Spring Wreaths

With all of this yucky winter weather, I've been dreaming more & more about Spring down here in Alabama.

My very favorite part of Spring is all the bright colors & finally changing out decor around the house.

The first thing I always do for a new season is switching out our door decor, so I've been browsing Pinterest in between studying for my midterms and I've picked out a couple of options that I may have to try to recreate for this season.

If DIY isn't your thing, luckily all of these options are from Etsy or other websites so you can purchase them directly (or brave trying to do-it-yourself!)

option 1/option 2/option 3/option 4/option 5

Option one is perfect for a girly apartment, I can even see it being hung in a little girls room.

Option two is more gender neural, C would probably even agree to that being hung on our doors.

The boxwood wreath is my all-time favorite. It's so green & fresh, the monogram is so classy too.

The single initial is perfect for any household, or even being used inside-it can easily be recreated yourself too!

The rag wreath (using Lilly Pulitzer fabric, no less!) is super duper adorable.

I love the idea of gifting this for a baby-shower present & you could also recreate this one yourself with any fabric scraps!

I guess I can't procrastinate studying any longer...

Until next time. . .

xoxo, 

The Positivity Post

Do you remember your Mama ever telling you that it takes more muscles to frown than it does to smile, or maybe that frowning all the time is going to give you wrinkles?

Well, I can tell you first hand that living a positive life can have great results (anything that prevents wrinkles, y'all)

I really try to be positive all the time, but sometimes I really get down & I need a pick me up.

I decided to answer these questions that Fran from The Sassy Southern Bride inspired me with & y'all...it works!

Try it & you'll be feeling better by the end :)

via

1) What's one thing you love about yourself?

Hmmm. This is always a hard question for me. I think I'll have to say my compassion.

I always feel so deeply for everyone around me, especially animals.

2) What's something you are proud of?

I'm proud of the fact that I'm almost done with school.

I've worked so hard to graduate and I have just a few semesters left.

It hasn't been easy, but I know it will be worth it.

3) What is the best thing that's happened to you recently?

I'm honestly still on a high from getting engaged.

It was such a wonderful experience & I still feel so absolutely blessed.

4) Write a compliment to someone.

I LOVE giving compliments, so I'm going to do two!

To my fiance': Thank you for working so hard to provide for us, thank you for pushing me to do better for myself, thank you for being my support & my strength. You are so driven & you don't back down from a challenge, I love all of those things about you!

To my sweet KMSS little, Nat: You're gorgeous, you're smart, you're talented-you support me in everything and have helped me learn to laugh at myself. I owe you & love you so much!

Answer 1-3 in the comments below, please! & then go give someone a compliment in real life :)

Until next time. . .

xoxo, 

Wedding Wedesday: What to Wear for Engagement Pictures

As y'all know, I shared my engagement pictures with y'all here.

Getting ready for them was stressful.

I mean, you're going to be looking back at these pictures for basically the rest of your life-they're kind of important.

We got engaged on October 20th, but didn't have our engagement pictures done until January 24th because life was so incredibly busy with finals, the holidays, etc.

I didn't want any of the lovely brides that read my blog to have to worry about prepping for those engagement shoots that are coming up, so I wanted to not only share some inspiration with y'all, but I wanted to let you know the top five things that were most important to me when selecting our clothes, and also I wanted to let you know where our clothes came from. :)

Let's start off with some inspiration. . .

These were just a few of my favorite shots that really showcased what the couples were wearing.

The top five things that are most important when deciding what to wear for your engagement pictures are. ..

1) Comfort.

I know people say that comfort is overrated on days like this, but if you're uncomfortable then that will come through in your pictures.

Be polished, but choose clothing items that fit properly and aren't constricting.

2) Personality.

The Lilly dress pictured above is gorgeous, but if you aren't a Lilly girl-don't don a dress just for your pictures!

When you show these pictures to your friends & family you want them to recognize you!

