250 Pure Barre Classes + What I Wear to Barre

Happy Thursday y'all! I am so excited for today as it is my 250th class at Pure Barre. Every Pure Barre studio sets up milestones for their clients (100 classes, 250, 500, 750, 1000, etc.) as a way of rewarding you and celebrating you for getting to that point. I took my first class almost two years ago, took my 100th class about a hour and a half ago, and I'm so excited to finally reach the 250th class mark!

Since starting Pure Barre 250 classes ago, my collection of workout clothes has definitely grown in size. Most studios sell workout clothes in the front of the studio and it is so hard to resist buying new clothes, especially when you see ladies wearing the newest pieces in class haha!

I would definitely say the Pure Barre "uniform" of sorts is leggings and a tank! I remember going to barre during the first year I went in the fall wearing a long sleeve Lululemon tee and roasting during the class- I knew that's why so many people simply wear a tank no matter how cold it is outside.

This is an example of an outfit that I wear to classes that's easy and comfortable! I purchased this tank at my studio about a year ago but here are a bunch of cute barre themed tees from the same brand.

Top: Life by Lexie (old) Leggings: Beyond Yoga (same style, different color) Sports Bra: Lululemon (old, similar) Sneakers: Nike (similar)

Have you ever taken a Pure Barre class? Let me know in the comments!

Sorority Recruitment Tips

I am so excited to be sharing today's post with y'all as I'm sharing another college related blog post with y'all and talking all about sorority recruitment! I know this time last year I was starting to prepare for recruitment in the fall as I finished up my responsibilities for high school. It's pretty easy to get overwhelmed when thinking about recruitment so I decided to share my advice for sorority recruitment with y'all today! Go Greek!

Be yourself

As cheesy as it sounds, your sorority isn't for four years but for life and you want to find a sisterhood where you can be your true self and be accepted in. Pretending to be someone you're not just to get into a certain chapter will only hurt you as once recruitment is over, you'll find that the sisterhood you joined isn't necessarily the best fit for you! Staying true to yourself ensures that you wind up in the sorority that is the perfect fit for you!

Trust the System

This may be the most cliche sorority recruitment advice but it is definitely true! I know I had a bit of a love-hate relationship in hearing this (as you'll hear it a gazillion times throughout the week from your Pi Chi) as it's a little frustrating to hear after you're dropped from your favorite sorority but reassuring at the same time. You'll end up at the house you belong in at the end of the week so don't be afraid to trust the system!

Walk over in comfy shoes and change before the party begins

At Clemson, we have our sorority recruitment in our basketball stadium, which was a 15-20 minute walk from my dorm. The first few days of recruitment you typically wear sandals but as  the rounds continue, typically your outfit gets dressier and you may be wearing wedges or heels. While you're walking over to recruitment, wear a pair of comfy shoes and then change into your heels right before the party begins- your feet will thank you!

Wear What Makes You Feel Comfortable

I remember during recruitment, my Pi Chi group was discussing what we were wearing for Round 3 in our group chat and the other girls were wearing options that were a lot more boho or trendier than the dress I was thinking of wearing. My style is very preppy and I knew that I wanted to join a sorority I would truly belong in. If a house wanted to cut me for wearing a Lilly dress, I knew that won't be a house I would feel comfortable in so wear whatever you feel comfortable

Keep your opinions to yourself

You may not have amazing conversations in every chapter or you think that ABC is totally the perfect sorority for you. It's totally ok to have these opinions but keep them to yourself. No two girls have the same recruitment so the chapter you may be bashing may be the girl standing next to you's favorite or you may wind up singing the praises of a chapter to the girl who was just cut by them. Not to say you can't share what you think to your Pi Chi, but remember that she belongs to a chapter before bashing any chapter to her as you never know if that is her chapter you're talking about. Save these opinions for your mom or your best friend at home as it is respectful to the girls around you to keep your opinions to yourself.

Don't be nervous

I remember being nervous about recruitment as I didn't know what to expect as my mom wasn't in a sorority and I don't have an older sister in a sorority. The sororities are so excited to meet you and you should feel the same! As for the actual recruitment parties, they'll welcome you in with a song (the one you see in those recruitment chants are creepy videos haha!) and then you'll get to talk to a few girls in every chapter, just a normal conversation!

Use your Pi Chi as a Resource

When you sign up for recruitment, you'll be placed into a recruitment group with a Pi Chi (or recruitment counselor- some schools it's called a Rho Chi or a Gamma Chi or Rho Gamma, just depends on the school!). Your Pi Chi is a sorority woman who has unaffiliated from her sorority to help you find your Greek home! Your Pi Chi is like your recruitment mom throughout the week and you honestly can turn to her for anything throughout the week whether you're unsure of what to wear, need a shoulder to cry on, or are unsure of what chapter is your future home. She has been training for months for this so don't disregard her help!

