Lauren James Spring Favorites

Today is the last day of February (yay!) so I thought it would be the perfect time to share with y'all my favorites from the Lauren James spring collection! I received the catalog the other day in the mail and holy moly, I wanted to order absolutely every piece (not to mention the Charleston setting of the shoot was way too pretty).

Lauren James is known for their gorgeous seersucker pieces and this collection did not disappoint. If you need me, I'll be over here trying to think of places to wear every piece to! I definitely think a few of these pieces (aka the gingham bikini and those shorts) will be in my shopping cart sooner than later ;)

bikini sticker double bow back dress

gingham dress north carolina tee

bow back dress dock + dog tee seersucker shorts

Do you love Lauren James? What is your favorite piece from the spring collection? Let me know in the comments!

My Chic Week: February 19-25

Happy, happy Friday y'all! With spring break just around the corner (literally so close), I have definitely been feeling a lot of stress from a lot of assignments and tests. Luckily, it's the weekend and I can't wait to just relax after a crazy week and I'm taking over the She Can Instagram tomorrow, get excited!

Friday was a fairly stress-free (well it wasn't very stressful, I don't think school can ever be completely stress-free) and went by fairly quickly. After school, I had a few errands to run but just relaxed at home that night, which was nice after a busy week!

Saturday was pretty relaxed as I went to the gym and ran a few errands that morning. I pretty much did homework and relaxed in the afternoon before going to Saturday night Mass with my family. After dinner, I watched The Fault in Our Stars with my sister as I saw it the night it came out in theaters and she just read the book. Safe to say we both cried a bit during the movie!

Sunday morning, I slept in super late (almost to 11 AM!) and then got ready for the day. I later picked up one of my friends and headed to Starbucks to study and catch up (honestly, it was more catching up than studying). It was so fun catching up with her and of course, having a few cups of coffee!

I realized on Monday just how busy this week would be. Of course, last week I had very minimal amounts of homework so of course this week would be insane ;). I had two, very big tests smack in the middle of the week so most of my *free* time after school was spent studying for those.

Tuesday was a fun day as I started my new nannying job for a family that I babysit for. So far, it's been a lot of fun and I am so excited to continue my nannying adventures this spring and into summer! After getting back home, I unfortunately had to study for a Pre-Calculus test.

Three key words for Wednesday was math, NHS, and APUSH (does that count as 1 word, haha?). I had my Pre-Calc test in the morning followed by lots of APUSH studying during my free period. I stayed late after school to take a math placement test for next year and then headed home to do a bit of homework before heading back to school for NHS Induction. In addition to adding new members into our chapter, I was officially inducted into my role as treasurer (which I talked about in this life catch up post). Wednesday was another late night as I continued to study for my APUSH test!

After my APUSH test first block Thursday morning, my day was so much easier. I shockingly had barely any homework which left the majority of the afternoon free for nannying and blogging!

On my radar this week:

1.Traveling! Over the next few months, I have a lot of traveling going on and I couldn't be more excited! I am heading to Winston-Salem in a few weeks for a college tour, both Florida and NYC during my Spring Break, Virginia in early May, college trips with my school to Columbia, South Carolina, Savannah, and Charleston in May, and my family's trip out to Hawaii in July! Be prepared for lots of travel themed posts and please me any recommendations for any of these areas in the comments or email me at chicincarolina@gmail.com

Charleston; image via

2. Lauren James just released their spring line and oh my goodness, it is so gorgeous! I love everything and will be doing a post on my favorites later!

3. This outfit from Ashley is way too cute!

4. I borrowed my mom's Kendra Scott pendant necklace a few times this week and I'm obsessed! I think I may need to buy one in a different color soon!

5. My week has certainly been busy school wise and I love Dorothy's post on Midterm Study Tips that also can be applied to studying in general!

Be sure to check out my posts from this past week!

Perfectly Printed (My Favorite Art Prints), Nail Colors for Spring, Tweet, Tweet! My Tips for Taking on Twitter, Reading List Lately

Hope y'all have a great weekend and happy Friday!

