Reese Witherspoon Quotes

While falling in love is fun, it's not everything, and it's not the antidote to an unfulfilled life, despite what Reese Witherspoon movies may tell you.

I get crazy in a bookstore. It makes my heart beat hard because I want to buy everything.

When you finally accept that you're a complete dork, your life gets easier. No sense in trying to be cool.

Being a Southern person and a blonde, it's not a good combination. Immediately, when people meet you, they think of you as not being smart.

If you are not yelling at your kids,you are not spending enough time with them.

Life isn't about perfection. There is no rule book. Life has many different chapters, and every chapter deserves celebrating.

Her unusual dark hair and sultry eyes made her stand out--- Anne Boleyn was Tudor England's Angelina Jolie amid a sea of Reese Witherspoons.

If something seems frightening or horrible, I should probably do it.

Finding pleasure at home-whether in a family dinner or a book club or a backyard barbecue-can give us the strength to go out into the world and do incredible things.

I don't believe in perfection. I don't think there is such a thing.

A lot of key moments in life are like that: You can be nervous as all get out. Just drink a beer and do it anyway.

it was a combination of beauty and strength that made southern women “whiskey in a teacup.” We may be delicate and ornamental on the outside, she said, but inside we’re strong and fiery.

My grandma always said, “Pretty is as pretty does.

You won't meet a friend sitting on your couch.

People aren’t pretty if they act ugly.

One historical note that I just love: When the suffragettes were marching, at one point they started wearing red lipstick so they would all be wearing the same bold color and stand in solidarity with one another. I love how this little thing many women had in their purses became a powerful political symbol. It's a reminder that we don't have to diminish ourselves as women to be seen as strong. You can push for societal change and you can love getting dressed up. You don't have to choose.

Robert Pattinson loves to read and watch old movies and he’s very smart.

So as lovely as romance can be, we have to make sure that we’re not falling into the trap of making our entire life about searching for an unrealistic notion of happiness. While falling in love is fun, it’s not everything, and it’s not the antidote to an unfulfilled life, despite what Reese Witherspoon movies may tell you.

I don't believe in perfection. I don't think there is such a thing. But the energy of wanting things to be great is a perfectionist energy

We always say in the South that good manners are a kind of passport. If you have good manners, you can go everywhere and people are glad to have you around.

She’d been pleasantly surprised to find out the movie starred Mark Wahlberg and Reese Witherspoon and decided the tape probably belonged to Bethany—but around the one-hour mark, the scene happened. The one on the roller coaster when Mark uses his finger on Reese.

Everybody needs love. Everyone deserves it.

A proper southern goodbye can take hours.

Buddha, Jesus, and Reese Witherspoon all went to the desert to seek wisdom.

Now, this is my little public service announcement: If you get invited to something, it's incumbent upon you to RSVP as soon as possible. A quick “no” is better than a long “maybe.” People go to a lot of trouble to plan a party, and it's a big deal to open up your home. What's more, it's essential to show up if you say you will. I have a busy life, but I still don't cancel unless it's a superduper emergency – I'm talking hospital-visit, in-the-newspapers-the-next-day emergency. Being tired just isn't a good enough excuse. C'mon! Make an effort! One trick I use to determine whether or not to say yes to an invite is: Would I want to go right then and there? If the party were that second, would I get dressed and rush out of the house to go to the party? If the answer is yes, I probably do want to go, but if the answer is no, I don't accept the invitation.

We were taught manners by example. The older women in our families were unflappably polite. Southern women are strong and outspoken but also beautifully composed and always present their best selves to the world. They believe in character and the presentation of that character. They aren’t afraid to tell you how they really feel.

You can be nervous as all get out. Just drink a beer and do it anyway.

You may be the first person who turns on a light in a dark room.

I take the South everywhere I go,

That’s what I picture when I think about southern homes: lots of porches—and of course ceiling fans everywhere. It’s hot, y’all.

They say diamonds are a girl’s best friend, but my grandmother Dorothea always said that pearls are a southern girl’s best friend.

3. If you want love and companionship, buy a dog.

Dorothea always said that it was a combination of beauty and strength that made southern women “whiskey in a teacup.” We may be delicate and ornamental on the outside, she said, but inside we’re strong and fiery. Our famous hospitality isn’t martyrdom; it’s modeling. True southern women treat everyone the way we want to be treated: with grace and respect—no matter where they come from or how different from you they may be.

