Grab your coffee, tea or even a glass of wine, and let's start chatting. I've got lots to share. If you are new here, I debuted this column last week in order for me to get back to the basics of blogging which is sharing information, starting conversations, and being true to my voice. I'm a trained journalist, but what I've learned lately after writing for several news organizations is that I love the informal writing style that makes blogs so unique. So, here we are with week 2 with my Southern Tales.

Tom Ford Private Blend Collection Available in Raleigh, N.C. at Saks

Raleigh is in big city leagues when it comes to luxury brands. Tom Ford has put his entire Private Blend Collection in the Raleigh Saks along with his lip and nail products. It is truly unusual that a city our size has the entire collection. Currently, this luxury beauty line is only available in big city markets like New York, Dallas, San Francisco, etc. I believe it speaks volumes about the South's sophistication, especially the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area.



I had lunch with Tom Ford's representative, Amellia Glover, at Saks Raleigh this week. I had a private introduction to the Private Blend Collection. We laughed when I told her that I had the most terrible sense of smell so maybe I wasn't the best person for this assignment. My nose may not be an expert on scents, but I was quite impressed with the notes found in this collection.

First off, it's important to note that the Tom Ford Private Blend Collection is non-gender specific, and that is what makes this line special. The scents are not over-powering, and they are in the purest form which means what you smell in the bottle is exactly what it will smell like when you wear it on your skin.

Also, these scents are designed for layering. You can wear different combinations to reflect your mood. Since this a luxury brand, you are paying for the best. The bottles are pure craftsmanship. Inspired by the dark brown glass used in apothecary bottles found in perfumers work rooms, the bottles have a look of a chess piece. The smallest size, 50ml is $210. The large decanters are $520.

Learning about the Tom Ford Private Blend Collection at Saks is a true experience. You will start by telling Amellia what scents you like, and what appeals to your senses. For example, I told her that I didn't like anything overpowering and that is all I could tell her because honestly, I really didn't know what I liked. I like freshness and I don't want to smell like an old lady wearing too much perfume. I learned so much about myself on this scent journey. I was drawn to citrus, warm vanilla, and scents with oriental influence.



My absolute favorite fragrance from the line was Champaca Absolute. Tom Ford's love of the rare and expensive Champaca blooms fueled his desire to create this floral-oriental composition. The blooms must be gathered by the thousands to produce a single bottle of this fragrance. It's white-flower heart is given dimension through layers of cognac, vanilla bean, and sandalwood.

It's also important to note that the Tom Ford Private Blend Collection has a lot of scents, and I liked many, but I'm only highlighting what I would buy if I stole Will's credit card and could get away it without him knowing it was me. Ameilla changed the scent of Champaca Absolute by layering it with a few other blends. Throughout all of our time together, I kept going back to Champaca Absolute so we ended up marking that one as a favorite.

Tom Ford also has the Jardin Noir Collection, and one of the most popular scents in this collection is Cafe Rose.




I also like Noir De Noir, another Oriental scent with notes of saffron, black truffle, vanilla, and other florals as well as notes of masculine earthiness.  It's nice.

The Neroli Portofino collection stands out from the other collection with a vibrant, azure-blue packaging. This is very fresh with ingredients with notes of herbs, lavender, and citrus.  The Neroli Portofino collection includes bath soap, shower gel, body moisturizer, and body oil.  The body moisturizer is $65 for 5 oz.

My nose also guided me toward the Private Blend Atelier D'Orient Collection, inspired by the beauty and luxury of  Asia.  This collection uses ingredients that have treasured prestige in the Orient. I loved Rive D'Ambre.  This is a golden-toned perfume with exquisite citrus fruits.  Yeah, I'm back to citrus again.



There is so much more to talk about with this collection and his nail and lip line, but I'll save that for another Sunday. Have you tried the Tom Ford Private Blend Collection? It's Beauty Week at Saks right now.

Do we get enough Iodine in our diets today?

