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Saturday, June 24, 2017

#GoingToTheUpchurch Our Rehearsal Dinner


Welcome back to my #GoingToTheUpchurch series on my and Christopher's wedding back in 2015.
So far I've covered...
So if you want to go back & see any of that, feel free!

I absolutely loved our rehearsal dinner; my sweet mother-in-law has a band of talented friends and family that always come together to decorate for weddings and events of each other's families and they do an amazing job.

These photos were taken by my sweet friend Casey's mother, Mrs. Neina-she was so sweet to capture this special evening for us!

The day that our rehearsal took place, my bridesmaids and mom and sister went out to get our nails done for the wedding as well as lunch (which ended up being a whole ordeal in itself-getting lost in Gadsden 🙈)
 


The decorations and the invitations were just stunning and went with our them of rustic elegance perfectly. 





My number one favorite thing about this day was having my best friends around me!


Don't I have some good looking best friends?!







My precious brother-in-law had to photobomb our kind of "end of the night" picture (with my bow bouquet!) 


Mrs. Neina was so sweet to take some family photos that my Mother-in-Law wanted as well and they turned out so great!




My sister dressed my niece in Lilly for the occasion ;)


Gosh those kiddos are cute!


This picture above was probably taken just before Christopher lit one of those napkins on fire...


This is my matron and maid of honors with their gifts; monogrammed tote bags with robes inside!


Then we had to run through the ceremony...


And if you can't tell in the picture below, there was a giant puddle right at the end of the aisle that as we were practicing, everyone had to step over because it had rained earlier in the day.

I can't say enough sweet things about Southwind Plantation (Mr. Bobby & Mrs. Ginger Watkins) because Mr. Bobby told me he would go out the next afternoon with a shopvac and vacuum up the water if it was still standing there so that we could get married with no puddle!


It was a hot, humid night (as evident by pulled back hair) but we had so much fun just hanging out with our friends and families-getting ready to get hitched!

That night Christopher spent the night with our friend Kane (standing up in the blue shirt in the last picture) and all but two of my bridesmaids came and stayed at our house with me!

We had one last slumber party and it was so much fun, I absolutely loved it!

Until next time. . .

xoxo, 

Wednesday, June 21, 2017

Wedding Wednesday: Catelyn & James

Welcome back to another Wedding Wednesday!
Today y'all get a chance to meet another beautiful bride, Catelyn and hear her and her husband, James wedding story. It's absolutely beautiful and I love every single special, unique touch that made their wedding specific to them...let's jump in!


Welcome to Southern & Style's Wedding Wednesday! First of all, tell my readers a little about you and your husband.
I'm Catelyn! My husband, James, and I currently live in Aiken, SC. He is a chemist for a company called Halocarbon, and I'm the digital media specialist for the National Wild Turkey Federation. He is from this area, but I'm from the upstate. He graduated from USC (Go Gamecocks!) in 2014 and I graduated from Columbia College (Go Koalas!) in 2015. We are huge football fans.
How they met & how he proposed:
We met through mutual friends at a party in college. Our first two dates were total disasters, but I invited him to attend a formal with me as a last ditch effort and it was one of the greatest nights of my life. We dated for a little over a year when he proposed to me the day after my 22nd birthday.
He took me on a picnic in Finley Park, a gorgeous spot in the middle of downtown Columbia. I was completely blindsided. I hadn't suspected anything. My two best friends were the hidden photographers!
He was so nervous when he got down on his knee, but it was a beautiful moment! We went for cupcakes to celebrate and call our families, although my parents knew since he had asked my father's permission. We celebrated with friends that night and the next day I graduated from college!


Give a brief description of your wedding day: 
Guests arrived and were invited to sign our guest book. Instead of a traditional guest book, we used a wooden wall-hanging art piece that one of my bridesmaids made and customized for us. My dear friend Hillary played the violin while guests were escorted to their seats. Once our intimate group of 75 were seated, the bridal party processed in. It included our closest childhood and college friends as well as our families. I shared a special moment with my father before he walked me down the aisle. 
James was wide-eyed and open-mouthed when he saw me. My aunt conducted our simple ceremony complete with our personally written vows. 
After we sealed it with a kiss, we headed to our reception which included cake cutting, toasts from my grandfather and the best man, dinner, drinks, and lots of dancing. We had a wonderful evening filled with family, friends, and fellowship. Our guests sent us off with sparklers and a driver took us to our hotel in Columbia to stay the night before we left for our honeymoon the next morning.