Be Open Minded

Some girls walk into recruitment only wanting 1 or 2 chapters or think they're open minded to every chapter except for ABC or XYZ. Every chapter has amazing things to offer their members and have great sisterhoods so truly being open minded helps you find the sorority that  is the best fit for you, even if it's not the sorority you thought you wanted at the start of recruitment.

Get your sleep & bring snacks!

Recruitment can definitely be draining so be sure to get to bed early to get enough sleep and also be sure to eat during recruitment. You're not you when you're tired and hungry and since you want to give the best first impression, be sure to take care of yourself!

You'll have friends in every chapter

A common preconception about Greek Life is that you'll only be friends with the girls in your chapter and that is definitely not true. Even though a lot of my friends are in my sorority, I have friends and know girls in almost every sorority and there's no rules saying you can't be friends just because you're in different sororities. I know some girls feel pressure during recruitment to choose the "right" chapter as their sorority will gives them their friends but just keep in mind you'll have friends in every chapter.

Don't listen to "tent talk"

When you have a thousand girls going through recruitment, you are bound to have a bunch of opinions flying around. Some girls feel the need to share their opinions on the houses whether they have an older sister in a chapter or are from a surrounding area and "know" what the chapters are like.  The truth is that no sorority can be contained to their stereotype and they're often not true. Choosing not to listen to these opinions helps you choose a chapter because you like it not because Polly PNM said it was a "good" or "cool" chapter.

Be Friendly

Be friendly to everyone you met from the other girls in your recruitment group to the sorority girls to the girls next to you in line for the parties to the Pi Chis. You're all in this together when it comes to the girls you're going through recruitment with and there is no need to be rude or mean. I'm still best friends with one of the girls in my Pi Chi group so recruitment truly brings people together. It may seem kind of obvious but also be friendly to the girls in sororities as you never know who could be your future sister!

It's ok to be dropped

After each round of recruitment, you'll be able to vote on your favorite and least favorite sororities and the sororities will do the same. Before the next party begins, you'll find out what sororities have asked you back to attend their party. However, it's ok to find out that a sorority has dropped you as very few girls get asked back to every single sorority. You can't join every sorority on campus so being dropped makes your decision easier!

Be prepared

The days of recruitment can definitely be long so being prepared makes things so much easier. I'll be sharing a post on what to keep in your bag for recruitment later on but keeping the essentials on hand ensures that the day runs more smoothly and you're presenting the best version of yourself to the sororities.

Have you gone through sorority recruitment? If so, would you add in any additional tips? Let me know in the comments!

Summer Reading List

One thing that I am honestly awful about during the school year is reading. Back in high school, I took AP English both junior and senior years so those two classes gave me so much reading to do that I was so burned out and didn't feel like reading for fun. I'll occasionally have time in college to read but not a ton so all the reading I want to do gets done in the summer months.

Thankfully college doesn't have the required reading lists of my middle school and high school days but I thought it would be fun to put together a list of books that would be perfect for lazy days at the beach or those afternoons with summer thunderstorms! Now let's see if I get all of these actually checked off of my list haha!

Eligible ⎢Paper Princess

The Secret to Southern Charm ⎢Present Over Perfect

What are some books that have been on your radar lately? Let me know in the comments!

Blue & White for Summer

I love the color combination blue and white year round but I feel like it is definitely perfect for summer as it feels so nautical and just calls you to spend more time the water. I definitely own my fair share of blue and white tops and love that there is so many ways to style them.

While I was in the Lilly store earlier this month, I found this blue and white top and thought it was too cute to pass out. The manager of my store saw that I had it in my hand while I was looking around and was telling me how much she loved that top. I agreed with her and laughingly said I need another blue and white top like I need a hole in my head but guess who walked out of the store with the top in a shopping bag?

I know this top will be a staple in my summer wardrobe all season long as it can be styled so many different ways, whether it's white pants for a dinner with friends or navy shorts for casual wear!

Top: Lilly Pulitzer White Pants: Vineyard Vines (similar) Wedges: OTBT Earrings: Moon & Lola Necklace: Kendra Scott Purse: Louis Vuitton (cheaper here)

Thanks for reading!

