BrandBacker Member

Monday, May 25, 2015

@SouthernStylista

This week is officially wedding week (only 5 days away!)
My posts may not be very frequent, but I'm hoping to still create some great content for y'all up until Thursday where I'll take a break to get geared up for a busy weekend of getting hitched and then traveling to Savannah for our honeymoon getaway!
Today I want to first of all say Happy Memorial Day!
I'm so thankful to be an American and so thankful for all the men and women in every military branch who gave it all so that I may remain free.

I'm sharing some of my favorite instagram posts today, you can always follow along at @SouthernStylista if you want to see my daily updates!

I was so excited to snag this Lilly Pulitzer monopoly game from a Lilly resale page on Facebook.
They were limited edition, so they're super rare.
I love how bright and fun it is, I'm even thinking about framing it!


This is one of my favorite spring time outfits.
The chambray shirt dress is from Old Navy, but unfortunately sold out!
The scarf is the Lilly Loves Hope scarf which is also sold out,
& the boots are from Ariat and they're called the Hacienda boots.
My bracelets are all wire bangles from misc. places online!


I had to take a little snapshot of my ever-growing Lilly collection. . .
I stocked up on three dresses from the Target line and my Elsa collection is exploding!
But the colors are so bright, they make my closet so much happier.


This picture makes my heart happy, it has a lot of my favorite things.
My chacos, my favorite Essie polish, and of course one of my horses-Willow.
It's definitely spring in Alabama!



I took this shot the other night while I was grilling burgers on our back deck.
Angry Orchard is my favorite beverage, especially when it's in a Lauren James koozie!



I decided to treat myself to some new duds for our honeymoon at the Belk at the Summit!
This dress was one of my favorites and I got it half off-don't you just love the sale rack?
The maxi dress peeking out the side in Big Flirt was a strong contender. . .
definite buyers remorse!


I took this shot of my engagement ring on some honeysuckle a few weeks ago when Chris and I were checking on the cows in one of our pastures.
It was just too pretty of a shot to not get-plus I'm just obsessed with my ring.



This shot is just the epitome of how I've been spending my summer break so far.
I've been loving reading by the pool at my parents house-I even finished True Believers which is a Nicholas Sparks book, perfect light summer reading!

I hope you enjoyed these little snapshots!
Follow along with me on insta at @SouthernStylista
if you follow me and leave your handle below I'll follow back!

Until next time. . . 

xoxo, 



Thursday, May 21, 2015

Wedding Wednesday: Engagement Session

As you know, I'm marrying my very best friend on May 30, 2015.
We've been kind of late to the game with everything, we only had our engagement pictures done last month!

Thankfully, our photographer is a dream to work with and our pictures turned out beautifully.

Today, I wanted to let the pictures speak for themselves and let you see a few of our favorites. . .




{The one below is my all-time favorite!}


{That rock though :) }



I am so obsessed with the ones featuring our horses & the fact that she was so fun while working with them!


Is this one not hilarious? Willow & Wrangler are all, "Mom, dad...seriously you're embarrassing us!"




I am so, so happy with how these turned out.

If you want to check out some of our photographers other work, you can find her at Amy-Cole Photography she is just plain wonderful!

Let me know what y'all think of them!

Until next time. . .

xoxo, 






Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Wedding Wednesday: Invitations

There are a ton of huge decisions to make when planning a wedding.
The dress, the cake, the venue...but the invitations are another biggie.

They cost a lot, they set the mood for the wedding, and you'll have at least one as a keepsake forever.
So, it's very important to get it right :)

Today I'm going to share with y'all my top picks for wedding invitations and I'm going to attempt to cover all price ranges and different places you can purchase!

You also get a sneak peak of my invite :)


1 image 1 photo Invitations & Announcements 

I'm not really sure why these are coming across as blurry on the blog (they most certainly aren't on the website!)
While we didn't choose this option, I love the idea of incorporating your engagement pictures onto your wedding invite.
These are $9 for 10 invitations, which are some of the least expensive that I have seen.
I also like that you can order them in groups of 10.


 Classic Crest - Signature White Wedding Invitations - Magnolia Press - Black : Front

This is on a completely different end of the spectrum, at the more high end of $4.50 per invitation.
I love the heavy look of this invite and the rustic almost chalk-board background.
I also love the border and the interesting shape!



