Cyber Monday Sale Roundup

Happy Monday y'all! Mondays after a long weekend are not always well welcomed in my book but Cyber Monday makes this Monday a bit better. Personally, I have never been Black Friday shopping as my mom has never been a fan of it and I would rather not fight out everyone for an okay deal.

But Cyber Monday I can totally get on board with. No physically fighting people over a TV but rather from the comfort of your own home. I love buying my friends their gifts on Cyber Monday so I don't have to think about running to the mall in the midst of Midterms.

I've gathered up my favorite sales so you can get ahead on your holiday shopping!

image via

Banana Republic- 40% off with code BESTCYBER

Bloomingdales- 25% off regular price and sale items with exclusions

Design Darling- 20% off with code THANKFUL

Gap- 40% off with code BESTCYBER

J. Crew- 40% off certain styles, 30% off everything else, 40-50% off sale items with code MONDAY

J. Crew Factory- 50% off everything, additional 15% off and free shipping with code TODAYONLY

Jack Rogers- Buy one get one half off with code CYBER2015

Kate Spade- 30% off with code SHINE

Kendra Scott- 15% off everything

Lilly Pulitzer- Gifts with Purchase: shopping tote with any spend, charm bracelet with $75 spend, travel journal set with $250 spend, travel cosmetic case with $500 spend + a new GWP with any purchase every hour

L.L. Bean- 10% off with code THANKS10

Loft- 50% off and free shipping with CYBER50

Marley Lilly- Free statement necklace with any purchase

Nordstrom- 25% off select sale items

Old Navy- 40% off with code BESTCYBER

Pottery Barn Teen- 

Ralph Lauren- Spend $125 save $25, spend $250 save $75, spend $500 save $175, spend $750 or more save $275

Shopbop- 15% off your order of $250, 20% off your order of $500, and 25% off your order of $1,000 with code GOBIG15

Tory Burch- 30% off your purchase of $250 or more

Tuckernuck- from 15 up to 30% off with codes CYBER-15, CYBER-20, CYBER-25, and CYBER-30

Vineyard Vines- 25% off full price items and 40% off sale items with code GOBBLE2015

Happy Shopping!

My Chic Week: November 20-26

Happy Friday y'all! I hope you all had a wonderful Friday and are enjoying Black Friday (and eating all of those yummy leftovers)!

This week has been quite a busy one and I'm so excited to share the details with y'all today! So grab a cup of coffee or hot chocolate and get reading!

Friday morning, my mom, family friends, and I all went to go tour Elon University. I previously toured there my freshmen year with my school so I was so excited to tour again, even if it was a bit chilly! Elon's campus is so pretty and I'm so glad that I was able to tour!

After the tour, we picked up some t-shirts at the bookstore and then grabbed lunch at Chick-fil-a. After getting back home, we went shopping (and spent too much $$$ at Lulu #sorrynotsorry).

Friday night was our homecoming basketball game with a tailgate, which was a lot of fun! The girls team won but unfortunately both JV and Varisty boys lost, which was a bummer!

Saturday morning, I slept in and then started to take down my room, since I'm redoing it! It was quite the task to remove everything, even though my parents were sweet enough to take down my bed and move furniture while I was at my hair appointment!

I had a much-needed hair appointment that afternoon, which I am so excited with the results of! I spent the rest of my afternoon organizing my room, blogging, and running errands.

post-haircut selfie

Saturday night was my Homecoming so I went over to a friend's so we could all get ready together! The dance was a lot of fun (any dance that plays High School Musical is a good one in my book!).

After a weekend full of fun, unfortunately, I had to catch up on all of homework on Sunday. Especially since I missed school to tour Elon on Friday, I had a lot to catch up on and sadly, not enough motivation to match! I was super thankful that it was only a short week with class on Monday and Tuesday before break!

Monday was not my favorite day of the week. All weekend I have had a pretty nasty cough and unfortunately, it really peaked on Monday. I also started my morning off on a bad note as I left my laptop at home. I had an appointment at the doctor's after school to check on my cough as my mom and I wanted to make sure it wasn't too serious and then I spent the rest of the night studying!

