Do you know The Southern Belle Store? I love this place, and drop some dough each spring for the upcoming fun months. This is the perfect fashion for The Bumpkin, 100% cotton T-shirts in bright bold colors, with the most adorable southern sayings printed on the back. I wear these to stick my toes in the sand, the pool, barbecues, have a pina colada at Lulu's, seafood festivals, hanging on The Back Porch, or setting sail with the captain.
One of my favorite things here is their gift certificates. They come in the above adorable box. Gift recipients always gush with joy, to see this box and bow sitting on the gift table. I may in fact be known for giving Southern Belle Store gift certificates for presents.
The girls started the business in a ice cream/shoe shop here in Mississippi, but I have seen their T-shirts all over the south. By the way if your ever headed North on Hwy 49 just north of Hattiesburg Mississippi is the most fabulous shoe store ever, called The Watermelon Patch. Ice cream and 100's of rows of shoes. What girl can drive past that?
This one is in my shopping cart already.
Look at the darling key chains.
You'll find these lovelies under Southern Belle Thongs.
A special treat is that you get a free car sticker with every order with the Southern Belle logo, but if you wanted to kick it up a notch they have these license tags in several different colors.
I think we all know someone who could use this reminder.
My favorite this spring. Adorable!
They have most Southern states to pick from, but here's this one for all my Arkansas Belle Blogging Buddies!
*******GIVEAWAY*********I'M BUYING SOMEBODY THE SHIRT OF THEIR CHOICE**********BUT I HID IT HERE, SO MY LOYAL READERS WOULD HAVE FIRST DIBBS! IF YOUR'E A FOLLOWER YOU ARE ALREADY ENTERED IN, BUT LEAVE A COMMENT IF YOUR'E INTERESTED JUST SO I KNOW. I LOVE MY FOLLOWERS, AND I LOVE THE COMMENTS YOU LEAVE ME. LINK BACK TO THE BUMPKIN AND I'LL ENTER YOU AN ADDITIONAL TIME FOR EVERYTIME I SEE SOMEBODY VISIT FROM YOUR BLOG! THIS IS NOT BECAUSE I'M TRYING TO CREATE TRAFFIC, IT'S BECAUSE I LOVE YA'LL FOR COMING AND READING EVERYDAY!
FOR YOU YANKEE DOODLE DANDY GIRLS SORRY! FEEL FREE TO LEAVE A COMMENT EVEN IT'S "BUMPKIN GET SCREWED". I LOVE ME SOME COMMENTS!
KEEP FOLLOWING
BECAUSE I'VE GOT SOMETHING REALLY COOL TO GIVE AWAY IN THE NEXT WEEK OR SO THAT WILL APPEAL TO EVERYONE! Love the colors in this one, too true, and too cute!
Koozies for the 3 B's. The beach, the boat, and the back porch. I want all of these. What cute gifts too!
Look at this great Mother's Day gift.
I'm loving this as a reminder to both myself and the other Belles in my life. I know a few ladies that I may need to gift this to!
For all you Who Datters SB has you covered this year.
Get on over to the Southern Belle Store, and grab you a few of these soon, pssstt here's a secret.....FREE SHIPPING FOR MARCH!
Love,
The Bumpkin
Let's start it off with sexpot Casey James. Last night's buzz word was indulgent. This guy hit that on the nose. A little too much confidence, I'm afraid. We appreciate Kara's sexual fantasy and all, but sexy is not all it takes to sell records. Maybe it's because I'm not a Bryan Adams fan, maybe it was the cockiness. Good, but not great! A decent guitar player however. Andy Garcia, the best singer by far. I just can't say he's an American Idol to me. The Bumpkin's verdict is still out. But this season is absolutely a battle of guitar players, men and ladies. He sang Fall Out Boys, Sugar We Are Going Down, but he's not. Top 10 at least.