Memorial Day Sales

Happy Sunday y'all! I am back with a surprise Sunday post as I wanted to round up some of my favorite Memorial Day sales with y'all. So many retailers are having really good sales this weekend so I wanted to share some of the ones that have caught my eye in case y'all are in the mood to shop haha!

image via my instagram

Anthropologie
40% off sale & 20% off full-priced furniture and decor

Draper James
25% off sale items with code USA

Kate Spade
30% off sale items with code GREATFIND

Kendra Scott
Spend 100, get 15% off; spend $200, get 20% off; spend $300 or more, get 25% off

Jack Rogers
Up to 50% off select items plus free gift with purchase

J. Crew
40% off your purchase with code GETAWAY plus up to 50% off women's swim, shorts, and tees

J. Crew Factory
50% off everything and an extra 50% off clearance with code WINWIN

Moon & Lola
30% off everything with code SUMMER30

The Drybar
20% off all hot tools

Tory Burch
Up to 40% off sale

Tuckernuck
30%, 40%, OR 50% off select items

Vineyard Vines
Up to 50% off

Will you be shopping any sales this Memorial Day Weekend? Let me know in the comments!

Weekend Reading

Happy Saturday y'all! I hope you all are enjoying your Memorial Day Weekend so far- it has been kinda rainy here in Charlotte but hopefully that clears up so we can spend some time on the lake!

image via my instagram

1. Obsessed with my friend Amy's rebrand of her blog!

2. I found this article on why the Great Gatsby may not actually be set in Long Island to be super interesting- I feel like it is an American rite of passage to read that in your junior year English class in high school!

3. Love Carly's latest edition of her 1 Girl, 5 Outfits series

4. My friend Madison shared her tips on how to start shopping for your dorm room and it is definitely a must-read for anyone heading to college in the fall!

5. Lilly Pulitzer's tennis collection is seriously making me wish I played tennis haha (plus you can get a free tennis towel with any tennis purchase!)

6. Dorothy's living room is so cute and is giving me major inspiration when I have an apartment of my own in a few years

7. I just purchased this pillow from Anthropologie and I know it will look so cute in my room on my sorority hall this fall- plus it is currently on sale!

8. My friend Annaliese shared why she loves blogging but does not want to do it full time and it's such a good read

9. Have y'all seen this Instagram account that shares the funniest Prince George jokes? I seriously die of laughter every time I look at it!

10. I'll be sharing a roundup of all my favorite Memorial Day Weekend sales on the blog tomorrow so be sure to check back in for that!

Have a good weekend!

My Chic Week: May 18-24

Happy Friday y'all! Who else is excited for the long weekend? One of my Theta sisters is coming up to visit, which will be so fun, and I can't wait to spend some time by the water!

As always, I'll be talking about this weekend in next week's MCW post so for now, grab a cup of coffee and let's catch up on the past week.

Last Friday was a fun one as my mom and I headed to the mall to shop! We wanted to get my younger sister a birthday present and I wanted to look in Lilly as they were doing their Splash into Summer promotion.

top ⎢shorts ⎢sandals ⎢purse

left: two piece set

left: romper (styled in Tuesday's post)

 right: dress

dress

After getting home from the mall, I went to get my eyebrows threaded and went to a Pure Barre class!

Saturday morning, I slept in a bit before heading to a Pure Barre class. I grabbed a juice afterwards, which was so yummy!

Saturday was my younger sister's birthday so she had a few friends over to celebrate and it was fun getting to celebrate her with a yummy dinner with cake afterwards.

purse

Sunday morning, my brother and I shot a bunch of outfit posts for y'all that I cannot wait to share in the next few weeks! My family and I went out for lunch and then I had a pretty laid back afternoon. My mom and I walked the dogs and I worked on a few things for the blog before dinner!

top ⎢shorts ⎢sandals ⎢purse ⎢watch

I feel like Mondays are always busy jumping into the new week and this week was no exception. I nannied in the morning and then headed back home. I went to a Pure Barre class and then stopped at Whole Foods afterwards to grab a few things. I also nannied in the afternoon.

Tuesday was another morning of nannying and then I went to go look for grad gifts for family friends that are graduating this spring. After that, I stopped at the mall to grab lunch at Chipotle and to pop into Anthropologie to pick up a fun throw pillow for my dorm this fall.

I then picked up the boys I nanny up from school and we wound up going to a museum not to far from their house, which was a lot of fun!

I nannied Wednesday morning before heading back home. As you might of guessed, I went to Pure Barre and then worked on the blog before nannying again the afternoon!

I nannied on Thursday morning and then afterwards headed to the mall to pick up a few things for the family I nanny for. I grabbed lunch at Panera and then headed to Target to grab something.