Reading List Lately

Embarrassingly enough, one of my 101 in 1001 goals was to read 20 new books. I am taking AP Literature this year and since we have read so many books for that class, I haven't really had time to read books that are just for fun this schoolyear! Over the past month, though, I have bought a few new books and I have been loving reading more often! I love to read a few pages while getting ready in the morning and also right before bed!

One of my biggest issues is what to read so I decided to share a little bit about each of the books if y'all are interested!

The Royal We- I loved and I mean loved this book! It was very-light hearted and so much fun. Bex travels to Oxford University to study abroad and winds up falling in loving with a prince. If you love William and Kate, you will love this book and I highly recommend it!

Chic-tionary- Okay, I admit this isn't a "real" book. However, it is so cute and also very fun to read. Chic-tionary is a dictionary of everything fashion related and it is just the funniest (plus it makes an adorable coffee table book!).

Crazy Rich Asians- This book follows an American, Rachel, as she travels with her boyfriend, Nick, to his home. Little does Rachel know that Nick's family is very rich. Crazy Rich Asians takes you inside the slightly ridiculous, fun to follow world of the super-rich. I wasn't a fan until the end but I'm currently reading the sequel, China Rich Girlfriend.

Everybody Rise- Evelyn finds herself in the circle of the rich of New York City. Her problem? She doesn't have the bank account to match those of her friends. If you liked Gossip Girl, you would probably like Everybody Rise. I would probably rate this book a 7 as I liked it but didn't love it!

What has been on your reading list lately? Let me know in the comments!

Tweet, Tweet! My Tips for Taking on Twitter

One of the forms of social media, I have been trying to use more often is Twitter (be sure to follow me here!). So I decided it would be fun to share with y'all some tips to using Twitter to it's fullest!

Tweet Often

The best way to boost your following on any social media site is to post frequently! Twitter is unlike Instagram as it is common to post 2 to 3 or more times a day!

Sync your Bloglovin Account to Twitter

For bloggers, I cannot stress this enough! Once you sync your accounts, a tweet will be sent out every time you publish a new post, allowing your followers to see that you have a new post for them to read! Be sure to follow me on Bloglovin here.

With Twitter, Random is OK!

One of the great things about Twitter is you can tweet about everything and anything. From what you had to eat, to song lyrics, to random things about your day, to thoughts on TV shows! Twitter allows your followers to see more the "real you" so it's perfectly okay to tweet random stuff!

Offer behind-the-scenes content

As Instagram is a highlight reel, Twitter is the behind-the-scenes with unedited photos and sneak peeks of what is coming soon on the blog! Twitter is a lot more relaxed than Instagram so be sure to be more "candid" on Twitter!

Participate in Twitter chats

One of the best ways to connect with other bloggers is twitter chats.There is so many to join and all the ones I have participated in are all so much fun!

Use hashtags!
Hashtags are totally not overused on Twitter. Whether it is for #TheBachelor or just random things (haha, literally me all the time), it's perfectly acceptable to use hashtags on Twitter!

What are your tips for Twitter? Let me know in the comments!

Nail Colors for Spring

March is just a week away and I can't help it but to think about spring. North Carolina had the prettiest weather last weekend as it was in the 70s and I was able to wear sandals. Unfortunately though, it looks like it will be another few weeks until it will be fully spring around here.

If you're like me and dying to break out your spring and summer clothes yet it is still too chilly to do so, luckily, there's a solution: fun nail colors! I also think of bright, happy colors for spring and nails are the perfect way to incorporate those colors into your outfit while still being seasonally appropriate!

I had such a fun time picking these beauties out for y'all (I think I may need to pick up one or two of these on my next trip to Target, haha) and it's clear that I love pinks and blues (with a touch of purple) for spring!

off the shoulder, full steam ahead, fiji

saltwater happy, no boundaries, in the cab-ana

What are your favorite nail colors for spring? Let me know in the comments!

Perfectly Printed (My Favorite Art Prints)

One of the aspects that I am most excited about my room design (see the inspiration behind it here!) is a fun, little gallery wall. In addition to a few personal photos, I will be adding a few, fun prints to the wall!

