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Lessons Learned From Art Camp

Friday, July 31, 2015

As y'all probably know, two weeks ago I spent four days volunteering at Art Camp. I was a leader (a counselor) for seven third-grade girls and spent the week bringing them to each class and helping them with all of their art projects! This was my second year volunteering (last year I had first-grade girls!) and I have definitely learned a few lessons from my time at Art Camp!


Patience
It takes a lot of patience working with seven third-graders. They may be still finishing up their projects when you need to be going to your next class or whatever. I learned to be patient because it's not the end of the world!

Be Prepared for a Mess
Goodness gracious y'all, I am convinced some of my girls have a magnet for anything messy! Like covered in paint and other craft supplies! I got paint all over me as well (as I type this, I have paint on my shirt!) and so I made sure to be ready by wearing casual clothes (norts and a tee) and not wearing my jewelry! Also I learned to keep wet wipes nearby!

Always have a Helping Hand
There is a story behind this tip: I took two of my girls to the bathroom to wash their hands after playing with shaving cream and sand. After they finish, a few girls from my group last year walked in messy as well so I helped them clean. Some other little girls who I didn't know at all walked in with sand/shaving cream on their faces as well so I cleaned them up too. Okay kind of a stupid story but I think that sometimes I get wrapped up in "oh that's not my mess, I don't need to clean it up" type of a thing! If I have the time, I think a good thing to do is help everyone else after you help you (or your art camp group!)

Don't Freak Out
I am a person who tends to freak out like "oh my goodness, that essay is due in _____ and I haven't done ______" type of a way. I learned that around little kids it doesn't help to do this at all! Because you freak out they freak out and 8 people freaking out is crazy! If someone's water spills all over the bag (and everyone's stuff), calmly fix it because it will be ok (trust me, this happened to me!).

Smile
I am a believer that smiles can make things better. Little kids smiling at you may be the cutest thing ever. I think I can definitely apply this in normal life by just trying to smile more often!

Have you volunteered at a camp this summer? What has it taught you? Let me know in the comments!

No Wifi? No Problem!

Thursday, July 30, 2015

I'm in upstate New York on vacation and while I absolutely love being here, there is one bad thing: we have limited wifi. That means we have wifi but we have a daily "quota" which runs out pretty quick. So while up in NY, we have to be creative and come up with different things to do!


The Movie Game
Okay this is really a pool game but you can play it on land too. You give the initials of a movie (ex. F for Frozen) and a brief description (ex. A story of two sisters. One sister is different. The parents pass away in an accident and one sister shuts the other sister out. for Frozen). Other people guess what movie it is and whoever gets it right first wins and gets to pick a movie!

This is a favorite game while in NY. Basically you put a headband and a card with a picture on your head and try to guess what the picture is with clues. Takes a lot of time but is so fun!

This is such a time consuming game! My neighbors and I played this for hours and hours on one New Year's Eve and trust me you can play it for that long!

Bake
Find some fun recipes (maybe find some on Pinterest and print them out beforehand? Follow me here!) and bake away!

Board Games
I don't know the last time I played a board game but they definitely are fun to play with a large group! 

Card Games
Another easy thing to do. My family loves to play BS!

What do you do when you don't have wifi? Let me know in the comments!

Blog Bloopers

Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Today, I have a fun post for y'all that I have been planning on doing for quite a while: blog bloopers! Every one of my outfit posts has many bloopers and some are just hilarious (in my opinion). I added my commentary to these lovely pictures as well!

 Telling my sister I want her to take a picture of my bracelets

 I don't know what's going on here

 Casually pulling down my shorts with a shocked facial expression in horrible lighting

 Looking at something else

 I'm not ready for this, and why is it windy!

 Wait is someone coming? #bloggerprobs

 My brother told me this picture of me staring at my feet looked good

Hey, let me do this spin thing and see if it turns out cute

 Spun again... and almost tripped 

 Let me hide behind this bush

 Wait we're taking a picture?