The little boy I nanny graduated preschool on Thursday so I went to the ceremony in the afternoon and then went to dinner with his family afterwards.

dress ⎢sandals ⎢purse

On the Blog this week:

How to Brighten Up Your Week ⎢Rompin' my Way into Summer ⎢Lately... ⎢On Making Friends in College

Happy Friday!

On Making Friends in College

I am so excited to be finally sharing some college related content for y'all here on Chic in Carolina. I know that this time last year that I was searching my favorite bloggers' sites for advice for everything from sorority recruitment to decorating a dorm to just seeing what college is like. I have lots of ideas for posts to share to hopefully help y'all get ready for college (comment anything y'all want to see in particular or send me an email at chicincarolina@gmail.com) but I wanted to start with talking about friendships in college and how to make them.

In all honestly, making friends was one of the things I was most worried about going into my freshman year and I feel like that's a pretty normal fear for incoming freshman. I went to a tiny high school where my grade had 45 kids in it and honestly I knew 90% of them before entering high school as we all went to the same elementary/middle school. Even though my friend group changed a bit transitioning from middle school to high school, I knew the majority of my group and wasn't exactly starting over. I knew that Clemson was the school for me (you can read why I chose Clemson here) but was nervous as Clemson was so much larger than my high school and I didn't know a soul there. My high school friends all wound up going to different colleges, which was nice as we all had a fresh start but I was worried going to a new place without knowing anyone from home.

One of the best things I did fall semester was going through sorority recruitment (I'm planning on sharing a blog post with my tips soon!). I understand that Greek life is not for everyone but I have had such a positive experience with it. I had always wanted to be in a sorority and one of my family friends who was in a sorority in college told me that it's tough moving in for recruitment but the week is so busy that you don't have time to be homesick and then once Bid Day arrives, you'll feel settled. Obviously homesickness is normal but sorority recruitment gives you the opportunity to meet so many new people. I met one of my best friends in my Pi Chi group and you meet so many people from the active sorority members to the girls in your Pi Chi group to the girls who stand next to you in line waiting to go into parties. And of course, once you finish recruitment and if you choose to join a sorority, you get new sisters to welcome you in! I've been so lucky that I made so many genuine friendships in Theta and get to call these ladies not only my friends but my sisters!

Another way that I've made friends is through the girls who lived next to me in my freshman dorm. I lived in an all-girl dorm at Clemson and loved it. There was always something going on and I loved being around people all the time. Definitely keep your dorm room door open and say hi to the girls (or guys!) that will be living around you. It's so helpful to have people around you that you can turn to, whether if it's to borrow a vacuum or to have a movie night with!

As many of y'all know, I'm an Elementary Education major at Clemson, which I absolutely love! It's a smaller major (they have it closed to 50 students) so I know the majority of the people in my classes specific to my major, which makes Clemson feel a bit smaller. I remember the first or second week of classes, I didn't realize the homework for one of my classes was due online the day before so I was freaking out and had no idea who to ask about it. In high school, I could easily text a friend for help but realized I needed to make friends in my classes. Coincidentally, I ran into one of the girls in my class in the laundry room of our building so I could ask her and later exchanged phone numbers (her name still has math behind it in my contacts haha!). Being friendly to the people around me in class has given a great group of girls to not only study with but be friends with as well, which is so important!

One tip I have is to be friendly and to treat everyone as a potential friend. Don't be afraid to talk to people in the elevator in your building or the girl who sits next to you in class! Everyone is in the same boat in terms of wanting to make friends as it's hard for everyone.

One thing about college friendships is I feel they are so much deeper rather than surface level as you spend so much time with your college friends. In high school, you eat lunch together or hang out on the weekends but in college, your friends are in some sense all you have as your family is so far away so your friends become your family. College is a lot less cliquey too as it's ok to have friends that are in different friend groups or in different sororities or whatever. I'm so thankful to have found such genuine, sweet, funny, and inspiring friends at Clemson and don't worry about making your friends as you'll find your people!

Lately...

Happy Wednesday y'all! I am so excited to be sharing another "lately" post today as I feel like they are such a fun way to catch up with y'all and to allow y'all to have a little inside look in my day-to-day life. 

It is crazy to think that I have almost been home for three weeks- it seems like I have been home forever yet the summer doesn't seem to be slowing down! My life lately has been nannying a lot and then going to Pure Barre classes, which I love!

Eating... 

Chipotle! I never really jumped on the Chipotle bandwagon but my mom and I had it for lunch while moving out of my dorm at Clemson and I've been low-key obsessed ever since. I've seriously had it like once a week for lunch...oops!