Pinterest has a plethora of gorgeous gallery walls with the cutest prints. Unfortunately, it can be quite a pain to track down where all of those prints are from so today, I have gathered some of my favorites prints that would look just perfect in a gallery wall for y'all that are at a variety of price points and are all under $50!

throw kindless like confetti, ginger jar, flowers

ginger jar + peonies, lobster, anchor

Where do you like to find prints for your gallery walls? Let me know in the comments!

My Chic Week: February 12- 18

Happy Friday y'all! How are short weeks always seemingly so much more longer? Always bewilders me every time! Anyways, I am so excited for the weekend (bribing myself to get through the school day with a stop for coffee after school!) and to relax! As always, I will be sharing this weekend's whereabouts in next week's post but let's catch up on this past week!

Friday was a fairly busy day for me school wise as I had a project due with a few quizzes in the mix. Once I got home, I had a paper to write that was due that night. I finished my paper fairly quickly and then I spent the rest of my night babysitting!

I wasn't feeling my best on Saturday so I went to the doctor's that morning and then spent the rest of the day relaxing and watching way too many cheesy movies on ABC Family.

Sunday morning, I slept in and then relaxed for the majority of the day. My family and I went over to our next-door neighbor's for dinner as our friends were in town last weekend. My neighbors made the yummiest barbecue and of course, I loved seeing their two puppies, who are getting bigger and bigger each time I see them!

Of course since it was Valentine's Day, I had to wear lots and lots of pink to celebrate (who doesn't love an excuse to wear pink?)!

A snowstorm was supposed to hit Charlotte on Monday but unfortunately, it didn't really do anything (although this can be seen as a good thing because maybe spring is on it's way?). So my family decided to head down to South Charlotte and go shopping at Southpark Mall with our neighbors.

If y'all have been following along for awhile, you know I love Southpark (see previous trips here, here, here, here, and here) so I was super excited to shop on my day off! This trip was pretty special as I found my prom dress! Prom isn't till late April but I loved my dress online and decided to try it on (and then to buy it) while I was in Nordstrom.

As always, I had to make a stop at Lilly Pulitzer while I was there. I wound up getting this dress and this top and the Gift with Purchase cosmetic bag!

longchamp

swing dress; t-shirt dress

striped dress; top, skort

After getting back home, I worked on homework and blog work for the rest of the night!

Tuesday was a surprisingly light day in all of my classes and homework wise so I walked my dog after school and got ahead on some assignments due later in the week!

Wednesday morning I woke up very early to go participate in a service project that the Service Committee I am a member of at my school is in charge of. After finishing up, I stopped for Starbucks, which was very necessary for staying awake all day. School was busy as always and I babysat after school before starting on all of my homework!

On Thursday, I had a long day of classes followed by a placement test for my English and History classes for next year (my senior year, eek!). After I got home, I had a bit of homework to do, nothing too exciting!

On my Radar:

1. This weekend's weather! It's supposed to be in the 60s and 70s this weekend and I cannot wait. I am so over winter and counting down the days until Spring Break!

2. I love how Caitlin styled this romper!

3. I've been trying to post more often on all of my social media! Be sure that you're not missing anything and follow me on Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest.

4. This outfit from Mackenzie is too perfect!

5. This gorgeous scalloped dress is on sale!

Be sure to check this week's posts:

Spring Shopping, Easy Ways to be Healthier, Building a Classic Wardrobe, Life Updates

Happy Friday!

Life Updates

Hey y'all and Happy Thursday! I decided it would be fun to switch things up and just catch up with y'all in today's post. I feel like my life has been a bit all over the place lately so I figured it would be the perfect time to share that with y'all!

image via

New NHS Leadership
When I first scheduled this post, the NHS Induction was supposed be last night but it was pushed back a week so I figured I would go ahead and tell y'all anyways! I recently took on the treasurer role in my school's chapter of the National Honor Society and I am so excited about it!