I have become obsessed lately with iodine consumption. I guess you didn't know that my middle name is "Hypochrondiac."  I recently read in a journal that stated several doctors who practice holistic medicine believe that the daily recommended iodine intake of 150 mcg is too low for our needs. They believe that more and more Americans are not getting sufficient iodine in our diets, and that the daily recommended intake should be higher. Iodine is important for thyroid function, brain function, and some believe it is essential in cancer prevention. But, too much iodine is a bad thing, too so you really have to be careful. It's not wise to go self-diagnosing yourself with over-the-counter supplements.



After reading the journal, I immediately went to look at my vitamins, and iodine was completely missing from the ingredients. I get no iodine from my multi-vitamin all.  That's bad. I cook with iodized sea salt, but to get enough iodine to meet the suggested daily requirement, you would need to digest a whole teaspoon.

Seaweed is one of the best sources for iodine, but I'll be honest here. I don't remember when I ate seaweed last. I'm not sure if I've eaten it at all. Maybe I need to find me some seaweed chips.

Dairy and grain products are another source of iodine, but it is not on the packaging of how much iodine is in the products.  I found this table online with some general guidelines of how much iodine is in our food. Fruits and vegetables have iodine, too, but it depends more on the type of soil used when they were in the garden whether or not you get a good inake.  Three ounces of canned tuna has 17 mcg of iodine. An egg has 24 mcg of iodine.  I am truly seeing a pattern that I may not be getting enough in my diet daily. One cup of milk has 50 mcg of iodine. I may get that in cereal, but the only time I drink milk is when it's in my tea. Yogurt may be my best source with 75 mcg of iodine per one cup.

Anyway, it's been on mind lately so check your vitamins to see if iodine is listed. I think I'm going to buy a different vitamin now. The downside is that I just bought these and they are for 180 days. I also need to up my intake of cod and shrimp which are more good sources of iodine.

Top N.C. Chefs

Photo from Fearrington House Restaurant

The Fearrington House Restaurant in Pittsboro, N.C. is a semifinalist in the Outstanding Restaurant category for the 2014 James Beard Awards. Eight N.C. chefs are also semifinalists for the category of  Best Chef: Southeast. I have that story on Examiner.com this week, but I think this just shows that N.C. is a great culinary state. Take a look at the list, and let me know if you've been to any of these restaurants. I've only been to a few.

Michael Kors Shoes: Photo of the Week

Michael Kors for little feet.

Well, the Diva's new Michael Kors shoes that I picked up last week at Marshalls for $19 won my Instagram community over this week. She got over 40 likes for showing off her little feet  at her brother's basketball practice whereas the photo of Sir Walter Raleigh in red dress in front of the Raleigh's convention center bombed. Less than 20 people even noticed in my feed that he was wearing a dress. Is it just bad to put Sir Walter Raleigh in a dress?

Sir Walter Raleigh decked out in red.

Meet Triangle Localista 

Triangle friends, I want to introduce you to another local blogger, Kim Alexander, who has a blog with a very local flair. Her blog is called Triangle Localista. We've been at several events together, and I think you will enjoy reading about the local side of Durham, Chapel Hill, and Raleigh. Kim is a real foodie who can cook like a foodie unlike me.  I have to follow recipes. She recently participated in a social media campaign with Locals Seafood for the Winter Seafood Jubilee. I was so impressed with her recipes and have that story on Examiner.com.   There are a few more events scheduled this week for the jubilee.

Triangle Localista cooked with clams for Locals Seafood Winter Seafood Jubilee

I"ll be back Thursday with another hotel feature for #IGTRAVELThursday.  Don't forget you can find me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google +, and Pinterest during the week. Talk to me!

I'm coming off of five days of being inside of my home with my two kids with very little to do. On one of those days, we lost power due to an ice storm. When you go without something that you may take for granted, you think about life, and you may even learn some things about yourself even when you have a tiara on your head.

You can call me "Queen Leigh" I cannot get the Royals song out of my head.

