Growing up Southern is a privilege, really. It's more than where you're born-it's an idea, a state of mind that seems imparted at birth. It's more than loving fried chicken, sweet tea, high school football, beer, and acoustic guitars. It's being hospitable, being devoted to front porches, moon pies, sun drop, and each other. We don't become Southern-we're born that way.
He answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself."
Luke 10:27
Don't you be afraid, for I am with you. Don't be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. Yes, I will help you. Yes, I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness.
Isaiah 41:10
It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights. He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
I have been the WORST blogger. Seriously, I haven't even given my blog any thought in weeks...it's sad. I've been busy with work, family, summertime, etc. However, I'm back! I'm going to try and post on a more regular basis...not every day, but regularly. I have some REALLY good ideas for some new posts!!
For today...
I am OBSESSED with this song right now...actually, the entire soundtrack to Marie Antoinette. It's my favorite movie, but I've never really payed attention to the soundtrack...it's wonderful!
Hong Kong Garden by Siouxsie and the Banshees is really good also!
I have to admit...I have been a slacker since I last posted. I've had one of those weekends that my family refers to as "the lost weekends." You know, the ones where you barely do anything of purpose and relegate yourself to t-shirts and athletic apparel...yeah, one of those. Nonetheless, I will update you on what I wore.
Day 8 I don't have a picture for this day...I wore a purple and gold t-shirt (in honor of my Lakers!) and athletic shorts aaaaaaall day.
Day 9 I dyed my hair yesterday. I must say, dark haired Caylyn is my favorite...pictures to come I'm sure. I had two great, great friends in town and it was wonderful. Toy Story 3 is also wonderful.
J. Crew rosette t-shirt in coral, I think this was like $39 Express barely boot-cut jeans, I have no idea how much these are, I got them for $19
Day 10
Another "lost weekend" day...I spent the entire day in my pajamas...I even went to IHOP in them. I know, so classy. I promise tomorrow will be better. I did paint my nails though... OPI in OPI on Collin's Avenue, Ulta $8.50
Day five was another work day for me...black dress and the SAME shoes. That's only slightly embarrassing (they broke in the dressing room at the mall today, imagine my devastation).
My dress was from Urban Outfitters (my mom bought it so I have no idea how much it cost and it's basically a black, short sleeved dress. Nothing too special about it (I don't have a picture, but I do have a picture of something new!).
Day 5
Mimi Chica Ruffle Convertible dress in black, Nordstrom $44
I am in LOVE with this dress. It has ruffles (my fave), convertible straps and POCKETS. It is my new favorite.
Today didn't go so well fashion-wise...it was a work day which meant all black. Black pants and a black top is so boring, I know. The exciting thing that happened today was that I lined my water-line with blackberry eyeliner and LOVED it. So did my coworkers. My picture is just because I was bored and nothing was showing how cool my eyeliner looked.
Day 4
V-neck tshirt in white, this was like ten dollars from Target
And if you must know what I wore to work today...here it is:
Luxury Stretch Editor Pant in black, Express $49.90
Black tank top from who-knows-where
Gianni Bini Abbie sandals in black, Dillards $49.99 (these are seriously all I wear)
Day 3 Black ballerina shirt, I bought this at Old Navy two years ago so I have no idea how much it cost Silence and Noise black and white skirt, Urban Outfitters $68 Gianni Bini Abbie sandals in black, Dillards $49.99 OPI nail polish in "We'll Always Have Paris", Ulta $8.50
OK, day 2 of my 30 days of fashion post-set did not happen. I spent ninety percent of the day in a bathing suit with no makeup on (i.e. I am not in a suitable condition for pictures or to be considered fashionable in any sense of the word). Here is what did happen today...
Day 2
I had an unfortunate run-in with the sun at the pool today and my shoulders are a bit burned.
Luckily, I do have sunscreen for my adventures tomorrow.
This is my new goal: to post one little "blurb" every day (pictures included) about my outfit for 30 days. I don't know why I want to do this, I just do...so be prepared.
I will say, in my defense, that most of my outfits will be black because that is what I am required to wear to work; but I will try and switch it up to make it a little bit more interesting!
Day One
Pins and Needles Ruffle Dress, Urban Outfitters $58 Gold bracelet, my mom gave it to me! Shoes, Gianni Bini Abbie sandals in black, Dillards $49.99 (sorry the picture quality is so bad and that I don't have a picture of my shoes!)
