Last Thursday I met up with Laura from the blog ScoutandLo for pizza at Fred’s. I’d seen her at a few events and we’d always gotten along really well. Over lunch we realized it’s because of our Southern upbringings (I’m from Arkansas and she’s from Mississippi). Notice how I always downplay my Arkansas heritage on this blog… now I’m playing the “Southern” card!

We talked about how there’s a certain… gentility that comes from living in the South. There’s a level of grace observed during social situations that is often missing in the North. Descendents of Southerners who live in Chicago still have this grace, although it’s not just about saying “yes ma’am, no ma’am” as I was taught to do in elementary school. It’s about having respect and being polite. Generally, I think a lot of people could benefit from being more graceful in public. This is very hard to explain with words, but Southerners who’ve visited Northern cities like Chicago or New York know what I’m talking about. Laura and I are both thriving in Chicago, but there’s a certain sensibility that we both understood immediately. It’s funny how instant connections like that are made, and it wasn’t until halfway through the meal that we realized why we’d always gotten along so well!

Check out Laura’s blog, ScoutandLo. She’s going to be revamping it over the next few months so stay tuned. For now, enjoy reading about the things she covets and who she’s inspired by!