Mother's Day Gift Guide

Hey y'all!

This Saturday's post is all about those important women in our life; whether she's your Mama, your Grandmother, Mother-in-Law, or just a lovely lady who has made you feel like you belong to her and her family-May 14th is the day to honor her and all she does!

I've been very blessed with a wonderful Mama who over the years has become one of my very best friends. I truly love hanging out with her and spending time with her-she's a gem & I'm so blessed to call her mine...so sweet Mama, this post is dedicated to you!

Let's jump into my suggestions for the ladies in your life. . .

Custom Home Watercolor Illustration

You can find these all over Etsy, but for this post I picked the one that was mid-range price (between $30-40) and looked the prettiest in the sample work.

I think these are such a sweet idea to gift your Mom, it's a keepsake that she can have forever even if they no longer live in that home!

Shutterfly Photo Book

Y'all, I think that Shutterfly's photo books are the best gifts ever because photos are an awesome way to share memories and they do take a little time to get just right so it requires a little thought-which is sweet!

They often run sales & specials, in fact the link I included above gives you a free photo book-cash that in on Mom 😘

Paper Source Mother's Day Card

Do you want to really know what Mom's love?

Cards.

Those ladies love cards.

But don't just buy them a random card and sign your name. Find a card that really fits her and shares your thoughts about her and then make sure you write a sweet, thoughtful, caring message inside.

You'll get good tears every single time!

Tartlette in Bloom Eyeshadow Palette

I love makeup and so I'm always trying to think of ways I can share that love with the people in my life.

My mama is a big fan of neutrals and doesn't often treat herself, so this would be the perfect gift!

The packaging is gorgeous, the shadows are soft, buttery, and pigmented, and if you've ever smelled a Tarte palette you know they smell amazing!

Kate Spade Initial Necklace

If you're an only child this would be the perfect gift for you to give (or if you share a first initial with your siblings!)

Or you can always gift mom her first or last initial for this gorgeous necklace.

S'Well Palm Beach Water Bottle

I've never owned a S'well bottle (I'm a Yeti girl, myself) but the pattern on this stunning bottle drew me in.

This would be great for the Mom on the go because it keeps your beverages cold or hot while not spilling when you toss it into a bag.

Plus, it would look pretty on a desk or at the gym.

Geode Coasters

Perhaps your Mom really likes her furniture and is always reminding you to put a coaster under your drinks?

Gift her these geode coasters and it's a gift for her sanity and they look nice too 😉

Laura Ashley Dish Towels

These pretty floral dish towels are a cute spring/summer addition to the kitchen, plus they're useful!

Cashmere Wrap

There's absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to be cozy!

This wrap would be perfect for wearing out when the weather gets colder and wrapping up on the couch when the AC is running full blast.

Capri Blue Candle

Candles in general are always a good gift idea.

These candles are a gorgeous addition because she can repurpose the beautiful jar as decor when she burns through it.

Bath & Body Works is also running a 2 for $24 special today (with a 25% off coupon as well) so you could stock up there!

Keurig Brewing System

I'm a coffee nut but I haven't succumbed to the Keurig hype yet, but when I saw this in one of my Mom's favorite colors I knew it was kismet-I had to include it.

If you really want to spoil your Mom this Mother's Day, upgrade her regular drip pot for one of these snazzy models.

In the widget below I added some additional links to products that I really think would be great for Mama's on this day!

If none of these ring your bell I highly suggest something like a day trip to do something your Mom enjoys or maybe taking her to a concert, cook a meal for her, or a gift certificate for a mani/pedi or a massage/facial!

I hope this helped some of y'all-let me know in the comments what you're getting your Mama for Mother's Day!

Until next time. . . 

xoxo, 

Ten on Tuesday [No.6]

Hey y'all!

Welcome to a new edition of Ten on Tuesday!

I hope y'all have had a great week this past week-I'm so glad to finally be able to share with y'all what has been going on in my life, so let's jump into it.

ONE

After I posted last week's Ten on Tuesday & had settled down to work on one of my April Goals, I got a phone call that would forever change my life.

See, my sweet Grandma who was 86, but the picture of life had passed away.

It was very sudden and unexpected & it has left a hole in her family and friend's hearts. 

I love this shot of her and my Grandpa Claude from my wedding!

It's been a hard week, but we are so thankful for all the prayers & love we have received. 

Y'all, hold your loved ones closer & make sure to spend time with your parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents!

She and my Grandpa Claude had an amazing relationship, they loved to laugh with each other!

She was unique, fun, wise, beautiful, and absolutely one-of-a-kind...I hope to be like her one day :)

TWO

Alright, onto more happy things :)

My husband knows exactly how to relax me and cheer me up, that's trips to the farm.