Be particular. That is, without a doubt, the Best Advice Ever Given in the History of the Entire World. Consider, if you will, the profound effect that following advice would have on say, your diet, your love life, your financial situation, your decision on whether to have that next drink. I mean, what do those two words not cover? -Jill Connor Browne
I guess I need to start following my favorite advice, huh? Bahaha.
I saw this on another friend's blog and decided that it was such a cute idea that I just HAD to do it myself. This is my bucket list as of right now...
1. Work with AIDS orphans in Africa
This is something I have always, always wanted to do. I've always wanted to go to Africa; but working with children whose parents have been killed by AIDS has been something I've been wanting to do since I first learned about it.
2. Get married and have children
I feel like this is just a given for me. I can't imagine never getting married or ever having children but I am in NO rush to do either.
3. Get accepted into/graduate from law school
I want to go to law school (but it scares me! Big girl panties have to be on for this one!).
4. Travel all over the world (literally all over)
There are tons of places I want to go. All over France, Germany, Italy and Spain. Buenos Aires, Moscow, Amsterdam, India, Jerusalem, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Tanzania, Australia, Egypt, Cuba, Beijing...literally everywhere. I will go anywhere.
5. Be in New Orleans for Mardi Gras
I want to go to Mardi Gras so bad. Not because I want to party, but just to see all the cool Southern traditions that Mardi Gras has to offer; especially the Indians. That's the coolest thing ever.
6. Run the New York Marathon
This is so silly, but I really, really want to do it.
So, that's a pretty short list...but it's all I can think of right now. Basically I just want to be happy and live forever (or long enough to see the people I love live happy lives). There are a lot of things I want to do in my life (like, A LOT. I have everything planned and I'm sure God is laughing at me for it), but there really are tons of things I want to do so I don't even really think a bucket list is even practical for me. :)
To say the least, I am bored. I have already done everything I've needed to do today and I can't find anything else to do because the weather is yucky (I am SICK of this rain!), so I decided to do another blog post...yes, another one.
I've seen this tag on Youtube a lot; I haven't really seen it on Blogger a lot yet, but I'm sure it's coming. Basically this post is just going to be about all of the things I'm loving right now or my "favorites" right now.
Making Memories of Us-Keith Urban
I just heard this song the other day (I know it's old); one of my coworkers was talking about how she wanted to play it at her wedding. I am OBSESSED with it. Literally, obsessed.
Smith's Minted Rose Lip Balm
I bought this stuff at the mall yesterday and I am already in love with it. I will admit it was an impulse purchase; it was in one of those little bins at the register counter at Sephora and I thought it was cute packaging so I bought it (bad Caylyn! Bad!), but I am so glad I did. It's the perfect amount of moisture, gloss and color all in one.
Anthropologie Candles
(Illume Spring Eden Tins in Fresh Ivy Vine, $18; Treasure Box Candle in Balinese Jasmine, $18)
It is totally my sister's fault for my sudden obsession with candles. I normally don't like burning candles or smelling them, buying them, etc. mostly because I don't ever burn them so it seems stupid to buy them-but these candles from Anthropologie are AMAZING. Perfect gifts for girls. Seriously, they smell wonderful.
This is one of my favorite excuses for anything. I say "on account of you just never know" to rationalize every purchase and random thing that I do. However, there are certain things that I do and have done and have believed in my entire life according to the principle of "you just never know."
Most of these things are completely pointless and unnecessary for every day life (seriously, you'd probably be wasting your time doing all of them) but that doesn't stop me.
Always shave your legs, on account of you just never know.
I shave my legs every day. If there is ever a day that I don't or can't, I feel disgusting. I hate the way leg-stubble feels with pants on and I just hate the idea that if anyone were to brush my legs, they would feel prickly instead of smooth. This is probably ridiculous and time-consuming; I could probably take 10 minutes less time in the shower if I didn't shave every day, but I do and always will.
Always wear pretty underwear, on account of you just never know.
This is something I have always thought was the best idea and my thoughts were confirmed when it was mentioned in my favorite book The Sweet Potato Queens Book of Love. I am pretty much obsessed with underwear (not in a creepy way), just because it is so pretty and girly! Almost every girl I know loves underwear and in my opinion, every girl feels better when they have on cute undies instead of generic cotton "granny panties." Not to mention I'm pretty sure that every girl has a pair of "lucky panties" that give her just a little extra spark (even if she's the only one who knows) on a day that she needs it.
Always have cash on hand, on account of you just never know.
