How to survive Summer in the South

I love Summertime here in North Carolina...days are spent out by the pool with friends and nights fixin chicken on the grill and going out for ice cream! But theres just one thing that makes all this not as enjoyable..the HEAT!

If you're from the South then you are quite familiar with how hot it gets in the summertime..if you're not let me just tell you it gets HOT...we're talking upper 90's. Lord knows, half the reason everyone has big hair in the South is cause of the huminity. So I thought I'd share with y'all a couple things that help me survive summer in the South!

1 / 2 / 3 / 4

One: Use a tinted moisturizer instead of foundation..it will moisturize your skin in the heat, still give you good coverage for blemishes but not melt off your face like foundation.

Two: Give your face a little bit of a glow with a bronzer and highlighter duo..it will make your skin look freshly sunkissed.

Three: Brighten your eyes with a volumizing mascara.

Four: Plump and moisturize your lips with a high shine gloss.

1 / 2 / 3 / 4

One: Use a moisturizing and paraben free shampoo and conditioner like moroccan oil to keep your hair healthy during the summer months.

Two: To tame those fly aways and too keep frizz undercontrol use a styling cream to keep your hair soft and frizz-free.

Three: To give your hair a beachy wave and volume use a salt spray when your hair is damp.

Four: Protect your hair against the humidity with a finishing spray..it holds like a hairspray but isn't as thick and will keep your hair gorgeous all day.

Back Where I Come From

I know I've mentioned it before..but let me give you a little background. I grew up out in the country on over 200 acres of farm land, I played hide in seek in the corn fields, rode four wheelers, learned to drive in my Daddy's chevy truck, oh and had a pet goat (different story for a different day).. so I would consider myself a "country girl". Even though I now live in a big city, every once and a while I like to go back to my roots...and this past weekend I did just that.

I had been begging T to go horseback riding with me ever since we first started dating. He was always a little hesitant because see, T is a "city" boy..don't get me wrong, he loves his fair share of country music, southern traditions and country girls (ahem..me ;) ) but, he grew up in a city, given if you drive 15 miles out of the city limits you will still see cotton and corn fields, because well, we still are in the South..but I just don't consider it the same. Growing up in a small country town, is just different. So T was hesitant, because he had never ridden a horse, or even been around horses for that matter. Me on the other hand, almost every weekend was spent at a stable, that my momma's friend owned, riding and just being around the horses..I loved it.

T knew how bad I missed riding, so he searched high and low for a place to go near where we live and ended up surprising me on my birthday with a gift certificate to go trail riding. I was so excited and even more excited that we would be going together, even though I knew he was reluctant since he had never ridden before. So Sunday afternoon we headed to this farm to go trial riding!

If you can't tell from that picture, T had a great time! The closer we got to the farm the more his nerves were kicking in, so I tried to tell him the "do's and don'ts" which I think made him feel a little more at ease. I think he did great and definitely loved riding! So now I just need to convince him to buy a horse so we can ride every weekend..yes? :)

Southern State of Mind

I posted Instagram pictures from our Charleston trip last week as a teaser, but here is the real deal, it took quite a while to upload the pictures, so sorry for being slack and just now posting.

We had so much fun and actually wandered around to a couple places we had never been before. T and I already can't wait to get back down there again, it's just so gorgeous..we never want to leave.

  Also, I included a few iphone pictures from Hailey's wedding...she was beyond GORGEOUS and we had such a great time celebrating with them!

[Mount Pleasant Park & Pier]

[Shem Creek]

[Rainbow Row]

[Waterfront Park & Pineapple Fountain]

[Mount Pleasant Park &Pier]

Charleston through Instagram

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