Simon was disappointed, and he should have been. Tim Urban appropriately sang Apologize. Poor guy, don't know if he's gonna make it or not. Hope the little girls were dialing away. We'll see. Alex Lambert~ This guy needs a haircut, and some Prozac. He did James Morrison (not to be confused with Jim). He sounds alot like James, but he's just way to nervous. Maybe, just maybe Ellen saved him, because he's so adorable. Funny she mentions the mullet. Joe Munoz....maybe just because I'm such a Jason Mraz fan, but I'll pass. But, you know what he did that secured next week for him right? The Spanish shout out at the end. Smart move, Mr. Munoz, pulling in the Hispanic vote!
Tyler Grady, is going to the mall to ditch the whole Jim Morrison thing. Thank goodness, if he makes it to next week, there had better be big change. American Woman, who would have guessed it? I would have bet you $10 on Light My Fire. Kara suggested Bad Company, I'm seeing maybe Lenny Kravitz See You Again.
New Daddy Michael Lynch, a big ole Teddy Bear did Maroon 5's This Love! I was almost asleep, and at least he picked up the pace a bit. I think there is Reuben Studdard tie here, that I can't seem to break, but he's My John's pick, so we'll see. He can usually pick the Bachelor winner, when she sticks her legs out of the limo, so I'm not counting him out.
John Park, with a Billie Holliday that was all wrong for him. Bad move, Bad move. Home for you John. Hey, but I liked your parents story.
Lee Dewyze did one of my favorites Chasing Cars. This hunk of burning love is my pick of the guys, but I wanna see the rocker in him come out, and incidentally, did you see the $$ in the center of Simon's eyes when he was watching this guy. Another Daughtry you think? Don't waste the leather and the guitar Lee, smoke a doobie and give me some Dylan dude.
Okay Idol watchers whose going home?
Definitely John Park with his God Bless The Child, and I'm not quite sure but probably Tim Urban, or The Mullet guy.
I know most of you are like me, and love your dogs, and cats unconditionally. However, readers they're people in this world who simply have an extra special bond with animals. When I say animal person, these are the people I speak of, not the folks on the corner with signs begging you not to eat meat, wear fur, or go to the circus. If you have been on the swing for awhile, you probably knew this post was coming today. I hope you expected this from me. If you're new, I hope this post teaches you about the real me, Lisa, not The Bumpkin. My John has this bond with animals, especially dogs, but all animals really. We will have to get a picture of his pelican buddy who meets him at his fishing spot to grab a shrimp from the bait bucket more often than not. That bird loves John, and his excitement is visible when he sees him. Dawn Brancheau lost her life yesterday doing what she loved. She was to Orcas, what Steve Irwin was to Crocodiles, what Dian Fossey was to Gorillas. Now I am not a mother, of any two-legged creatures at least, but I do know that children lead by example. Believe what they see, if you may. Please let's not even debate taking Orca whales from their life experience options. Please let Dawn's team carry on, with every ounce of our support. Promise me you won't talk the ugly talk. Promise me my friends. I am disappointed with the whole slip and fall scenario. It makes it appear as if there is something to hide. Nothing to hide, it's a killer whale, no one was shocked in our animal people world. She did not slip and fall. Watch Whale week? A killer whale grabs it prey, shakes it till it's stunned, and then drowns it. Everyone has a video camera, especially everyone at Sea World. Just stop, she wouldn't want it this way. Just stop. Dawn would want this to be her ultimate contribution to Orca research. Her final contribution. Here's a quick side story to help you relate. I will tell you the Katrina story in full, one day, when I'm at peace with it all, but for now let me tell you this brief triumph. Day 9, the water in New Orleans has receded. We head for those dogs you saw on the TV stuck on the balconies, no food or clean water for 9 days now, somebody has to do something. My John, and the 19 vet techs who came from Chicago Animal Welfare League to help him, start out after them. We have to trick the police to let us in, John handled that so well, that they gave us a police escort into the neighborhood where they had seen the most needy dogs in one