My Chic Week: December 23-29

Happy Friday y'all! So sorry for the lack in posting this week- I've been in Florida with my family and as I was packing for the trip, I not-so conveniently forgot both my phone and laptop charger at home. I've been working off what battery life I do have all week and honestly it was kind of nice to just reset and take a little blogging break. No worries though because I have so many ideas for 2017 content for y'all, which I am so excited about!

Friday was a super crazy day and it started off with a morning Pure Barre class and then grabbing a juice afterwards. I knew the rest of the day was going to be far from healthy so I wanted to start it on the healthy side haha.

Friday night was my family's annual Christmas party and each year I choose a dessert recipe to make. This year, I decided to make these gingerbread cupcakes so that was my project of the day.

After the cupcakes were out of the oven and the icing was sitting in the fridge, I got ready for the party and then iced the cupcakes. I wound up decorating the cupcakes with crushed gingersnap cookies, which I thought was so cute!

The party was a lot of fun, especially since one of my best friends was able to come. S and I have been friends since the third grade and since we now go to different schools, we don't see each other as much as we would like. Thankfully, no matter how much time has passed since we see each other, we pick up where we leave off and always have so much fun!

Saturday was Christmas Eve and honestly flew by. We always go to 4 PM Mass on Christmas Eve and since it's Christmas Eve, you have to arrive way earlier than that to get a spot in the Church parking lot. Mass started earlier than expected and wasn't too too long. After Mass, we always have spaghetti for dinner and then watch the Grinch who Stole Christmas and A Christmas Story before going to bed.

Sunday was Christmas and it was such a good one this year. I somehow managed to sleep in, which never happens on Christmas and then we opened our presents before enjoying breakfast and hanging out.

We always eat Christmas dinner a bit earlier in the afternoon and a highlight is always my mom's peppermint cake, which is heavenly!

Monday morning, we were off to Florida. We had a little bit of a late start and stopped at Starbucks for some caffeine before hitting the road. Unfortunately, there was a bit of traffic throughout our trip but it was so nice when we finally arrived at my grandparents's.

One of my Christmas gifts was this gorgeous weekender bag from Tuckernuck and I was so glad I was able to use it this week

Tuesday morning, I slept in and got ready for the day before going shopping and out to lunch with my mom, grandmother, and sister. We had a yummy lunch at California Pizza Kitchen and I was able to get a few fun items on sale that I can't wait to feature on the blog soon!

After doing a bit of shopping, we headed back to my grandparents's where we hung out for a little bit before my mom and I went to go get our nails done.

Later in the afternoon, we decided to go down to the beach before dinner but unfortunately when we got there it was rather foggy and the visibility was super low so it was a quick visit!

After a busy December, it has been so nice to just have some quiet time and relax with family. I snapped this picture of Kona the other night and thought it was too cute not to share with y'all.

Wednesday morning was pretty slow and relaxed and then for lunch, my mom and I ran out and grabbed Chick-fil-a, which is always a favorite and so yummy!

After lunch, I did a little blogging and worked on some college scholarship applications, which are unfortunately due very soon. I was able to work outside by the pool, which was so nice!

I found these gorgeous Tory Burch Millers on sale at the Tory Burch store for under 100 dollars and since it was in the 70s on Wednesday, I was able to wear them since I will not be able to wear them again until spring!

Wednesday night, we went out to dinner at a local diner, which was super yummy! I had a waffle with bacon for dinner and it was delicious! And, I would be lying if I said we didn't go out to get ice cream afterwards haha.

Thursday morning was another relaxed one as my mom, brother, and I walked the dogs in the morning and then I spent some time working on this post.

In the afternoon, my grandmother and I made a Starbucks one and I had the iced version of my holiday fave, the Peppermint Mocha- I'm trying to fit in my last few before the holidays officially end.

The rest of the day was relaxing as well since I watched a few movies, read a new book, and then packed up as we're heading home today.

Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas! Quickly popping in to wish you a wonderful Christmas day with your family. I'm looking forward to spending the day with my family at home, opening presents, and eating a few too many Christmas cookies!

Merry Christmas!

Weekend Reading

Merry Christmas Eve y'all! Yesterday's My Chic Week post was a little longer than usual so I thought that I would put the on my radar section into it's own post this week

image via my Instagram, top is J. Crew

1. My friend, Annaliese, shared a super easy way to save up money and I think I may need to try it for 2017!

2. I made these gingerbread cupcakes for my family's Christmas party last night and they would be perfect for Christmas day as well!