Lent

This year for Lent, I decided to give up sweets and then bread! I give up sweets every year and I decided bread would be a good challenge! I did change my bread promise to no waffles at breakfast and then no sandwiches at lunch because no bread at all was a bit confusing and honestly, this is still as much as a sacrifice! Let me know what you're giving up/doing for Lent in the comments!

SAT + ACT

I take both my first SAT and my first ACT in March, which is both exciting and nerve-racking! Wish me luck!

A Closing of one Door
So if y'all are long-time blog readers, you may remember me briefly talking about my high school soccer team last spring. Well it's soccer season again and I decided that I will not be playing. I have played soccer since I was 6 years old and honestly, I didn't really love it anymore! In addition to scheduling conflicts (it would be hard for me to play and keep up with the religious class I teach and my babysitting job not to mention just regular schoolwork), I decided that is best for me to not play this season!

Prom Dress

On a bit of a lighter note, I bought my Prom dress last weekend! I don't have a date yet but I do have a very gorgeous dress that I will be sharing in tomorrow's post!

Summer Plans
I am so excited about summer this year as I have some super exciting plans! I will be nannying for one of the families I babysit for and I cannot wait! Also, my family and I will be heading to Hawaii in July! 

More College Touring!
So on Monday I was supposed to tour Wake Forest in Winston-Salem, NC but they experienced some winter weather (Charlotte on the other hand didn't, haha!) so my mom and I decided to cancel our trip. Besides that, I have a lot of colleges that I want to see before applications begin in August (eek!) and I can't wait to bring y'all along with me through recapping my trips during My Chic Week posts (which you can catch up on here).

Let me know some of your exciting life updates in the comments!

Building a Classic Wardrobe

My style is undeniably very preppy and classic. One bad thing about preppy fashion is that it tends to run on the pricy side. However, I am a believer that preppy never truly goes out of style and you will be able to wear those pricy items for years to come.

I decided to put together my top tips for building a classic wardrobe that you can wear for years and years to come!

image via

First, clean out your closet
Take everything out of your closet and place it on the floor or your bed or wherever. Now, try everything (and I mean everything) on. If you don't love it or it doesn't look perfect, donate it. If it has holes or is ripped, throw it out. Continue until you're left with only the pieces you love. Do this twice a year (spring/summer, fall/winter) so your closet is updated.

Quality over Quantity

I honestly prefer one really nicely-made top over 5 cheaply made ones. Inexpensive and cheaply made items may seem amazing but you get a lot more wears out of the more expensive, well-made option

Look for the style of clothing that best fits your shape

In order for an item to be classic, you need to want to wear it all the time. If shift dresses don't flatter you, don't invest in shift dresses. If fit and flares are your favorite, make sure the majority of your dresses are fit and flare.

Time your purchases
Whenever I buy a bigger item (i.e. a purse or expensive shoes), I always make sure to time it so I don't pay full price whether that be Black Friday weekend for the best deals, waiting for a gift card to buy those flats, or the Lilly Pulitzer online sales to buy a few items!

Shy away from trendy and expensive items

Trends are fun but most of the time, they only last for a season (3 months). In this case, opt for cheaper versions of trendy items (at stores like Target or Old Navy).

Look at cost per wear
So if you have 225 flats but if you wear them 3 times each week for a year, you only pay $1.44 every time you wear them. On the other hand, if you have a $200 dress that you wear twice, you pay $100 a wear. I am always willing to pay more on the items that I'll wear more because I know I'll get my money's worth out of them!

Check the sale rack
Looking for designer at a portion of the price? Check the sale rack! I have found so many great deals at the sale rack even at stores known for their high prices, such as Lilly Pulitzer or Tory Burch!

How do y'all build a classic wardrobe? Let me know in the comments!

Easy Ways to be Healthier

After all the sweets consumed on Valentine's Day with the Christmas cookie weight that has yet to go away, taking on healthier habits is very important, at least for me right now. With spring (and Spring Break and Prom!) right around the corner, I have gathered my favorite, easiest ways to stay healthy so y'all can get back on the right track (me included!).

image via

Opt for an Iced Coffee over a Frappucino at Starbucks

The frappucino: the sugar and calorie packed drink disguised as coffee that is more like a milkshake. As yummy as they may be (everything in moderation), opt for a iced coffee or latte the next time you need your Starbucks to save some calories!