Friday evening, after a long day, we headed to the farm at dusk; the air was cool and it was just beautiful outside.

Y'all are probably so tired of seeing these trees make appearances on the blog, but they're my favorite part of our farm!

THREE

I know it's wedding season, so I wanted to resurrect this post all about Planning Your Honeymoon.

It's got great tips for planning & executing a fun trip with you and your honey :)

FOUR

These are my desk essentials and y'all-I can't do without any of them!

Bath & Body Works is my staple store for any body care and I've been using the Winter Candy Apple hand cream and Holly Jolly Berry hand sanitizer since Christmas.

And for my lips I use the EOS lip balm in Sweet Mint which is a favorite; it goes on clear and leaves your breath smelling minty and fresh. And of course I use my Maybelline Baby Lips for just a sheer wash of color that doesn't require a mirror.

My cute little clips are all from Target of course ;) 

FIVE

If you've been keeping up with April the Giraffe and her baby, then you need to read this article!

SIX

According to Southern Living I need to visit the Commander's Palace when Christopher & I visit New Orleans this Summer; it was voted the South's best restaurant for 2017!

SEVEN

There's just something about animals in Springtime; I've so enjoyed seeing both my horses and my pup frolic around this time of year.

Wrangler is my old man who's looking better than ever. 

Forrest has been enjoying afternoons by the pond and fetching endless sticks.

He's crazy about the water!

EIGHT

Yesterday was well spent checking off one of my most fun April goals; having lunch and a shopping date with my sister in Birmingham!

My mom & other sister even tagged along, which made it more fun :)

We tried out Taco Mama at the Summit and it was delicious; also celebrating Margarita Monday with a Pomegranate Marg was a perfect kick off to the week.

And on our window shopping trip to Lush, I discovered that I really need to upgrade to the newest iPhone or either convince my sister to be my new blog-tographer because her phone takes amazing shots!

NINE

Speaking of fun drinks-this recipe for Blushing Mimosas sounds so yummy!

How perfect would that be for a bridal shower or bachelorette party? Especially with that name!

TEN

Y'all know after reading last week's Ten on Tuesday that I'm obsessed with doing some re-doing our outdoor spaces...well now I think I've got it in my head that we need to change up our door color, thanks to this Southern Living article.

I think navy blue or light blue would really pop in our neighborhood and make our house look so much more fresh!

Well, that's all for this week!

Let me know below what you're up to or what you're loving this week!

Until next time. . .

xoxo, 

Sandals Under $100

Y'all, this Alabama weather needs to get itself under control real quick because my wardrobe doesn't know how to handle it.

One day, it's eighty degrees and I'm wearing dresses and wedges, the next day it's fifty degrees and I've got on skinny jeans and my favorite cardigan.

Weather whiplash, I tell you.

But today's post is all about when the weather finally agrees and you can wear the cutest of shoes...but you gotta have them at a good price, so you can buy more than one pair, am I right?

Today I rounded up some of my favorites (with even more linked in the widget below!)

First of all, how cute are those pom pom gladiator sandals?

They are so trendy & definitely make a statement!

The powder blue Steve Madden sandals come in several colors and they are all to-die-for!

I think these would be adorable for dressing up and still being comfortable. Now just to decide which pair I want...

I've heard so many people rave about the Tom's flip flops and how comfortable they are-so I'm thinking before we go on our beach vacay this year, I may have to pick a pair up & they are such a great price as well!

I'm dying over the platform espadrille sandals that come in both black & brown-they look so expensive but are just at $80! That's an absolute steal for a comfortable shoe that will go with so much.

All of these shoes can be purchased from Nordstrom (hello, free shipping!)

I hope y'all love this roundup-let me know down below what other shopping categories you would like to see on a budget...accessories under $50? Trendy dresses under $100? Let me know in the comments!

Until next time. . .

xoxo, 

Ten On Tuesday [No.5]

Hey y'all!

Welcome back to another addition of Ten on Tuesday!

Since my last post, I've been having such a great few days and I can't wait to share all of this with y'all!

ONE

I have loved decorating for Spring (& Easter) this year because it just feels like a fresh start, which I love.

[You can always see my new decor on IG: @SouthernAndStyle]

Some of my favorite pieces are the preserved boxwood topiaries, my bunnies (the moss one is from TJ Maxx & the white one is from Target), my ginger jar, and my little sign which was a dollar spot find last year!

TWO

If you're a football fan, you've probably heard of a guy named Mark Pike who went to the Superbowl four times with the Buffalo Bills.

