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Saturday, April 30, 2016

Give a Memory


Hey y'all!

Mother's Day is upon us, can you believe it?  

Not only that, but my 1st anniversary with my husband and then my birthday...the list goes on!
My point is that there is always something to celebrate, and sure you could run by Bath & Body Works and pick up another candle, or worse grab a gift card on your Target grocery run.
But what about gifts that actually mean something?

Enter A-List Greek.

I'm sure you're thinking, "My mom wasn't in a sorority, neither am I!" or something along those lines. 
But A-List has a little something for everyone.


I love this initial necklace, it would be perfect for mom with her own initials or her children's initials!
It is such high quality and I love how dainty and delicate it is.


This is my favorite piece from A-List Greek, the Roman Numerals on a bracelet.
Perfect for stacking, this bracelet has my wedding date engraved into it.
It is so special to me and I love wearing it almost every single day.

My next purchase from them will either be the state necklace or the coin and pearl charm bracelet.

I think all of these options would be great for Mother's Day or a birthdays, or even graduation gifts!

Check out A-List Greek's website  and their instagram to see their baubles in action.


My necklace in action-I'm seriously obsessed.

Let me know down below what you think of A-List Greek's goodies!

Until next time. . .

xoxo, 




A big thank you to A-List Greek for providing me with the opportunity to wear their beautiful products.  All opinions in this post are are my own.  Thank you for supporting brands who support The Southern Stylista.

Monday, April 25, 2016

A Little Bit of Life {No. 5}


Hey y'all!

I'm back with you on a Tuesday to let you know what's been going on in my busy life lately :)

While my classmates are taking two sweet weeks off before graduation (this Friday!), I've still been chugging along, teaching my kids all about North America in my Geography class.
I'm not complaining though, I'm so thankful for where I'm at...it's funny how we usually end up right where we're supposed to be :)

Week before last I went to the College of Education on my campus for what was the last time and I got a little emotional.
I've spent many hours in that building, many late nights, long classes, and laughs with best friends were had there.


We also had a Reverse Career Fair last week where the students set up tables and principals, vice principals, superintendents,  etc. walk around and talk to you and get your resumes.

I had so much fun hanging out with my classmates, some of which might be the last time we get together, and letting people know why I love teaching and education (& history!)
Plus, I got to wear Lilly-so it was a good day ;)


I made this graphic for my poster because I found one on Pinterest (the one on the left in the picture) but I wanted a matching set.
I loved the silhouette idea and the quote is perfect for history!
Chris and I had a "date night" at the pond at my Dad's on Saturday night.
We went down and just sat and relaxed, tossed a couple of lines in the water, and I silently kept wishing I had a darn puppy.
This is perfect puppy weather, am I right?


Luckily, I do have this guy-my borrowed dog.
He's actually our neighbors, but he appears in our yard randomly so we call him Ghost and love on him while he's around.


On Sunday, I was feeling a little mod, so I wore this funky little dress and my OTBT's (those will be on repeat all spring and summer, sorry not even sorry.)


On Sunday afternoon, we pulled out the Old Town canoe I bought Chris for Christmas and took her for a spin at my dad's pond.
Chris didn't think canoeing in a pond would be fun, but we ended up having a blast.
The water was super clear so we were able to see lots of fish and a couple of turtles.
Plus, it's an awesome arm workout!


Monday we didn't have school (which is why this post is going up on Tuesday!)
I spent the afternoon in Birmingham doing a little shopping and eating lunch with my oldest sister!
I had to stop in Leeds, which is where our Bass Pro Shop (& also an outlet mall) is and Auntie Ann's lemonade called my name.


Basically, I have been incredibly busy and loving every single minute of it.

I graduate this Friday and will hopefully be having graduation pictures done soon-I can't wait to share them with you!

Until next time. . .

xoxo, 




Sunday, April 10, 2016

Little Bit of Life {No. 4}


Hey y'all!

After missing last weekend's "Little Bit of Life" post, I'm so excited to be back sharing with y'all everything that I was up to in the last two weeks.

Life is moving so, so quickly. . .or is that just me?
Next week is going to be busy, it's my last week of internship & I have to be on campus three days next week for different end-of-semester things!

I can't believe that my senior year of college has come so quickly.

But moving on to what I've been up to, let's check it all out!

