alabama blogger – Angela Joy

Best Swimsuits EVER!

Every single time I go to the beach I look at houses for sale because I never want to leave! Any one else do this too?! 😂 It is the best form of self-care for me. I am working on a travel guide for 30A and that should be up in the next few weeks. But, until then, I wanted to talk about the best swimsuits ever! P.S. they’re on sale!

If you haven’t tried anything from Aerie, you are seriously missing out. I haven’t tried anything from them I haven’t loved. Once I discovered how amazing their swimwear is, I knew I had to share it with you all!

The Aerie brand is built on celebrating and advocating for body positivity and the empowerment of all women. Their clothing is meant to inspire customers to love their real selves, inside and out. Personally, I think their swimsuits do just that! They make me feel the most comfortable and confident I have ever been in a swimsuit.

Pictured above is what I like to call my “Carole Baskin” swimsuit 🐆 ! It is seriously the cutest thing and it is so on trend right now. I don’t normally purchase printed swimwear, but I am so glad I got this one. This style is the Wide Strap Scoop Bikini Top paired with the High Cut Cheeky Bikini Bottom. The top gives the perfect amount of support and has no padding in it, which I love! It also doesn’t dig into my skin and didn’t move around and leave me with weird tan (ahem, sunburn) lines. Let’s talk about the high-waisted bottoms for a second. Y’all, these are not the normal high-waisted diaper/grandma look. They are high cut on the leg (without showing anything you don’t want to) and the backside is just cheeky enough to keep things fun! 🍑 🍑 🍑 They also suck you in a little but definitely don’t feel constraining so you can eat as manyyy beach snacks as you like!

For this next suit, I opted for something I typically never do — strapless. I normally loathe anything strapless because more often than not you see people constantly tugging and pulling up anything without straps. It is just never a good look. But this top, the Ribbed Longline Bandeau, stays right where you put that thing on! I absolutely adore it and the bright color of this suit.

Aerie make it easy to mix and match different styles of tops and bottoms as well as prints. I recommend their suits to all of my friends and I know you won’t be disappointed if you pick some up for yourself. They also offer a great rewards program, so get to shopping today and start earning some points!

Let me know if you find one you love by leaving a comment below! Can’t wait to share more about my mini-vacay with you!

Beauty, fashion, What's New

june makeup must-haves + effortless summer dress

Featuredby Angela ThomasLeave a Comment

I hope everyone is having a great week so far! It has been rainy here in Alabama, but thankfully that has cooled things down a bit! At the beginning of quarantine, I was seriously judging everyone who was wearing makeup and anything other than stretchy pants while they were confined to their own home. But now I have become one of those people! In order for me to be productive, I have to get up and get ready as if I am physically going into work or I won’t feel like doing anything all day. Quickly, I found that doing my full-face routine was just too much, so I adapted my routine to a simplified and more summer-friendly look.

The past month I have been trying out some new makeup products and I am excited to share these with you because I think they are a must to add to your makeup bag! I always love drugstore products —they have come such a long way since I was a diving into the world of cosmetics as a kid. Unfortunately for my bank account, I go through phases where I am also really into higher-end products. This was one of those times, but I am so glad that I splurged because these products are worth it! All of these products are linked so you can purchase directly.

Make Up Forever Blurring Powder Foundation – This stuff is a game changer! Easy and quick application with great coverage for everyday that is buildable. This can also be used as a powder to set your makeup! If I do a light foundation or just some concealer, I swirl a powder brush in this product and then set it. The shade finder on Sephora makes it easy to find the right shade for your skin and undertones — I use the shade Ivory.

Fenty Beauty Freestyle Bronzer – This is my first Fenty Beauty product and will definitely not be my last! The quality of this product gets 5+ stars easily. There is a great shade range in this product. I purchased the color “Amber,” which is a contour shade. It is the perfect cool contour for fair skin and I wish I had found it sooner. I use this e.l.f. brush to apply some product under my cheekbones, around my forehead, sides of nose, and jawline. Even if you aren’t doing a full glam face, just blending some of this product in will give you an effortless pulled together look!

Benefit Cosmetics Gold Rush Blush – I LOVE this blush. It is a perfect blend of a warm and glowy peach shade that makes you look perfectly flushed and summer ready! Highly recommend because you can skip highlighter with this product since it has a bit of shimmer in it.

Tarte Sea Breezy Cream Bronzer – Waterproof and buildable, a bronzer that applies effortlessly. It really gives you a just got back from the beach glow! I stipple a little of this over my blush and around the forehead to warm up my face.

Keep reading to get the outfit details!

Breezy Summer Dress

This effortlessly chic and flowy dress is a must buy! You can wear this around the house working from home, for a fun summer dinner date, or while running errands. It is so versatile and I need it in more colors!

Earrings: Kathryn Stallworth Designs | Hat: Amazon

Headed to the beach later this week and I can’t wait to relax and let my brain reset. Talk to y’all again soon!

Career, fashion, What's New, Work Wear

Prevail

Featuredby Angela ThomasLeave a Comment

prevail [ pri-veyl ] – prove more powerful than opposing forces; be victorious.

This week I am talking about another one of my favorite spots –– Prevail Union –– Located on the first floor of a building from 1898, which was home to the S. H. Kress & Co. department store, Prevail is a craft coffee shop focusing on delivering fresh roasted coffee and unique drinks while in a comfortable, cozy environment. Hip and industrial, it resembles a coffee shop that one typically wouldn’t expect to find in downtown Montgomery.