He and his son, Zeke visited the school I teach at on Wednesday (and the church I go to also that evening).

If you haven't heard Zeke's story, I won't spoil it for you but I encourage you to read it here where he shared it with Sport's Illustrated. 

He has an amazing story & I'm so glad my students had the opportunity to hear it. This guy is only 2 months older than me and because of choices he and I have made, ours are 100% different. It definitely will make you think!

THREE

On my Saturday post, I talked about my nail polish picks for Spring and now that I've gotten in the habit of painting my nails I'm craving even more new polishes.

I'm dying to test out Deborah Lippmann's polish set in Pretty in Pink. It has all of my favorite shades in mini sizes!

FOUR

So for the month of April I made it a goal to read one book (which I guess, if you count the book we're reading in my reading class at school-I've already accomplished that goal!).

But the one that I'm currently reading for myself is about 1/4 gone. Here's a hint to what I'm reading!

FIVE

I've been on a house plan hunting rampage the last few days. We're not planning on building a new house for several more years (gotta save that $$$) but I found one that I love, now I just have to talk Chris into it!
Follow along on this board to see what I'm looking for in a house!

SIX

This week Dana posted a very important reminder on her blog-it's something that all of you sun-loving beauties should go check out!

SEVEN

I just got sent this product, so I'm going to be testing it out (along with a ton of other products I bought from the recent Ulta sale!) and letting y'all know how I liked it/if it worked in a new skincare post, be on the lookout for that!

EIGHT

Have y'all seen the collaboration between Draper James & Jack Rogers?! They have the cutest patterns and even some adorable ones that say "Hello Darlin'" which I'm dying to have!

NINE

I normally try really hard not to buy super high end makeup, because usually I can find products that are just as good at the drugstore. But so many people are raving about this lipstick and the color seems perfect for this time of year.

Should I take the leap?!

TEN

 Last Friday I had to run some errands for my husband, including stopping by the office for our trucking company.

I couldn't help but stop to admire these gorgeous flowers growing beside the porch, and of course taking a shot of my favorite sandals right now (I just wish you could see more than just the fringe of the cute top I was wearing!)

Well, that's all for this Ten on Tuesday!

Let me know down below what you're up to on this fine weekday :)

Until next time. . .

xoxo, 

Spring Nail Polish Picks

Hey y'all!

One of my favorite things about Spring is bringing out my favorite bright, colorful nail polishes and giving myself manis and pedis!

I admit, I'm very hard on my nails-I use my hands a lot and it makes it difficult for a polish job to last a long time. 

A while back, I posted about my at-home "gel manicure" that is super easy and is my trick to getting at least two weeks of good looking nails-so far, it's done pretty well for me!

To start out with my favorites for Spring, I have to let you know about the two must-haves for me any time I paint my nails. 

I always start out painting my nails with the Gelous Nail Gel Coat, then I paint another layer of Gelous between every coat of polish that I use. It helps thicken the layers and gives you the look of gel, while insuring that your polish will be last longer (and that your nail base will be protected).

My Out the Door Top Coat is another favorite because it's truly what helps keep your nails from chipping, but also dries very quickly. It gives an excellent shine as well.

Essie's Quick-E drying drops aren't shown above, but if you're in a hurry, just one little drop of that oil on your nails and you are ready to go in seconds!

I divided my favorite polishes up into shade tones; the first of which are purples and blues.

I love this color range for Spring and Summer because it reminds me of mermaids and the beach, it's such a fun range! These would make great nail/toenail combos as well.

Essie's Trophy Wife is obviously a fave because of the name 💁but also because of the shimmery blue mermaid nail color

Essie's Butler Please is the perfect ocean blue shade!

Essie's In the Cabana reminds me of clear blue water and the perfect blue skies. 

Essie's Full Steam Ahead is the color I currently have on my toes & I'm obsessed. It's the perfect Spring pastel lavender shade.

If you ever see me out and about, nine times out of ten I'll have on a red or orange polish during the Spring/Summer seasons because they are just so classic and really work well with my skin tone.

Essie's Tart Deco is a gorgeous  tangerine/coral shade. It looks amazing with a tan as well.

Essie's Sunday Funday is very similar to Tart Deco ( a little darker) , but with the addition of slight bit of shimmer, which makes it especially pretty in the sun.

OPI's Cajun Shrimp is my all time favorite color. I literally wear this shade year-round, because it's just my favorite color.

It's a red-coral shade and wears so well, usually only taking one coat.

Essie's Geranium is the perfect red shade for summer, as it doesn't come off too "Christmasey" which I try to avoid during the warmer months ;)

It's a very pigmented shade that goes on really smoothly. 