Park farther away in the parking lot

The longer the walk, the more calories you burn! Not to mention, you probably have to deal with less people!

Stay away from Soda

I cut soda out of my diet two years ago (winter of my freshman year) and honestly, I have no desire to drink it anymore. Soda has no nutritional benefits and is packed with chemicals not to mention the carbonization causes bloating!

Make sure you are eating the correct portions by measuring out your food

I am awful in the fact that if you put a plate of food in front of me that I like, I will eat the whole thing. Especially with things like peanut butter of coffee creamer, take a second to measure it out so you don't pack on any additional calories!

Invest in a Fitbit

Obviously this does require a bit of an investment, but I definitely do think it is worth it if it is in your budget! I have the Fitbit Charge and I love that it tracks your steps and sleep and you can add in your food and water for the day. I have found that getting in all of my steps is a motivator for me to get up and get moving!

Get as much sleep as possible

Sleep has a big impact on your overall health and so push yourself to get to bed as early as possible!

Use a cup with a straw to drink more water
If you find it hard to drink enough water everyday, add a straw into your cup. Sounds insane but it helps you drink so much more water!

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

Spring Shopping

I am officially over winter. It's too cold and I'm so so ready for the warm spring and summer days that are ahead (Spring Break!). It's supposed to warm up to the 50's and 60's here this upcoming weekend but that doesn't stop me from thinking about spring!

What better way to daydream than to do a bit of online shopping? I found so many cute spring clothes and accessories and these are my favorites!

coverup kendra scott earrings jack rogers

lilly pulitzer dress pink pants

What spring clothes are on your wishlist right now? Let me know in the comments!

My Chic Week: February 5- 11

HAPPY FRIDAY Y'ALL! I apologize for this post going up a bit later than usual, I had so much homework last night and wasn't able to finish this post until this afternoon but I was able to publish it this afternoon!

Last Friday was definitely a hectic day as we had Mass and shorter classes. I also had a test and a quiz along with a few things to take of for NHS so it seemed like I was running around all day. After school, I ran a few errands and grabbed a Starbucks before heading home to do a little bit of homework and relax.

I slept in on Saturday morning before eating a yummy breakfast of Panera muffin-tops and working on a bit of homework. Early in the afternoon, I headed downtown to meet up with Annaliese at Amelie's in NoDa. I have had Amelie's pastries before have yet to actually go there and it is such the cutest bakery! Annaliese and I had such a great time chatting and, of course, indulging in some delicious pastries (I had the salted caramel brownie, a chocolate cinnamon macaron, and a coconut macaroon- they were all so delicious and I have no shame in saying I ate all of them!).

We decided that we also wanted to check out Not Just Coffee, a coffee place often frequented by Caitlin of Southern Curls & Pearls (who also lives in Charlotte!). I had a bit of a difficult time finding Not Just Coffee but my Vanilla Sugar Latte was so amazing that it made up for it!

After hanging out for a while at Not Just Coffee and taking outfit pictures in uptown (see my post here and Annaliese's here), I had to head back home since I had a babysitting job that night! I had such a fun time with the kiddos I babysat and since I didn't babysit too late at night, I blogged for a bit once I got back home!

Sunday was pretty low-key as I worked on homework all day, shot some outfit pictures for Tuesday's post, caught up with my parents who got back from their trip that afternoon, and, of course, watched the Super Bowl (bummed over the Panthers loss!).

C, my dog, wanted to see what the fuss was all about while my brother took outfit pictures for me Sunday afternoon!

Monday, as always, was quite a hectic day and feels like I was all over the place all day! Luckily, I had my Faith Formation class in the afternoon, which always brightens up Mondays for me! I also love dressing up for my class each week!