It’s important to me that my home feel welcoming. I want people to feel like they can sit on the furniture. You can have a beautiful house, very well decorated, but you have to be able to sit down or else it’s not a home.

I’m excited to go to Matt’s parents’ house for Christmas, but I wish he’d sprung it on me a little earlier, like maybe before all the stores closed. I would have liked to bring his mom something: a candle, a tea towel—I don’t know. I’ve never had a boyfriend, therefore I’ve never had to impress a boyfriend’s mom, so I’m just going off of what I think Reese Witherspoon or Joanna Gaines would do, and they’d sure as shit bring a gift for Mrs. Russell.

There’s a fabulous book, Beauty Shop Politics: African American Women’s Activism in the Beauty Industry by Tiffany M. Gill, about African American hair salons and their owners during the 1960s—women who changed the entire social landscape of the South.

I sat up straight, lifted my chin, and said, “Well, I’m a lady, and I’m going to handle it like a lady.” Where did that voice come from? I wondered. I’d never said those words out loud before. (Men in that room told me they’d never heard anyone say them before, either!) But in my voice that day, I heard all the women I knew growing up in the South—women for whom being a southern lady was a source of confidence and strength in times of trial and a source of joy in good t

Whenever I see lifestyle magazines where everything’s so clean, I wonder, “Where’s all the junk?” The first thing I figure out when furnishing a room is where to put the junk. Two words: secret storage. The key to a harmonious and clutter-free living area, especially when you have kids, is to hide everything. I’m talking about closets everywhere, drawers on everything, and ottomans that are really storage chests. Baskets for Legos. Shelves for games. Just please don’t open any cabinets in my house . . . I’m afraid there might be a waterfall of toys coming at you!

MAKES ABOUT 10 LARGE OR 15 SMALL BISCUITS Cheddar Biscuits Flecks of sharp cheddar cheese add flavor and color to these biscuits. I like to make them smaller, using a 11/2-inch biscuit cutter or small juice glass to cut them out. For a party, these are fantastic filled with ham, fig jam, or my favorite, tomato jam. (For biscuit-making advice, see “Biscuit-Making Tips” on page 259.) 2 cups all-purpose flour plus more for rolling 21/4 teaspoons baking powder 3/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter, chilled and cut into small cubes 3/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded 1 cup buttermilk 1/4 cup butter, melted 1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. 2. In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Cut the cold

QUEEN OF THE TURTLE DERBY AND OTHER SOUTHERN PHENOMENA BY JULIA REED

butter into the flour using a pastry cutter until the texture resembles coarse oats or small peas. Fold in the cheddar cheese and pour in the buttermilk, mixing with your hands until just incorporated. The dough will begin to come together, but do not knead so much that it becomes a ball. Turn the loose dough out onto a floured surface and, with floured hands and rolling pin, bring the dough together and begin to roll it out. You may have to add some sprinkles of flour to the dough, your hands, and the pin if it sticks. The key to tender biscuits is not to work the dough too much. 3. Roll the dough out to 1/2 inch thick, fold the dough over onto itself once, and roll out again to 1/2 inch thick. Turn the dough over again in half and then again into fourths—this creates flaky layers. Roll out one last time to 1/2 inch thick. 4. With a biscuit cutter dipped in flour, cut out biscuits by pressing straight down and back up—don’t twist the cutter—cutting them out as close to each other as possible. Place the biscuits on an ungreased baking sheet right up against the edges of the sheet and line them up with the edges of the dough touching each other. Gently gather the

dough scraps from the first rolling into a mass, working the dough as little as possible, and roll out and cut out more biscuits. Use the scraps from the second batch to roll into a “snake” shape. Press the shape against any biscuits that may have a bare edge where the biscuits have not filled the tray. 5. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, rotating the pan 180 degrees halfway through, until golden brown. Remove from oven and immediately brush with melted butter.