This is something that becomes more and more important to me as I get older because when you're younger, money doesn't really matter. I think it is SO important for all girls to have cash on them at all times (if you have a debit/credit card, great, but have cash too) just because you really never know when something unexpected comes up that might require cash. In my opinion, it is important that all women be super prepared for anything (I'm not crazy) just because you don't want to be left hanging without a solution to an unexpected problem.
Always know how to play at least one (real) card game, on account of you just never know.
This principle doesn't only apply to card games, it applies to really any field of knowledge in life. As a girl, I am never more embarrassed than when I get "caught with my pants down" and don't know how to do something. I think it is important for all girls to know a little bit (preferably a lot, but let's be real) about everything. Sports, fashion, cars, money, business, makeup, etc. it doesn't really matter what it is-if you can hold a conversation about it, consider your job done. This is just another part of being hyper-prepared.
Always know how to cook a full meal, on account of you just never know.
I feel like all of these tips are about being prepared...oh well. This is one of my favorite tips I have ever thought of. I think that every person (boys included) should know how to make a FULL meal (including appetizers and desserts) because you really don't know when you will need to whip out a fool-proof meal. Plus, who doesn't want to know how to put on a good spread for your guests/family/friends/etc?
This is a post that I am SO excited about. My sister and I were at the mall today when we started talking about little tricks and tips for makeup, hair, etc. that we have learned along the way. Most of these tips are things people don't really know or haven't ever tried before so I hope they help you as much as they've helped me!
1. Starbucks napkin I don't know why these napkins work so well-but they do! If you have oily skin and use blotting papers, these napkins are what you should use instead! Nothing has ever worked better for me for blotting a shiny nose and the best part-they're free!
2. Vaseline Vaseline is probably one of the most important beauty products anyone could have. Not only does it do wonders for chapped lips and dry skin, but as I recently found out, it can prevent your feet from getting blistered when you wear uncomfortable shoes (it works better than band-aids!). All you have to do is rub it on your feet (or just the part of your foot that gets blisters) before you put your shoe on and it should prevent blisters! This isn't fool-proof but it does work for some people.
3. Visine Redness Relief Drops Visine drops are awesome. I get really red eyes sometimes because of my allergies and they are wonderful for relieving eye redness, but they are also great when it comes to taking the redness out of a spot (that's putting it nicely, a pimple) on your face. All you do is take a cotton ball (or a folded up piece of toilet paper), place a few drops on the cotton ball and hold it on the spot for a few minutes. This does not completely get rid of the spot or the redness forever, but it will relieve it for awhile. 4. Toothpaste Toothpaste is again, a beauty wonder product (duh, it cleans and whitens your teeth but also freshens your breath). Toothpaste can also help clear up random pimples (I hate that word). Just put a little bit of toothpaste on a pimple (not a ton) and leave it to dry on your skin; this will dry out the pimple and help it heal faster.
5. Clear Brow Gel I love brow gel. I don't have super unruly brows-but I do tend to rub them a lot which makes my eyebrow hair seem unruly. Eyebrow gel keeps them in place but also it tames the baby hair I have around my hairline! Brush a little bit on your flyaways (or baby hairs) and they should stay tame-at least for a little while! I would just suggest to get a different brow gel for this purpose than the one you use for your eyebrows (never know about cross-contamination)!
I will probably have more of these tips and tricks in a later post, but these are the only ones I can think of for now! I hope they help!
I just wanted to do this post because of how beautiful I think my church is (don't hate, because it really is beautiful).
My church is the best church in the entire world-seriously. I know that sounds like "my church is better than yours" but that's not how I mean it. What I mean is, MPBC is the perfect church for me. It's a progressive Baptist church that incorporates all of the traditions of Baptist theology but it isn't so archaic that none of it makes any sense in every day life now.
My grandparents were the first people married in the main sanctuary of MPBC and my parents were married there (the church even allowed a Catholic priest to co-officiate the ceremony because my dad is Catholic, tell me that isn't cool!). The people at MPBC are some of the nicest, most genuine people I have ever met. They have gone above and beyond for my family when we've needed it and I couldn't be more thankful. Not only that, but worship at MPBC brought me a lot closer to the Lord than I even realized (I am even subscribed to the church's podcast).
Anyway, I love my church but my favorite part of the church grounds is the Garden Labyrinth.
For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them. Matthew 18:20
I've seen this "what's in your bag?" tag all over the place and I thought it would be fun to do...so for those of you who don't care at all what I carry around with me all day...stop reading now.