1)


I found these super cute sandals at TJ Maxx last week when I was shopping, they seem so high quality (although I don't really know the designer).
I think they'll look so cute all spring and summer long!
These aren't the same, but they're a super similar pair from Target that I think are really cute and won't break the bank!

2)


Y'all have seen me mention the company Valentia before here on the blog when I talked about their hydrating rose serum.
Well they're back at it again with a new game-changer, the Clear Life Revitalizing Serum.
I've preached over and over about combatting aging before the signs set in and this serum is a clear way to beat those signs.

This serum is made with all natural and organic ingredients, so you can feel good about what you're putting on your skin. 
I love that this serum fades dark marks (goodbye, old acne scarring) and prevents wrinkles and other signs of aging.
The scent is great too, a welcome change from the chemical smells of other products.

Follow them on insta and Facebook for more info!
And use this code JX4T7GXQ for 20& off any order from them!
3) 


We have been having beautiful Spring weather down in Alabama (even though the past few days have been a little too chilly for my liking!)


Last Sunday, my husband and I turned our herd out onto new grass and they were loving it.


In order to get the girls to come up, we had to employ some trickery by placing feed in the bucket and tempting them to the new grass-once they got there they were thrilled!

5) 
I'm really excited to try out this DIY Cotton Stems tutorial.
These suckers are SO expensive at Hobby Lobby and the ones I usually see are broken and sad looking anyways.
I'll definitely be trying this out soon!


6)


I have been soaking up the warm weather with my outfit choices as well.
My oldest sister and I went and got our nails done last weekend and I chose a breezy white tunic, black leggings, and Jack's.


I may have done a little shopping this past week as well, and don't worry-I don't plan on mixing the stripes and gingham in real life!
I did love this Old Navy wrap, but I just picked up the tank top instead!

The wrap/poncho is on sale right now for $16-and it has pockets!

7)

                      

I don't care who you're voting for when the November election comes around, this skit is SO funny.
I'm a lover of politics and an even bigger lover of SNL, they always do the best spoofs of all the candidates!

8)


Have you tried out the new Caramelized Honey drinks from Starbucks?
I don't ever drink Frappuccinos, but I had one in this new flavor the other day & it was delish.
I also love it in latte form :)

9)


I love that it's Spring because that means busting out new (to me!) Lilly.
I recently bought this Sarasota tunic top off of one of the Facebook BST boards and got it for a steal, it's so bright and springy but also perfect for the classroom.

10)

We've starting cutting hay just a little bit earlier this year because we're wrapping this first cutting.
There are two ways to go about wrapping your hay, I hope this video below works so that you can see one way in action.
It looks like we're making marshmallows!


The second way is to wrap lots of bales in one long tube, both ways look pretty cool to me!


12) 


Once again for the political lovers out there, Kiss My Southern Sass has released the cutest campaign buttons for this election.
For a pack of two buttons (one saying on each button) it's only $4 with the code KMSSJSU at checkout.
I think these are so fun, I'm ordering a set to keep on my tote bag but these would also be super cute on a backpack.

13) 


I am the girl that pretty much sticks to the same jewelry every single day, with the exception here and there.
Guys, I've found an exception.

This initial bar necklace from A-List Greek is SO cute.
They can do sorority letters, states, initials, roman numerals...basically the options are endless and the prices (& quality) are unbeatable.

Be on the look out for a full post on A-List Greek coming up soon :)

14)

Are y'all following me on Twitter?
has been my twitter handle for ages (long before this blog!) but it will be changing when Summer break begins and I begin the overhaul of this here blog.
I post quotes, lyrics, what I'm up to during the day, and I even posted about the release of April's Target Beauty Box on there.
Y'all follow me & tweet me that you came from the blog & I'll follow you back ;)


15)


Since it's National Siblings Day, read this article on "9 Bizarre Ways Your Siblings Affect You as a Grown Up"
and enjoy this picture of myself and my two beautiful sisters on my wedding day!



Thank y'all so much for learning about me and what I'm loving this month in my "Little Bit of Life" series, I hope y'all each have a great week-let me know what you've been up to lately in your life down below!

Until next time. . .

xoxo, 




Thursday, April 7, 2016

Empties {March 2016}


Hey y'all! 