Tuesday was my last day before Thanksgiving Break and it was busy to say the least. I had few quizzes along with a test so I was pretty happy once school ended for the day!

On Wednesday, my family and I drove 9 hours south to go visit my grandfather in Alabama for Thanksgiving! The ride was quite awful as we hit several major accidents in every state so it wound up taking 10 hours!

Thursday was Turkey Day (obviously!). I started my morning by walking my dog with my family and then spend the rest of the day watching the parade, helping my mom cook, blogging, and of course eating!

On my radar:

1. So many sales! I'm planning on doing a big sale round up post on Monday for Cyber Monday so be on the lookout for than. But in the mean time be sure to check out J. Crew, J. Crew Factory, the Kate Spade Surprise Sale, and Pottery Barn Teen for some amazing deals that end tonight or on Sunday!

2. A special on the new season of PLL aired Tuesday night with insights on the new season! What did y'all think of it!

3. If y'all follow me on Twitter (if not follow me here!), you probably saw my latest obsession: Fresh Market Peppermint Bark. Oh my gosh y'all this stuff is amazing and I will probably eat a ridiculous amazing throughout the Christmas season! But now that Thanksgiving is over, it's acceptable, right? (please tell me yes!)

4. Tory Burch is currently offering 30% off for every purchase of $250 or more until Monday, perfect for Christmas shopping (hint hint, Mom and Dad!)

5. I don't know if y'all noticed but the Pin it button for all of my images has disappeared! I was tweaking my site design this week and now I cannot get the button to come back (and I've looked up every tutorial under the sun!). Fellow bloggers- any tips would be greatly appreciated!

Be sure to read my other posts from this week:

LBD, Long Road Trip Survival Tips, #galpalholiday: Giving Thanks and Getting Stuffed, Emerald + Lace, Thankful

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving break with your family and friends (and enjoy all of the leftovers from yesterday's feast)!

Thankful

Happy Thanksgiving y'all! I hope you are all surrounded by your family and friends and eating a lot of delicious food! Even though Thanksgiving is usually thought of as the food, I still try to remind myself of all that I have to be thankful for!

Also thankful for pretty dresses that spin! But I thought this picture was too funny not to share!

I am truly blessed for my family and friends, they're amazing and I truly don't know what I would do without them! Even though my family may drive me crazy, I know they're always there for me! And my friends, well it's an understatement to say that they always make me laugh (even after a not-so-great day) and are always they are there supporting me!

I'm also thankful for the roof over my head, clothes on my body, and the food on my table. A lot of people in the world don't have that right now and I am truly thankful for all of those things! I'm also thankful for my education. Even though I might complain how much I "hate" school and all of the work, I know it's preparing me to get into a good college and to get a great job oneday!

Lastly, I'm thankful for all of my readers here on Chic in Carolina! When I started blogging in March, I never imagined how many people would read this! I'm so thankful that my friends and family continue to support me in blogging even if that means taking outfit posts or simply reading and following along! Honestly, the first few months of blogging, I was convinced that I was the only one reading it and all of the page views were from me! All of your sweet comments and emails make my day (feel free to comment or email me at chicincarolina@gmail.com!). I'm so thankful that y'all read this and I hope that you continue to stick around here in the months to come! Blogging has become such a big part of my life and y'all are a big part of that!

I hope y'all have a great Thanksgiving!

Emerald + Lace

Last Saturday night was my school's first ever Homecoming, which was a lot a fun! Before the dance, I put on my outfit so that way y'all could see it (as it was too dark to take outfit posts when my friends and I finished getting ready).

This dress is definitely a splurge but it is so gorgeous. It's so flattering (order two sizes down if you're under 5'5, order one size down if you're above 5'5) and is definitely a dress that is perfect for twirling! It would make for a perfect dress for Thanksgiving (run to your nearest Lilly!), Christmas parties, Christmas Eve, NYE, or even more casual with flats or riding boots!

