Getting to Know You (Part 2): A Mississippi Women Bloggers' Link-Up

1.  What is your favorite thing to do in your hometown?

I consider Clinton my hometown now, even though I was born and lived my childhood in Monticello. My favorite thing to do in Clinton is anything on the Olde Towne brick streets! I love the Olde Towne Courtyard on the brick streets. I love attending any event they host on the brick streets like our movie nights and farmer's market. I just love being there! 

2. What is the best vacation spot in Mississippi?

Hmm, my favorite place to vacation is visiting friends. But the coast does have a fun, relaxed atmosphere for vacation. 

3. Tell us about the most fun date night idea in Mississippi.

Currently, my ideal date idea would be to take a picnic to the Olde Towne Courtyard in Clinton at night under the string lights on a cool autumn night. 

4.  What is one fun fact that very few people know about you?

Hard one... I'm such an open share-y person, everyone always knows everything about me! I guess not everyone knows that I was in dance for 4 years growing up. I hate dancing and am NOT good at it. But I was in dance class for 4 years. 

5.  Who is your favorite sports team (if you have one) and how did it start?

Nope. Don't do sports. I mean it's in my blood to support the New Orleans Saints, and I'm happy when I hear (or read from social media) that they won, but you won't catch me watching a game. If cooking can be a sport my favorite team is Team Food Network. 

6.  What are your top three “Best Eats” in Mississippi?

I'll say in my part of Mississippi, because there is so much in our great state! My my local top three are 303 Jefferson (Clinton), Blue Rooster (Clinton), and any of the many Mexican restaurants in the Clinton/Jackson area. 

7.  Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Well, I truly believe God is in control of my life and next steps, so though I can dream about it, I have no idea! But my dream would be to have my bakery up, running, and thriving in Clinton and be married! I'm not dating anyone haha, but a lot can happen in 5 years right?? 

8.  If you could choose an actress to play you in real life, who would you choose and why?

Drew Barrymore! I've always love the characters she plays and feel like I can relate to them. I think she's the perfect amount of awkward, class, girlishness and quirkiness to represent me. 

9.  What is a southern tradition you and your family have?(Note: Get your guest posts on “Traditions” ready for December!)

Does food count? I feel like all of our traditions are based around food! We don't do them as much anymore, be we used to have family fish frys a lot growing up! My other side of the family loves a crawfish boil, as do I! We do holidays right with all the southern classics. 

10.  List 5 things on your Bucket List you hope to do before you die.

Well, I think my first two are cheating, but they are the two things I want to do more than anything before I die! 1. GET MARRIED! 2. Have kids. 3. Write a book. 4. Go to London. 5. Got to Harry Potter world in Orlando. 

Getting to Know You - Mississippi Style!

Today I'm participating in a Link Up with Mississippi Women Bloggers! I'm so happy to be part of Mississippi Women Bloggers and to know there are so many wonderful women in my state blogging. Bloggers have a way of feeling connected to people. I'd venture to say most bloggers would have the connectedness strength pretty high on their list if they all took StrengthsFinder. I love the opportunity and chance to go deeper and get to know my fellow bloggers better, as well as letting my readers know me a little more. Tell me about you! Let's have coffee or chat sometime. I love getting to know people and their stories.

 

1. What part of Mississippi are you from? Childhood days from Monticello, Mississippi. I currently (and proudly) call Clinton, Mississippi home. 
2. How long have you been blogging? In my college days, back in 2003-2006, I proudly participated in the Xanga craze. I started this blog in 2009. So technically I've been blogging since 2003, 13 years! But I've been blogging semi regularly since 2009 (4 year), and fairly seriously and regularly for 2 years. 
3. Why did you start blogging? In college I started a Xanga because everyone was doing it! In 2009 I started blogging because I lived with a roommate that terrified me, had my first grown up job, and didn't have many friends. I wanted a way to feel connected. I kept blogging and started blogging more for a few reasons: A. I love writing! It's stress relief for me. B. I realized people actually wanted my recipes and meal plans. C. I realized I had a chance to be transparent and vulnerable about real things in my life that could help other people too (the weight loss struggle/journey and grief). 
4. Tell us what we can expect when reading your blog. Well, if you haven't noticed yet, FOOD! Food, recipes, and meal planning are what the majority of my posts are about. I occasionally share my heart about the grief process, healing, and my journey to try and love Jesus more and learn to let him love me more. I also like nail polish, hair, fashion, and DIY project a whole lot and they often make an appearance in my posts. 
5. What does your blog title means? My kitchen is where I live. It's where I cook, it's where I plan meals, it's where I do DIY projects, it's where I like to be with people! 
6. What do you love about being part of Mississippi Women Bloggers? I mentioned it above, but connectedness! I love the idea of all the women in the under appreciated state of Mississippi who love to write (and are good at it, in the state where people think we can't read) being connected to each other. 
7. Who inspires you to blog? Joy the Baker is my absolute favorite food blogger. When I discovered her blog, the way I blog about food was transformed. I learned how to take pictures better because of her. I learned how to incorporate stories with recipes because of her. Loving her blog also lead me to discovered SO many other great blogs out there. Loving blogs, blogging, and bloggers lead me to the Influence Network! And now, ever more than Joy the Baker, the Influence Network inspires me. The Influence Network inspires me because it reminds me the Jesus is my ultimate inspiration. 
8. If you could pick a favorite blog post from this past year, what would it be? Hard one! I would have to pick the post I wrote about Celebrating Victories. "Let's celebrate victories guys! Every small victory that isn't small at all. Looking in the mirror and loving who you see before you, VICTORY! Not believing the lies that Satan (it's him, it's really him) tells you about yourself, VICTORY! Getting up early to spend time with Jesus when before you "never had enough time," VICTORY! Asking for forgiveness, forgiving yourself, accepting grace that none of us deserve but get instead of living in self-condemnation, VICTORY! Choosing to grieve losses in a healthy way instead of letting yourself get numb and avoidance, victory, big, huge, not small at all, victory."
9. Do your real life friends know you blog?  How do they respond? They do! I post my posts on my personal Facebook and Twitter. My most faithful readers and supporters are my real life friends. Love them more than anything! 
10. What is your blogging routine (if you have one)?  I wish my "routine" was more of a routine! The one consistent post I post every week is my weekly meal plan on Mondays. I'm mostly consistent with posting it. I'd like to post three times a week. On good weeks my routine involves prepping multiple weekly posts on the weekend to be scheduled to go out the next week. 
11. We all love social media!  Are there any social media links you would like to share so we can follow you? Big social media fan! Twitter: kasialindsay / Facebook (Personal): Kasia.Crider / Facebook Page: kasiaskitchenblog / Pinterest: kasialindsay
12. Name 3 bloggers who have not joined Mississippi Women Bloggers that you would like to see join us! Life on Lawson, The Manuel Family, and A Life Worth Something. 

