So.

When my book first came out, I created a blog Facebook page where I could share info about book signings and whatnot. But then several people said (in the sweetest way) that they didn’t really check Facebook, so I decided that it might be better to put the book signing stuff here on the blog.

And I did just that. On a separate page. A page that I haven’t updated since sometime in, oh, late May.

Which leads me to think that the whole “separate page” tactic hasn’t been terribly successful on my end of things.

That is why I’m about to put some book signing news right here on the front page of the blog, and I’m gonna leave said news at the top of the page over the weekend, and hopefully this method will be helpful for those of you who like to know dates and times and details and whatnot.

All righty.

I have three book signings in the next month or so. Here are All The Facts.

Saturday, October 19th – Time TBA
Social: a shop for gracious living
660 S. Perkins Rd.
Memphis, Tennessee 38117

I can’t wait for this one. It took a sweet forever for us to find a date that worked, but yay, October 19th!

Saturday, October 26th – Time TBA
Lambert’s Bibles & Gifts
10460 HWY 168, Suite 3
Boaz, Alabama 35957

I have never been to Boaz. But I know that Boaz High School’s mascot is the panther. Why do I know this, you wonder? Because when I was in high school and college, the Boaz cheerleaders were always on the ESPN National Cheerleading Championships, and they had a cheer where they yelled, “BOAZ! PANTHERS! ARE REALLY! TOUGH!”

And I watched their routines approximately 392 times.

You’re welcome.

Thursday, November 7th and Friday, November 8th – 11AM – 9PM (I won’t be there until about 1 on Thursday)
Mistletoe Marketplace, Booth #608 (with SoDelta Candle Company)
Mississippi Trade Mart
I-55 and High Street
Jackson, Mississippi 39202

It was back in the spring, I think, when my friend Lea Margaret first asked if I’d like to sell and sign books at her company’s Mistletoe booth. Once I figured out that it would be a possibility for me schedule-wise, she said, “That is great! But just keep in mind that it won’t be official until I get approval from the Junior League to add you to my booth.”

About a month later she emailed me and said, “Sophie, I just wanted to let you know that you have been approved by the Junior League.”

And suddenly I felt a very strong urge to attend a debutante ball.

Anyway, I’m so excited about being in my home state for a few days and getting to participate in Mistletoe, which is the stuff of Christmas market legends in Mississippi. I hope to see some of y’all in Jackson (and in Boaz) (and in Memphis, too).

Have a great weekend, everybody!

I have some very exciting news.

I found my black ruffled shirt this morning.

No doubt y’all have been worried sick about it.

Naturally it was in a place where I have looked and looked and looked and looked, but this morning, when I was looking for something else, the shirt was just sitting right there, and it was all, What gives? Are you having eye trouble or something? Because I’ve just been hanging out here for the last two weeks, wondering when you would finally notice me.

I still haven’t found the cream top. It probably goes without saying that I would appreciate your continued prayers.

All righty. Here’s my almost-weekly list of random stuff I’ve been meaning to share.

1. I don’t know if y’all have seen the fall lookbook for Noonday Collection or not, but it is GORGEOUS. Their earrings, purses, and necklaces are right up my alley. For example.

I’ve been using this bag (it’s called Charlotte’s bag) a bunch lately, and it never fails to make me smile. The small cow horn hoop earrings go with everything, and I’ve worn them kind of an obnoxious amount. They’re oh-so-funky and fun.

Anyway, I just wanted to mention Noonday Collection because they give artisans in third world countries the opportunity to sell their merchandise, and as a result, they change people’s lives. I think that is just all kinds of awesome.

2. Two of my favorite writers released books this week. Angie Smith has written a beautiful children’s book called Audrey Bunny, and Emily Freeman’s A Million Little Ways: Uncover the Art You Were Made to Live is poetic and inspiring. You don’t want to miss either one.

3. My friend Kathryn posted this article on Facebook, and once you see the title, you’ll know why it made me giddy: “Study Shows Eating Bacon Will Make You Live Longer.” Amen.

4. The other night I punched in the channel numbers for Style Network – but Style Network wasn’t there anymore. I thought maybe it had moved to a different channel, so I went online to investigate. Turns out that Style Network is gone forever. That would probably be okay with me except WHAT WILL EVER BECOME OF GIULIANA & BILL? I don’t even know how to process this unexpected development.

5. Now I’m not one to blog about politics because WHY, WHY, WHY WOULD I DO THAT, WHY, but whenever we’re in the midst of political turmoil (and I think the current state of affairs certainly qualifies), I always think about the movie Dave and how everybody worked together! And they compromised! And they found workable solutions!