concentrated place. After an hour or two of searching and trapping, we hear a wimper. These dog heroes rush toward it, to find a tan pit bull under 5-6 layers of chain link fence, trapped and still alive 9 days later. Some piece of crap left him in a metal pen in the backyard during the hurricane. When the levees broke, and the floods washed in, his pen, and all the neighbors chain link fences buried him. They determined he wasn't fatally wounded or injured the best they could, then My John, started cutting away with only a pair of bolt cutters. We were prepared for everything, thanks to the US Marine Corps training, there was a glimmer of hope. After an hour the leaders of the rescue group tried to talk John into giving up. We could be saving 10 in the time it takes you to save this one. They had only known My John for a day. Give up? You must be kidding, on a dog. Sure right, I myself starting looking for a place to rest, as I knew we were in for the long haul. One other man stayed for the fight. I love you Mark for staying by his side. How many times did it cross our minds, that this animal could attack John, it was in it's worse case scenario. Attacking was it's coping mechanism. He didn't care ya'll. If I said a word, he replied, "I'm not leaving this dog, Lisa." "You can leave if you want, but I'm not leaving him." He endured till he was able to slip a muzzle on him and pull him out. That pit bull lives in a fancy high rise in Chicago today, because My John was willing to take the risk. Able, ready, and most importantly willing.
As I came to work this morning I thought of Dawn. Sure I was going to a good job, with decent pay, and a wonderful group of people. But today, my friends, I'm not making a difference in the world, no not really. Dawn's life and her death make me feel cheated. Look at this picture. This is what she dreamed her whole life of doing. Her purpose in life was to bend the barrier line between animal and human, with Orca whales. Killer Whales Ya'll! She knew, and she reveled in making that connection, a connection that you and I will never know the glory of. Except maybe if you've ever been to Sea World, I remember at 18 how childlike I felt, and that I wrote in my journal, today I fed a killer whale. The magnitude still remains in the deepest part of my soul. Thank You Dawn. At this minute I still envy her. She died amazingly accomplished, while we are here still struggling with the simple things. Not a bad life.
Have you ever heard the story from a child who has visited Sea World and seen Shamu smile? Remember Dawn for those sweet words, her dedication made it possible.
Dawn Brancheau steps to the edge of the pool, reaches in and splashes the surface of the 54-degree water.
A moment later a 5,000-pound killer whale swims to the surface and opens its gigantic mouth in wait of a salmon snack.
Brancheau, 36, promptly places a whole fish on the whale's tongue and rubs down her slick head.
As one of SeaWorld Orlando's leading trainers of its main attraction -- the killer whales tourists know as Shamu -- Brancheau knows her relationship with the giant mammals is vital to the job.
And it has been key in SeaWorld's effort to launch the first major update of its signature Shamu show in nearly a decade.
The remake of the show, coming this year, is SeaWorld's latest effort to step up its offerings in increasingly competitive leisure markets in Orlando and at its locations in San Antonio, Texas, and San Diego.
More than ever, theme park-goers today expect technologically advanced and fresh attractions that have never been seen before.
The big Orlando parks -- Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando and SeaWorld -- have recently boosted the thrill factor on rides and the wow factor on shows, a trend expected to continue in 2006.
"This is at a time when people's sense of entertainment is at a high level," Brancheau said. "We're making the biggest change we've ever made."
The new Shamu show, which will feature new interactions between the whales and their trainers, is scheduled to debut in May.
Brancheau worked her way into a leadership role at Shamu Stadium during her 12-year career with SeaWorld, starting at the Sea Lion & Otter Stadium before spending the past 10 years working with killer whales.
It was a trip to SeaWorld at age 9 that set her on that career goal.
"I remember walking down the aisle [of Shamu Stadium] and telling my mom, `This is what I want to do,' " she recalled recently.
