Thoughts on the Southern Winter Storm

I can't speak for any state, city, or area other than my own, but it's making me cringe, literally cringe, to hear people (not affected at all by this winter storm) so easily state that the south can't handle two inches of snow or two inches of snow closes the whole city.

Where I live, it's most definitely not the two inches of snow that have closed businesses, left thousands stranded on the interstate, and claimed lives. No, not the snow. It's the ice.

People see a photo of miles of abandoned cars on a major interstate with a barely-there dusting of snow and assume we're pathetic. We're scared. We're stupid. (which, from what I can tell, is already a general assumption of most of us below the Mason-Dixon line). What you don't see in that photo is the one-half to two inches of ice under that non-threatning bit of snow.

I've lived deep in the appalachian mountains. I've driven down snow-covered, steep mountain roads and I've driven around snow-coovered, sharply curved mountain roads. My car never slid and it was never damaged or abandoned. However, put a thin layer of ice under that snow, then it's a game-changer. The type of game-changer that takes lives. The kind of game-changer that causes (thousands of) children to have to spend the night at school because it's impossible for vehicles (including four and all wheel drive) to get any where. The kind of game-changer that shuts down an entire city.

The thing about the south: we're prepared for extreme heat and we're prepared for hurricane season. We expect these things during their appropriate season. What we don't expect is a large winter storm dropping hours of freezing rain, sleet, and ice and then topping it with a couple inches of snow all while temperatures stay below 20. We especially don't expect it when the day before, it was 60 degrees.

Unfortunately, not everyone everywhere is prepared for everything. We down here in the south expect a winter storm of this magnitude the way a state like North Dakota might expect a significant hurricane; the way Hawaii might expect a large tornado; or the way New York might expect a week of temperatures above 90 with impossible humidity.

Yes, you're right, everything does shuts down here in the south when any type of wintery precipitation falls. We shut down because most people down here aren't experienced to drive through this weather. Our cities and states down here don't have the infrastructure to prepare the roads prior or clear the roads quickly afterwards... for something of this magnitude that might happen once every decade.

People are stranded without food/water and in extreme cases, have lost their life; this is our reality at the moment. It's also a reality that many people, not effected, are laughing at us. People are taking to social media and putting the south at the end of a thoughtless joke. Where's the humanity?

My whole point for this post: I just hate that we are a nation, a people, a human race that act so juvenile at times - picking and choosing which devastating situations warrant sympathy. And then (some) using that devastating situation to further prove their ignorant assumption regarding our intelligence.

Let the comments flow...

Styled: Snow Day

scarf // gloves // fedora // boots // coat

slippers // mug // snow flake sweater // fair isle sweater // leggings

I don't know what the news is covering in your part of the country, but down here in Alabama, it's all about this winter storm moving through the south. I'm sure many southerners are complaining about the cold at this very moment, but me... I'm ecstatic to see the white stuff fall.

On these cold, wintery days you have two options. You go out and brave the elements or you stay home and snuggle up. Today, as the snow fell, I was lucky enough to be snuggled up and cozy (but boy, I'd love to be wearing that chic ensemble). 

Boxers

dress // LOFT

pumps // UO {similar}

purse // Brahmin

My girls were photo-bombing most of my pictures. Since they did such a good job of getting tails and snouts in the majority of my pictures, I decided to share one. 

Casual Plaid

jacket // Merona

denim // DKNY

pumps // Nine West

purse // Brahmin

Over the weekend I got together with some of my friends from the hospital where I previously worked. We ate, drank, and played games. I'm in love with wearing jeans and a white tee. It's a classic and it's incredibly comfortable. Turns out, if you put a nice jacket/blazer over the tee and where some pumps, you turn casual to chic. I love it and it's my current go-to look. Happy Monday!

Hello, 2014

{via}

Happy New Year!

You're probably wondering what a 1950's picture of a woman in bed, sick has to do with my first post of the year. A lot, actually. I've spent the first week of 2014 sick. It came on late last week and I finally drug myself to the doctor Saturday night. After explaining some of the symptoms I'd had, the nurse gave me the flu look. Fortunately, the flu test was negative and it was my usual sinus infection. I eagerly volunteered for a steroid shot in my bum - and that plus the Z-Pak has me feeling a lot better. 

Hope your first week into 2014 has been a bit more exciting!