All I have to say: sass

So there y'all have it: taking blog pictures isn't as effortless as it may seem. Also, shows that I am not photogenic as it may sometimes seeml!

Easy Ways to Stay Healthy

Tuesday, July 28, 2015

As I wrote about in a previous post (read it here), I have been trying lately to be a little more healthy. When this post is published, I will be on vacation but I hope to still incorporate healthier habits while on vacation! To me, it seems that it is initially harder to set myself into a healthier routine but once I do it's easier to stick to and I feel much better! I've put together some of favorite healthy habits for y'all here!


Buy a Cute Water Bottle and Use It!
I got a Lilly tumbler for my birthday and I use it all the time to drink water out of! I love straws since I drink so much more water with one! Drinking water is definitely easy to do and it is very important to be healthy!

Park Farther Away
Whenever I run errands I try to park farther away in the parking lot. You wind up burning a few more calories (and they all add up!) and you get your pick of a parking spot!

Find Healthy Alternatives
Okay, so not every food you love is healthy! I usually try to find a "cleaner" version of foods (basically less preservatives). My favorite thing right now is Rice Chips instead of regular chips. I pack them in my lunch during the school year- so yummy and they are natural!

Don't love it? Don't Splurge on It!
This is a tip that I use regularly. For example, if you don't really like the taste of a certain dessert, don't eat it just because it is there! I find myself saying this a lot at parties and events and only allow myself to eat what I know I'll love instead of eating everything (and all of the calories!)

How do you stay healthy? Let me know in the comments!

Wristlets

Monday, July 27, 2015

My love of wristlets started back in the eighth grade when one of my friends had one from Vera Bradley that I loved! I remember thinking that it was so clever since you can carry everything an eighth grade girl needs- money and her phone! I got my first wristlet as part of my eighth grade graduation gift and it's safe to say that my love has only increased since then!

Now that I am able to drive, it is even more handy to have a wristlet. I keep my Driver's License in a Lilly Pulitzer wristlet so if I need my school bag, I throw it in but if I need my purse, I just throw it in there. That way I always have my driver's license on me and I never forget! Whenever I go on vacation at hotels, I bring a wristlet to hold my room key while I'm at the pool or wherever! 

I love my wristlets so much that I have like 4 of them (oops!). Two of them are Lilly that I got as presents with purchase in store and they are awesome!

1 2
3 4

Where do you buy wristlets? Do you love them as much as I do? Let me know in the comments!

Wear Now, Wear Later- Transitional Pieces

Friday, July 24, 2015

Late summer can be kind of a hassle to dress for. It is typically to blistery out to wear anything but shorts and a tee but all the stores in the mall are selling cute fall clothes. Today, I'm going to show y'all two different pieces that will be perfect for the last days of summer but will also carry you into fall!

Wear Now with Sandals
Wear Later with a Cardigan and Riding Boots

Stripes are a favorite of mine, regardless of the season. For now, I paired this fun dress with Jack Rogers sandals but for when it gets a little cooler outside, it will be just as adorable with a cardigan and riding boots!

The Piece: Pink Halter Top
Wear Now with Printed Shorts and Sandals
Wear Later with Cardigan, Jeans, and Flats

I tried this halter top on at Lilly last week and it is gorgeous! You definitely wear it now with shorts and sandals and then throw a cardigan on to wear it with jeans and flats (or riding boots)!

What are your favorite transitional wardrobe pieces? Let me know in the comments!

Monogram Computer Background DIY

Thursday, July 23, 2015

One of the things that I knew I had on my laptop during my freshman year was a monogram background. The issue is how to make one. After a lot of messing around, I have finally put together a step-by-step guide for y'all!

1. Download a monogram font (I use this one!)

2. Pick an image that you want to serve as the background (a Lilly print, chevron, stripes, etc.)

3. Open an empty PowerPoint slide


4. Add in your image and adjust to fit properly


5. Insert in a circle and adjust the size


6. Add three different text boxes for each initial (regular for first name and middle name, capitalized for last name)


7. Go into format, font to change the font



Step 8: Once you have all of the letters in the font, adjust the size


Step 9: Then adjust the location


Step 10: Make the circle white (or whatever color you desire!)