Dress- Lilly Pulitzer Heels- Madden Girl Necklace- J. Crew

Stay tuned for Friday's post for more Homecoming details!

Happy Thanksgiving!

#GalPalLinkup: Giving Thanks & Getting Stuffed

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and I'm so excited! Last month, I participated in the #galpallinkup Halloween themed post (read mine here!) and today is the second part of the linkup: Thanksgiving themed of course! This incredible linkup is hosted by Cathleen, Cristina, and Rachel, so be sure to check out their posts as well!

I have put out a few Thanksgiving themed posts already so instead of that I decide to round up all of my favorite Thanksgiving themed posts from all around today for the linkup.

image via

A roundup of my favorite Thanksgiving Desserts from Pinterest!

Dorothy shares a few adorable outfits that would be perfect for the Big Day!

Love this recap of Carly's Friendsgiving!

The perfect Pumpkin Bread recipe!

Renee shares an outfit that would be perfect for Thanksgiving!

A few etiquette tips if you're visiting friends or family this weekend

Visiting relatives or friends? Frannie shares the perfect hostess gifts!

Annaliese shares her Black Friday shopping tips!

Still in need of the perfect outfit? Check out my Thanksgiving Outfit ideas!

Tips for hosting a Friendsgiving!

These Mini Pumpkin Mousse Pies look AMAZING!

The End of Thanksgiving is the start of the Christmas so here's a guide of all of the Christmas Movies & Specials on TV this year!

Another outfit that would be perfect for Turkey Day!

Caroline shares how to stay healthy during the holidays!

Be sure to follow my Fall Pinterest board

Be sure to check back over here at Chic in Carolina at 6 PM EST for another fun post (hint hint homecoming!)

Long Road Trip Survival Tips

Thanksgiving Break is just around the corner... which means it is almost time for my family and I to drive the 9 hour trip south to my grandfather's house in Alabama. I am not the biggest fan of long car rides (I don't think anybody is) but after traveling so often for extended periods of time, I have come up with some tips that make a long road trip (or airplane ride) a bit more bearable! This is perfect if you're traveling in the next few days or even Christmas Break!

Pack lots of movies

This is the best way to pass time: pack a lot of new (or favorite movies)! I also like to watch Netflix on my iPad by using my hotspot on my phone!

Comfy clothes are a must

Pack the perfect carry on bag

Bring a bag full of your must have items so they're easily in reach! Check out my essentials here!

Bring snacks

And preferably lots of them! Don't get hangry on long car rides, just don't!

Plan out your stops

My family does this a lot and typically around food. Find an exit with a Starbucks, Chick-fil-a, or other favorite food to plan ahead to so that way you can look forward to it (only 50 miles to Starbucks!).

Two words: Bring Headphones

Okay, I'm going to be honest with y'all: after so many hours in the car with my family (or friends), I start to get a bit annoyed and needing my own space. The solution: put on some headphones and tune them out for a bit!

Buy a new album to listen to

Another way to pass time (and catch up on the new albums everyone has been obsessed with lately!)

How do you survive long road trips? Let me know in the comments!

LBD

Happy Monday y'all! Today I'm sharing the perfect LBD dress for the holiday season! I haven't had a LBD in my closet for years since I ruined my last one (which I adored) and never replaced it! Well, let me tell you, they are so handy to have on hand since you can wear it to everything (perfect for all of those holiday parties you have been invited to).

This dress has the most gorgeous lace detailing on the back!

Dress- eShatki c/o (similar) Earrings- Local Boutique Heels- Madden Girl

If you're looking to purchase an eShatki dress for the holidays be sure to order ASAP as they do have a longer delivery time since the dresses are custom-made!

My Chic Week: November 13-19

Happy Friday y'all! This week has seemed crazy, full of both ups and downs. It has been Spirit Week for homecoming as well as the last full week before Thanksgiving so it has been a bit crazier than usual!