Fashion Friday: Etsy State Necklaces

You know those wire state necklaces that are all the rage? The ones like these or these that are over $50 each? They are also over $30 at a minimum for Mississippi ones in local boutiques. The cheapest one I could even find on Etsy when I searched "Mississippi necklace" was $42. I'm cheap! I don't pay $50 for anything, not pants, not a dress, and not a dainty necklace.

Well, I found this perfect looking California necklace on Etsy that was only $15! I decided to contact the seller and see if there was any way she'd be willing to make a Mississippi one. A. Expecting someone from California would not see interest in making a Mississippi necklace. B. If she was, it would probably be twice as much because it was custom. WRONG!!!

The lovely Jackie of Kraus Haus Krafts was the most pleasant person to work with ever! She messaged me back and forth on Etsy asking questions, making sure she was getting it exactly the size I wanted it. She sent me pictures along the way in comparison to a quarter, about the size I wanted, to keep me posted. She even went to the store just to get more chain so she could make it the length I requested! And all of this was before I even purchased it!

Once it was finished, she posted it as a special listing just for me! I ordered it July 4th week, and even though it was a holiday, it was here just a few short days later. It was $15! Over half the price of any that I could find anywhere else. She can make silver or gold in any state. She can make the heart the same color or another. Ladies, buy from her! We're now Twitter and Instagram friends! I can't recommend her enough to you. I hope she gets so many necklace orders she has to start a waiting list. Thank you so much Jackie!

Mississippi - The Magnolia Hospitality State

Several weeks ago The Influence Network did a link up for members to talk about where they are from. I started a post, excited to talk about my wonderful Mississippi, and of course... never finished it to post it! When I realized the link up was closed, I thought about deleting the draft, but decided I still wanted to write about the Hospitality State.

William Faulkner once said, "To understand the world, you must first understand a place like Mississippi." Mississippi, the birthplace of Elvis, blues, and BB King. Home to cotton fields, magnolia trees, porch swings, riverboats, soul food, sweet tea and southern hospitality. People like to make jokes that Mississippians can't read. Not only can we read, we're also pretty darn good at writing too. Tennessee Williams, Eudora Welty, and John Grisham are just a few authors that call Mississippi home. The six degrees of separation theory has nothing on us. My whole life, all 30 years, of being a Mississippian, I've never met anyone from my state that didn't know someone else I know. The whole state has a small town, front porch feel. We were named the Hospitality State for a reason. We name our dips and desserts after mud and sin. We make jellies out of mayhaws, persimmons, and muscadines. No finer sweet tea can be found, no magnolias more frequent, no church potlucks more tasty. Mississippi definitely has its flaws, just like every state, maybe admittedly a little more than some others, but it truly is a great place. Often misunderstood, but worthy of being understood.

I googled Mississippi facts in hopes of including some extra fun info about my state, and learned things even I didn't know! We're pretty cool!

Fun Facts about Mississippi: 

• The world's only cactus plantation is located in Edwards with more than 3,000 varieties of cacti.
• Mississippi has more tree farms than any other state.
• Mississippi has more churches per capita than any other state.
• Pine-Sol is manufactured only in Pearl, MS.
• Four cities in the world have been sanctioned by the International Theatre/Dance Committee to host the International Ballet Competition: Moscow, Russia; Varna, Bulgaria; Helsinki, Finland; and Jackson, Mississippi.
• The first football player on a Wheaties box was Walter Payton of Columbia, Mississippi. 
• The birthplace of Elvis in Tupelo includes: a museum, a chapel, and the two-room house in which Elvis was born.
• On April 25, 1866, women in Columbus decorated the graves of Confederate and Union soldiers in Friendship Cemetery. This gesture became known as Decoration Day, the beginning of what we observe as Memorial Day.
• Shoes were first sold as pairs in 1884 at Phil Gilbert's Shoe Parlor in Vicksburg.
• Inventor James D. Byrd of Clinton holds seven patents and developed the plastic used as a heat shield by NASA.
• Mississippi University for Women in Columbus was the first state college for women in the country, established in 1884.
• In 1894, Coca-Cola was first bottled by Joseph A. Biedenharn in Vicksburg.
• Belzoni is the Catfish Capital of the World. Approximately 70 percent of the nation's farm-raised catfish comes from Mississippi.

Tell me about your state! What makes it special? What do you love about it? If you are a fellow Mississippian tell me what you love about it too!