I am SO glad to be back on the blog. I had a busy, busy weekend getting ready to be back at school this week after my Spring break holiday. I intended on having a "Little Bit of Life" post up on Wednesday recapping my weekend, but our town decided to put everyone on a phone/internet detox for all of Tuesday (until about 3 AM on Wednesday)...
Actually someone cut a cable that controlled Verizon & CenturyLink in our area so no one had internet or phone service-I felt like I was going back to the dark ages, but I actually kind of liked it.

So yesterday was spent catching up on emails, working on school work, and getting this post ready.
But you can best bet that I'll be back at it again with those weekend posts, this weekend ;)

Today though. . .

I feel like I haven't done an Empties blog post in forever, I think my last one was actually last year!
I have been hoarding a TON of stuff to share with y'all, from makeup and skincare, to vitamins and candles...so check it out below!


EOS Shave Cream (Pomegranate Raspberry)
I wanted to love this, but honestly it doesn't work that well for me and it was hard to use up all the product so I felt like I wasted it. 
I won't repurchase this.

Twisted Peppermint Shower Gel from Bath & Body Works
This is my favorite scent from Bath and Body Works, if I could buy it all year 'round, I would.
If you spot it on sale by chance or on Amazon/Ebay I would snag it if it's a good price, or wait until Christmas season this year.
I'll definitely be purchasing this next year!

Salted Caramel Corn Bath & Body Works Candle
Y'all, this candle smells SO good. I was sitting next to the jar just now with the lid on and could smell it, easily. It's your standard creamy caramel.
I'll be purchasing this one if B&BW brings it back next year.

Scope Mouthwash in Original Mint 
I'm just going to be honest with y'all, I only used this up because I had it in the cabinet and wanted it gone. It did it's job and was really refreshing, I just honestly don't use mouthwash that much.

B50 Energy Metabolism Vitamins by Spring Valley
These technically aren't even an empty because the bottle still has several in it.
However, I'm tossing them because they were out of date and I didn't feel any energy boost from them, so obviously I won't be repurchasing.

Jergens Wet Skin Moisturizer (Travel Size)
I scored this in a Target Beauty Box and I LOVED it.
It makes your skin so moisturized and has been the only thing to keep my legs from feeling scaly.
Luckily I found a set of two full sized bottles on sale at my Target so I'm stocked up for a bit.

Biore Deep Pore Charcoal Cleanser (Foil Packet)
I only got to try this once, obviously, however I really liked it.
When I run out of the cleanser I'm using now, this is on my potential purchasing list.

Maybelline Define-A-Line Eyeliner in Soft Black
This is my go-to liner and has been forever, it stays where you put it and is the perfect black.
I will repurchase this every time.

EOS Balm in Strawberry
Y'all know I swear by my EOS lip balms and this one was no different.
Thankfully I don't have to repurchase because I got several for Christmas-but I highly recommend!



Softsoap Handsoap Refill
For the longest time, I would buy these giant soap bottles to save money on our soap...and they work just fine...but then I discovered Bath & Body Works foaming soaps.
I don't think I'll be purchasing these anymore, but it does work great and I recommend them if you're trying to save $$$.

Puffs Plus Lotion Tissues
These are the ONLY tissues I will use when I'm sick!
I actually went through an entire 4 pack of these when I first started student teaching and caught a cold.
They're so gentle on your nose, I highly recommend buying them-we always keep them on hand.

Digestive Advantage Probiotic Gummies
Chris started taking these a while back to keep him from getting ulcers (they work great for him if you're trying to prevent those!)
I like taking them because 1) they taste awesome & 2) they keep me from feeling sick-which is something I love since I work around kiddos.

Biotin 5000 mcg by Spring Valley
I take Biotin every single day & y'all, I can tell a difference in my skin, hair, & nails when I don't take it. I always keep this on hand!

Nivea in Shower Body Lotion (Foil Packet)
So I tried this and the Jargens, and I prefer the Jargens because I don't have to rinse that one off.
However, if you prefer to have one you rinse off-this one is for you.
They both had very similar moisturizing results.

Curel Ultra Healing Lotion
Although I do use in-shower body lotion, I do like to keep an unscented lotion on hand.
Curel is my brand of choice because I find that they deeply hydrate my legs/elbows and they don't have a strong scent (that even some "unscented" kinds have). 
I always keep this on my bathroom counter, you should to!