Shrimp and Grits The combination of creamy grits with slightly spicy, tomatoey shrimp is a classic coastal dish in the South. It’s comforting and hearty, but in an elegant serving bowl it can also be a perfect meal to serve at a dinner party. FOR THE GRITS 11/2 cup grits (not quick-cooking—I like stone-ground) 1 teaspoon salt 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter FOR THE SHRIMP 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon butter 1 medium onion, chopped 1 small green pepper, chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes with liquid 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning (I like Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning) 2 tablespoons tomato paste 2 pounds medium-large raw shrimp, peeled 1/2 cup water 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

TO MAKE THE GRITS In a medium saucepan, bring 3 cups of water to a boil over high heat and stir in the grits and salt. Bring back to a boil, stirring occasionally, then reduce the heat to low, stir in the butter, and simmer for about 15 minutes. The grits will absorb all the water, so you will need to stir them occasionally, and you can add more water if they become too thick. The grits are easy to keep warm on very low heat, just adding water when needed, but you must stir them every now and then to keep them from sticking to the bottom or clumping. TO MAKE THE SHRIMP In a large skillet or sauté pan, combine the olive oil and butter over medium-high heat until the butter is melted. Add the onion and green pepper and sauté until they begin to soften, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Stir in the tomatoes and their liquid, the Cajun seasoning, and the tomato paste. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes and add the shrimp, stirring for about 2 minutes, until the shrimp turn pink. Add the water and

Worcestershire sauce and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes until heated through but not boiling. Taste for seasoning, and add salt if needed. Serve immediately over the warm grits and garnish with chopped green onions.

Reese’s Corn Bread Chili Pie For a weekday dinner with family, you need something that will please both kids and adults and that isn’t too complicated to make. My favorite thing is chili pie. This is an easy one-dish dinner if you are using a cast-iron or other oven-safe skillet. If using a baking dish or casserole, cook the filling on the stove top in a skillet or sauté pan and transfer to the baking dish before adding the corn bread batter topping. 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 pound ground beef 1 pound ground pork 2 (1.75 oz.) packets chili seasoning 1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes 2 tablespoons tomato paste 2 cups chicken broth 2 (8.5 oz.) boxes Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix 2 eggs

2/3 cup milk 1 cup frozen corn, divided 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese 1 (16 oz.) can kidney beans, drained Optional toppings: Fresh salsa, fresh chopped green onion, sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese 1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. 2. In a 9- or 10-inch cast-iron skillet or sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the onion and sauté for 1 minute before adding the garlic. Sauté for another minute and add the ground beef and pork, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon and stirring until the meat is brown. 3. Drain off any excess fat and stir in the chili seasoning, diced tomatoes, and tomato paste. Mix over medium heat for 1 minute, then pour in the chicken broth. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. 4. While the meat simmers, make the corn bread mixture: Stir together the Jiffy mix, eggs, and milk in a mixing bowl until just combined (do not overmix). Stir 1/2 cup of the frozen corn and the cheese into the corn bread batter and set aside.

Stir the remaining 1/2 cup of corn and the kidney beans into the meat mixture. 5. If using a baking or casserole dish, transfer the meat mixture from the stove top to the baking dish. Pour the corn bread batter over the meat mixture and bake in the oven for 35 to 40 minutes, until golden brown on top. Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving with optional toppings such as salsa, green

Kentucky Hot Brown Bites From the kitchen of Annie Campbell Cooking spray 11/2 (5 oz.) containers finely shredded Parmesan cheese 12/3 cups milk 1/4 cup butter 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 2 ounces medium cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1/4 cup) 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 4 ounces thinly sliced deli turkey cut into 2-inch squares 4 cooked bacon slices, crumbled 1/2 cup diced fresh tomato Fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves for garnish 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. 2. Line 2 baking sheets with aluminum foil and lightly coat with cooking spray. Spoon the Parmesan cheese by tablespoons 1/2 inch apart onto prepared baking sheets, forming 12 (21/2-inch) rounds on each sheet.

3. Bake 1 sheet at 350°F for 7 to 9 minutes or until the edges of the mounds are lightly browned and beginning to set. Working quickly, transfer the cheese rounds to a lightly greased (with cooking spray) 24-cup miniature muffin pan, pressing gently into each cup to form shells. Repeat the procedure with the second baking sheet. 4. Microwave the milk in a microwave-safe measuring cup for 30 seconds on high or until warm. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk in the flour; cook, whisking constantly, for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the warm milk. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly, for 1 to 2 minutes, or until thickened. Whisk in the cheddar cheese, kosher salt, and black pepper. 5. Increase the oven temperature to 425°F. Line each Parmesan shell with 2 turkey pieces and fill each with 1 teaspoon cheese sauce. Bake for 5 minutes. Remove from the pan to a wire rack and top with crumbled bacon and diced tomato. Garnish with flat-leaf parsley leaves.