3. Seriously obsessed with how Sarah styled this cashmere sweater

4. Lilly released a few silk robes last week and they are so glamorous although not in love with the price tag haha

5. Love this article on how to host a party like Kate Middleton

6. This outfit is too cute on Rachel

7. Be sure to track Santa all day today!

8. I'm wearing my junior year homecoming dress tonight for Christmas Eve Mass and I'm so excited!

Merry Christmas Eve!

My Chic Week: December 16- 22

Happy Friday and Merry Christmas Eve Eve y'all! I can't believe we only have a few days until Christmas but I am so excited for my favorite holidays and all of the festivities the next few days hold. Tonight is my family's annual Christmas party and I'm so excited that one of my besties is coming over. Today and the rest of Christmas will be recapped next week but for now, let's catch up!

Friday wound up to be not too busy of a school day but after school, I had a few errands to run (getting gas and getting Chick-fil-a) before going to nanny all night. I brought one of my favorite Christmas movies from when I was little to watch with the kiddos and after they fell asleep, I watched a few of my favorite episodes of Gossip Girl on Netflix.

obsessed with this top

Saturday morning, I somewhat slept in and then went to a Pure Barre class. After class, I grabbed Starbucks and then met up with my dad to do a little Christmas shopping.

Once I got back home, I ate lunch and then spent the afternoon working on a combination of school work and blog stuff and wrapping presents. My family and I went to Saturday night Mass, which was definitely a good excuse to get out of my workout clothes and wear this fun Lilly top!

Sunday was pretty much my day to catch up and do both some schoolwork and blog work. I didn't have too much homework as it was right before break but it was definitely good to get it done. I also went to a Pure Barre class in the afternoon, which is always good in my book!

Monday was a bit crazy as it was the last day of class before break began so it started off with a quiz in my AP Psych class and ended with staying a little late after school to turn in a Calc project.

As you probably know, I teach a religious education class for first graders at my church and Monday was a Nativity performance by another class and my class also performed a song, which was the cutest thing!

After the performance, I went to a Pure Barre class and then once I got home, I found out that I got into Elon! The notification was supposed to be released on Tuesday so I was surprised and excited to find out early. Definitely made my day!

Tuesday was an early dismissal day but was still a hectic day with Mass, a Pancake Breakfast, and games all in the span of a few hours. The Pancake Breakfast is an event hosted by the Service Committee that I am the Vice President of so there was a lot of running around and making sure everything was going smoothly for that.

After school let out and it was officially Christmas Break, I came home since my mom picked up some Chick-fil-a and we basically spent the afternoon running all sorts of errands and last minute gift shopping.

While my mom and I were in the car driving around town, we realized that it was 5 and the Furman decision was available online so I promptly checked it and was SO excited to find out I was accepted (seriously though I started tearing up!).

We are currently in the process of training Kona and I snapped this hilarious picture of her (my mom was driving haha) on the way home from her "school"- too cute!

Wednesday was my first day of Christmas Break as the little boy I nanny and I went to a children's museum, which was honestly so cool and a lot of fun (wish it was open when I was little). After the museum, we went out to lunch and then to visit his mom at work before going back to the family I nanny for's house for a bit.

After nannying, I went home and my family ordered Chinese food and watched Christmas Vacation, one of my favorite Christmas movies!

Yesterday, I didn't have too much scheduled but it still wound up being a busy day. I made some biscuits for breakfast and caught up with emails before going to a Pure Barre class and running to Target (which was a zoo but that was to be expected a few days before Christmas).

After I got home, I ate lunch and then my siblings, mom, and I decorated a ton of cookies. We always have a day "dedicated" to cookie baking and decorating, which I was always love even if my cookies aren't the most professional in the world haha.

My grandparents and uncle also arrived in the afternoon and I'm so excited to have them in town to celebrate Christmas!

I will be posting a Weekend Reading tomorrow morning with a bunch of links so be sure to check that out tomorrow!

This week's posts:

My Chic Week: December 9-15 ⎢Gift Guide: Holiday Jewels ⎢Always in Lilly (and Navy) ⎢Gift Guide: Stocking Stuffers ⎢I Got into College...Part 2 ⎢5 (Easy) Ways to Pamper Yourself During the Holidays

Merry Christmas Eve Eve!

5 (Easy) Ways to Pamper Yourself During the Holidays

It's not secret that the holidays can be a fairly busy time of year and it's so important to not turn let that busyness turn into unnecessary stress. Taking some time for yourself and relaxing is so important for you and remaining sane during the holidays and keeping the holidays like they're supposed to be, fun! All of these are fairly inexpensive and most are free as well!

1. Watch your favorite holiday movie

The perfect way to both get into the Christmas spirit and relax a little bit. Choose your favorite Christmas movie (or two...or three!)!