Rustic Wedding Invitation, Rustic Heart Wedding Invitation, Wood Wedding Invitaiton, Country Wedding Invitation,Custom

As you can tell by most of my posts, my wedding is going to be very rustic-chic.
 These invitations from Etsy would be perfect for a wedding with the same theme!
I love that these come with RSVP cards, which we ended up not doing because I didn't want to fork over the extra cash for them!
These come in at $1.45 a piece, which isn't bad for having something hand made just for you.
Also, I love the idea of ordering through Etsy because it means I'm helping feed someone's family and not just supporting another corporation.


Personalized Stationery - Gold Dots Invitation  

I know what you're thinking, Wal-Mart for your wedding invitations?
But y'all-are these not very Kate-Spade inspired?!
I was shocked at how many pretty options they have, great font choices, and even different paper choices!

Plus, this style is only $0.99 per invite!


Rhapsody Foil-Pressed Wedding Invitations 

Once again, this is blurry here-but if you click on the link above you can see it without the blurriness!
This was actually a high contender for our wedding invites, I love the florals and the gold foil on the letters.
These come in at $2.60 per invite, which is a really good deal in my opinion!

Our invitations also came from Minted 


 I've linked them above so you can see the samples and all that, but above is our actual invite!
They were actually about $2.40 per invite because we ordered over 100.
The reason we chose Minted over all the less expensive options is not only because I just loved this invite-but also because they address all of your envelopes for free!
It looked so professional and saved my hands so much pain and suffering.

I'm not getting sponsored by Minted in any way, but I just wanted y'all to know about it-future brides, it will save you so much time!

I hope y'all enjoyed this little Wedding Belles post!
Several people have asked if I will continue doing Wedding Belles after we get married (in 17 days!) and I have decided that I will.
It may not be every Wednesday, but I have honestly loved every part of planning my wedding and I hope that I can continue to help future brides :)
If you would like me to continue, please let me know!

Also! I almost forgot to mention-visit www.SimpleAddiction.com and spend $7.50 & receive a free gift! Also don't forget to use the code SOUTHERN10 at checkout to get 10% off all orders :)


Until next time. . .

xoxo, 



Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Simple Addiction

Happy Tuesday, y'all!

I took yesterday off in order to spend my day focusing on my bridal portraits...which I cannot wait to share with y'all!

Today is all about my favorite thing, shopping!
Simple Addiction has recently become my go-to for finding cute, trendy products without breaking the bank!
And for just this week, they're having a week of steals and deals to celebrate 75,000 followers on their Instagram.


 Before I forget...you can visit SimpleAddiction.com and on any purchase you can use the code SOUTHERN10 (in all caps) to get 10% off through the 15th.
This is such a great deal, considering so many of their products are under $10-you can definitely fill your online cart without feeling any of the guilt.


Here are a couple of my favorite products: 

Spade Stud Earrings

These Spade Stud earrings look very similar to the Kate Spade logo...but these are only ninety-five cents! Not even a dollar, y'all.

Scattered Spike Bracelet
These scattered spike bracelets are so popular, but you can pay $20+ for them from places like BaubleBar.
At Simple Addiction, it's less than $8!

Tasha Tassel Necklace 
For less than $10, you can have this steal of a Kendra Scott look-alike!


Tessa Earrings
These gorgeous KS dupes are less than $3
that means you can own every single color for less than one real pair of KS earrings!


In Love With Lace Shorts
I know I keep bragging about the prices, but I just can't get over how fabulous all these finds are.
 These lace edged jean shorts would be super cute with boots and a fun tank, and you can splurge on the rest of your outfit because these are less than $20!

Envelope Clutch

If you've ever wanted to try the envelope clutch trend but didn't want to spend $100 on a designer one, then Simple Addiction has a clutch with your name on it.
For just over $10, you can grab one in any color!
This is perfect for nights-out because if something were to happen to it, it wouldn't be a huge loss!

100% Leather Fringe Moccasins 
For all of your with little ones, how adorable are these little moccasins?
They come in SO many colors and are only $14!

Minky Baby Blankets

Simple Addiction is also my go-to for baby shower gifts.
This super soft, super adorable minky blanket is just $7!

Linen Table Runners 

And for all of y'all that are like me and love to decorate, they even have a home section!
 Right now they have linen pillow covers and these beautiful linen table runners (less than $10!)
Perfect to buy and change out often, and at that price-you can!

I know it's been overwhelming with all the pictures and the low, low, low prices
but I just had to share with y'all!

If you have any questions about the coupon code, just let me know :)
I'll be posting their other surprises as the week continues on-so be on the lookout!
 Remember-it's SOUTHERN10 in all caps!

All orders today, Tuesday the 12th, come with a $5-$25 gift card. . .that's a great deal! 

Also, follow me on insta at SouthernStylista and also SimpleAddiction to see what the deal-of-the-day is going to be!

