Summer Traveling on a Budget

INTRODUCTION to budget traveling AND eating healthy

1. Pack a cooler with ice - This can including drinks that you would normally purchase at a gas station which is 3 times the price for unit. It can also include ingredients for making sandwiches (i.e. turkey breast, cheese and mustard)

2. Pack a bag with snacks - Sometimes when you make stops to fill up on gas, you are tempted to go inside and buy a candy bar or a small bag of chips. To resist the temptation of loading up on unhealthy snacks or even stopping to grab a bite to eat at a fast food place, head over to your local grocery store or walmart and stock up on some good-for-you treats like granola bars, crackers, and fruit like apples, oranges or bananas.

3. Designate a certain amount of cash for only travel days - With having a handy dandy credit card along for the ride, you are more tempted to spend money by charging for little things here and there. To help conserve money, take out say, 200 dollars and put it in an envelope labeled "gas money" so you aren't as tempted to grab for a couple twenties whenever you feel like it.

4. Check in with some distant relatives to stay at their place a night - My fiancé and I saved a TON of money by checking in with family and spending the night there while on our way up the east coast to Maine instead of wasting trip money on hotels. Not only do you save up some cash, but you are able to see and catch up with family that you normally wouldn't get to see except on weddings, holidays, and/or family reunions. If you do spend a night or two at your great aunt's or with some cousins, make sure to leave or send a polite thank you letter for allowing them to host you. 

5. Plan certain adventures or activities that may be a little pricey, and then budget the rest of your spending money around it. - For instance, on our trip to New Hampshire and Maine, I really wanted to go whale watching, but I had to keep in mind it was around $40 a person. So, we packed up snack lunches, our own drinks and snacks to save money on eating out and we did the whale watching trip as the entire day activity. Once we got back we could have went to the local downtown area and had some drinks, and dinner which would have cost a small fortune, so instead we went down to the beach and made a simple dinner back at the house. 

(Thanks to my fiance, I got snapped trying to snap a shot of a Minke Whale off the coast of NH/ME)

It's important to enjoy yourself and relax on vacation. It's a one time trip and you're suppose to spend some of your hard earned cash, but if you're nervous about spending a little too much, these 5 steps will help put some money back in your pocket so you're able to have ever lasting impressions throughout your vacation. 

A Beautiful Mess APP

D.I.Y. Photo Wreath

Today's project was inspired by my grandparents celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. The theme of the party is of course the golden color with hints of coral. I went to my local craft store in search of supplies and came across some cardboard letters and objects 50% off and decided to use a circular looking wreath (except it's flat) with a last initial letter (B) and a set of 24 wooden clips.

List of supplies

- Cardboard to cut a circle

- Wooden clips

- Initial letter (optional) 

- Hot glue gun or tacky glue

- Acrylic paint 

- Paint brushes

Back of cardboard - Already painted to desired color."B" and oversized circle were 50% off costing a few dollars each.

Set of 24 clips for about $4.00

Measuring out everything before you glue.

Hot glue "B" before glueing clips.

Love the Coral Blush!!! 30% off local craft store.

Annnddddd Viola! Finished product just in time for the 50th Anniversary Party!

Photo Wreath

More photos from the event...

DIY: Whitewash Stools

Today, I decided to do something with the stools I had recently purchased at Hobby Lobby on clearance. They were originally $60 each and I was able to buy them for $20 a piece. The stools already had some paint on them that was distressed but the dark hues didn't go well with my white rockers out on the front porch.

First thing I did was sand them. The one pictured on the left has already been sanded. I used Fine and Extra Fine Sanding Paper left over from my painting supplies. 

You'll also need:

- Fine Sanding Paper

- Interior/Exterior High Gloss Enamel Paint

- Extra tin can to mix paint and water to create whitewash

- Old rag for wiping off extra paint to get desired effect

- Paint brush

 After you've sanded the furniture, make sure you wipe off shavings and dust left over before you start painting. My mixture in the tin can was about 4:6 ratio of paint to water. I eye balled it to do 50/50 but ended up adding more water to achieve what I was looking for. 

With water and paint mixture, your brush, and rags, start applying to furniture and wipe off some of the paint as you go. I noticed that while I was paint the water left bubbles so I start to dry brush which means essentially, I took one of the rags and squeezed out some of the paint and water before applying it to the wood. I liked this look a little better but, I have to warn you, it gets pretty messy with paint on your hands so don't attempt if you have a nice manicure!  

I only did one coat on the stools because I didn't want them too white plus I really liked how they looked. The only thing left I want to do to them since they will be outside in the elements is slap a coat of polyurethane to protect them. Note: this will also make them more shiny than what they are now. 

BEFORE

AFTER

Summer's Good Reads

I love to read, pure and simple. There's nothing I like better than to sit out on the porch in a rocker, or read while catching some rays by the pool on a sunny day. That's why summer is the perfect season for reading! I personally love Lauren Conrad's Top 10 Books to Read this Summer and want to try and conquer some of those myself! 

Another great summer top 10 must read list is on Glitter Guide. Among those are The Great Gastby, which I can't wait to read again, and one of my favorite author's, Nicholas Sparks, and his newest book, The Longest Ride, which comes out in early September. 

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I just finished a Nora Robert's book, The Search, and now I am onto another old but classic Robert's book, Tribute. I can't help but be a sucker for a romance thrown into a mystery type novel. The Search is focused around the main character, Fiona Bristow, who was the only survivor out of 13 women who were killed by a serial killer. A year after her capture, the Red Scarf serial killer came back to revenge on the one that got away by killing Fiona's cop fiance and his K-9 partner. Now, eight years later, Fiona moved back to Orcas Island in Washington and started her own dog training and obedience school while helping out with the island's search and rescue team. A new man on the island, Simon Doyle, moved into town with a newly out of control puppy and comes to Fiona for help when they get a little more than what they bargained for. Just when you think Fiona's life is back in order, a copycat has come back to finished the undone business of the Red Scarf killer. 

 

Southern and Sweet's New Blog!

Hey y'all! I've always been one to read and look at other blog's, but I have never actually had one of my own. Since Pinterest came about, I have been pinning, crafting, shopping, and taking notes on fashion inspiration and now I have decided to show some of the things I have created. I have to admit, I am super excited!


To start off, I'll give a brief autobiography. Born and raised in Georgia, I'm a sweet, southern Kappa Delta girl. My boyfriend, however, thinks the sweet part is debatable. I graduated with a Bachelors of Business Administration in Marketing from a small school up in Northwestern Georgia, North Georgia College & State University. I'm currently seeking out my career path and trying to sort out what I want to do with the rest of my life. I grew up playing sports, riding motorcycles, swimming since before I could practically walk, and spent most of my childhood outdoors. Since then, I've found my feminine side where I have grown to have a passion for photography, fashion, graphic design, D.I.Y. crafts, and interior decor.