Christie Leigh Mueller is the epitome of class and fanaticism. She is dressed in a three-quarter-length sleeve blue cotton dress, khaki woven cinch belt, orange sandals and a string of pearls. Her hair, of course, is twisted in an adorable Southern braid.
With her first book, "Gridiron Belles: A Guide to Saturdays in Dixie," available now, she is bound to become every clueless-about-football-but-dying-to-understand girl's best friend.
Targeted at "the Yankee transplant trying to figure out football in the South, the sorority girl whose daddy never taught her about the game, the recent grads looking for tailgate ideas and the women who host massive, immaculate tailgates every home Saturday," "Gridiron Belles" began as a project to help a sorority sister.
"I made her a crafty book before a football date with a frat boy to understand the game," Mueller said. "They actually ended up getting married two years ago."
Football has always been an integral part of Mueller's life. Born and raised in Kentucky, she recalls her first SEC football game as "heaven on Earth."
"It was bigger than I ever imagined," she said. "I felt like I was really a part of a movement."
"Gridiron Belles" encompasses more than just football - it focuses on the art of Southern tailgating. Mueller cites shade, chairs and music to "set the tone and add a personal touch" as must-haves. As for food and drink, stick with protein-packed, bite-sized hors d'oeuvres (Mueller suggests Publix fried chicken in the "University of Florida" section of "Gridiron Belles") and plenty of water.
"I'm a Kentucky girl, so bourbon is a must for me as well," she said.
Mueller spent three years researching - attending games, learning traditions and cheers and determining the best after-party locations. So what set the UF apart from its SEC counterparts?
"The intensity of the fans," she explains. "Gator fans are constantly rattling off statistics to the point where they're defending a call. I used to date a Gator - our biggest fights revolved around the UF-Auburn (Mueller's SEC team of allegiance) rivalry. That relationship didn't last long."
Mueller finds the SEC belles to be just as fanatical about their teams as the gents. A belle's way of expressing it is less about hooting and hollering than it is about her gameday apparel.
According to her, the quintessential Southern belle's Saturday outfit consists of a team-colored dress and accessories to add some "feminine flair."
Though her profession is still business etiquette consulting, it is this praise that makes Mueller want to keep going. And yes, we can expect a sequel.
"Gridiron Belles: A Guide to Saturdays in Dixie" is available at gridironbelles.com.