3) Assets.

If you've got great gams, show them off!

If your arms are really defined, wear the tank top.

Don't feel like you need to cover every inch or show every inch off, choose the best parts and make sure to highlight them.

4) Practicality.

I love the idea of a sundress and wedges, but it was January when we took our pictures.

If your future hubby is going to be picking you up, try to refrain from wearing a short skirt.

If it's been damp outside, don't wear sandals...dirty feet don't look good on anyone.
Just put a little thought into the conditions that you'll be in when taking your pictures!

5) Colors.

When I think of engagement photos, of course I think bridal.

I love when ladies choose white dresses because it really makes you visualize a bride.

Also, coordination is important. I'm not saying that you need to be matchy-matchy, but you should have a color scheme that is shared between the two of you.

Here are two more inspiration photos for you. . .





These are both my sweet friend Danelle's photos from her engagement shoot, y'all can always find her at FromMsToMrs.Blog.Com!

Her photos are by Crystal Rose Photography & their outfit details are. . .
Her dress is from Tobi & her fiance's outfit (black jeans & sweater) are from H&M.
Her boots are from Corral (and aren't they gorgeous?!) & her vest is from J.Crew :)

Make sure to visit her blog for more wedding tips and inspiration!

Now for what C & I wore. . .

This was my favorite look; I wore this Umgee + dress, Ariat Hacienda boots, and a necklace similar to this one.

I also had on my engagement ring (obviously), my Kiss My Southern Sass state bangle, pearl earrings, and my diamond tennis bracelet.

For this look, I had to be a little more casual...it's hard to ride horses in dresses.

I wore American Eagle jeans, an Umgee + tunic similar to this one, and these Corral boots.

C's outfit is typical him. He didn't want to change outfits, so he wore Wrangler jeans, Ariat boots, and a George Strait shirt.

The most important thing to consider about your engagement pictures is to just be you.

Let your relationship shine & let your personalities shine.

It's all about y'all on that day.

I know C & I laughed and became even closer that day so I hope each of you are able to experience the exact same feelings!

Until next time. . .

xoxo, 

Erin Condren Life Planner Review

At the beginning of the year I did a blog post about planners for the new year & I mentioned that I would be getting an Erin Condren (thanks to C for one of the best Christmas presents!)
I've been waiting to review it, simply because I wanted to really get a lot of use out of it & see if I loved it or not.

Above, I have my planner and all of my supplies.

I keep my stickers, post-its, etc. in the heart envelope & all of my pens, some of my washi tape, & some paper clips in that clear zipper bag.

Here is a close up of the front of my planner.

My new married name (even though we won't be married until May!) is on the front along with the year.

I love the colors on this cover, but if I wanted to change it-they're removable this year!

Here is the monthly spread for February; I try to keep everything filled in & on certain days I use stickers-farm stuff gets a chicken on it, Valentine's Day got the lovey-dovey stickers, and my doctors appointment has an Erin Condren appointment sticker.

I also use the coil clips to attach a business card to my spread.

This is a weekly view; the thing I like best is being able to flip to whatever week it is and being able to see everything I have due & all meetings that I have that week.

The bookmark can be moved each week.

I also use sticky notes to remind me of things that aren't necessarily set in stone, so I can move them around.

Here is just another view of the weekly spread.

I love how it's laid out with morning, day, and night because it helps me organize what time of day certain things are due.

You've probably noticed that I have several different colors throughout my monthly & weekly spreads.

This is because I color-code all of my activities. I keep the colors in the notes section because sometimes even I forget (so embarrassing).

I have to say that color coding has really kept me organized, when I look at a weekly spread and see a lot of blue, I know I have a ton of wedding planning things to get done that week.

One portion of my planner that has gone under-utilized is the forget-me-not perpetual calendar and contact book.
My goal for the next few months is to input everyone's birthdays & the most important addresses.