Step 11: Change the color of the monogram


Step 12: Take a screenshot of your background


Step 13: Move the screenshot into iPhoto


Step 14: Go into Settings, Desktop/Screensaver, iPhoto, recently imported and click on your background


Step 15: And voila! You have a monogrammed computed background!

Favorite Summertime Movies

Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Every summer, I find myself watching a lot of movies. I watch a lot of movies on vacation and go to the theater to see movies. Earlier this summer, while at my grandparents house in Florida, we watched a different movie each night. Typically, while in Upstate New York, we watch many movies since we have limited wifi but have movies so it is entertainment! 

Typically, while watching a summer movie I want it to be funny or be set in a gorgeous, summery area. All of these movies fit the criteria (most of them actually are both!). 

via (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)

Grown Ups- We watch Grown Ups all the time in NY! It is definitely a summer movie and not to mention it's hilarious.

Legally Blonde- Okay, I'll admit. I watched this movie for the first time a few weeks ago but I love it! It is so funny! Happy people don't kill their husbands! (if you don't get that, please watch the movie!)

Safe Haven- Safe Haven isn't a comedy but it is set on the coast of NC so it still has the summer vibe!

Cheaper by the Dozen 2- A childhood favorite of mine (I wanted to be in their family!) that is set at a lake! It is such a funny movie too!

Footloose- All of my friends and I love this movie! The music and dancing is great! It is a classic movie, just updated!

High School Musical 2- The funniest thing is the kids I babysit have no idea what High School Musical is! I always joke that I need to bring it with me one time so they can see it! Anyways, I still love it and the sequel is perfect for summer!

What are your favorite summer movies? Let me know in the comments!

Lilly Pulitzer New Arrivals Favorites

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

It's almost the end of July y'all and with August comes stores carrying fall fashion. The only bummer is that here in North Carolina, it will not be cool enough to wear jeans, sweaters, and riding boots until like late October. So unfortunately fall clothes will be out for several months before it is practical (at least here in NC) to wear them.

I have a point here... I promise! Lilly Pulitzer, as y'all probably know, is one of my favorite brands and has a tropical, summery feel to it. Lilly Pulitzer Fall has the "darkest" color schemes of any Lilly but still retains summer pieces (read shorts, shift dresses, and tank tops!). Lilly solves my southern problem of wanting to wear fall clothes (not yet though!) in way too warm temperatures by having fall prints in summery styles. 

Don't take this as I'm desperately wanting fall (not yet!) but Lilly just released the first shipment of the fall line of wear now in the heat but wear later with a cardigan pieces that are gorgeous!


Do you love Lilly for the cooler months? What are your favorites from the new shipment? Let me know in the comments!

Lace + White

Monday, July 20, 2015

I'll be honest with y'all: I'm in love with this top! You are probably like: Okay Katie, we get it. Why would you buy a top if you didn't love it? Well when I first saw this top on the Lilly Pulitzer website back in November, I knew I had to buy it. I immediately put it in my Wish List and hoped to get it for Christmas. I didn't get it for Christmas but I bought it during a trip to Southpark in January. About that, I was hoping that it would be on sale because you know, it's been in stores for 3 months now. Well it wasn't and I tried it on anyways, and I loved it even more than I did online. It was definitely a bit of a splurge but it has paid off. I have worn this top countless times since buying it. With jeans, a navy cardigan, and flats during the winter (it would look cute paired with riding boots too). With white pants and sandals during the spring. And now during the summer, I love wearing it with chinos (I'm wearing white chinos in this post but have also worn it with different colors as well!). Okay so moral of the story is: buy an Lilly Pulitzer Iona shell top! You will definitely not regret it!







Top- Lilly Pulitzer (similar) Shorts- J. Crew Sandals- Tory Burch Bracelets- David Yurman (similar) Watch- Kate Spade

What has been a favorite summer outfit?