I like beautiful things that are durable because I have three kids and three dogs. Life is messy. Really, really, really messy. But I like the mess. I think that’s a southern thing—recognizing that kids and animals are going to come tromping through spaces and it’s important to plan for it.

I think a monogram says to people, “Hello, there. I’m southern.” Or maybe it says, “Don’t steal my stuff.

That’s something very southern: people don’t take airplanes if they can possibly help it. It doesn’t matter if it’s a three-hour drive or a fifteen-hour drive: they will get into the car.

I still love taking my kids for a road trip whenever possible. I think it’s good for them. A road trip teaches you good, old-fashioned patience. The moral is: to get somewhere great, you have to put in the hours. The anticipation is exciting, and you’re so appreciative when you arrive. A road trip also lets you see just how vast and beautiful this country is and how many different ways people live.

Southern-lady ghosts will haunt you if there’s oozing.

One thing the South does really well is community. I think it’s because we link charity and giving back with two other things we do well: cooking and entertaining.

Reese," I say, still in a daze. I am totally dead-fishing our handshake, but he doesn't seem to notice. "Like Reese's Cups, the best candy in the history of the world?" He gives me a lopsided grin and I blink back at him. "Uh...no. Like Reese Witherspoon, patron saint of Southern ladies who watch too many romantic comedies.

Alice always had loved flowers. There was something about the blend of colors, the hidden roots, the twisting petals as they unfurled in the sun one by one. A symbol of femininity---how that which is delicate can also be strong. Whiskey in a teacup, as her aunt always said. Well, her aunt and Reese Witherspoon, but honestly, Aunt Charlotte had been saying that way back when Reese was still filming Sweet Home Alabama. Alice swept petals from the floor, beautiful yet fragmented evidence of the fullness the day had brought. She'd been running the Prickly Rose, a customizable bouquet shop on Magazine Street, alongside her aunt for several years now, and Valentine's Day always left plenty of cast-off remnants.

Reese Witherspoon reflects both of those qualities effortlessly in this new film by Mira Nair, and no wonder, for isn’t there a little of Elle Woods, her character in Legally Blonde, at work here?

I’m so country now I don’t hear my own voice in my head, it’s just Reese Witherspoon and Dolly Parton talking in there.

You have to focus to finish.

You always gain by giving love.

A medida que fui fortaleciéndome y entré en una nueva fase como mujer, empecé a buscar referentes de cómo ejercer el poder de manera positiva. Reese Witherspoon fue un gran ejemplo para mí. Es dulce y amable, y es muy inteligente. En cuanto empiezas a verte de esta manera, no solo como alguien que existe únicamente para hacer felices a todos los demás sino como alguien que merece hacer oír su voluntad, todo cambia. Cuando empecé a pensar que podía ser una persona maja pero fuerte a la vez, como Reese, cambié mi perspectiva sobre quién era.

You’re on the same “must listen at all times” level as my mother and Reese Witherspoon.

So, what is beauty if it isn’t Angelina Jolie and Reese Witherspoon? Why do we try to pin it down by categorizing it as absolute? Why limit it at all? Why is classic beauty the gold standard? Why is gold the gold standard? And what is “classic”? What’s precious about precious stones? Why are diamonds a girl’s best friend? Don’t tell me what beauty is before I know it for myself.

she maintained exquisite poise throughout her life, opposed injustice wherever she found it, and commanded everyone’s esteem and attention—especially mine. She was at once tough and beautiful. She could make you feel infinitely welcome but also let you know when you’d pushed her too far. She was impeccably mannered, but she loved to see a whole mess of neighbors, their kids, and random pets tearing across the lawn. To me, she was the epitome of southern w

it was a combination of beauty and strength that made southern women “whiskey in a teacup.” We may be delicate and ornamental on the outside, she said, but inside we’re strong and fiery. Our famous hospitality isn’t martyrdom; it’s modeling. True southern women treat everyone the way we want to be treated: with grace and respect—no matter where they come from or how different from you they may be.