This little book is great because I don't have to rewrite all of these things in every planner I have, I can just move the little book.

The Erin Condren planners come with labels (& lots of fun stickers, etc. that I didn't show you)

I haven't used these yet, but I love having something so pretty with my married name on them.

The pens that I use are from Target & are the Papermate Flair pens. They don't bleed through the pages, they write so smoothly, & come in SO many colors.

All of the washi & the paperclips are from Target.

I use the washi to block off certain dates & the paper clips to clip together certain pages.

Above I have some of my stickers, mostly purchased at Hobby Lobby & Target.

The glittery ones were great for Valentine's Day & I love the cupcake ones for birthdays.

(Bonus points if you noticed the Lisa Frank stickers! They have horses on them & I use them for things pertaining to my horses :)

The other supplies I use are white-out, because everybody makes mistakes-everybody has those days.

Roll-on tape, because I like my sticky notes to be sticky all the way around.

And assorted sticky notes and flags.

Overall, I'm in love with my planner!
It has helped me be so much more organized & has kept me ahead of all of my assignments so far.

This planner is super durable and functional.

If you want to check out what Erin Condren has to offer, click here.

She has everything from stationary, invitations, office supplies, calendars, etc. 

So much to choose from!

Also, here is my planner if you're interested in this particular one.

I hope y'all enjoyed this post, tell me do you have Erin Condren?

If not, what planner do you use or do you not use one at all?

Until next time. . .

xoxo, 

All You Need is Vitamin C

It's official, according to the groundhog we're going to be having an extended winter.

Who was surprised? Not this girl.

I've been dreaming of hot beaches, Jake Owen singing "Beachin'", and an icy margarita in my hand...but I can't forsee any of that happening in the near future.

That is a very serious problem but...

the biggest problem I have with the winter is that it dries my skin out so bad, specifically my face.

I have to wear makeup everyday, those are the joys of starting my first Practicum in a high school setting, no teenage kids need to see me without my face on.

And makeup doesn't look good on dry skin.

Enter my favorite brand InstaNatural.

Their Vitamin C Moisturizer is a gift from the heavens. No joke. 

Not only is this great on my face, but I also use it on my elbows because they get so dry and crackly this time of year.

Instanatural uses so many great natural ingredients so you don't have to feel bad about using it all the time...I even use it on my fiance's face when it gets dry!

It's an all-around great product and one that I could not make it through the winter without...plus I know it's going to restore my skin so it will look even better for the big day...only 109 days away!

Until next time. . .

xoxo, 

This post is sponsored by InstaNatural in conjunction with the Brandbacker Blog Network. I received a free sample of the product for the purpose of this review. All opinions are my own.

Every Perfect Gift Comes from Above

Before you panic, nope-I'm not having a baby any time soon.

Being raised in the South, we're taught that every occassion calls for a party.

When you get married of course you have your wedding, but you also have showers, luncheons, and teas.

When you have a baby, it's very similar (minus the spiked punch!)

Everyone wants to throw you a baby shower & send you home with 43 blankets and 10 packs of diapers.

It's just how it goes.

This post contains affiliate links-thank you for supporting Southern & Style

Since I'm "helping" plan my first official baby shower for a lady at the church C & I go to, I wanted to share with y'all some of my favorite gifts.

(And no, these aren't the presents for her shower either!)

The staples for most of my shower gifts (especially if it's a couple's first baby) include:

Diapers: Not in Newborn size, the baby might already be too big for those & lots of people will buy that size. Always go one or two sizes up!

Wipes: A new mama can never have too many wipes!

Toiletries for Baby: Parents will go through things like lotion, diaper cream, shampoo, etc. pretty quickly so I always make sure to help them stockpile these items! Bonus points if you get the travel sizes for the diaper bag.

Another great idea is to get a cute container to put it all in that can be reused.

Sure, those bags from Target are really cute-but they'll just get tossed in the trash!