The pictures aren't the best quality (sorry!), something funky is going on with my camera and I don't like it!
Anyway, here's what's in my bag...
My Bag
I carry a black Longchamp Le Pliage Medium Tote (I am obsessed with these-I have four!). They're the perfect size for everything!
What's Inside
I have a coral Coach Hamptons wristlet, a Vera Bradley small cosmetic bag (in Poppy Fields) and a bunch of miscellaneous stuff floating around.
Coach Wristlet
In the Coach wallet-thing I have my checkbook (and my cash) in a Vera Bradley cover, my Vera Bradley card case (in Symphony in Hue) which holds my credit card, my IDs and other cards, my passport (say what you want about this being dangerous, I carry it everywhere), a pen from my sorority and dental floss (I am paranoid about having stuff in my teeth).
Vera Bradley Cosmetic Bag
In this bag I have various hair things, nail clippers, hand sanitizer, band-aids and Crest white strips (don't ask me why), my vitamin case, Burt's Bees lip balm, Softlips cherry chapstick, CO Bigelow lip shine in Ultra #1122 and my Tide To-Go pen (this stuff is MAGICAL!).
Miscellaneous Stuff
Random things I have in my bag include my sunglasses, a travel sized bottle of my perfume (Burberry London), my keys, Altoids (I ALWAYS have mints or gum), Neutrogena lip gloss in #50, Burt's Bees Pomegranate lip balm and DuWop's Lip Venom (I'm obsessed with lip stuff obviously) and most of the time I have a protein bar or some snack floating around in my bag for whenever I get hungry!
I know this post was probably boring...but it was fun for me!
Even though I'd like to deny it, I have wildly curly hair. I straighten it all the time because I just can't deal with how curly and at times, nappy, it can be. However, in the summer, wearing it curly is much easier and realistic because my straight hair pretty much turns curly with all the heat and humidity here in N.C.
So, here is a post about how I keep my hair curly in the summer and how to make the most out of your curls! Step 1: I shampoo and condition my hair with L'Oreal Vive Pro Nutri Gloss shampoo and conditioner and switch every-other-day with L'Oreal Vive Pro Hydra Gloss shampoo and conditioner. This line of shampoo is not specifically formulated for curly hair, but they both smell so good and work really well for my hair (I have dry, thick hair so make sure you find a brand that works well for you).
Step 2: I shake my head in the shower (kind of like a dog when it gets wet!) and DO NOT touch it with a towel. I try to get as much of the water out as possible so that it doesn't drip everywhere, but I don't put a towel on it because it makes it frizzy.
Step 3: With my fingers, I kind of estimate where my part should be and I lightly pull the errant hairs in the direction they are supposed to go (especially my bangs), though generally my hair falls on the side that I want it to.
Step 4: I let my hair air dry a little bit (this is generally when I do my makeup) and then once it has dried a little bit, I put Beyond The Zone's Noodlehead Curling Creme in my hair (only a little bit-too much product makes your hair look wet and greasy). This keeps my curls light and healthy-looking.
Step 5: After I put Noodlehead in my hair, I let it finish drying before I do anything else to it. Sometimes if I am in a rush, I will use a diffuser to dry my hair (always using a low setting) but generally I don't like to put any extra heat on it unless I absolutely have to.
Step 6: When my hair is completely dry, I spray it with John Frieda's 100% Shine Glossing Mist which is just a shine spray that I use whenever I do my hair (straight and curly). Make sure not to over spray it or it will end up looking greasy.
Be sure not to touch your hair too often! Touching creates frizz and can also mess up the way your curls look!
Click here to see a picture of my curly hair--but ignore my stupid face!
This book is amaaaazing; both as a book and as a movie (how could you not love something with Sandra Bullock? She is a Virginia girl, after all).
"She longed for porch friendship, for the sticky, hot sensation of familiar female legs thrown over hers in companionship. She pined for the girliness of it all, the unplanned, improvisational laziness. She wanted to soak the words 'time management' out of her lexicon. She wanted to hand over, to yield, to let herself float down the unchartered beautiful fertile musky swamp of life, where creativity and eroticism and deep intelligence dwell."
Everyone knows summer in the South means many wonderful things; sweet tea, sundresses and backyard barbecues. But what it definitely means is beautiful, bronzed skin for those of us that lounge around outside all day trying to perfect our dewy glow.