This leads me to today's launch of "Southern Sunday Tales" on my blog. You see, I've spent many hours writing journalism-type articles for a news website lately. I recently attended some online training to refresh my aging memory. It has been a while since I graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill with a Broadcast Journalism degree. While training, I heard on many occasions why I am now considered a writer and a working member of the press as opposed to a blogger. I like to label myself as both: a journalist and a blogger.

Honestly, I enjoy writing news articles because I don't want to clutter my blog with area news, and the nosy side of me likes to be in the know. Gathering travel news is easy for me because it gets me back to my formal education. But, I did not like putting writer vs. blogger against each other as if one is better than the other. It's different.

Journalists have to rely on a source to describe a bathroom in their stories whereas a blogger can give her own opinions about a bathroom, and can use social media to show you the bathroom in question.  It's probably the most like TV journalism than anything I have experienced.  I felt as if I filed a very professional and insightful story on how Country Inn and Suites is changing today's guest experience, and still was able to put my own spin on it.That's the beauty of blogging as opposed to old-style journalism writing.

You caught me in the bathroom at the new Country Inn and Suites in Springfield, Illinois.

I'm proud that I can be both. I personally like to keep my blog reserved for the best of my content and for what I can cover in person such as my hotel features. After cranking out news story after news story this month for very little revenue though, my writing started to feel like it was tedious work and no fun.

Where's my opinion? What do I think? It had to be left out of the story. I missed writing for my own blog more than ever, and more importantly, I missed talking with the HinesSightBlog community. I'm going to begin devoting more time to my own personal space here, and I felt my new Southern Sunday Tales would be a good day to start and a way to make sure that I achieve my goal in terms of time management.  Being able to have a voice is the one thing that makes blogs fall into a category of its own when it comes to digital journalism.

I am fortunate that my editor, Katja Presnal,of Skimbaco Lifestyle has the same beliefs as I do, and by interweaving our opinion and experiences into our stories, its sets the website apart from other travel sites. I feel the same way about this space, too.

I hope you begin to join me weekly as we talk about different things each week because honestly, writing is not exciting for me when there is no conversation about it with others. That's just the way it is. I started this blog as a creative outlet in 2011 and it's time to get back to its foundation. Here are a few things I want to talk about today to kick off this new blog feature.

For those who knew me well before blogging, I wanted to share a photo of my cat Bailey. He lives with another family now since my son is highly allergic to cats. Bailey is happy and healthy, and I love getting these updates.

Chaos Always Erupts when you are Naked or in a Yoga Pose

I love my children very much, but there are days that I do not like them. Having spent day after day with them doing the same thing during these snow days, I thought I was going to go crazy. I wrote a piece for Triangle Mom 2 Mom called, "Chaos always erupts when you are naked or in a yoga pose" It's appalling that I can't do yoga or take a shower without some interruption. It never fails. If you get a chance, check out the piece and let me know if you experience the same problems.

The Best Coffee K-Cups

When we didn't have power all day on Thursday, all I could think about was tea or coffee. Honestly, I started seeing my kids walk around as giant latte mugs with legs.  Will says I have a huge problem. Maybe he's right.  I got a mini Keurig for Christmas, and I love it. Now, I'm on the hunt for K-cups at a reasonable price all the time. I'm trying to find a coffee that I like best. I bought Starbuck's Pike Place Roast, and told myself I wouldn't buy it again.  I didn't love it, and it's expensive.  I was in Walgreens yesterday and they had a sale on the overpriced Starbucks which made it even cheaper than the generic brands. I caved and bought Starbucks again. When I got home I realized that it was the Pike Place Medium Roast again. I need to start writing things down. What coffee K-cups do you enjoy?

