A Little Southern Comfort...

Designing Women - my favorite bit of southern comfort!

I love my life. Seriously. I have a wonderful husband, an amazing daughter and the career I always knew I wanted but never had a clue how to achieve. I work most days in my jammies or my most comfortable jeans and tees, I talk to really interesting people all over the world and I have a supporting cast of friends, CPs and family who push me to be better.

My debut, What a Texas Girl Wants, releases on June 4 and that has me absolutely flying!

And yet, I have those days. You know, the not-enough-chocolate-in-the-world days? Those days, I need a comfy blankey (my Coke blankey is my fave), my super-duper Betty Boop pjs and a great story. Most times I pick up a book. Nora is always a feel-good read, maybe Lisa Wingate -- especially if I'm in a wanna-sniffle-a-bit mood or Jayne Ann Krentz if i want some action mixed in with my drama. But there are days when a book just won't do it. When I'm too overwhelmed to engage my imagaination enough for a take-me-away read...or I'm sick. Those days I reach for feel good television and - 9 times out of 10 - I reach for 1 specific show writer. Linda Bloodworth Thomason, the creator and original writer (all 35 episodes of the first couple seasons) of Designing Women...a show that is still my favorite sit-com. Sure, I love all the 'today' favorites, but Designing Women holds a very special place in my heart. I think its a kid-from-the-80s thing.

Four women talking about life, figuring out love and telling people off on a weekly basis? I was in heaven!! I could escape from farm-ville (not that I didn't love it) and be part of oh-so-glamorous (to me) Atlanta, where Scarlett O'Hara might still be found...where adventures happened every week (even if the adventure was just a washed up baseball player finding himself in Suzanne's bedroom or Mary Jo confronting a purse snatcher or Charlene giving her singing dream another shot) and the characters always knew exactly what to say at the exactly right moment to really get their point (or zing) across.

I kind of was Charlene -- a naive, country girl. But oh, how I wanted to be as glamorous as Suzanne, as mouthy as Julia or as innocent-yet-tough as Mary Jo. I still do, actually. I want to be all the Designing Women wrapped up in a Kristina bow. And that is why Linda Bloodworth Thomason is one of my favorite writers...sure, I can't pick up a copy of one of her books, but I can pop in a DVD and revisit those characters that helped me figure out who I was, who I wanted to be and what I would believe in. Things I still believe in to this day.

Friendship. Honor. Love. Family. Isn't that what we all strive for? Who is your comfort read - or watch, as the case may be?