Until next time. . .

xoxo, 

Friday, May 8, 2015

Leather is Like Fine Wine

Leather is one of the best materials there is, and growing up riding horses I automatically prefer leather over synthetic.

But riding (and storing your leather pieces) is hard on them.
It's important to clean and condition them to keep them in the best possible shape.


 The company Leather Nova was nice enough to send me three different bottles of products to take care of my leather.
I tried them out on the saddle I prefer to use every single time I ride.
They sent leather cleaner, leather cleaner/conditioner, and 2-in-1 Leather Conditioner and Cleaner.


These products worked so well (& I loved the fact that they sent clothes and sponges to use with their products). They didn't leave any of the nasty residue that some cleaners do. They left my saddle clean, shiny, and supple. Things that are so important to me because a good saddle is necessary if I'm going to ride. (Check Willow out in the background!)

 This was an out-take but I just couldn't help but share this picture because Willow looks so pretty running around!
I think she thought because I got the saddle out, it was time to ride.
 I used this picture to show you how clean and fresh the side of my saddle looked after using Leather Nova.
It hasn't looked this good in a while!

 Here's another shot after cleaning my whole saddle, I should've taken a before picture!

And one last shot of my girl, she was loving the fresh air and sunshine!

Leather Nova cleaner can be used on any leather product...not just saddles!
I've used them on our couches, my boots, and even C's belts.
I suggest giving them a try because you won't regret working with them.

Until next time. . .

xoxo, 

 
I received this product in exchange for an honest review through a partnership with Leather Nova & Brandbacker.  All opinions are my own.  Thanks for supporting brands that support The Southern Stylista!

Wednesday, May 6, 2015

Wedding Wednesday: Picking Your Team

Hey y'all!
I hope y'all are having a great week & are ready for another Wedding Wednesday installation in my Wedding Belles series :)

Today we're going to talk about one of the most important things when you're planning a wedding...
picking your team!

I'm talking about your wedding planner, photographer, seamstress/tailor, videographer, venue, caterer, etc.

This was super difficult for me, but simple at the same time because I knew exactly what I wanted out of each position...so I'm going to jump right into it!

-Wedding Planner-
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I didn't hire an "official" wedding planner in the traditional way.
Down South, it's almost a tradition for friends of the Mother of the Bride to help plan and execute these special moments.
One of my mother's sweet friends is helping us plan out the whole day and handling all the little details so that I can spend my day relaxing and enjoying the process of getting down the aisle!
She also has help from several of my mom's other friends, as well as the friends of my Mother-in-Law.

-Photographer-
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When choosing our photographer, I was kind of at a loss.
I knew what I wanted, but I wasn't sure where to look.
The photographer that we use for all of our other pictures doesn't do weddings and I wanted someone who was close to the area that our venue is in. . .
so naturally I asked the owners of our venue!
They recommended Amy Sullins and so I checked out her work and fell in love.
We decided to go with a package that included an engagement session, bridal portraits, and of course our wedding!
When we met her the day of our engagement shoot, we knew she wasn't feeling well-but y'all if we hadn't been friends on Facebook (how I knew her ear was bothering her!) then she would've never let on!
She was so patient and hilarious (both of which are important when dealing with my fiance' lol) and since then I'm happy to tell y'all that I believe we have truly become friends!
I keep counting down the days until my bridal portraits and our wedding, so I can see Amy!
And that's how organic a relationship between you and your photographer should be, because if you aren't comfortable around them then it will come across in your pictures.

-Seamstress/Tailor-
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Your wedding dress is probably the most important (& expensive!) dress you'll ever buy, so you want to take it to be altered by someone you trust.
I naturally asked the ladies at The Quality Shoppe where I bought my gown who they recommended.
They did not disappoint.
I was sent to Mr. Morris of Morris Alterations and he and his staff took such great care of me.
My dress was WAY too big and I had one point where I was panicking and thinking I didn't love my dress anymore.
He totally fixed it and calmed my fears, all the while making me feel like I was his only (& most beautiful!) customer!
Find a seamstress/tailor who makes you feel good about yourself and who takes the time to really focus on you and what you think.

-Videographer-
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We hadn't originally budgeted for a videographer, but after talking to the owners of my venue..
I pulled something that Southern girls are famous for
I changed my mind.
It's the most important day of my life and once it's over, all we'll have left are the pictures and videos!
A group of people that I went to junior college with are currently majoring in film and they have a small company that does wedding videos!
I am so excited to be supporting them, especially after seeing several of the other weddings they have done, their work is great!
I suggest looking for students if you're on a budget or if you're willing to spend a bit more ask your venue owner or photographer!