Only happens in Hollywood, I reckon.

6. LifeWay started a new event for men this past August. The next one is August 1-2, 2014, and the line-up of speakers/teachers is phenomenal. The early bird registration price is mighty good, too.

7. I’ve had to back off football season a little bit this year because I’m writing another book (well, so far I’ve just outlined the new book and taken a stab at the first chapter, but eventually there will be actual words and sentences in place of the blinking cursor that has been taunting me for the last week). That’s why I haven’t mentioned football as much as I usually do. However, my beloved MSU Bulldogs play LSU this Saturday, and I cannot wait. I know that the Tigers rarely lose two games in a row, but FINGERS CROSSED, BULLDOGS. I believe.

Happy Thursday, everybody!

I need to talk a little bit about the eggs.

And I know. We just wrapped up a discussion about pork chops. But I just finished my weekly grocery trip, and I have a few thoughts.

Perhaps I should explain.

When I was growing up, eggs were just eggs. They came in a styrofoam carton that said something persuasive like “EGGS” on the top of it. Or maybe even “Winn-Dixie EGGS.” “Borden EGGS.” Etc. and so on and so forth.

But today, when I was doing my shopping, it occurred to me that I now know more about the eggs I eat than I know about the cashier who checks me out in the grocery store. For example, here is the brand I buy the most:

I don’t know. I just feel like that’s a lot of information about an egg. I also worry that the egg might feel an unintended sense of pressure since it’s an “excellent” source of three vitamins and only a “good” source of a couple of others. Regardless, it’s like at some point egg distributors decided that eggs need to be overachievers, and by diggity they’re going to herald their merits right there on the carton. Because their eggs don’t just have vitamins and less fat. THEIR EGGS WON AN AWARD FOR SUPERIOR TASTE, PEOPLE.

And listen. Don’t even ask me how or why I started buying the fancy eggs. It’s just that one day I looked over at the regular Publix eggs, and I thought, “Well, these other eggs seem like they must be way more healthy. THEY WON AN AWARD.” And then suddenly I felt like a bad wife and mama because I wasn’t providing my family with the best possible eggs (well, at least the best of the non-organic eggs) – at which point I felt a tiny bit angry because since when did buying eggs become such a stressful proposition? I mean, do you how lots of mamas managed grocery shopping when I was a little kid? They threw their purchases in the cart all devil-may-care like while they visited with other shoppers and their kids ran around the store barefooted. Then the mamas paid at the register, collected their S&H green stamps, asked the five year-old to hold the two-year old in the front seat, and smoked with the windows rolled up all the way home.

All I’m saying is that, as a general rule, detailed nutritional information about eggs was not a source of maternal stress in the 1970s.

So.

Today I picked up a carton of our “normal” eggs (and I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned it, but THEY’VE WON AN AWARD), and I just happened to look at the shelf right above the Eggland’s Best. I never really pay attention to the little cartons of six eggs since I usually buy an 18-egg carton, but a logo caught my eye.

And the closer I looked, the more I was seized by yet another episode of Egg-Related Insecurity.

I mean, first of all, clearly the chickens that make these eggs are VERY special. They’re cage free, and they live in “sunlit barns and porches.” They not only roam relatively freely; they roam under the cover of natural light, my friends. And next, just look at the nutritional stuff: selenium (no idea what that is), lutein and zea (no idea), not to mention the beloved choline (no idea). Furthermore, each egg has more than double the amount of Omega-3 that’s in the eggs we eat, and it’s actually Omega-3S, a fatty acid improvement that I’m guessing is the handiwork of an intrepid team of designers at Apple.

(By the way, today’s egg experiences have reminded me of this Portlandia video; it cracks me up every single time I watch.)

So I don’t know what’s next. Maybe I’ll switch to organic eggs. Maybe I’ll start buying The Country Hen. Maybe I’ll try to find a local source for eggs (I just watched all six minutes of this video, by the way, and I think what bothers me the most is how utterly fascinated I am by the comparison). Or, who knows? Maybe I’ll go buy some chickens of my own and build them beautiful (SUNLIT!) barns and porches.

The possibilities are endless.

It’s a very eggsciting time.

(I’m so sorry.)

(I couldn’t resist.)

(It was just too easy.)

Before I go to the grocery store every week, I usually try to make out a quick menu based on whatever’s on sale in the meat department. I would love to tell you that it’s because I’m so frugal and thrifty, but the reality is that I choose this approach because I get tired of trying to figure out what to cook. A couple of years ago I figured out that I can just use the weekly ad like a cookbook, and in that sense it’s like Publix makes my meat selections for me. I look to see what meat is on sale, I figure out what I can make with the sale items, and then I make my grocery list. It’s a lovely system.