What venue did you choose and why?
We chose the River Road and the Jasmine House and Garden in Irmo, SC. Irmo is right outside of Columbia, which is where we met, got engaged, and both attended college. It also served as a good central location for both of our families. When it came to selecting a venue, our budget was a big determining factor, but once we saw this place, we fell in love.
It features two small cottages filled with antique furniture and elegant touches. The cottages are surrounded by an enchanting garden full of lights, fountains, and seating areas tucked away amongst plants and flowers. Freestanding wooden doors open to the aisle of the ceremony area, which leads to a stunning metal gazebo-string lights weave across the area overhead.
The entire property radiated southern charm and I was hooked (and thrilled to have minimal decorating to do). It was also extremely practical with lots of parking on site, in house cake and catering as well as a very skilled and experienced wedding coordinator named Sara.
Having a nearly all-inclusive venue (they did ceremony and reception, DJ, food, cake, bar, coordinator, chairs, tables, etc.) saved me so much time and stress and was actually more affordable than using separate vendors. I only brought in my flowers, minister, and my people!
They worked hard to give me everything that I wanted.
Sara was such a blessing on the wedding day, she kept me calm and the event ran so smoothly!


What has been the most fun part of planning your wedding? What did you most look forward to planning?
I loved finding ways to work personal touches and experiences into my wedding day. I had so much fun designing and wrapping bouquets with my bridesmaids. Mine was adorned with my father and grandfather’s military pins alongside my husband’s fraternity pledge pin. My photographer, Rachel, was someone I grew up in youth group with. I’m a little camera shy but she made me so comfortable and knew exactly what types of images I would want. My aunt is a minister and conducted our ceremony. She was able to work in some very special sentiments because she knows both of us. I had custom music performed by one of my best friends. On the big day, and looking back now these details mean so much to me and I’m glad I made them a priority.



What advice would you give to other brides as they're planning their weddings?
The practical advice is to have to wed within your means. Do not go into debt to have a wedding. We were able to have everything we wanted and more within a budget that we could pay for ourselves. You don’t want to start your marriage out with debt. More importantly, remember what the day is about. Throughout the planning process we kept our marriage at the center of everything. We wanted to celebrate our love and the things that were important to us. This also saved us from getting caught up on any trivial issues. My little sister destroying her corsage (and two extra ones) minutes before the ceremony seemed disastrous at the time, but James and I were still married at the end of the day.


If you could re-do anything, what would you change?
I would probably have used more hairspray. Although that’s silly, it’s really the only thing I can think of. There are certainly things that didn’t go according to plan on our big day, but they’re nothing compared to all of the love and joy that my husband and I experienced that day. Some of the mishaps turned into really unique moments that I love even more than the ones we had planned. Most importantly, we ended up married, and that’s all that really matters.

Which did you look more forward to and why; the actual wedding day or the honeymoon?
The actual wedding day. We were so ready to be married. Our family and friends are fairly widespread across the country and it was wonderful to have everyone together for such a joyous occasion. I felt so beautiful in my dress and I had a constant smile on my face. We really enjoyed our day and the special moments we shared with each other.


Where was your honeymoon?
Clearwater Beach, Florida. We stayed at Pier House 60 Hotel. We spent 8 days hanging out on the beach, riding jet skis in the gulf, visiting museums, taking sunset cruises on a catamaran, and eating the most delicious seafood.

Did you DIY any of your wedding or did you let someone else handle all the details? Why did you choose that?
I DIY’d a LOT of my wedding. We did have a wedding coordinator that came with our venue who took care of the details the day of and helped with the high level planning. My husband and I paid for our wedding ourselves as fresh college graduates and had a small budget. I was able to save several thousand dollars by doing things myself while still achieving the same results. I’m relatively crafty and knew I was capable of doing a lot of the projects myself. Most importantly, I wanted our wedding to be very personal, and little things like wrapping my own bouquet and making my husband and father’s boutonnieres adding such a special touch to the day. I created my own center pieces, invitations, custom dress hangers, and several other elements.