If it's a little girl, a Lilly Pulitzer Tote is a great choice & can even be monogrammed & used for years and years.

Plus, it can easily be cleaned with a wet paper-towel or wipe so keeping it clean in the nursery is a breeze!

Of course, my number one gift for all babies is a book or books of some sort.

C and I typically write our well wishes and the date in the front of the book so that as the child grows and looks back on their first books, they'll see we were there from the beginning!

This book God Bless My Boo Boo is by the author Hannah C. Hall and illustrated by Steve Whitlow.

It is hands-down one of the cutest books I have ever read.

It's the perfect thing to read to your little one after a skinned knee or a splinter in a finger.

And what a better way to let them know that Jesus will always heal their boo-boos :)

The illustrations are absolutely perfect, bright & colorful-they will capture your baby's vision even before they fully understand the words you are saying & the well-made board book design can hold up under rough conditions that kids put them through!

This book is available on Amazon and is the perfect addition to your baby's bookshelf or to stick in a gift bag for the next baby shower you go to!

Tell me, if you're a mama-what items did you get at your showers that you loved, what did you not get that you wished you had?

If you aren't a mama; what do you give at baby showers?

Until next time. . .

xoxo, 

This book was provided by Book Look Bloggers in exchange for an honest review.

All opinions are my own.

Thirsty Thursday: The David

When I say that my sister is practically the Queen of Cocktails, I'm being completely serious.

She's bringing y'all another great concoction to enjoy all year 'round (but wouldn't this one be so tasty if you sipped it while laying on the beach? And honestly, who doesn't want to be on a beach right now with the weather we've been having.)

This is called "The David" because that's the name of it's creator-but my sister is the one who passed it on to me.

ingredients: 

Ice

2oz. Jack Daniel's Tennessee Honey

Ginger Ale

1 oz Key Lime Juice

Sliced Lime

directions: 

Place desired amount of ice inside glass of your choice

Add Jack Daniel's, then ginger ale to top.

Add Key Lime juice (from the mixer aisle in the grocery store, it needs to be sweetened!)

Add a slice of lime for garnish.

Enjoy!

I hope y'all enjoy this little cocktail & please let me know if y'all try this one out!

Until next time. . .

xoxo, 

Nail Routine

I rarely paint my nails, I'm just too hard on them to redo them every week!

But I have a nail polish addiction...I literally own enough polishes to last me for my entire life.

So, I thought it was time to put them to use.

Today I want to share with y'all my go-to nail polish routine, I did this for my special Valentine's Day date & they actually turned out pretty well even though it's been so long since I've done them.

It makes me want to go back to painting them regularly, that's for sure.

(Nail File)(Essie Quick E)(Gelous)(Out the Door Top Coat)(OPI Cajun Shrimp Polish)

The trick to making your nails last longer is the Gelous & the top coat.

To do my nails I follow these steps:

1) Two coats of Gelous; pausing in between to let each coat dry.

2) Two coats of the polish of your choice, letting each coat dry.

I chose OPI's Cajun Shrimp because it's the perfect red/pink shade. 

It had me jonesing for Spring & it was absolutely perfect for Valentine's Day.

3) One layer of Out the Door top coat.

4) If you're in a real hurry, the Essie Quick E is great-just a drop or two and your nails are dry in seconds! 

I went & hung out with the horses the morning of Valentine's Day & I grabbed this shot standing next to my horse Willow.

I know my nails aren't super long or anything, but the polish job looks pretty good if I do say so myself...and that ring though ;)

Hope y'all enjoyed this, since it was a little different than what I usually do!

Until next time. . .

xoxo, 

Spa Day

I hope everyone had a great weekend & a Happy Valentine's Day!

Today, I want to share with you one of my recent discoveries, some more products from one of my favorite companies...Insta Natural!

There is nothing better to me than spending an evening just pampering myself.