My Chic Week July 10-16 + Preppy Girl Tag

Friday, July 17, 2015

Wow! What a crazy and fun week! I'm looking forward to a nice weekend up in New York but first let's step back and see what I have been up to lately!


Last Friday, I woke up and ran with my dog. It was very hot outside but it was definitely a good idea. I got my hair cut (which was much needed and I absolutely love getting my hair cut) before heading home for some lunch. That afternoon, my family went to the pool of the country club my neighbors belong to with our neighbors, which was a lot of fun! For dinner, I took my siblings to Panera and we hit up Sweet Frog for some dessert.


Saturday, I went out on the lake all afternoon and just relaxed (and got a small sunburn, lol!).


Sunday morning, I went to Church and after lunch, I had one of my best friends over to hang out by the pool. We had a hilarious mini photo-shoot on my sister's swan, which ultimately would up with us falling off the swan into the water.


Monday through Thursday, I volunteered in the morning at an Art Camp at my neighbor's church. I volunteered there last year as well and it is a fun time hanging out with little kids and helping them make some art!

After Art Camp on Monday, I came home for lunch and then ran errands with my mom during the afternoon. Tuesday afternoon, I had some Chick-fil-a for lunch (My brother and sister dressed up like cows so my whole family's food was free!) and spent the afternoon chilling out.

After Art Camp on Wednesday, my mom and I headed down to South Charlotte to go to Southpark Mall for some shopping. I went to Lilly (which shouldn't be a big shocker) to check out the new fall line and see what was on sale. I wound up getting the Iona top, a cardigan (not pictured), and a sweater from the fall line (not pictured)! My mom and I checked out a few different stores (including checking out the new line at Kendra Scott- oh my! so gorgeous, I see a bunch of Kendra going on my Christmas list) before heading back home. I ventured out to Target and then made some cookies for my Art Camp girls!





Thursday was pretty calm as I had my last day of Art Camp and packed up for my trip to New York!

Also, Grace of Miss Graciela tagged me for a Preppy Girl Tag!

What's your definition of preppy?
I think of preppy as classy and timeless full of fun colors but will always be in style!

What's your all time favorite brand? 
For anyone who regularly reads by blog it will be obvious: Lilly Pulitzer! I am huge Lilly fan and love how bright and colorful all of the clothes are!

What is your favorite Lilly print? 
This is a tough one because I love all of them! Probably Southern Charm (which is one of my biggest regrets not buying anything in), Lets Cha Cha, Sky Blue Heaven, and Seeing White Elephants!

Favorite preppy YouTuber? 
I don't really watch a whole lot of YouTube but I love Dorothy (Prep in Your Step) and Meredith's (Southernbelle606) videos!

Jack Rogers or Sperrys?
Jack Rogers!

Jeans or Khakis?
Jeans!
Duck Boots, Riding Boots or Hunters? 
Riding Boots, I wear mine all the time in the fall and winter! I want to buy duck boots though for the wintertime!

Navy or Black? 
Navy! I joke that my closet is 50 shades of navy!

On a scale of 1-10 how much do you love J.Crew? 
100000! J. Crew is another one of my favorite places to shop!

Favorite Ralph Lauren clothing item? 
My riding boots are Ralph Lauren and I love them! The next RL piece I hope to own is a classic, white button-up!

Pearls or bows? 
I can't choose! I definitely wear pearls more often as I don't really wear hair bows all that often (trust me though, I was that little girl with a bow in her hair all the time!) but I love a good bow accent on clothes and accessories!



I tag the bloggers below to play along and answer the questions!
Faith The Petite Pearl
Riley Northern Prepster
Sydney Sincerely, Syd
Tori Prep for a Day

On another note, while y'all are reading this, I am traveling up to my lake house in Upstate New York. I have limited wifi so I plan on being active on social media (follow me on Instagram and Twitter) and I have posts pre-planned for y'all but I will not have any My Chic Week! Don't worry though because I will do a trip recap once I'm back!


What have y'all been up to lately? Are you doing anything fun this weekend? Let me know in the comments!
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