Now, I was unfortunately born without the "tan gene" (I inherited my skin tone from my Irish-Hungarian Daddy, thankyouverymuch!) so tanning for me creates various problems. I love the way a natural tan looks (not fake bake!) and I do know the damage that constant sun exposure can cause, but I absolutely HATE fake tanners (I use Jergens Natural Glow once a week instead of every day because of how much I hate the fake-tan look). So, I have a gigantic debate with myself every summer about how to achieve that perfect bronzed look, without completely damaging my skin or having to use self-tanners.
Tanning your body is easy enough and if you mess up or look strange/burnt, you can always cover it up with clothes. Tanning on your face isn't that simple; that is why I thank God every day for good bronzer. I wear bronzer literally every day. Winter, spring, summer, fall-I always have it on.
Here are my suggestions for the best bronzers for anything (matte, shimmery, dark, light, etc):
Clinique True Bronze Pressed Powder Bronzer in Sunswept, $24 This is an oil-free matte bronzer (no shimmer) that comes in three different colors and is appropriate for all skin types.
Physicians Formula Magic Mosaic Multi-Colored Custom Pressed Powder in Light Bronze, $12.95 This is the matte bronzer I use every day. It is actually meant to be used as powder, but I am so fair skinned that it works as bronzer on me. I like that it combines both dark and light bronze colors so I don't look too cake-y.
Lancome Tropiques Minerale Bamboo Bronzer in Temptingly Bronze, $45 This is a shimmery bronzer that combines many different shades of bronze and a little pink to create the perfect highlighting color for your face.
My only bronzer tips for application and purchasing the right bronzer for you are:
Keep your all-over bronzer matte. Putting shimmery bronzer all over your face makes you look cake-y and fake. Use shimmer sparingly to highlight your cheekbones and any other area you want highlighted.
Follow the 3-B application process. The 3-B is hard to explain over the internet. Basically what it means is starting at your temple, go down the side of your face in a 3 shape on one side and a B shape on the opposite side; highlighting your temple/forehead area, your cheekbones and your jawline. You can also apply some bronzer to your nose and chin if you're going for an all-over bronzed look.
Pick a bronzer that is appropriate for your skin type. Do not go too dark with your bronzer! It looks fake instantly and is not cute. The sales associates at any makeup counter or makeup store should be able to help you pick a color that looks natural on you and they can show you how to apply it properly!
Remember to blend! This is probably the most important bronzer tip I have. Blending is crucial when it comes to all makeup, but especially when it comes to bronzer. No one wants to walk around with makeup lines all over their face! Blend the bronzer into your hairline and on your neck (even applying more bronzer to your neck area) and if you're feeling a little frisky...you can always apply it to your collarbone and your décolletage!
A little bit of Southern Love and wisdom awaits every girl in this book. Just a piece of what it has to offer:
"Do not ever give a Queen a home appliance as a gift. Period. The end. Now, an exception can be made in the event she just happens to mention in passing that she wishes she had, say, a full Viking kitchen, and then she goes out of town for a few days; and when she comes back, her entire kitchen is renovated with fabulous Viking appliances. She will be touched. On the other hand, if it is her birthday and you, all on your own, select, purchase, and present her with a Crock Pot, well, you are over." -Jill Connor Browne
I feel like the title for this post may be misleading, but I find alliteration alluring (don't judge me). This post has absolutely nothing to do with mint juleps other than I am writing about my feelings about summertime in the South and how this affects your nails.
To put it lightly, I am obsessed with nail polish. I love, love, love it. I spend more money on beauty products than food and recently more and more of my beauty budget has been spent on O.P.I's magnificent colors.
Now, summer in the South is hard on all parts of your body. The heat and humidity makes you sweat, makes your hair frizz and can be either good or bad for your fingernails. If you go swimming a lot (as many of us Southern girls do in order to escape the heat) the chlorine can do serious damage to your nails. Any kind of chemical can make your nails weaker and less attractive, so why not pay more attention to them?!
In my opinion, summer is the one time that you can get away with wearing almost any nail color. Hot pink, coral, orange and any neon color is perfect for this summer and here are a few of my favorites:
OPI-OPI On Collins Ave. "A sizzling red-orange that knows where the action is."
OPI-Atomic Orange "Rich, vibrant, packed with energy!"
Borghese Nail Laquer-Capri Coral
My one word of advice to nail-painting is: don't be afraid to try new colors! You can change your nail polish any time you want so there's no reason to wear just ONE color. Summer is about having fun and trying new things! Happy painting y'all!