I like to go all out-candles, a bubble bath, moscato, thick lotion, and some sort of facial.

My newest favorite facial is the Dead Sea Mud Mask.

It's got a thick, creamy consistency and is dark in color-just like you would expect!

It doesn't have any noticeable smell and goes on really easily.

To apply, you just take a small amount with your fingers and apply it to your face (just don't get it close to your mouth or eyes!)

After about 15 minutes, the mask hardens and all you have to do is take a damp washcloth and wipe it gently off of your face.

Afterward, my skin was so soft and smooth!

This product is great for acne, pimples, & blackheads when applied to the face, but you can also use it on your body to relieve muscle aches and pains.

After I take the mask off, I like to finish off with these two little gems-Insta Natural's Retinol Moisturizer and Insta Natural's Retinol Serum.

The serum smells like grapefruit, because of the pink grapefruit essential oils.

It has tons of other natural ingredients that aid in clearing pores & clearing up blemishes.

After that soaks in (which is does quickly!) I apply the moisturizer which is thick and creamy, but also soaks in well.

Anything that helps prevent against signs of aging, I want to try, so these Retinol products are great.

These products are a big part of my night time routine, I use the mask weekly & the other two products nightly.

My skin is so clear and soft & my pores are really minimized!

Don't you just love finding new products & new companies that really make your life better?

Do y'all love pampering yourself as much as I do?

Spa nights are my absolute fave...I think I might need one this week ;)

Until next time. . .

xoxo, 

 This was a sponsored post powered by BrandBacker. I received samples in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Spring Trends

       Floral Dress/Sunglasses/Clutch/Denim Dress/OPI Polish/Jack Rogers/Deborah Lippman Polish

Just as I thought Alabama was warming up & Spring was finally coming...it cooled back down.

Bummer!

But I decided that I would get a jump-start researching some of the trends that will be coming up this Spring & share them with y'all!

Floral prints & shirt dresses are going to be huge for Spring-which is great because these two options look so comfortable! I can see them both on the beach for Spring Break or even for a casual date night.

Round-frame sunglasses are also going to be a big trend for the spring, this option from Urban Outfitters is only $16. For that price, you can afford to go with a trendy pair!

Y'all know I love anything monogrammed, but this clutch takes the cake.

All shades of yellow are going to be trending this Spring, so this shade is perfect for transitioning to Spring (& then using year 'round!)

It's from Etsy (& only $24!) so you're also supporting a small-shop!

Jack Rogers are always popular for Spring, but the new Lauren sandals are seriously perfect. I love this cognac color because it will go with absolutely everything.

Two nail colors that are trending for Spring 2015 are a pale pink (Bubble Bath by OPI) & tangerine (Lara's Theme by Deborah Lippman)

I love pale pinks on my nails & bright oranges on my toes, so these will definitely be added to my collection this Spring!

What are y'all most looking forward to for the Spring?

I can't wait until it warms up so I can start wearing sandals!

Until next time. . .

xoxo,

Forever Young

For most of my life, my mama has always taught me that it's never too early to start taking care of your skin.

You're only given one body and it's our duty to take care of and cherish it.

I've done my best, I try to get 8 glasses of water per day (I usually fail miserably), I try to go for walks around our neighborhood 5-6 days out of the week (but have you been outside lately? Brrrr!), and I typically take my makeup off every night before I go to sleep (except for when I'm really, really tired).

But even through mistreating my body like I've been known to do for these past 21 years, I realize that I do need to step up and take better care of myself.

That means more walks, more water, and yes-taking better care of my skin.

But finding products to prevent aging (that actually work) has to be hard right?

Nope, not when Radha beauty is at your fingertips, literally.

Radha Beauty is based off of Amazon currently & who doesn't have Prime nowadays?

With the wedding coming up, I'm all about preserving and protecting...and maybe some correcting too, while I'm at it.