Last Friday, we had Mass during the day so we had to dress up and I also had two tests back-to-back. Friday night, I went out to eat with my family at our favorite local pizza place and then watching a movie (We're the Millers- which was so funny) back at home!

vest similar scarf

Saturday morning, my mom, sister, and I volunteered at our church's Christmas Bazaar. We have volunteered for years and it is such a fun way to get into the holiday spirit! Plus, it was the perfect excuse to break out my Vineyard Vines Santa Hat Whale tee!

this year's version of the tee

After the Bazaar, we headed home for lunch. My parents went to my brother's soccer tournament so my sister and I headed to Target. I had a few necessities that I needed to buy but I also walked around the entire store (it took all of my self control to not buy the entire Christmas section!).

I bought this adorable pillow and can't wait to put it out!

After spending a lot of time in Target, I blogged and did some homework before heading to Mass with my mom. That night, we had fajitas for dinner and also watched Divergent as my sister just finished the first book!

Sunday wasn't too exciting as I worked on homework all day!

This past week was Homecoming Spirit Week. Since my school does not have a football team, we align our homecoming with the first home basketball game. We have themed days each day, the big game with a tailgate beforehand on Friday night, then the dance on Saturday!

Monday's theme was 'Merica Monday so the whole school dressed up in red, white, and blue. This week has been very hectic as I had a book due on Wednesday for AP Lit and I also had to work ahead a bit because I am missing class today to tour another college (follow me on Instagram for updates!) Monday, I also had my faith formation class that I teach, which always brightens up my Mondays!

jeans flats

Tuesday was Tailgate Tuesday, where you wear your favorite team's jersey. Tuesday seemed a bit hectic as I had tutored during lunch, babysat after school, and then worked on a few assignments that were due the next day.

jersey jeans flats watch

Tuesday was also Principal Appreciation Day so the vice-principal was given a pig that will live on campus. We already have a few chickens so you know just adding on to that! If you don't believe me, check out the picture below!

Wednesday was Western Wednesday so I wore a gingham shirt with jeans and cowboy boots (that my next-door neighbor was so gracious to let me borrow), unfortunately I forgot to take a picture of my outfit! Wednesday was very hectic as I had a plethora of school work to do, SAT tutoring after school, and babysitting after that!

Thursday's theme was Theaterical Thursday so I dressed up as Blair Waldorf from Gossip Girl (which slightly hilariously turned out to be an outfit I would wear usually). After school, I babysat, ran a few errands, did a little homework, blogged, and then got ready for my college tour the next morning! My family friends from Chicago (they visited in this previous post!) who are going to go on the tour with us also arrived that night!

cardigan pearls similar skirt flats watch

On my Radar:

1. Homecoming weekend! Tonight is our first home basketball games and then tomorrow is our homecoming dance! Can't wait to share the pictures with y'all next Friday!

2. Be the perfect Thanksgiving Houseguest with these tips from Town & Country

3. I am loving this tassel wrap!

4. This Instagram feed is major #housegoals

5. Be sure to check out my post for Our Campus Media here!

Be sure to check out my posts from this week:

Pumpkin Bread, Chic in Carolina's 2015 Christmas List, Thanksgiving Dessert Inspiration, My Favorite School Website: Quizlet

What have you been up to this week? What is on your radar? Let me know in the comments!

My Favorite School Website: Quizlet

I'm going to let y'all in on a little secret that honestly is my life-saver during the school year: Quizlet! With midterm exams right around the corner (eek!), it is the perfect time to brush up and gather new study resources! For all of y'all who don't know what Quizlet is, it's a website that allows you to make virtual flashcards and has different ways that you can study them (my favorite is the test feature!).

I started using Quizlet my freshmen year and it's slightly hilarious because my whole entire grade has used them since then. I always knew that my classmates use them but it's hilarious because the freshmen and students at other schools apparently use them as well!

The moral of my blabbing? Quizlet is amazing and has definitely helped my grades over the past few years!

A few things I love using Quizlet for:

1. Making flashcards

I like to make the flashcards as a way of going of the material another time (sometimes I don't even use the flashcards, I'll study by making them!)

2. Quizzing Vocab

For vocab quizzes, I love having the feature of flipping through the flashcards!

