to drive. My favorite area, and where I purchase most of my Diva Finds, is in North Tupelo (Barnes Crossing Mall area, Northridge Subdivision) and Saltillo.


3. Take lots of small bills ($1 and $5) and lots of change. It is much easier to make your purchases when you have the exact amount. You can get in and out with no hassle.

Also, you really don't want to take all of the sellers change because they need it for the day. They will appreciate your small bills.


4. As soon as you approach a yard sale, give the whole yard sale a once over glance to see if there is anything that catches your eye. If you start in one area and just focus on it, thinking that you have time to leisurely browse, you might miss something that you really wanted. . You will be amazed at how many shoppers are at the sales . 
Everyone is out to get that great find ,try not to let them get to it before you do! (smile) 5. Have Fun !

You will meet some great people while yard sale shopping and even learn a lot of things!

It's amazing the things you can learn at a yard sale. You might get to know some of your neighbors that you didn't know before. You can find out where some of the best sales are that day. You can even find out about future sales and other activities going on it the city. Any way that you slice it, Yardsaling ROCKS !!!!

~ YARDSALING ~

Yardsaling is a southern art,
And to some it's a way of life;
It's a way of getting almost anything,
Without the stress and strife.
You meet all kinds of people,
And you see how others live;
And while the kids sell lemonade,
You negotiate what you'll give.
There's always a faithful crew ,
That gets up before the dawn;
To see what treasures they might find,
On some neighbor's lawn.
There's much anticipation ,
Of the next bargain 'round the bend;
And everyone knows in yardsaling,
The possibilities never end.
There's always something
You've been searching for,
Suddenly , staring you in the face;
And when your eyes lock on to it ,
Your heart begins to race.
There's nothing like the yard sale game,
Or should I say, the sport;
It quite easily becomes an addiction,
If you're of that sort.

2008 Patricia Neely-Dorsey
from Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia-A life in Poems

 

I think these few tips will get you started on your new adventure in the Yard Sale Game !

I will be back, of course with more tips and advice on thrifty shopping.

Until then...Go Forth and Be Fabulous! Be You ! Do You ! SHINE!!!

~DIVA on a Dime~ Yardsale FINDS

 

PS...... HAPPY COLUMBUS DAY ! 

World Teachers' Day - October 5, 2012

October 5 is World Teachers' Day. Organized by UNESCO in 1994, the day aims to mobilize support for teachers around the world.
In the U.S. alone, there were about 3.7 million teachers working in elementary and secondary schools in 2011.
In a prepared statement, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan said that World Teachers' Day "gives us an opportunity to celebrate the contributions of teachers across the globe."


I LOVE teachers !
Teachers run in my family…
My mother was a teacher.
My mother's mother was a teacher.
My mother's father was a teacher and principal.
My mother's father's mother was a teacher.
And,my Dad even taught high school classes,briefly, when he was in jr. college!

 

ONE ROOM SCHOOL
My mother told me stories,
Of the one room school;
Where all the grades were taught together ,
As they went by the same rules.
To this school is where she would go,
With other children from all around;
Traveling there in rain, sleet or snow,
These children could be found.
Each grade had their own lessons,
That they were all to learn;
While keeping warm by an old black stove,
That in the corner burned.
My mother has high praises
For the teacher who taught them there,
Because , it was her own dear mother ,
Who gave them special care.
My mother said that in this place,
She learned so very much;
Like arithmetic and writing,
Basic reading skills and such.
I love to hear these stories,
Over and over again,
For, in passing them on down the line,
Our legacy never ends.
2008 Patricia Neely-Dorsey
from Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia-A Life in poems 

My beautiful mother (Elaine Neely)
with one of her classes at Carver...  back in the day (1960's)