Nikki - The Pink Growl - Guest Blogger!

Without further adieu, here is my guest blogger for today!!! Enjoy!!! And thank you Nikki for stopping by and being a part of my blog!!! Xoxo!


Hi everybody! I’m Nikki and I blog over at The Pink Growl.

I was so excited when Lauran asked me to do a guest post for her. First of all, I absolutely adore the name of her blog. I’m a complete Real Housewives addict! Second, there is nothing that I love more than connecting with new lovely ladies in the bloggy world – especially cute little Southern ladies, like our girl Lauran. She left the floor open to me, so I’m going to shed some light on some classic stereotypes for you – specifically those against Southern folk. Last week I wrote a post poking fun at thestereotypes portrayed on the Real Housewives series, but it kind of got me thinking that I’m probably judged based on some true blue notions that people have about Tennessee. Let’s just go ahead and clear up the fact that I am indeed wearing shoes right now, and I have all my teeth. I did not get married or become a teen mom at the age of 14 – in fact, I’m 27 just recently engaged and no kiddos. Oh yeah, and I am college educated. Does that help you filter through some of those traditional Southern stereotypes? {Obviously, I’m poking fun again and I know that you’re smart enough to know that not all TN people are like that.}

I had a conversation with a friend recently about survival tips that one might need in order to get by on their first trip in the South. I’m a Tennessee girl, born & raised, but these tips would apply to all areas below the Mason-Dixon line. I came up with my Top 5 Southern Survival Tips for you – just in case you even venture down here to pay me a proper visit!

·         Learn Y’all. {If you were an English major, then you should forgive this one because you won’t like it.} You All or You Guys is just a mouth full to say sometimes, right? Y’all is much easier! Everybody says it so you won’t feel foolish. Go ahead and try it, I’ll wait…. See wasn’t that fun? Didn’t you just sound like a regular Southern belle? Rappers say it, Britney Spears says it, I say it – you can say it too.

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·         It’s a Coke – even if it’s a Pepsi. Apparently when you’re up North all drinks are called “sodas” or “pops”. Well I’m not real sure what a pop is, but down here we call it Coke. If you’re thirsty you have two options: sweet iced tea and Coke. Sure, Pepsi products are available, but in conversation every soft drink equals a Coke.

·         After Jesus, Football is God. Football is a way of life where I’m from. Period. Friday nights revolve around high school football & Saturdays we take our trip down to Neyland to watch the boys in orange play. SEC is hands down the best conference in college football. Girls in the South know more about football than some boys in other places. I know this because I have been complimented by several boys on my football IQ. Tailgating is an art form. Game days consist of delicious football food, Jack Daniels, and of course cornhole! (again, with the language barrier, but I believe that sometimes cornhole is also called bags?) I’d be willing to bet you could find more children named Peyton around these parts than anywhere! Same principle still applies if you are a Gator, a Bulldog, a Wildcat, a Gamecock, etc…

·         We don’t talk funny, you talk funny! I did my very first vlog recently, and I will admit that I was a little nervous to put my accent on display. I recorded my video about 5x trying to downplay it, but then I realized who cares! I really can’t change it, and everything sounds sweeter in a Southern dialect so I embrace it. I’ve often been told that “I talk funny” by some of my Pennsylvania relatives. My simple response to them is, “I don’t talk funny, you talk funny”. Booooyah, take that! Basically, we all talk “funny” in a way. There are few areas of this country that do not leave us with the impression of a distinct accent. So I might drag out my vowel sounds a little longer than you, that doesn’t mean we can’t be friends!

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·         Things move a little slower down here – kick back and enjoy it. Small town Southern living is a fairly simple way of life. Yes there are big cities, but even in those areas the pace of life is just different. I live in Knoxville, and it’s the 3^rd largest city in the state. But it’s still small enough for me to see someone I know every time I leave the house. The town I grew up in is still a place where you don’t need to lock your doors at night. We know each other’s families, each other’s business and we protect each other. We like lazy days at the lake or sitting on a nice open porch in the evenings. We work hard and play hard. It’s a blessed life down here in God’s country.

I hope that you enjoyed my handy tips! For more quirky little Southern-isms you can always count on The Pink Growl! If you’re ever down in Knoxville, for a football game or for vacation I would love to meet up with you! J