3. Tests

After making the flashcards, Quizlet will create a test for you out of your content and then grade it when you finish! Definitely helpful for test preparation!

Do you love Quizlet? Let me know in the comments!

*This post isn't sponsored in any way by Quizlet! I just really love the website and wanted to share with y'all!*

Thanksgiving Dessert Inspiration

Thanksgiving is just a little over a week away and I am so excited to have a few days off of school and eat lots of yummy food! I will be spending the break down in Alabama but my mom is charge of the food so we get to pick the desserts!

Luckily my fall Pinterest board is full of desserts that are perfect for Thanksgiving! I had such a hard time narrowing them down because they all looked delicious! The ones I picked are perfect for a variety of Thanksgiving dinners from casual to more fancy!

I am so excited to bake something for Thanksgiving dinner and I'll be sure to keep y'all updated on what I wind up making!

via

Pumpkin Dream Cake

Mini Pumpkin Layer Cakes

Apple Crumble Pie

Pumpkin Cheesecake Cupcakes

Pumpkin Spice Macarons

Apple Pie

Pumpkin Bundt Cake

Dark Chocolate Salted Caramel Cupcakes

Pumpkin Cheesecake

For more pumpkin recipes, check out this post and be sure to follow me on Pinterest as that is where I got all of these recipes from!

Chic in Carolina's 2015 Christmas List

After volunteering at my church's annual Christmas Bazaar last weekend, I am definitely excited for the Christmas season! I decided to start my Christmas-themed posts off today by sharing my Christmas list with y'all!

First, I would like to preface that I do not expect to receive all of these gifts or that I'm posting to brag. I'm sharing so y'all get a glimpse of what I'm asking for and also get a bit of inspiration for gifts for your family and friends (or for your own Christmas list!).

kate spade "all in good taste" book tory burch purse lilly pulitzer t-shirt dress

lilly pulitzer shift kate spade pillows (for my room redesign! see the inspiration here) kendra scott rayne necklace lilly pulitzer crab earrings kate spade "odds and ends" dish

clarisonic monogrammed rain jacket lauren james north carolina tee tory burch riding boots

Also, please let me know in the comments or email me (chicincarolina@gmail.com) of any fun holiday content you would love to see in the next month or so!

What is on your Christmas list? Let me know in the comments!

Pumpkin Bread

I am so excited to share with y'all today's post! During the fall, I love love love everything pumpkin! One of my favorite recipes is pumpkin bread. I literally eat a slice every single day for breakfast during fall, it's that good!

My mom has been making this recipe since I was little and it's amazing! It's actually from Cooking Light so it's a little less guilty than indulging in pumpkin bread from a bakery! My mom actually says that it tastes exactly like her grandmother's, just at a fraction of the calories!

Ingredients:

Flour, Baking Powder, Baking Soda, Salt, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Allspice, Sugar, Eggs, Vegetable Oil, Buttermilk, Water, Pumpkin

Tip: If you don't have buttermilk on hand, make some yourself! For half a cup, mix half a cup of milk with half a tablespoon of lemon juice.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice together in a bowl until well-combined

 3. Mix sugar, eggs, oil, and buttermilk in using an electric mixer

4. Add in water and pumpkin and mix until well-combined

5. Spray two 9 by 5 inch loaf pans

6. Pour the mixture into the loaf pans

 7. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until a knife inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean (please excuse my reflection in the oven)

8. Cool 10 minutes in pans on a wire rack

9. Remove from pans after 10 minutes and cool completely on a wire rack

Ingredients
- 3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk (make your own by mixing 1/2 cup milk with 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice and let sit for 10 minutes)
- 2/3 cup water
- 1 can pumpkin

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice together in a bowl until well-combined
3. Mix sugar, eggs, oil, and buttermilk in using an electric mixer
4. Add in water and pumpkin and mix until well-combined
5. Spray two 9 by 5 inch loaf pans
6. Pour the mixture into the loaf pans
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until a knife inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean
8. Cool 10 minutes in pans on a wire rack
9. Remove from pans after 10 minutes and cool completely on a wire rack