Victoria's Secret Pure Seduction Body Mist
This is one of my favorite VS scents & my everyday body mist.
I'm so sad to see it gone, because I love the refreshing, fruity scent that it put off and I adored the fact that it wasn't overpowering.
I highly recommend picking this up at Victoria's Secret.

Pumpkin Gingerbread Bath & Body Works Candle
I have to say, I wasn't sad to see this candle go.
It had a very strong spicy scent & I wasn't a huge fan.
I won't repurchase this one again if B&BW comes out with it at Christmas.

Redken Real Control Shampoo (Foil Packet)
There are perks of having a sister who owns a salon with her husband, free samples!
She passed this on to me and I finally used it when my husband and I went to a weekend convention a few weeks ago.
Normally hotel water leaves my hair greasy and dirty feeling, but this shampoo combatted it.
I'm tempted to try out the full-size!

VolumEyes Mascara by Model Co
This was an IPSY bag find and I have to say, I was less than impressed with it.
It didn't give my lashes much oomph, I could get more out of a drugstore mascara.
I won't go out of my way to get that again.

L'oreal Youth Code Pore Vanisher (Foil Packet)
I'm just going to be honest (& this might sound dumb) but I had to actually research what this product was for, before I used it. The foil packet doesn't actually say!
After googling, I decided it was a primer.
I used it before the rodeo and felt like it did a good job of keeping my makeup in place throughout the night.
However, it had such bad reviews on ULTA's website (saying the product separates in packaging) that I won't be purchasing a full size.


HASK Macadamia Oil Moisturizing Shampoo
I love this brand-this shampoo smelled heavenly & I really liked how light and healthy it left my hair feeling. I'm currently using another kind of HASK shampoo, but I recommend trying the moisturizing kind out if you have dry, damaged hair.

Insta Natural Argan Oil Hair Mask
I have had this FOREVER.
It smells so good (like orange creamsicle) and the tub literally lasts forever because you need the tiniest amount.
I have another hair mask that I'm using now, but I would recommend buying this (you can get it from Amazon) if you need to repair your hair!

Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes Mascara (Sample Size)
This was another IPSY mascara, but I loved this one.
It had the perfect amount of lift, I loved it as an every day mascara.
I would definitely buy this in the full size!

Simple Micellar Wipes
I got these in a Target Beauty Box & I was SO excited to test them out since I've heard all the hype about Micelles.
At first, I wasn't sure that I liked them...but after using these & then going back to my Neutrogena wipes, I actually like the Simple ones better!
They got off all of my leftover makeup at the end of the day-two thumbs up from me!

Neutrogena Makeup Remover Wipes
These have been my longtime love, I buy them in bulk at Sam's Club if y'all didn't know.
They are a little bit cheaper than the Simple ones, but I think when I finish out the box that I have from Sam's I'll go for the Simple ones instead.


HASK Macadamia Oil Hydrating Deep Conditioning Hair Treatment
This was a super generous size packet, and I loved it.
I actually used the tub from the Insta Natural to store it in while I used it all up.
It's very moisturizing, so a little goes a long way.
I would recommend picking this up for sure, it's only $5 at Wal-Mart...I'd pick it up if I saw it!

Olay Regenerist Luminous Perfecting Cream Moisturizer (Foil Packet)
I love testing out new moisturizers, but sadly foil packets just don't give you enough uses to decide whether you really like a product.
I'll tell you this, if I saw this on sale (or for a decent price) I would probably pick it up.

Redken Real Control Conditioner (Foil Packet)
This is the other half to the foil packet set that my sister passed on to me, which I really liked.
Seriously though, I loved how smooth my hair felt after using this.

Hada Labo Ultimate Anti-Aging Facial Mask
I LOVE sheet masks.
This was another Target Beauty Box item and I loved it. 
Right now you can get a 4-pack of them from Target's website for $15, so I feel like that's a pretty good deal. My skin felt super smooth and hydrated when I took it off, so I'd say that's a win :)

Thanks for sticking through this lengthy post-I hope y'all learned a little something and maybe found some new products!
Two things I learned: Foil packets are super useful for traveling & those Target Beauty Boxes are seriously a great deal. I have found so many great things in there and gotten them for less than retail.

What was your favorite product I mentioned?

Until next time. . .

xoxo, 


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