These are my three all-time favorite pink shades; and y'all...this was so hard to narrow down because pink is a color that I wear a ton during the Spring and Summer, probably more than orange and red.

Essie Peach Daiquiri This is a peachy shade that leans more pink than orange, so that makes it a favorite for me!

Essie's Bachelorette Bash This is a pretty bold statement, but I think this might be my other favorite shade-it's such a bold, punchy, bright shade of pink. I fell in love with it when I was planning my wedding (hence the name) and their whole wedding line has become my very favorite.

Maybelline Pink Shock I chose to include this in my picks strictly because of the color. I have two of these polishes and the formula on them is very weak and streaky, but the colors are to die for. So if you can take the time and handle being patient to get good coverage, I recommend trying this one out!

Ahhh, the nudes! These are also a great pick for year round because they match everything (although some are better on some skin tones than others).

These are especially favorites of mine when we're still in school because as I'm teaching I don't necessarily want my nails to be a focal-point. These allow me to have pretty polish, but it's more subdued.

Essie's Blanc This doesn't look as white in my pictures as it actually is, but it is a true white polish. The only problem I have with this is making it completely opaque (it takes multiple coats and tends to get gummy because I'm impatient). It's a pick because the color is unbeatable for playing up a tan (and also for doing nail art on top of, or making other polishes pop) but if you have recommendations for a killer white polish-leave it below!

Essie's Sand Tropez This is an awesome light brown shade, it's a perfect nude if there ever was one. Unlike Blanc, this one is pretty opaque for me.

Essie's Hi Maintenance Um hello, this name is all for me! Haha, just kidding-but this is a pinky-nude that I love to wear year round, in fact I almost picked this color before I settled on Precious for this week. It's a pretty soft pink that just looks natural and sweet.

OPI Passion Have you ever heard someone describe a lip product as "your lips, but better"? Well Passion by OPI is "your nails, but better". It's a soft, almost baby pink type color that goes on very sheer. I actually painted my nails this color over my Spring break and it has held up rather well (only the tips of two or three nails had chipped). I photo of me wearing it is below!

I hope y'all enjoyed this little roundup of my favorites! I included links for each product, as well as in the widget below!

Let me know below what your favorite polishes are and any must-have products for your nails that you use!

Until next time. . .

xoxo, 

Ten on Tuesday [No.4]

*Some links below are affiliate links-if you have any questions, please let me know!*

Hey y'all!

I have to admit, these posts are starting to be some of my favorites-I really love sharing some random updates and favorites with y'all each week, it's been really fun!

Let's see what's going on this week...

ONE

Y'all, number one for this week is just going to be food. First of all, I had oral surgery on the fifth, so last Wednesday & it's been difficult to eat basically anything that's harder than mashed potatoes (it's getting better now, but still) so you know when you can't have something-you want it, right?

Before my surgery I made these bomb veggie kabobs with shrimp (red, yellow, and green bell peppers, baby tomatoes, purple onion, and mushrooms marinated in a little Dale's sauce and some pepper) and they were amazing.

We even ate the leftovers the next day with rice pilaf, water rolls, and "crack chicken". I also made myself some sautéed mushrooms on the side that were divine, but my husband hates mushrooms. Keep in mind, if you make this crack chicken, it's very rich so it's one of those once every three month type dishes!

TWO

If y'all don't know about my love affair with Tula products, then what are you even doing with your life?

If you follow this link you'll get 20% off your first Tula purchase & then you'll be hooked forever. Sorry not sorry!

Here are some of my favorite Tula products. . .

THREE

I had to make a return like two weeks ago and I decided to go out on a whim and pick up this ball cap by the brand Aviate. If you've never heard of them, basically they make caps and shirts, etc. with airport codes of various cities on them. You can look at all of their places and stuff here.

I like wearing caps on the weekends because I tend to not do my hair & I'm just running errands or spending time on the farm. I wore this one on our recent canoeing trip and it was perfect. It's safe to say that I'm in love with this cap representing the loveliest village on the Plains (Auburn, of course!)

FOUR

Guys, if y'all have Chick-Fil-A nearby, I suggest you run and try their Cobb salad asap. (With a frosted lemonade on the side).

It's not the most healthy salad, but it's so good. It's a healthy-ish treat & since I rarely eat fast food, I'll allow it for myself!

It's a delicious combination of  lettuce with tomatoes (and all the other salad toppings) and if you really want it to taste amazing, add the garlic & herb ranch. All of that with their chicken nuggets sliced on top. Basically heaven.

FIVE

I smelled this perfume the other day & now it's on my wishlist.

It's the perfect romantic, feminine scent and I'm in love.