The only problem – and please know that I am most certainly using the word “problem” in a suburban, first-world context – is that sometimes the on-sale meats are not our favorites. I have managed to navigate our recent anti-chicken crisis by butterflying the chicken breasts (they cook more evenly when they aren’t so thick), so we’re finally all good on the chicken front. The problem, however, is that we’ve recently become iffy about the pork chop. I can’t explain why; it’s just that the last few times I’ve cooked them, I’ve finished supper and thought, “Well, that was pretty much devoid of any flavor whatsoever. Except salt.”

So this past week, pork chops were on sale at Publix. I went back and forth about whether I should add them to my list, but after several minutes of feeling utterly ridiculous because, well, LIGHTEN UP, GLADYS, IT’S A PORK CHOP, I decided that I’d buy some and let them marinate for a day or so. I convinced myself that they’d be overflowing with flavor, that they’d be delicious and tender and the envy of all the other meats. I was happy to have a plan.

Well.

Night before last I covered the pork chops in a chipotle / lime marinade that I’ve also used on chicken. I was fired up. BRING ON THE TASTY. Yesterday afternoon I heated up my favorite skillet, added some olive oil and butter, then seared the pork chops really well on each side before I finished cooking them in the oven. They smelled great, and I was hopeful that we were about to have a pork chop breakthrough.

After we sat down for supper, I cut off a bite of pork chop and prepared myself for A FLAVOR EXPLOSION. But y’all, that pork chop was as bland as the plastic cup of water that’s sitting next to me right now. Except that it wasn’t nearly as refreshing. And after I took a couple of seconds to process the fact that NOT EVEN THE CHIPOTLE COULD SAVE IT, I looked at my husband and said, “Well. I certainly hope you enjoy this bland piece of meat that I have so lovingly prepared for you.”

He took a bite, grinned, and as he pointed as his pork chop, he said, “So. How is it that the animal that gives us something as delicious as bacon also gives us this?”

That is the truth, isn’t it?

So anyway. As for me and my house, we have decided that the pork chop is our least favorite of all the meats. Ham is a close second. And certainly this realization has made us even more appreciative of the bacon. Because the pigs aren’t really working out for us in other meat-related ventures.

And for lo, all these many reasons, the pork chop and I are going on an indefinite break. Sort of like Ross and Rachel in 1997, only without the fringe-y haircut and the assortment of mock short-sleeve turtlenecks from Gap.

What foods have taken a turn for you lately – and not for the better?

Well, I really intended to post something once I got home from dotMOM Sunday morning, but after I grabbed the computer and sat down in a comfy chair and then fell asleep sitting straight up, there really wasn’t any time to blog. What with me being unable to stay awake and all.

But the tired was totally worth it. dotMOM Chattanooga was loads of fun – three days filled with wonderful people and great teaching and laughs-o-plenty. I always leave dotMOM feeling encouraged to be a better wife, mama, and friend, and I’m still thinking about so much of what I learned this past weekend. So thumbs up on that front.

Anyhoo.

I slept for a good chunk of Sunday afternoon, and I finally made myself get up to go to church at 6 o’clock. That isn’t nearly as noble as it sounds; I just knew that if I stayed in the bed for even one more minute I was going to find myself wide awake at midnight and then possibly watching a Netflix marathon of Parenthood until it was time to go to work the next morning.

So church it was.

I’m so glad I went, because I would’ve hated to miss our pastor’s beautiful (and also convicting) sermon about love. It’s well worth a listen if you get a chance.

All righty. Here’s a great big helping of unrelated information. You’re so welcome.

– We recorded the new show The Blacklist last night. I am oddly excited about watching it later today because, well, James Spader. He makes everything better.

– Next year dotMOM will be in Nashville. Melanie and I are emceeing again, and we’d love to see you there. I know it’s a little early to mention a conference that’s a year away, but sometimes it’s handy if you can plan a weekend away from home well in advance.

– Melanie looked prettier than ever this past Saturday in Chattanooga. She wore a great sweater coat, a gorgeous turquoise necklace, and last but not least, she rocked the side bun. I don’t really have links for any of that, but I think she should do a side bun video tutorial, and maybe if I tell y’all, you’ll put the pressure on her.

– My hair doesn’t have a prayer for side bun success, by the way. It’s way too short. But that doesn’t mean that I can’t cheer on other women as they strive for side bun excellence.