Honestly, Tuesday was not my favorite day out of this week as I just seemed to be overwhelmed with everything I had to do and honestly just in a weird mood! It was Fat Tuesday so you better believe that I ate all the sweets within reach (my AP Lit class had a little party and I don't think I've ever eaten so much in such a short period of time!). I had an orthodontist appointment that afternoon (so thrilled that it was my last one ever!) and then spent the rest of the evening working on homework.

Wednesday and Thursday were pretty busy as I had a lot of assignments to work on that were due at the end of this week! Safe to say I am so excited to sleep in this weekend!

On my radar this week:

1. I crossed two items off of my 101 in 1001 list this week: going to Amelie's French Bakery (mentioned above) and then getting a Fitbit! My parents both received a Fitbit Charge from the event they attended in Hawaii and since I bought my mom the flex for Christmas, she gave the Charge to me! I have loved playing around with it this past week (it definitely has motivated to walk around and get my steps in every day) and I'm thinking of doing a review on it sometime soon!

2. I just bought this bikini at Target this week and I'm obsessed! Can't wait till spring break so I can wear it!

3. Did y'all see that Instagram now allows you to switch between multiple accounts?!?! So helpful for bloggers with multiple Instas (be sure to follow me here)!

4. Love Kate's beauty routine for a night out!

5. One of my favorite accounts to follow on Twitter is Town & Country (be sure to follow me on Twitter as well) and I couldn't believe this article with everything in the Oscars Gift Bag (that's valued at 232,000!)

Be sure to check out my posts from this past week:

Ways to Brighten Up Your Day, Lace Sweater {Collab with Sydney of Anchored in the South}, #galpalholiday: Treat Yourself this Valentine's Day!, Lilly in the City

Have a great weekend! 

Lilly in the City

Last weekend, Annaliese of Southern Belle in Training and I met up in uptown Charlotte for an afternoon of sweets, coffee, and, of course, outfit pictures! I will be sharing more about what we did during tomorrow's My Chic Week post (be sure to catch up on previous weeks here!) but for now I will be sharing what I wore!

This outfit has been a go-to this winter! I actually bought this top last winter at the Lilly Pulitzer store in Southpark and I have worn it all year long (see it styled for summer here!). It pairs so wonderfully with my hot pink cashmere cardigan I picked up during the Lilly After Party Sale in January and also my Kendra Scott necklace (that I wear so often, can't believe this is one of the first times I've blogged about it!).

Cardigan- Lilly Pulitzer Top- Lilly Pulitzer (similar) Jeans- J. Crew Riding Boots- Tory Burch (back in stock and on sale!) Purse- Longchamp Watch- Kate Spade Bracelets- David Yurman (similar)

Photos by Annaliese of Southern Belle in Training

#galpalholiday: Treat Yourself This Valentine's Day!

Today, I am linking up with Cathleen of Classy Cathleen, Rachel of Seashells and Sparkles, and Cristina of Cristina on Campus for another edition of #galpalholiday (read my posts for Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas). Valentine's Day is only four short days away and I would definitely say it's a divided holiday on if you love or hate it! I personally fall in the middle but regardless, it's the perfect time to treat yo self regardless if you're dating somebody or not!

One thing I do love about Valentine's Day is all of the fun shades of pick and red. I am really starting to get sick of winter and Valentine's Day brings the perfect push so to speak of fun colors before warm spring days return, hopefully, in March!

seersucker shorts anthropologie candle hunter rain boots kendra scott earrings jack rogers turkish towel anthropologie mug essie nail polish lilly pulitzer shift dress

Lace Sweater {Collab with Sydney of Anchored in the South}

Happy Tuesday y'all! I am so excited to be linking up with my friend Sydney of Anchored in the South this morning! We both decided that it would be too fun to share outfits featuring lace sweaters with y'all!

Sweater- Target (similar) Jeans- Lucky Brand (similar) Riding Boots- Tory Burch (back in stock and on sale!) Headband- J. Crew (similar) Pearl Necklace- J. Crew Bracelets- David Yurman (similar)

Be sure to check out Sydney's post on her blog as well!