Losing Weight and Staying on Budget



I've been trying to lose about 10 pounds, and save money in my financial budget. That's like a double whammy of pure hell.  I've successfully lost 3 pounds, but did not succeed in going under budget  for January and the really disturbing thing is that I really tried my best. I did not eat lunch out nor did I go to any of my local favorites for a scone and coffee. I made healthy food at home using mostly Denise Austin recipes.  I blame the cost of groceries and tampons for not staying within budget. My husband blames the category called "Hair and Skincare". And here's the bad part, I already need new mascara, and eye cream. I'm really hoping that the fact that February is a short month will be in my favor. It's frustrating that I used to be able to manage a work budget of several hundred thousand dollars, and was always under budget which delighted my boss.  But my current "boss"  is displeased.  I think the problem could be that it is the same budget I had for when we just had one child.. I've talked to friends and my grocery bills are in line on what they spend or even less. So, how do you save on groceries? If you don't mind sharing, what is your monthly expense for groceries?

Afternoon Tea at Southern Season in Chapel Hill, N.C. 

Southern Season tea

Southern Season in Chapel Hill is now hosting afternoon tea at its Weathervane Restaurant on a monthly basis. The price is $19 per person. I think it is something you should check out if you are an afternoon tea lover. The menu looks delightful. I toured Southern Season on a media visit for Skimbaco Lifestyle last month for a story on the popular gourmet food store that ran this week. The store has been reorganized and it's impressive. My kids and I attended a special children's tea with a Mad Hatter theme as guests of Southern Season so I did not pay for our tea. It was a fun experience, the food was, of course, child-friendly with items like cheese sandwiches and peanut butter sandwiches instead of the typical adult tea fare. They did have scones though.

Someone loved the face painting.

I would certainly do it again as a paying guest. Southern Season has so many events going on each month, and the store is working to offer more events for families in the future. Spring will be a popular time for those.

Top North Carolina Luxury Hotels 

I wrote this article on N.C.'s best luxury hotels recently. I have visited 7 hotels out of the top 10 in the list. I was impressed with my hotel staying portfolio. My goal is to keep you in the know about hotels so that you can plan your future travels. The only hotels that I have not actually slept in are: The Umstead,  The Carolina at Pinehurst Resort, The Sanderling,The Washington Duke Inn,  and the O'Henry Hotel. I have "Pack Your Bags" on 4 out of 10 properties. Any favorites on the list?

I listed Old Edwards Inn and Spa has my absolute best stay in 2013. The hotel does not pay me to talk about them. I talk about them because I liked the hotel. However, after I named it the best hotel of my 2013 stays, I did receive a special keepsake so that every morning can be a morning like waking up at Old Edwards Inn except without the mountain view.

I love my new Old Edwards Spa Robe

Meet Triangle Explorer

Triangle Explorer is in the know in area events.

For my local friends, I want to introduce the blog, The Triangle Explorer. John, the writer, is a friend of mine and he covers a lot that is not on my blog. Hint: He has no children and he can get around the Triangle with ease unlike me. Plus, I rarely cover event previews on my blog unless it is a hotel and that is why I turn to John's blog to find out what is going on the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area. I'm only in the know because of the Triangle Explorer.  He also likes to tease me about my love for coffee mugs. I don't like my coffee in paper cups so he loves stirring things up on twitter by starting hashtags like: #PapercupsforLeigh when he goes to coffee shops.  He also plays the trombone around town. You can follow him on Instagram @TriangleExplorer. 

Triangle Explorer also plays the trombone.  Here he is at the Krispy Kreme Challenge.

I'll be back on Thursday with a hotel feature for #IGTRAVELThursday.  In the mean time, please check out my hotel review on the Disney Yacht Club at Walt Disney World. If you are going to Disney this year, you may want to read it.  I'll be back next Sunday for Southern Sunday Tales.

The Yacht Club Resort at Walt Disney World

Sleeping Beauty and a very happy little Hines

Chairs on the Verandah at the Yacht Club Resort at WDW

The lobby of the WDW Yacht Club Resort

The Yacht Club Resort is a full-service Deluxe hotel on Disney property.

Standard Room at the Yacht Club Resort

Double-sink vanity outside the bathroom

Can you find the hidden Mickeys?

Refillable mug

The pool between the Yacht and Beach Club Resorts

Beaches and Cream Soda Shop is a Hines favorite

The Yacht Club Resort overlooks Disney's Boardwalk. The location is fabulous.