Was your spouse super involved in the wedding planning or no?
My husband was always willing to help, but wanted me have the wedding I’ve always envisioned. He was a big decision maker for the dinner and bar menus. He also crafted our entire wedding playlist that I didn’t hear until the reception. He had everything from sweet love songs, to crowd pleasers, to our best karaoke hits from our college days.


Special Moments from the Big Day:
-Instead of using the traditional wedding march, my best friend composed an original piece just for my special day and played the violin while I walked down the aisle.

-Within our reception, we had a dedicated "memory table". It featured photos of family members as well as my husband's best friend who unfortunately passed away before our wedding. It also had a floral arrangement in a crystal vase that my parents used in their wedding. It was a very special way to honor our loved ones.

-We experienced technical difficulties with the DJ on our first dance song, but we continued our dance and it turned into a magical moment with all of our friends and family singing "Stand by Me" for us. 

-It was one of the groomsmen's birthdays on our wedding day, so we guests sing "Happy Birthday" to him later in the reception.

Photos by Cat Named Bird Stills 

Thank y'all so much for reading this week's Wedding Wednesday-I hope you enjoyed reading about the dreamy wedding of Catelyn and James and seeing their gorgeous wedding photos.

Until next time. . .

xoxo, 


Tuesday, June 20, 2017

Ten on Tuesday [No.13]


Hey y'all!

Even though I'm a teacher so I have had summer "off", I feel like I've still found more than plenty of things to keep me busy-between running errands for Chris to taking care of things around the house, and add blog-stuff into that I'm keeping myself occupied for sure.

Take a peek below and see what I've been up to, what I've been reading, what I've been listening to, thinking about purchasing, etc. 

ONE
Father's Day is one of my all-time favorite holidays to celebrate because I have always been a Daddy's girl-he's been my best friend since I was born!
My oldest sister recently brought us a bunch of pictures from when we were little and I couldn't help but share this gem of "baby Jordyn" and my daddy from way back when!

TWO
Y'all, this scarf is ridiculously priced but it's ridiculously beautiful. I also have absolutely no idea what I would use it for, but I still feel like I need it in my life 🙈. It would probably make a stunning piece of art if you framed it!

THREE
A while back I got these in a beauty box subscription and I recently remembered that I need to test them out. Does anyone have any experience with them? I want a pretty tan, not to be orange!

FOUR
Last week we had an incredible storm come up and while my husband was checking my dad's chickens I stopped to snap this beautiful picture of one of our hay fields.
I'm not complaining about the rain we've had because last summer was so, so dry!

FIVE
Have you read my Empties post yet?
I used up SO many products since the last time I posted & I'm kind of proud of how many things I've used up from my stash-I'm dying to know if any of y'all use the same things as me!

SIX
If you're planning on throwing any kind of party this summer, I suggest taking a peek at Julie from Less Than Perfect Life of Bliss' post on throwing the perfect barn party!
Even if you aren't hosting your party at a barn (my personal favorite type of venue) you can still use so many of her tips. 

SEVEN
Here's a huge summer favorite-fresh veggies!
On my birthday, one of my parents neighbors gave us two huge bags of fresh squash, new potatoes, corn, and lots of green beans.
I don't mind having all the fresh veggies because it's such a great money-saver & I love putting them up with my new Food Saver because that means veggies all fall and winter long!

EIGHT
Check out the beautiful teal cabinets in this kitchen-and that rug!
Total kitchen goals. 😍

NINE
Saturday was such a needed day.
I woke up, enjoyed my chai tea while leisurely getting ready.
Then I met my friends Paige & Sam for lunch at Panera. Afterwards we had amazing pedicures, did a little shopping, and then headed home so we could meet back up at Paige's for dinner.

Chris & I took Forrest with us, of course-he loves staring off their back porch!


There was a beautiful sunset while we waiting for our dinner to finish grilling-we had steaks, veggie kabobs, baked potatoes, pasta salad, rolls, and pie for dessert!


TEN
Last but not least, I made this cake last week & y'all, it is the most moist-tastiest cake I have had in a long time. It was so easy too!

Down below, let me know what recipes y'all have been doing and what y'all have been up to!

Until next time. . .

xoxo, 



Saturday, June 17, 2017

Empties [No.2]


Hey y'all!