Ways to Brighten Up Your Day

I don't know about y'all but after Christmas and a few snow days, I am officially over winter. It has gotten too cold for my liking (and I don't even live where it gets extremely cold!) and I am just so excited for the spring and summer days that are going to be here hopefully soon!

In the mean time, I have gathered up some of my favorite ways to brighten up cold winter days. And, in addition to these tips, spring should be here very soon and hopefully before we know it!

image via

Indulge in some online shopping (even if you don't buy anything)

Drink a cup of coffee or hot chocolate

Take a walk

Text a friend

Get some pin-spiration (be sure to follow me here)

Watch an episode of your favorite show on Netflix

Look up cute pictures of puppies on Pinterest (especially golden retrievers!)

Change into comfy clothes that are fresh out of the laundry

Buy fresh flowers

How do you brighten your day? Let me know in the comments!

My Chic Week: January 29- February 4

What a week! It was definitely a long one but somehow it has flown by (like to the point to where I feel like Monday was two days ago, definitely not a bad thing!). Anyways, I am super excited for a fun weekend that hopefully isn't full of too much homework and I can't wait to share that with y'all next Friday! For now, let's catch up on this past week and what has been on my radar!

Backing up to last Friday (January 29, for reference as I can't believe January was only a few days ago!), my grandparents arrived to spend the week with my siblings and I as my parents have been in Hawaii for a work trip this past week (lucky ducks)! As much as I wish I was currently in Hawaii, it has been so fun having my grandparents here for the week!

Saturday morning, my grandmother and I decided to go out to brunch at one of my favorite restaurants for breakfast/brunch! I haven't been in the longest time (probably not since the summer before my sophomore year) but it was so good, I mean who doesn't love pancakes covered in powdered sugar?

After brunch, I attempted (key word attempted) to get some homework done on Saturday afternoon. I also babysat for two of my favorite kiddos that night, which is always a lot of fun!

On Sunday morning, I slept in and made myself some breakfast before doing all of my homework and studying for a key dates quiz for APUSH. Unfortunately, that's pretty much what I did all day so I don't have a lot to report on for y'all!

Monday started off a very busy school week for me! The new-ness of the semester has definitely worn off in all of my classes so this week was full of assignments, a video project, an extremely hard Pre Calculus test, and a bunch of quizzes throughout the week! The first week of the month is always a busy one for me meetings-wise as I had quite a few this week during lunch.

As y'all probably know, I teach a religious education class at my Church on Monday nights and I cannot tell you how much better your day is after spending a hour and a half with a group of first graders. The snow from a few weekends ago is long gone and a few days this week it has passed 70 degrees, which definitely calls for borrowing a bright Lilly top from my mom's closet. Hopefully, this warm weather will stick around because I don't think I can handle any more cold (or North Carolina's version of cold)!

similar top similar jeans flats watch similar bracelets

On my radar this week:

1. An earlier spring this year! The groundhog did not see his shadow earlier this week, which means that, hopefully, we will be having an early spring this year! Which means Lilly shifts and iced coffee without frozen hands are right around the corner ;)

2. Bailey is behind one of my favorite Instagram accounts and I am so excited she started her blog, Navy or Nothing, this week!

3. Lent! Ash Wednesday is right around the corner and I am pretty sure that I will be giving up sweets and bread! I give up sweets every year but bread is a new one that will definitely be very hard! If you participate in Lent, what are you giving up/doing for Lent?

4. Riley's birthday brunch is way too cute!

5. I started on one of my 101 in 1001 goals this past week: reading 20 new, just-for-fun books (please tell me I'm not the only one who reads the same 4 books over and over). I started (and finished) The Royal We this week and I love it! It's a light, fun read with a great storyline. Be sure to leave any book recommendations in the comments or email me (chicincarolina@gmail.com) as I would love to hear your favorites!

Also, be sure to check out my posts from this past week:

My Winter Go-To Outfit {Collab with Alyssa of Lots of Lys}, January Favorites, Favorite Decor Websites, Fun Ways to Celebrate Valentine's Day

Happy Friday!