Southern Traditions: Porch Sittin’

Southern Traditions: Porch Sittin' | Fairly Southern

A couple of weeks ago on Instastories, I asked you all to share your favorite Southern traditions, as I’m hoping to highlight many of them here on the blog. When my friend Maile messaged me that her favorite Southern activity is drinking wine in the summer heat, I knew that would be the first tradition I’d write about. We are right in the heart of prime porch sittin’ season as we speak!

Obviously, you don’t have to necessarily be on a porch to fully enjoy a fantastic summer beverage. Sit out on your patio, in your lawn, or by the pool…wherever you’d like to be! But, you get Southern bonus points if you can find a porch with a rocking chair (or better yet, a porch swing!).

Here are my suggestions for everything you need for a magical afternoon or evening of porch sittin’! Read More

Norwex Body Cloth: 6 Week Update

It’s been a solid six weeks since I took the plunge and ditched body soap, face soap, makeup remover, and shaving cream in favor of the Norwex body cloth. Am I still using the cloth? Do I still love it as much as I did when I wrote my original post? Keep on reading to find out!

Norwex Body Cloth Review: 6 Week Update. All the dirt on how the body cloth works long-term! | Fairly Southern

The simple answer to whether or not I’m still using the body cloth is yes…and no. I am still using it for one function, but not for the others. I’ll break down how the body cloth ended up working out long-term for each of its proposed uses: Read More

Kentucky Derby Decor with Recycled Horse Show Ribbons

Anybody else a big fan of the Kentucky Derby? Growing up as a horse-obsessed little girl, I watched it every year. Though I never raced horses myself, being immersed in the equestrian world taught me a lot about racing terminology,  strategy, and culture. Once I met Wes, we quickly realized we had found our joint favorite “holiday.” I love horses and a good party theme (hello, giant hats), and he loves mint juleps and seersucker. A Southern match made in heaven! We try to have a party to celebrate the run for the roses each year.

Kentucky Derby Party Decor Using Recycled Horse Show Ribbons | Fairly Southern

The photos in this post are from last year’s party. The decor was our best yet! And, it was super inexpensive…we found ways to use stuff we already had, including my old horseback riding ribbons.

Read More

Sustainable Home Design: Eco-Friendly Flooring and Countertops

Eco-Friendly, Sustainable ReSAWN flooring | Fairly Southern
@CaraGreen

Many of us know about ways to “go green” on a micro level: taking reusable bags to the grocery store, using a water bottle rather than buying plastic, using good-for-the-earth dishwashing liquid. But I know that many of us, myself included, have rarely thought much about being eco-friendly on a larger level, such as how we design and furnish our homes.

I recently learned about a local-to-NC company called Caragreen, which produces sustainable, eco-friendly flooring and countertops (I actually won a giveaway they were running on Instagram….too fun!). They are headquartered right here in Raleigh, but they work to create amazing home interiors for companies and residences all around the country. I have really enjoyed learning about the way they do sustainable home design and wanted to share!

My initial reaction when I hear “sustainable homes” or “eco-friendly homes” is to think of ultra-modern, minimalistic tiny houses.  What I hope to show you in this blog post is that you can still go for a classic Southern home even while using contemporary, eco-friendly materials!

Read More

How to Navigate Weddings as a Gluten-Free Guest

How to Navigate Weddings as a Gluten-Free Guest | Fairly Southern

Y’all, we are right at the start of peak wedding season! I have always loved weddings–the sweet looks between the couple during the ceremony, the beautiful flowers and decor, the dancing at the reception. I love it all. But since I became gluten intolerant 3.5 years ago, there is one thing about weddings that gives me anxiety: the food at the reception.

I guess I could just eat a meal right before going to the wedding so that I wouldn’t have to worry about eating at all. But honestly, that can be just as stressful as trying to actually eat the food, what with all of the looks, questions, comments, and internal judgments you may receive from other wedding guests when they notice you’re not eating. It is so much less awkward (and much more fun) to be able to blend in and eat with everyone else.

I have learned that there are ways to make wedding meals much less anxiety-provoking. Here are my tips for enjoying wedding food while remaining safely gluten-free!  Read More

No Body Wash for a Week: The Norwex Body Cloth Challenge

This week, I did something I never thought I would do: I didn’t use body wash, face wash, or shaving cream for an entire week!

This was part of a week-long experiment called the Norwex Body Cloth Challenge. The rules were pretty straightforward: Anytime I normally would have reached for soap or shaving cream, I used the Norwex body cloth instead.

In this blog post, I’m going to give you all of the dirt about how things went in the challenge. I was not asked by Norwex to write about my experiences, nor am I being compensated for doing so. I did receive the body cloth for free from my Norwex consultant in exchange for participating in the challenge. All thoughts expressed in this post are my honest opinions!

Norwex Body Cloth Review: How I Stopped Using Body Wash, Face Wash, Eye Makeup Remover, and Shaving Cream! | Fairly Southern Read More

Baby Pink + Bell Sleeves

Y’all, it is almost officially SPRING!! The air is a tad warmer, it’s staying light longer, and flowers are starting to bloom. It has given me such a mood boost, and I have found myself drawn to fresh, light clothing that matches the approaching season!

Baby Pink + Bell Sleeves | Ethically made, eco-friendly outfit! | Fairly Southern

Last weekend, I had the opportunity to take my mom to The Flourish Market for the first time. It was fun to show her a place that means so much to me! She purchased a fabulous knotted top, and I took home this bell-sleeved beauty. Read More