I haven't done an empties post since March-can you believe it?
These are honestly some of my favorite posts ever (pretty sure I say this every single time that I write one of these), but you get such good reviews when you're listening to someone who has used every single drop of something.

So here it goes; the good, the bad, the ugly of all these many products.
We're covering shampoo, skincare, candles, face masks...basically everything that girls need in their lives.
Let's go!


Victoria's Secret Citrus Dream Hydrating Body Lotion
In my process of trying to use up my older body lotions, I stumbled upon this citrus body lotion by VS and fell in love all over again.
It wasn't super hydrating, but I loved applying it before bed because it really felt as though it sank into the skin and left the most delicious fresh scent.
If you can find this at the semi-annual sale, I recommend picking it up!

Equate Strengthening Nail Polish Remover
I am not brand loyal when it comes to things like nail polish remover, I feel like they pretty much all do the same thing no matter how much you pay for them.
This was branded as strengthening, which I didn't really notice a difference there.
Basically, I pick up whatever is on sale in this department-do you do the same?

I like to use a primer every single time that I use makeup, I just feel like it extends the wear of my foundation and helps fill in pores.
This one is pretty inexpensive at the drugstore and I feel like it does it's job.
Is it the best? Does it make my makeup last forever? Nope. But it does a decent job for the price you pay.

I got this sent to me from Influenster and I didn't think I would like it...but y'all, I love this stuff and will never go back to using regular deodorant.
It smells very fresh & drys very quickly, it lasts all day long as well-highly recommend!

When I moved back from my college apartment into my new home with Chris, I somehow left half of this shampoo unused until now-which is such a shame because it's one of my favorites.
It cleans without weighing my hair down, it foams really well, and it's a pretty decent price especially given the amount of product you get.
I've still got a few more shampoos that have been sent to me to use up, but after that I'll probably revisit this old favorite!


I was able to go through so many shampoos this month because I have a really bad habit of using a shampoo and then putting it back in the closet to use another kind, so I wind up with partially used shampoos-and now I'm trying to not do that anymore!
This was a really nice clarifying shampoo for me; I get really bad build up, so I loved using this every 2-3 days. It works nicely without drying out my hair and it is a great price!

I was sent this by Pura d'Or to test out so I didn't know until just now how much this cost (way too much in my opinion). It's to prevent hair loss and is supposed to thicken, which I don't felt like it did. It also has a very strong herbal smell and the design of the bottle and thickness of the product made it difficult to get the product out. I wouldn't recommend to anyone, really.

This is such a good, clean scent for Spring.
I love the packaging, it foamed up well, the scent lasted lightly on your skin-overall, great product & I wish it wasn't limited edition!

I was first sent this by Exuviance a while back and I really enjoyed using it, but the cost is fairly high for skincare.
But after using it consistently and seeing how it resurfaced my skin very effectively and pretty gently, I repurchased this again during the Ulta 21 Days of Beauty sale and have been very pleased. When it's necessary, I'll repurchase again!


This travel sized cream came in a beauty sample box from Macy's and I loved testing it out-it's a great night cream. It's very rich and moisturizing, I loved putting it on right before bedtime and allowing it to sink in overnight-I woke up every time I used it feeling my skin very hydrated. I would definitely pick this up again.

I don't like many of the B&BW Christmas scents, but Twisted Peppermint is my exception.
This one smells so fresh & clean, and it takes forever to use it up. I started at the end of November and I was using it until late March, early April.

This foundation is really, really good.
I love how light and creamy the formula is-it is incredible and sits so nicely on the skin.
Sometimes with other foundations I notice breakdown by the end of my workday, with this I didn't notice it. I will definitely pick this up again. It's in my top five foundations!

I found these at a local discount store and decided to test them out because I love sheet masks and under eye patches. These were just okay, they did hydrate under my eyes but toward the end of the six packs that I got, I noticed they were drying out.
I would probably test something else out before buying these again.

I love all of the citrus scents from B&BW for their soaps-they work well all year long and smell so clean. They do linger on your skin, so take caution if you don't like that.
The soaps are also usually very budget friendly if you pick them up on sale. 
This one in particular smells super lemony and the packaging is really pretty, almost Grecian. 

