Courtney Barnes, aka Style Court, has been blogging from Atlanta for almost three years now. We simply love her style--she's steeped in tradition, but firmly on top of today's trends and sensibilities. She has a passion for history, antiques, art, and promoting good design, and you can find her musing daily on everything from chinoiserie to gift wrap ideas to the latest fabric introductions. "I love getting a designer or friend to share how they enjoying using their home, their funny traditions, and such," she says. "But I'm usually not satisfied until I sneak in a link to a museum or some other educational tidbit." Courtney's incredible kindness makes her a favorite among her fellow bloggers (she's always quick with a thoughtful comment) and a pleasure to work with, as we've discovered through the writing assignments she has taken on for Southern Accents. See what she has to say about gracious living:

Courtney Barnes

I define gracious living as . . ."The house always smells delicious." That is a description I once read about Kentucky-born artist Elliott Puckette's home. To me it conveys true luxury. I have no idea what kind of kitchen countertops she has, or how expensive her range was, but if the house is filled with the aromas of roasted chicken and freshly baked bread made to share with children and friends, that's living well. It's all about appreciating small pleasures, using your things, and treating others kindly.

No Southern home should be without . . . I want to say a magnolia tree (so many opportunities for using the flowers and beautiful dark green leaves inside) but I actually don't have one.  Ideally we should all have camellias--even just potted camellias on a tiny patio--because fresh cut flowers are another big part of gracious living.

I make guests in my home feel welcome with . . . Hopefully, first with a smile. I think my grandparents were much better hosts. They were always prepared for anyone who dropped by--plenty of small bites to offer, well-stocked bar, warm conversation. So, I'm trying to remember everything they did effortlessly.

My favorite hostess gift to give . . . Julia Reed's "Ham Biscuits, Hostess Gowns, and Other Southern Specialties: An Entertaining Life (with Recipes)." Soon it will be available in paperback.

Editor's note: It's purely a coincidence, but Julia Reed also happens to be a regular food and entertaining contributor for Southern Accents. If you want to read an excerpt from her cookbook, click here. 

My favorite homemade hostess gift . . . My friend Laura makes the best mini pound cakes I've ever tasted (her mom's secret recipe). They are easy to transport and she presents them really simply with a tag that reads "from Laura's kitchen." Giving a bag of pecans with a family recipe for chocolate pecan pie (and a little bottle of bourbon) is always a great idea if you didn't inherit your grandmother's baking skills.

The key to a successful party is . . . I'm embarrassed to say I went through a phase when I focused on all sorts of creative projects inspired by a certain lifestyle guru. Now I'm a big believer in all the old school stuff: ambiance from simple candles or lanterns; flowers that don't give guests a headache, straightforward food that tastes great; good music; and a relaxed happy hostess.

My music playlist for a dinner party . . .  Some of my all-time favorite songs include Etta James' "At Last," and Nina Simone's "Here Comes the Sun." So these days a good trick for lazy girls is just to type Etta James in the iTunes search bar and hit the "genius" button. I get an instant suggested playlist and a great way to discover "new" old songs. I think the music that grew out of our region is just great, whether it's jazz or Johnny Cash or rock. Mixing older songs with contemporary, and a nice balance of high energy with soft, is another good approach for parties. Having said that, if I have a friend around who is much more of a music buff, it's nice to put him/her in charge of the tunes for the night.

What really drives me crazy about the lack of manners today . . . Good manners shouldn't be so difficult. Fundamentally they are about consideration for others. If you grasp that, you instinctively know when not to talk on your cell phone. I also think irreverence is overly celebrated. Being outspoken and snarky isn't necessarily being witty.

The last time I wanted the etiquette police to make an arrest . . . When I heard the "I lead such a hectic life" excuse used for not acknowledging a gift. More and more, I hear perfectly healthy people with few responsibilities aside from their dog claim they are too busy for thank you notes. (Even thank you emails!)

Editor's note: Courtney and I share a love of stationery, though she is much more artistic than I and makes her own with beautiful supplies from Paper Source. I know first-hand that she never forgets to write a thank you note!

The most gracious person I encountered this past week . . . Well, I have to go back a month or two. A design "celebrity" took time to correspond directly with me rather than have his assistant do everything. I was so impressed by his lack of pretense. He was very generous with his knowledge too, and I think that is the essence of being gracious.

Style Court's banner illustration by Anne Harwell; photo of Courtney Barnes by Steve Pomberg; photo of camellia by Erica George Dines; table setting photo by Becky Luigart-Stayner; stationery courtesy of Courtney Barnes.