2. Get a manicure or pedicure

My mom and I went last weekend and got mani, pedis, which I honestly have done since before our trip to Hawaii (which was in July). It was so nice to have some quiet time and who doesn't love the feeling of freshly painted nails?

3. Catch up with Netflix
One of the most relaxing things may be sitting in bed and watching one of your favorite shows on Netflix whether it's a new show or an old favorite (hey Gossip Girl and One Tree Hill). 

4. Have an at-home spa night

Do a face mask or hair mask or maybe grab a bath bomb. Treat and pamper yourself while playing some relaxing music.

5. Curl up with a book and a cup of hot chocolate or tea
During the school year, I never have the time to sit and read a book that is not for my AP English class (we read a lot for that haha). Over Christmas break, it will be definitely be nice to sit down and just read for fun and a cup of tea or hot chocolate will definitely add to that coziness!

How do you pamper yourself during the holidays? Let me know in the comments!

I Got into College...Part 2

As you may have guessed from the title, today's post is going to be an exciting one! I'm currently a senior in high school and just like every other senior in the country, I'm in the middle of the fun yet stressful yet exciting process known as college applications.

I actually finished my applications back in November and received my first two notifications in September but these past two days were very exciting as I was accepted into two of my favorite colleges: Elon University and Furman University.

Elon

Furman

I visited Elon in November last year and then in April this year and visited Furman last November as well and then again in September. I am so excited to have been accepted into these two universities and can't wait to decide where I will be heading next fall somewhat soon (after I hear back from a few other schools of course!)

Thanks for reading!

Gift Guide: Stocking Stuffers

Even though time is running out for ordering presents online and having them delivered before Christmas, I still wanted to share my favorite stocking stuffers with y'all today as many of these items can be found in local stores (at least in my area) or can serve as inspiration for gifts!

In my family, Santa brings our stockings and they're always the first thing we open on Christmas morning. Typically, my stockings are full of candy and other small items, like hair ties or earrings. I think all of these items are so cute for a stocking or even for a gift for a friend- they're all under $50 too!

Anthropologie Gold Monogram Mug- This mug is on my Christmas list and I have given it as it a gift before as well. It's only $10 and is perfect for the coffee lover on your list!

Evelyn Henson Phone Case- I have been obsessed with Evelyn Henson lately- I definitely think I need to order a print or two for my dorm next year. In addition to art prints, she also sells the cutest phone cases, which would make such a fun gift!

Paris Street Style Coloring Book- Adult coloring books have been pretty popular over the past year or so and this Paris themed one from Anthropologie is so chic!

Diptyque Candle- I have heard so many good things about Diptyque candles and they would be a great stocking stuffer, hostess gift, or just a regular gift (I know my mom would love this).

Vineyard Vines Socks- When in doubt for a stocking stuffer. They can be so fun and definitely are practical. I definitely love the anchors on this pair from Vineyard Vines!

Plaid Pom-Pom Scarf- Something about plaid screams Christmas and this scarf has the cutest pom pom detailing as well. Plus, how can you not love the price tag?

Sugarfina Champagne Bears- These Sugarfina Champagne Bears have been so trendy this year and would be such a fun and festive stocking stuffer!

S'well Bottle- S'well bottles come in so many colors, perfect for everyone on your list. For an added touch, add a monogram!

What are your go-to stocking stuffers? Let me know in the comments!

Always in Lilly (and Navy)

Happy Tuesday y'all! I'm so excited because today is the last day of school before Christmas Break officially begins and is also a half day!

Since yesterday was my last day of class before break (today is Mass, the Service Committee Pancake Breakfast, and other activities), I had enough time to take outfit pictures after school, which I was so excited about as I have definitely been slacking off in taking those for y'all.

This outfit is actually something I wear to school all the time as we have a business casual dress code for seniors but it is still somewhat important to be comfortable. I picked up this navy swing Lilly dress in November during a trip to the mall and I love how it pairs so well with scarves. I honestly wear a dress with riding boots 95% off the time for school so this is definitely a fair representation of my day-to-day style.

On a random note, my scarf is an older Lilly Murfee horoscope scarf that my mom bought for me a few years ago in the After Party sale. As many of you know, I was born in April but this scarf is the Cancer horoscope scarf but I don't really care because it's such a cute print and different from other Lilly pieces I own.

Dress- Lilly Pulitzer (available here and here) Scarf- Lilly Pulitzer (old, similar) Riding Boots- Tory Burch (this season's version) Watch- Kate Spade Bracelets- David Yurman (similar)