B&BW hand soaps are seriously my favorite, we use them in both of our bathrooms and every time we have guests they always compliment them.
This scent is super fresh and not only nice for fall, but really whenever. (I'm not too picky about using up seasonal scents because I just move them to our master bath where guests can't see them).
The packaging on this one is really pretty as well!


PacSun Kirra Perfume
This perfume is so, so old y'all. I've seriously probably had this since high school.
But somehow it still smelled good after all those years and I finished it up just the other day.
I tend to like perfumes that are very fresh and clean like this one-when I finish up my other perfumes, I'll be on the hunt for one like that, so if you know of any please let me know!

I got this in a Target Beauty Box and I was really pleased with it, especially being able to take it on trips because of its small size.
The scent is really nice, it cleans my hair very well without being drying, and didn't leave a weird film on my hair like some other shampoos do. This is a contender for the shampoo I purchase when I need another. 

This was one of the first things that I got in an Ipsy bag and it was okay. It took me so long to use it up because to be honest, it was moisturizing but it never felt like the hydration really sunk in.
I used it up, but I probably wouldn't buy it again.

It's no secret that I love EOS lip balms, I keep them everywhere around my house.
This particular one sat on my desk at work so that I could use it throughout the day.
I love the sweet mint scent because it almost freshens your breath when you use it, it smells great!

For the colder months, I love using Carmex so that my lips don't get wind-burn or dried out.
The cherry scent is amazing and I love the little tingle you get from Carmex. 

For being a drugstore eye cream, I thought this one was pretty good.
I suffer from slight bags and dark under eye circles and while this was hydrating, it didn't really cure my undereyes-so I switched to another drugstore one and we're going to see how that works!

This particular beauty blending sponge came from TJ Maxx and I highly recommend looking there for sponges that are awesome dupes for the original beauty blender!
This one was very malleable and easy to use, it was just time to retire it from being stained and unable be cleaned anymore. I replaced it with another TJ Maxx find :)


I love getting these little samples (you would know that if you've been reading a while) because I love testing out products I might not pick up otherwise.
This cream was pretty nice, it's a pretty pink color and absorbed into my skin well.
It didn't break me out and I would consider purchasing it in the future. 

I've had samples of this before and it is so so good.
It's super moisturizing-really is a moisture bomb!
It sinks into my skin immediately and doesn't break me out, it's incredibly long lasting and cured my summer dry skin on my forehead.
I was just sent a similar product by another brand that I'm testing out, but this is on my list for future purchase.

This serum was super hydrating-it felt so refreshing on my skin!
But here's what I have to say...it's not worth $110.
Not when Garnier and now L'Oreal have moisturizers that are very similar to this for a fraction of the price. 

I really enjoy using these, there is something so satisfying about being able to peel them off and seeing the gunk come out from your pores.
However, sometimes these do irritate my skin so I have to be really careful when removing them-other than that, they're awesome!

I enjoyed this sample, but I don't think it was the best moisturizer that I've ever tested. I liked the Estee Lauder one more that I talked about in this empties post and the price is not that much different. 


Y'all know these are my ride-or-die makeup remover clothes (if there is such a thing).
They work consistently well and are affordable-I purchase mine in bulk at Sam's Club.

I got these in a gift set with some other amazing Burt's Bees products-but these are not amazing.
They don't take off makeup well, they aren't very moist, and they stink so badly.
I won't be buying these, they're awful.

I found this set at TJ Maxx, five masks for only five dollars-a win, if you ask me.
I love how fresh and hydrating it is, my face literally glowed with hydration after using these.
They've got tons of product on them and you're encouraged to use the rest of the serum on your neck and anywhere else the mask didn't cover.
I would definitely repurchase these!


Y'all, I have beef with these two Que Bella masks.
Yes, they are inexpensive but guess what. They give you tons of product in those pouches and no way to reseal to use it for later-so I had to resort to messy ziplock baggies.
This mask was okay, but the scent was really bad.
I probably won't repurchase this again.

Once again, great price but the packaging sucks.
I normally love mud masks, but the scent of this one was bad too.
I've got others that I love more that are easier to use and smell much better or not at all.

For as much as I didn't like the other two Que Bella masks that I tried out, I loved this one.
My mom gave me this for Christmas in my stocking and I totally loved it.
It was very hydrating and moist and the sheet fit my face pretty well.
I would repurchase this one!