SIX

Victoria just shared Aerin Lauder's new line for William Sonoma on her blog and I'm dying over the pretty light details for Spring!

SEVEN

Speaking of home design/decor...have you looked at Target's new spring line? I'm obsessed with everything.

EIGHT

Who is as obsessed with Amazon as I am?!

If you haven't heard, now they've got a "Something in, Something out" program & it's the best idea ever.

NINE

I recently discovered that you can order my favorite Talenti gelato flavor in bulk on Amazon and my life has pretty much changed dramatically. 

TEN

If you were wondering how my April Goals are going, this was my view today on my walk!

Our neighborhood is perfect for walking in and the weather was awesome today so I took advantage of not having to drive to the park.

Well y'all, that's all for this weeks Ten on Tuesday-let me know what you're up to this week below!

Until next time. . .

xoxo, 

April Goals

Hey y'all!

I know this post is a little late (considering we're already a week into the month of April!)

Here are what my goals are for this month...let's see if we can get them done!

1. Walk 2-3 days per week

2. Continue to get up 2 posts per week for every week in the month

3. Read at least one book

4. Try out (& blog) about one new recipe! This one should be easy because I have been clipping new recipes like crazy from my Southern Living & Good Housekeeping magazines.

5. Have a girl's day with my sister on our weather day! (Can't wait for Little Donkey & Summit shopping!)

I know there aren't a ton of them, & I already know I'm going to have to give myself some grace because of my dental surgery on the 5th, but I'm excited about this month!

Until next time. . .

xoxo,

Ten on Tuesday [No.3]

Hey y'all & welcome back to Ten on Tuesday, I hope your week has been treating you well so far!

Let's jump into my Ten on Tuesday :) 

ONE

If you love Fixer Upper as much as I do (hello shiplap everything!) then you're probably looking forward to their new behind-the-scenes spinoff show! This clip explains why they don't show every single room in the reveal and I love it!

TWO

This guy will probably only sound familiar to maybe a couple of you, especially if you're from Alabama. But Riley Green (who went to my alma mater, Jacksonville State University) released a new single and I'm kind of obsessed with it. Can't wait for his next EP to come out!

                                             

THREE

Those of you who follow my Instagram stories (@SouthernAndStyle) probably saw these cute bookends from my visit to Target on Wednesday. Y'all, when I looked them up online and saw they were only $20, I knew I had to have them. So guess who's cart they're sitting in right now...🙋

FOUR

This past week we had our front porch and back deck pressure washed and now I want to decorate them both & make them comfy and cute for Spring and Summer because we really do spend a lot of time outside when it's warm.

I looked at this outdoor sectional, this four-piece set (I love the color!), and chaise lounges like this one...but I haven't committed to anything yet.

On our front porch, I was thinking about one of these on each side of the door on our porch...and of course, I need these to go with!

FIVE

Since I've been dreaming about decorating our outdoor spaces, I've also been dreaming about putting in some new landscaping. But until that actually begins, I'll just read this Southern Living article about dreamy hydrangea gardens that have us wishing for Spring.

SIX

Here's to being back at work, for only two days this week! I went back to work yesterday & today as well. But tomorrow I'm having surgery so I'll be off for the rest of the week. I would appreciate your good vibes & prayers for the surgery to go well!

SEVEN
These are my favorite Larabar ever (& I'm about to start ordering them on Amazon because that's a great price). They're so moist and filling, I love that they only have three ingredients!

EIGHT

We savored the last day of my Spring Break (on Sunday) by going canoeing on the Terrapin River and we had a blast!

It was our first time taking Forrest canoeing and he did great, he absolutely loved it and loved taking a swimming/fetch break.

Pardon my natural wavy hair pulled back in a ponytail, but I loved being able to go makeup free & natural hair on my last day-my husband and pup didn't mind!

EIGHT

If you love makeup as much as I do, you should read Annaliese's blog about her 9 Best It Cosmetics Products! I'm dying to test out this brand & since she's one of my fave bloggers, it's easy to take her recommendations!

NINE

As my two-year anniversary to my sweet, sweet husband gets closer (the end of next month!) I'm reminiscing on our graduation+one year anniversary shoot and wishing we could do another one!

TEN

I saved this for last because it isn't the most aesthetically pleasing picture (we've since pressure washed our table and deck, promise!), but this past week I so loved being able to sit out on our back deck and enjoy the Spring weather while reading, working on blog posts, and just relaxing.

It will spoil you, that's for sure!

Well y'all, that's all for this week's Ten on Tuesday!

Let me know what's on your top ten list for the week down below.

Until next time. . .

xoxo,