– I still haven’t found my cream shirt and my black shirt. You can’t even imagine the degree of my crazy.

– There’s a saying in this post of Robin’s that would make a great free printable (with a link back to Robin’s blog, of course) on Pinterest. I would get right on that if I had any design skills at all. But alas, no.

– Several people have told me that Lime Wheat Thins are now a real-live thing. I AM SO INTRIGUED. However comma I have not been able to find them in my local stores. Have any of you tried them?

– I reckon that’s enough unrelated info for one day. Except that I’m currently listening to Amy Grant’s Lead Me On album, and “Faithless Heart” is way deeper than I realized when I was a teenager. It’s been quite the revelation.

Happy Tuesday, everybody.

Usually I try to be pretty organized when I pack for a trip. I don’t like feeling flustered or digging through my closet or slinging a bunch of stuff in a tote bag at the last minute, so I try to plan, wash, fold, etc. a few days before my departure date. I don’t have the process whittled down to a science or anything like that, but generally I am efficient. Methodical. Unhurried.

But then there was last night.

HAVE MERCY.

All I can figure is that it was a perfect packing storm.

I had a hair appointment late yesterday afternoon, so I knew that I was going to lose some premium packing and planning time. But hair is worth it (hallelujah), and after I finished at the hair place, I decided that I might as well go ahead and get a pedicure. By the time I left the nail salon, it was after 7. I was home by about 7:15, at which point I ate some supper, caught up with my husband, got the boy to bed, and started gathering up clothes that I thought I might want to take to Chattanooga (for dotMOM, by the way – that’s probably a helpful piece of info). It seemed like my clothes were scattered all over the house – some in the laundry room, some in the dirty clothes, some in my closet, some in the clean clothes pile in the guest room – so for about three hours, I walked from room to room, picking up a tank top here and some jeans there and a pair of socks from somewhere else.

By 10:30 my suitcase looked like I was headed to a destination where the primary fashion requirements were a couple of well-worn Life Is Good t-shirts, some yoga pants, jeans, and approximately 84 pairs of earrings.

Just doing my part to keep things sassy, you understand.

Somewhere in the middle of all my inefficiency I thought about a cream-colored top that is great for layering, and I decided that my life would be incomplete if said top didn’t make the trip to Chattanooga. So I looked in my closet – didn’t see it. Looked in the laundry room. Didn’t see it. Looked in the laundry basket. Didn’t see it. Looked in the suitcase to see if I’d packed it for a previous trip and somehow put it in one of the zippered pockets. Didn’t see it. Looked in the closet again. Didn’t see it.

Well. By that point the hunt for the cream-colored shirt had become a full-blown quest. Forget that I needed to wrap up the packing process: clearly my primary mission in life was to FIND THAT SHIRT. So I looked and looked. Then I looked some more. There were about thirty seconds when I forgot about the cream shirt because I remembered that I could also use a black ruffled shirt for the same layering purposes, but then a horrifying thought occurred to me: I DON’T KNOW WHERE THE BLACK SHIRT IS, EITHER.

Oh. It was a festival of crazy.

Long story endless, I spent about two hours trying to find those two shirts. And I never did find either one of them. I don’t know if I left them somewhere, if I put them away in a place where they don’t normally go, if they’re crumpled and lonely at the bottom of a carry-on bag. But I could not find them, and I still haven’t found them. Which doesn’t drive me crazy AT ALL.

It was after 1 when I finally went to sleep, and when my alarm went off at its usual time this morning, I thought for a split second that I’d been unknowingly transported to Thailand. Apparently the iPhone software update created some new settings, and I’ve never heard such an array of Far Eastern chimes in my life. I mean, I appreciate that there are all sorts of new alerts and ring tones, but that new alarm tone was a little disconcerting. Because CHIMES.

However.

I eventually finished packing my suitcase, and I made it to Chattanooga this afternoon, GLORY BE. I’m mighty happy to be here, and after spending time with some sweet friends tonight, I am ready to get some good sleep and hit the ground running tomorrow. With or without the layering options that those two missing shirts would provide.

I’M SURE IT’LL ALL BE FINE.

I’ve almost stopped twitching and everything.

And if you’re at dotMOM this weekend, just know that I’ll be the person who’s trying to figure out how to operate her newly updated phone while wearing shirts that are most definitely not cream or black. Because I don’t know if I mentioned it, but I STILL CAN’T FIND THEM.

(I’m totally over it, by the way.)

(Or at least I will be by tomorrow.)

(Promise.)

Can’t wait to see some of you here in Chattanooga – it’s gonna be good times, y’all!