Radha Beauty's Intensive Youth Eye Gel is seriously something that I never knew that I needed, but now that I have it-I'm not sure how I lived without it.

I thought I was doomed to have the same dark circles and under eye bags that have run in my family for years, but after using this product I have seen serious improvement!

All you do is take a small dab of the gel and dab it under your eyes and then when you wake up, you should notice a difference.

I wear mine every night & although I've been using it consistently, my small bottle still has tons left in it which means it's a great value!

Radha Beauty also has Vitamin C Serum, which I have to admit...I was also a little hesitant to try at first, but now it's a staple part of my bedtime routine.

It's supposed to repair sun damage (dark spots), plump your skin, and "make you smile or your money back" as the product description on Amazon says.

Guess what y'all, it will make you smile when you put this on before bed & wake up the next morning with brighter skin. 

The last item from Radha Beauty that I have is the Retinol Moisturizing Cream.

This product is choc-full of natural ingredients like aloe, Vitamin E, green tea, and tons of other natural oils which make you really feel great about the product that you're putting on your skin.

I use this in the morning and in the evening and I feel like it really is reducing my fine lines, plus it's honestly just really nourishing.

Radha Beauty has so many great products, they're even coming out with 4 100% pure oils, so who knows what other products will be in their lineup soon. 

If you'd like to keep up with them on social media you can find them here: 

Facebook

Instagram

Just remember y'all, it doesn't matter whether you're 15 or 35, it's never too early to start taking care of the skin you're in-it's all you have, so let's love it & nourish it!

Until next time. . .

xoxo, 

This is a sponsered post is powered by Brandbacker, however all comments are my own honest opinion.

January Favorites

Eyeshadow/Perfume/Planner/Mascara/Lip Balm/Piko Tunic

I can barely believe it's 2015, much less already February!

This past month has been a whirlwind of trying to get back in the groove of school & wedding planning on top of that.

I've been really loving an easy makeup routine this month, so this eye shadow palette I received for Christmas from my parents is great. It makes it so easy to have all of my favorite colors in one place.

This mascara is literally the best too, it's something I received in one of my past  Ipsy bags & it's one of these little things that makes a big difference!

The perfume from Victoria's Secret smells SO good, I only have it as a sample right now...but I want to buy the full size soon. 

EOS will always be my favorite, it's so moisturizing and I have several laying around everywhere-in my truck, on my bedside table, and two in my purse!

With the wedding planning going on, I had to find a planner that could accommodate that AND all of my school stuff, Erin Condren fits the bill.

I can't wait to do a full review of this for y'all to see how I use it.

Some days I need something a little more polished than an over-sized Patagonia, this Piko dress is totally it.

I have it in three colors and I love wearing it under vests and over leggings with riding boots.

It's the perfect mixture of comfortable and dressy.

I always share my favorite songs with y'all, so for this month I've been nonstop listening to "Fly" by Maddie and Tae. Yep, the same girls who sang "Girl in a Country Song".

Give it a listen, it's so so good.

Here's to making February just as great as January was!

Until next time. . .

xoxo, 

Valentine's Day Gift Guide

Tumbler/Zip Pouch/Essie Polish in Gucci Muchi Puchi/Longchamp/Kendra Scott Earrings/Jack Rogers/MAC Lipstick in Candy Yum-Yum

Call it cliche, but Valentine's Day is one of my favorite holidays.

All of the pink & the red, the candy & the flowers, it's just so much fun!

Though Valentine's Day truly isn't supposed to be about the gifts, it's always fun to get them!

These are just a few things that I would love to get myself, they would also make a great gift for any of the women in your life!

I think my favorites are the Kendra Scott earrings or the MAC lipstick, but I'm always a sucker for new Essie polishes ;)

Make sure to pin this on Pinterest or post it on Facebook (even tweet it on Twitter!) so your significant other can see what you might be wishing for this Valentine's Day :)

Until next time. . .

xoxo,