During the 2017 Emmy Awards, Reese Witherspoon graced the stage with the rest of the Big Little Lies cast to accept the award for Outstanding Limited Series. But this year, the actor and producer skipped Sept. 17's red carpet to gear up for the launch of another special project: her first book. Reese Witherspoon's new book, Whiskey in a Teacup: What Growing Up in the South Taught Me About Life, Love, and Baking Biscuits, is an ode to her Southern roots.
Amid a sea of Emmys-related Instagram posts, Witherspoon's makeup artist, Kelsey Deenihan, posted a photo of the celeb on Mon. evening with the real reason behind the actor's absence on the red carpet. "Trading in the Emmys this year to spend the week with this superwoman promoting her book #whiskeyinateacup."
Deenihan then prompted her followers to "go go go" buy the book, which dropped Sept. 18 and is now available on Amazon. Whiskey in a Teacup is a collection of recipes, old-fashioned values, design concepts (spoiler: floral wallpaper is Witherspoon-approved), and personal photographs and memories from the author's childhood.
"My grandmother used to say that Southern women are like whiskey in a teacup. They're sort of beautiful and ornamental and put together on the outside, but they're really strong and fiery on the inside," Witherspoon said of her book's title during a Mon. appearance on Good Morning America.
The Wrinkle in Time actor, who was born in New Orleans and grew up in Nashville, has always shown pride for her Southern upbringing. She even launched a Southern-inspired line of apparel and housewares called Draper James in 2015. And she's no stranger to the literary world, either — as true Witherspoon fans know well, she hosts a monthly book club through her women's media company, Hello Sunshine.
You can prepare to learn a lot about Witherspoon in Whiskey in a Teacup. Within the pages of her lifestyle book, the actor admits that despite having a glam squad at her fingertips, she still practices the archaic method of putting her hair in hot rollers for special occasions.
Witherspoon also discusses the art of entertaining guests (she says cheese platters are always safe, especially when served on Southern-style monogrammed plates) and offers up recipes straight from her grandmother Dorothea's kitchen. And for the fashion- and beauty-obsessed, Witherspoon even shares a few beauty secrets and decorating tips. Her most solace advice, of course, is that you should always take your whiskey in a teacup.
Regardless of your roots, Whiskey in a Teacup: What Growing Up in the South Taught Me About Life, Love, and Baking Biscuits will certainly put some good, old-fashioned Southern charm into your life.
At $21, Witherspoon's book is bound to make the perfect addition to your home (and it'll look damn good on your coffee table, too). For the remainder of Sept., Witherspoon's schedule will be jam-packed with her book tour (psst: a few of her dates still have tickets available, but it'd be smart to act fast).
