Splendid Sass: 05/01/2016

Sunday, May 29, 2016

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY

Remembering those brave men and women who lost their lives serving our country so that we could live in a country that values freedom.

Happy Memorial Day! ENJOY!

Saturday, May 28, 2016

FABULOUS SPACE

One small and wonderful space in this chaotic world. I LOVE!

Sunbrella

Wednesday, May 25, 2016

MELISSA'S SOUTHERN COOKBOOK: TRIED AND TRUE FAMILY RECIPES

Melissa's Southern Cookbook:
Tried and True Family Recipes

Melissa Sperka

Countryman Press, $27.95

Reviewed by Teresa Hatfield

Author, Splendid Sass

Melissa Sperka, author of the blog Melissa's Southern Style Kitchen and contributor to Parade, Better Homes and Gardens, Southern Living and others, has compiled a wonderful cookbook that is full of the best of the south recipes.

This one is a keeper, friends! On sale now.

Below are just a few of the recipes in the book.ENJOY!

Cheddar Bacon Pimiento Cheese Ball

Chess Pie

Maple Sausage Croissant Breakfast Bake

Sparkling Strawberry Lemonade

and so many others! You have to try the Fried Green Tomatoes and the Biscuits! Can't wait to try more.

Saturday, May 21, 2016

LIES AND OTHER ACTS OF LOVE: KRISTY WOODSON HARVEY

Lies and Other Acts of Love

Kristy Woodson Harvey

Penguin Random House, LLC, $20.00

Reviewed by Teresa Hatfield

Author, Splendid Sass

Kristy Woodson Harvey's new book, Lies and Other Acts of Love, will forever be firmly instilled in my heart. I am certain it is because there are many strong women in my family, the love I hold for my family and God, my Southern roots, and the experiences that resemble so many of those in all of our lives that spoke to my heart throughout this book. Kristy, words cannot describe how much I enjoyed this book and admire your ability to bring words to life.

Set in Raleigh, North Carolina, this book shares the lives of three generations of a family that is not only close-knit and loving, but also strong and faithful. The characters in the book greatly love their wives, husbands, sisters, parents, grandparents, and friends. You learn early on that the women are the backbone of this family, supporting each other with a closeness and loyalty that is heartwarming.

My favorite characters are granddaughter Annabel and grandmother Lovey, of course. When making your choice, I guess it depends on whether your favorite parts are the strength and dedication to marriage, the steamy relationships filled with love, the episodes of heartbreak, the strength of their faith, loyalty, the closeness and love of each other, or most likely a combination of the above.

As with Dear Carolina, Kristy has a way of bringing the senses to life like very few can. The reader feels as though they are right in the middle because it reminds them of much that has happened in their own lives, including the surroundings.

If the movie producers don't grab this up and make a movie, they are missing out. The setting and the characters are perfect movie material. It is time for a beautiful, southern, heartwarming and real story at the box office.

You hit this one to the moon, Kristy! It was a pleasure to read.

About the Author

Kristy Woodson Harvey holds a degree in Journalism and Mass Communications from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a master’s in English from East Carolina University. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and son.

and other bookstores near you.

Sunday, May 15, 2016

FULL STEAM AHEAD

Angela has begged to take the stage today to review her favorite new product below, so please give her a warm welcome.

Say hello to my desert island product (if that desert has electricity), along with lip balm and the stack of books on my nightstand that are half-read. I hate ironing. Hate it. I somewhat circumvented this problem with a $10 steamer purchased in college, and I thought I was doing all right in life. That is until this product entered my mother’s life and I promptly stole it from her. Conair'sTurbo ExtremeSteam® Handheld Fabric Steamer is literally the holy grail of steamers (I can’t believe I’m so passionate about a steamer…well, my friends can believe it).

This gets rid of virtually any need to iron—everyone rise for the Hallelujah Chorus, please. In addition to being extremely powerful in its own right, it has a crease function. A CREASE FUNCTION!!!!!! This was the thing missing from my dumpy steamer, which inevitably left me trying to use my flat iron on collars and cuffs as I was 10 minutes late for work (I do not recommend this), and was forced to iron pants (if they were lucky) and other things that needed a crisper look. It’s a game changer. Basically, I owe getting my life together to this product—I look more professional at work, I’m saving a ton of time by not having to iron everything, and I’ve picked up a new hobby because using this thing is kinda fun. This is worth every. single. penny. I can’t promise it’ll make you get your life together, but it sure will help you look good in the process.

You can find this at Target and Walmart. Check out the video below for a million other cool things this steamer does that I'll probably start obsessively doing this weekend.

P.S. Don't forget to enter the Splendid Sass + Beautycounter giveaway! You have through Monday, May 16 at 11:59pm EST to enter.

Wednesday, May 11, 2016

FRINGE BENEFITS

Congratulations to Katherine from Glamour Begins at Home for winning the Beautycounter Mascara giveaway!

For samples or to purchase, email me at angelaparmerduke@gmail.com or visit my website beautycounter.com/angeladuke.

More than three years in the making, Beautycounter finally released mascara last week! If you follow the industry and/or Beautycounter, you know what a feat this is for the company and consumers (read more here), because it's high-performing AND safe. The formula is amazing—no flaking because of how conditioning it is, and SO buildable. It's a monumental occasion, so to celebrate, I'm hosting a giveaway on Splendid Sass! One lucky lady will receive a tube of our long-awaited, coveted mascara. Aren't you glad you hopped over here today?

This launch is about so much more than mascara—it's about challenging the naysayers and not accepting the status quo. We're just lucky the product of this is a fabulous beauty staple!

I'm so excited about this launch and can't wait to share with y'all. Enter by commenting on the post and let us know why you're excited about Beautycounter and this new launch. You have through Monday, May 16 at 11:59pm EST to enter.

To shop, visit beautycounter.com/angeladuke, and as always, email with any questions at angelaparmerduke@gmail.com.

Now get ready to bat those lashes!!