The new show is the product of three years of work now in the final editing stage and will feature music written specifically for the whales and their movements as well as new underwater shots and monitors.
The show is designed to be inspirational, leaving the audience with the notion that if people can swim with killer whales they can achieve anything.
The dangers of the job don't go unacknowledged.
"You can't put yourself in the water unless you trust them and they trust you," Brancheau said.
If you have the time, watch Animal man Jack Hanna, talk of the fight his friend Dawn fought. It's about the animals, that's it, crossing and bending that barrier line.
Now, let's simply do what she asked of us, let's believe readers, let's just BELIEVE!
Do you watch? Last night was the kickoff for the final 12 girls. Alot of same ole same ole here, but I'm pulling out some highlights for you!
So Ellen is there. For now she is sweet, firm, and always ends on a positive note. This is Simon's last year, and his attitude is one of the things that keeps this show going. I beleive that Ellen is going be the dickhead when he's gone, but she's playing pretty for now. There is no pun intended here, as I love my New Orleans girl Ellen. Katie Stevens. If you are enduring this post and don't know the story, Katie is 17. She is very close to her grandmother who is in deep progression of Alzheimer's Disease. She wants to make it, while her G'Mom can still recognize her. Awwwwwwww I would have said winner before last night. Katie, when they let you go last, that means bring it home. I was yawning. Don't debate Teeny Bop or Not, you have to do it, you are 17. Hippie Mamma Crystal Bowersox. We love you, and I am so rooting for you to be able to change your baby's life this way. You have quite a following already. Coffee shop is what Simon says, but we already know he's a dick, so just keep doing your thing. You know since it's AI and all, you may have to ditch the dreads, and buy a Chi instead! It's worth it though!
Didi Benami-A favorite of mine, she did her own rendition of Ingrid Michaelson's Take Me The Way I Am. Simon gave her hell, but I loved it, and so did the other judges. We'll see, but for now two thumbs up, and a peace sign back 'atcha girlfriend. Dear Haeley Vaughn, When you are packing your clothes to go home, I want you to dig out all those white tights honey, and throw those awful things in the trash can. Promise the Bumpkin you will never where those white tights again, unless you take up nursing okay. Two blew its in a row ain't good girlfriend. You are not Taylor Swift, I am sorry but you're not honey.
Michelle Delamor~ who shall be referred to as Whitney Jr. from this point forward. You know I'm right, any one care to bet me $5 that she does Saving All My Love before the season closes? Yeah not so much for me!
The dark horse~Siobhan Magnus (awful surname for show business sounds like a porn star to me). My John has picked her since auditions. She is a strong contender in my book too!
Lacey Brown, I love her. Everyone else gave her a big Eh! I think as far as the business of show business goes she is the most marketable. She is memorable, and beautiful, and had on the cutest little outfit. I know quit with the clothes Bumpkin. There is more to life than clothes Bumpkin. Or is there? Can't wait for her to kick it up a notch next week. She listenend to what the judges said, and I betcha she's working on it right this second. She knows it's now or never! I also think I am drawn to her because she reminds me of my friend Laci. She also has that Linda Evangelista look. Here I'll show you!
This is Linda Evangelista.........classic beauty...
This is my Laci, do you see the Linda Evangelista, and the resemblance to the other Lacey too! This is not the best picture of her, but still I think you can see it!
My Captain John thinks that they should all wear "bloomers" with their numbers on them for the call in portion of the show. He says "That way they could line up, bend over, show their numbers, and you would know for sure who to vote for. " Don't you want to marry a Marine? But in writing this here, I get it, that's what it pretty much boils down to anyway right? So tonight is the guys. I'm never crazy about these young boys. So NSync like. Maybe someone will stand up and be different, unique, and inspiring. Please no Adam Lambert. Please? However I'm excited to see this guy perform.....
In my days, and yes I have had them, Casey James would have wore a HOT label.
If you watch? Let's dish! Whose your pick of the girls?