Book Review!! Paula Deen's Savannah Style

Title: Savannah Style
Author: Paula Deen with Brandon Branch
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Published:  April 6th, 2010
ISBN: 978-1416552246

Summary: "With its lush gardens, stately town houses, and sprawling plantations, Savannah is the epitome of old Southern style, and who better to give you the grand tour than Paula Deen, the city's most famous resident and anointed Queen of Southern Cuisine?

In this gorgeous, richly illustrated book, Paula Deen shares a full year of Southern living. Whether it's time to put out your best china and make a real fuss, or you're just gathering for some sweet tea on the porch at dusk, Savannah style is about making folks feel welcome in your home. With the help of decorator and stylist Brandon Branch, you'll learn how to bring a bit of Southern charm into homes from Minnesota to Mississippi. For each season, there are tips on decorating and entertaining. In the spring, you'll learn how to make the most of your outdoor spaces, spruce up your porch, and make your garden inviting. In the summer, things get more casual with a dock party. Sleeping spaces, including, of course, the sleeping porch, are the focal point of this chapter. In the fall, cooler weather brings a return to more formal entertaining in the dining room, and in the winter, attention returns to the hearth, as Paula and her neighbors put out their best silver and show you how they celebrate the holidays."

If you love Food Network and Paula's show you will love this book!!  It is warm, funny, and playful while still managing to be informative.  Normally I am not a fan of books that are written in slang or with an obvious accent (Hey Ya'll) but I think it actually works for this book and with Paula as the speaker.  I just imagine she is talking to me and it was a fun read.

This book is just like an episode of Paula's Party.  She is giving tips and tricks and taking us on a tour of her hometown Savannah and it seems as if she is our tour guide!!  I love how the book is split into seasons with decorating ideas unique for each season and the weather it has.  I also love her wallet friendly ideas about using slip covers and throw pillows as inexpensive ways to change up the look of your house and porch.  She also suggests hitting up flea markets and yard sales to find inexpensive antiques.

I wish that we had a true back porch so I could put many of her suggestions to use.  Reading this book and looking at the gorgeous pictures of porches and "secret" gardens also makes me want to have a garden but I realize that is a crazy idea as I hardly ever go outside and I make my Hubby do all the yard work!! 

Beautiful pictures, great tips and ideas, and well thought out layout make this a great book for anyone, whether you are from the South or not.!!  Rating