I’ve been going to Prevail since my first day of work in Montgomery. Back then, it was located in a smaller spot at a nearby building. I fell in love with the honey vanilla iced latte and the homey environment where I could cross things off my to-do list.

Prevail sends a subtle, yet consistent message which constantly reminds us that alone, we may endure, but together we prevail.

No no matter what your situation in this season, if life is hard, love harder, be slow to anger and quick to forgive, and you will prevail. It may not be today. It may not be tomorrow, but you will win!

Look Again.

Featuredby Angela ThomasLeave a Comment

*DRESS*: **Blue Door Boutique**; *SHOES*: **Targe**t (I have the higher heel version, but mine are equally as comfy to work all day in!)
*HANDBAG:* **Louis Vuitton “Sac Plat”** (This bag was investment piece for me, but it is the perfect every day work bag and is different than the normal Neverfull style!)

Even though I live in a small town, I have the privilege of working five days a week in Montgomery. So I can do all the shopping and eating I need to do that one normally couldn’t do during the week in Greenville. I unfortunately can’t get everything I need from Walmart and Taco Bell – I know some of you can relate!

When I started working in Montgomery, my foodie senses were tingling. So many new things to try! If I was stranded on a deserted island with only a few things left for the remainder of time, I could probably live off of good burgers. Thankfully for me, right around the corner from my office is one of the best burger spots around, Hamburger King.

So why am I going on and on about a burger spot, you may ask? Well I had my wisdom teeth extracted yesterday and this was my “last supper,” before the surgery. Boy did I pick a good one!

Hamburger King, which opened in 1970 is a tiny, hole in the wall spot with a few counter stools and some tables for four. It’s something you might pass by and think isn’t worth your time. Look again. If you’re into dive spots with no frills, this is the spot for you. The first time I tried it, I was HOOKED. It’s the kind of burger that makes a little mess while you eat. So be sure to go with someone you aren’t embarrassed to eat in front of 🙂

Just a friendly reminder, they only sell chips. No fries. But I find a good bag of salty Lay’s always hits the spot with one of these burgers. Also, make sure you have cash on hand. There is an ATM inside, but sometimes it’s down and I would HATE for you to miss out on the chance to eat here. The ONLY downside to this spot is the lack of pickles. I love pickles on my burger. But it’s so good that I can get over it!

I’ve been eating fairly healthy and sticking to my yoga routine when possible, so this was a fantastic cheat meal right before being stuck at home eating ice cream and soup!

To wrap this rambling post up, I wanted to say I have been very nervous about jumping back in to blogging and creating my own stationery line! Sometimes I think, my content isn’t special and the market is oversaturated with photos of girls in new clothes! Or I get worried people will make fun of me! But I realized the one thing I have that no one else has is ME! My voice, my mind, my story. So I am going to write and live out my vision and goals only as I can.

I hope if you have dreams and visions for your life, no matter what they are, you are inspired to live them out with no fear of failing. At first glance, it may appear too hard. Look again. Always look again.

Let me know what dreams you’re chasing after these last six months of 2019!

Career, Life Seasons, What's New

The B Word

Featuredby Angela ThomasLeave a Comment

B Word

As many of you know, I recently entered the world of non-profit work. I have been with this organization for two whole months now. Time goes by quickly when you’ve got work to do and lives to change.

In the communications industry, people tend to shy away from nonprofit work. They tend to only focus on the amount of work, but never the impact of our work. As a staff of four amazing women currently, the workload can be intense as we set out to improve the quality of life for all children in the state of Alabama. But at the end of every day, I know the work I put in is for the greater good — and for that very reason it is all worth it.

In the organization I work in, we try not to say the word busy. We instead are diligently working, actively engaged in our work, engrossed in the issues our children are facing or just plain HUSTLIN’.

So, for the past two months, I have been trying to shy away from the word busy. We are so caught up in this lifestyle of being busy, heck, we even make it seem glamorous. We get so busy we don’t have time for the things that matter most — loved ones, our relationship with God, self care and a good night’s sleep.

Maybe you’re a type-A overachiever. Or maybe you inevitably end up with a to-do list that won’t end. These days, just about all of us accept our busyness with combination of pride and exhaustion.

Busyness brings worry. The more I worry, the less I look at Jesus and more and more at my situation. Instead of saying “God, I have a lot on my plate right now and I could use your strength to help me get through today,” I rely on my strength. Worldly strength that tends to get me nowhere but burnt out, tired and falling asleep on my laptop in bed (who am I kidding, I do this always).

Busy can beat upon us like a drum. When those closest to us have stopped asking for our time, it’s because they know we are too busy for them. That’s crushing to the heart. We all need “waiting” time, whether we think we do or not. Waiting time is when we say adamantly, “It can wait!” and we step back and do what is really important.

I’m here to remind you (and myself) not to get caught up in the kind of busy that edges out intentional living. Sometimes your busiest, hardest-working, least-restful periods of your life are not your most purposeful, or even most productive.

I know deep within my heart that being overloaded is a way for the enemy to distract me from those most precious to me. The storm that rages inside me is shouting, “Slow Down!” and demands my attention. But if I heed that call, the Creator of peace will shower me with a peace that surpasses all understanding if I just trust him. The fragrance of grace and mercy will overflow in me when I come to peace with being less busy.

One thing I have to remember on a daily basis is that wait is not an ugly word and “busy” is not a spiritual gift. After all, God says in Psalm 46:10, “Be still, and know that I am God.” Isn’t being still waiting? When you have a personality like mine, it’s hard to be still, but it is only during those moments alone with God that I can truly feel a peace that surpasses all understanding. Busy is the enemy of joy. Busy steals precious time. Busy robs my blessings.

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