To me, southern womanhood is about both the teacup and the whiskey—the music and the manners, the hospitality and the fight for fairness. Some people think that caring about “silly” things like cooking or fashion is mutually exclusive with “serious” politics. But my mother and grandmother and their friends taught me that finding pleasure at home—whether in a family dinner or a book club or a backyard barbecue—can give us the strength to go out into the world and do incredible things.

Doorknobs and handles are the jewelry of your house.

They remind me of the South and the tradition of people talking and making something together as a collective. They make me think about the women who came before me, who fought for my rights and fought for me to have a better life. I still have my grandmother’s old blue-and-white and red-and-white quilts,

presenting yourself well is a way to show others you care about them.

Poor Dorothea would not be happy to see how many people travel in athletic wear these days. “You don’t wear sweatpants on an airplane,” she used to say. “It’s a privilege to fly. Make sure you wear a nice outfit.” I guess she is why I have a real mental block about wearing workout wear all day long. I just don’t do it. I think you gotta get up, you gotta work out, and then you gotta get dressed in a real, proper outfit by ten in the morning. I would never judge anyone for doing otherwise. But if I did it myself, I just know my grandmother would haunt me with that line she always said: “Only wear sweatpants when you’re supposed to be sweating.

If you don’t know which side the bread plate or drinks go on (or which bread plate or water glass is yours when you’re seated at the table), make the okay sign with each of your hands. Your left hand will make a lowercase b for bread. Your right hand will make a lowercase d for drink. I taught my kids this and they use it all the time.

If It’s Not Moving, Monogram It

Southern ladies have a reputation for loving all sorts of embroidery, and I’m here to tell you that this reputation is 100 percent based in fact.

No discussion of the South is complete without a tribute to that eternal symbol of southern womanhood: Dolly Parton.

we decided that southern women like how the royals value family and how they’re always doing good for others. There’s also their keen attention to propriety and sense of tradition. Plus, of course, the dresses! Southern women love pomp and circumstance.

Honestly, everybody in the South talks about their dogs as if they were members of the family,

If there’s a wedding or a new baby on the way, don’t stand between a southern woman and a monogram store; you’ll get knocked down. We have a saying in my family: If it’s not moving, monogram it.

A fehérnemű mellett a szerelem is a nő dolga. A nők arra valók, hogy beléjük szeressenek. Amikor a nőket sújtó nagy tragédiákról beszélünk, miután a háborúkat és a sebesüléseket letárgyaltuk, az érint meg bennünket leginkább, ha valakit nem szeretnek, így nem is akarnak. Igaz, hogy I. Erzsébet lefektette a Brit Birodalom alapjait, de soha nem mehetett férjhez – szegény, sápadt, púderezett királynő. Jennifer Aniston gyönyörű, sikeres milliomos, Los Angeles-i, óceánparti házában él, és sosem kell náthásan sorban állnia a postán, hogy visszaküldjön egy pár csizmát a Topshopnak – a harmincas éveit teljesen leírták mint azt az évtizedet, amelyben sem Brad Pittet, aztán John Mayert sem sikerült megtartania. Diana hercegnő – milyen szerencsétlen! Cheryl Cole – magányos! Hilary Swank és Reese Witherspoon – hiába kapták meg az Oscart, a férjük elhagyta őket! A nyelv pontosan felfedi, mit gondolunk az egyedülálló nőkről – mindent elárul az „agglegény” és a „vénlány” közti különbség. Az agglegények méltóságteljesek. A vénlányoknak viszont bele kell húzniuk, mégpedig gyorsan. A piaci kereset elárulja a nő értékét: ha egyedülálló, bizonyára nem kell senkinek – akármennyi ideig is tart ez az állapot –, tehát kevésbé kívánatos.

When I say before everything else, I mean it. Above all, I’m Jes’s friend. When I see something funny, she’s the person I want to tell. If there’s a new book she’s reading, I’m the person she texts about it. And you know what? She doesn’t always wanna hear about the shit I think is funny, I’m sure. Same way I don’t particularly give a shit what book Reese Witherspoon recommends women read. But you know what she does? She cares. And I do the same. We give each other our focus and care, the same way we’re doing right now.