-Venue-
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This isn't technically part of my "team", but the owners of our venue have honestly become part of us!
Bobby and Ginger are texted weekly with questions and concerns, they are so great at calming my nerves!
We had seen our venue many months before we were even engaged and I had told Chris that I wanted to get married there some day.
Thankfully, when he proposed we went to check it out and they had a date that worked for us!
It was love at first sight, not only with the venue (& the venue is fabulous-all I could have ever asked for), but the owners truly are like family now.
To find your perfect venue, I suggest googling, obviously.
But other than that, ask around to other brides that have recently gotten married.
There are probably way more venues closer to you than you realize!

-Caterer-
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My number one tip for everything is to ask the owners of your venue, but it's because they see these people's work on a weekly basis and can vouch for who they recommend.
The small company that was recommended to us by Bobby and Ginger was The Glass House Catering.
They let us do a tasting for four (us and my parents).
The food was SO good, but more than that there was once again that magical connection that every girl wants. :)
Make sure the caterer has your vision in mind, whether they're doing dinner or appetizers, make sure that the food being served is a reflection of you!
We're also using the same company for our cakes because it's so much easier than having another vender around our venue.

-Hairdresser/Makeup Artist-
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is a great point where you can ask the girl (or guy!) that does your hair regularly if they do wedding hair or know someone who does!
When choosing the team of makeup and hair professionals to take care of myself and my girls,
I chose the lady who has done my hair in the past for formal events, like my senior prom.
I know I'll be comfortable with her and I know she'll do a great job.
You can also call salons local to your venue if you're willing to venture out!
Just be sure to do a makeup and hair trial before the big day...
mine is on Monday, I'll update y'all on how that goes!

-Florist-
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When choosing a florist, I suggest looking at their work.
If there are other brides that you're using as a contact for vendors ask to see their wedding pictures.
Do the same if you're asking the owners of your venue.
We're using a florist in our hometown and I love having him close by so if he gets samples of fabric or flowers in, he can shoot me a text and I can just stop in and see what he has.
Also, it's super convenient to use someone you already know because they then can base their design off of your personalities. 
I can't wait to show y'all the work he is planning for our wedding...it's going to be gorgeous!


I hope this has helped y'all, if I think of any more vendors that might be a part of your team that I'm forgetting right now I will add them and update the post!
 Or, if y'all have any more for me to add please just comment below and let me know!

Until next time. . 

xoxo, 

Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Oil Over Everything

You've probably heard the trend by now of using Coconut Oil and Argan Oil for well...everything.

I had to do some research when I received these products because I wanted to do them justice and give y'all a list of just some of the hundreds of things you can do with these oils!


I'm a big fan of natural ingredients and these two oils are completely natural.
Radha Beauty uses the purest sources and stand behind all of their products.



There are tons of uses for coconut oil on Pinterest, just check it out for yourself!

My favorites are:

-massaging your cuticles with it, it's so moisturizing!

-Mixing it with equal parts honey, coating the dry ends of your hair, leave in for 40 minutes and then wash as normal! It makes your hair soft & shiny!
 
-combine a little coconut oil with a bit of brown sugar, it makes a wonderful lip or body scrub
 
-swap it for your shaving cream, if you don't want to spring for the store bought stuff (or if it breaks your legs out!) coconut oil is a smooth, moisturizing substitute!

-I've even been adding it to my morning smoothies, it's an instant source of energy & added fat which keeps me full until lunch time :) 


Y'all already know about my love affair with argan oil.
In fact, I use it daily because I've gotten into the habit of oil cleansing (which has made my face and skin so much better).

Top uses for argan oil:

-dry skin patches? Rub a little bit of argan oil on it before you go to sleep, by the next morning it'll be moisturized and nourished!

-if you have rough heels you can apply argan oil and then top with socks, when you remove them your heels should be softened!

-stretch marks are old news if you have argan oil on hand, just apply liberally and massage in on a daily basis :)

-apply it to the ends of your hair as a deep conditioner

-oil cleansing! apply oil to your face after you get out of the shower, apply a washcloth which has been soaked in hot water, let sit for one to two minutes. This opens up your pores and allows the oil to be absorbed, it will help clean out your pores and prevent breakouts & aging!



I hope this was an educational post, I know how I feel about these posts and I can only hope y'all will try them out and feel the same!

Until next time. . .

xoxo, 

 A big thank you to Radha Beauty (via BrandBacker) for providing me with product in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions are my own.  Thank you for supporting brands who support The Southern Stylista.

09 10