I have a larger sample of this primer and I love using it for special occasions.
It truly does blur out your pores and makes your makeup apply flawlessly.
I would definitely consider purchasing the full size when I use up my other primers.

I really loved wearing this for a day out-I wanted to have my skin perfected but also protected, so I loved that it had SPF.
Would I pay fifty dollars for it...probably not, but it was really good-so maybe if I saw it on sale?


I picked this wallflower up at the after Christmas semi-annual sale and really enjoyed it. It has a really warm, creamy scent that was perfect for when it was still cool outside. I really enjoyed the scent it gave my classroom!

I got this in a Target Beauty Box and absolutely fell in love with it.
It takes off your makeup so well and leaves your skin feeling super soft.
I always double cleanse, but this is a great first step. 

So, I have reviewed the Champagne Toast big candle on an empties post before, and the scent for the mini candle is the same. It smells very clean and sweet, almost more citrusy-like a mimosa than just champagne.
But here is why I won't buy a mini candle again (this was actually a gift). There was no scent throw at all-I sat this on the table next to me and burned it and could never smell it at all. So disappointing.

This was yet another clean, fresh Fall scent that I used in my classroom this year.
It smells a little floral, but no so much that it gave you a headache. Honestly, it gave off a little baby powder scent that most people found pleasing-I got lots of compliments on it!

I had never used wallflowers before I began teaching, but these are essential in your classroom if you teach-especially if you teach middle school kids after they have P.E. ;)
The leaves scent is really good for Fall, basically it smells like spicy apples-so good.
These are also pretty long-lasting and smell up my whole huge classroom, they often go on sale.


Bath & Body Works Kitchen Spice Candle
This is an oldey, but a goody. I love how creamy and spicy it is and I wish they would make more simplistic candles like this one.
I kept this one in my kitchen and it filled the entire space and made it smell like I was baking something delicious.

Yankee Candle Delicious Apple
I picked this candle up from the Yankee Candle Outlet in Gulf Shores and when I smelled it in the store it smelled so good. It smelled fresh and distinctly like apple.
However, when I burned it-I burned the entire thing-I got nothing, no smell at all.
I've had really few positive experiences with Yankee Candle, I think I'm just going to stay away for a while.

Bath & Body Works Mahogany Balsam
The only way that I can describe this candle is a sexy man at Christmas-time.
It smells warm and rich, but it has the hint of pine that makes it seasonally appropriate for Christmas-time. It's one of my all-time favorite seasonal candles!

White Barn Mahogany Teakwood Candle
This is the classic "Abercrombie & Fitch" scent from White Barn/B&BW.
It's described as woody and I think that's totally accurate, it's cozy and slightly spicy-I love it and need to pick up another soon.


Bath & Body Works Warm Caramel Cider Candle
During the Fall/Christmas seasons I love this drink called wassail, which is basically like cider.
Last year when I burned this candle I got the bright idea to add caramel to my wassail and it was a game changer and so much like tasting the scent of this candle.
It's got real apple flavor, but the sweetness and richness of the caramel comes through-I really hope B&BW comes back out with this in the next Fall group of candles!

Bath & Body Works Harvest Gathering Candle
You can definitely smell the apple and cinnamon with the hints of cranberry in this candle.
It was very strong, so I'm not sure if I would re-purchase it, but it is very Fall scented and fills a large area.

Bath & Body Works Pumpkin Apple Candle
Once again, another quintessential Fall candle combining apple + pumpkin, along with some spices in the background. It's very strong and pungent. so if you're going for a Fall vibe in your space this would work well. Once again, it's pretty strong so I'm not sure if I would repurchase because sometimes I'm sensitive to strong scents.

Bath & Body Works Autumn Night Candle
First of all, I loved that this candle was a little different with the blue wax and I love the packaging of these candles, very clean and minimal but still pretty.
This one smells pretty manly, it has cedar in it as well as some spices.
I would definitely repurchase this one because it makes me feel like curling up with a Halloween movie or putting on my boots and a sweater and going to the pumpkin patch!

Well y'all, tell me down below what you've been using up lately & if you enjoy any of these same products-sound off below!

Until next time. . .

xoxo, 



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