Drinking...
Califa Farm's Mocha Cold Brew. I loved this iced coffee last summer and just purchased another bottle of it at Whole Foods earlier this week. It is so good and I look forward to drinking it every morning haha!

Listening... 

to Spotify Premium still! I have gotten so much use out of it and I love that I can skip songs while listening in my car and do not have to deal with ads anymore!

Wearing... 

this top on repeat! It's so easy to thrown on and looks so cute with so many different shorts and bottoms!

Loving...

Gel Manicures. I am pretty horrible at painting my own nails and love that gel nails last so much longer than regular nail polish does!

Reading... 

Eligible! I just picked this up last week and I'm only about a chapter in but I've heard really good things about it! I'm hoping to read it while laying out by the pool this weekend

Watching... 

Greys! I'm sorry that this section has been rather boring but I just started season 13, which is crazy because I'm almost caught up! I'm also excited for the Bachelorette to come back on next week

Needing... 

to get some sun! I'm pretty pale so I need to spend some time in the sun (safely of course haha!). I'm hoping I'll get some color this weekend as I'm planning to spend lots of time at the pool and on the lake

Excited... 

for Memorial Day Weekend! One of my besties from school is coming up for a few days and I'm so excited to see her and then spend some time at the lake!

Wanting...

this dress, this fun top, this gingham bangle, this romper, this pajama set, this shirt dress, and these earrings. For more, check out my "wishlist" Pinterest board

What have you been up to lately? Let me know in the comments!

Rompin' my Way into Summer

Happy Tuesday y'all! Who else is ready for the unofficial start of summer this weekend? Even though I've been out of school for almost a month now (when did that happen?), I always love Memorial Day weekend as it's the perfect way to celebrate summer!

Since summer is right around the corner, I thought it would perfect to share a summery outfit with y'all here on the blog today! I picked up this fun romper at Lilly Pulitzer over the weekend and love how cute it is. I've never been one for rompers but I love that this one looks like a dress and is so comfortable. I've tried it on probably the last three times I've been in the Lilly store so I decided to take the plunge as I know it will be perfect for so many summer occasions!

Romper: Lilly Pulitzer Sandals: Tory Burch Necklace: Kendra Scott Purse: Tory Burch (similar) Sunglasses: Kate Spade (similar)

Thanks for reading!

Easy Ways to Brighten Your Week

Even though Monday's are a bit more bearable during the summer, they're still not my favorite day of the week! I'm a big believer in that how you spend your Monday sets the tone for the rest of your week so I wanted to share some tips on how to brighten up your week that aren't necessarily hard or expensive to do!

Make fun plans to look forward to
If the start of the week is always rough for you, scheduling some fun plans for later in the week is a great way to brighten your day and give you something to look forward to. Whether it's a movie night on Friday or brunch on Sunday morning, making fun plans makes your week a bit brighter!

Paint your nails a fun color
I always feel so much more put together with my nails painted and I love having them a fun color to brighten things up. I feel like nails are a great way to add a pop of color without being too overwhelming and painting your nails or getting them done at the salon is the perfect way to add a little me time to your week.

Pick out bright flowers at the grocery store
Fresh flowers are always a great way to brighten your day and can be done pretty inexpensively (depending on what flowers you pick!). Not only are they fun to pick out, they will brighten your day whenever you walk into that room. I always like to put flowers on my desk to make getting work done a bit easier!

Schedule in some "me time"
No matter how busy your week is, scheduling in some "me time" is not only a way to brighten your week but also important for your mental health. Spending time to watch your favorite show on Netflix, do a face mask, or take a bubble bath is a great way to brighten your week!

Facetime a friend you haven't talked to in a while
I am definitely an extrovert and nothing makes me feel more refreshed than catching up with a friend! If you have a friend you have not caught up with in a while, give them a FaceTime call! A hour or two break is a great way to brighten up your day and spend some quality time with a friend.

Treat yourself to a coffee from your favorite coffee shop!
What is it in the coffee at coffee shops that makes it taste so much better than coffee at home? Obviously buying coffee definitely adds up but treating yourself every once in a while is the perfect way to make your day a bit brighter!

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

Weekend Reading

Happy Saturday y'all! Any fun plans for the weekend? I'll be going to a few barre classes and then celebrating my younger sister's birthday with my family.

Each Saturday or Sunday here on Chic in Carolina, I love sharing a Weekend Reading post, which shares 10 things that have been on my radar this week, ranging from fun blog posts to other things that have caught my eye!

image via my Instagram

1. The Royal Wedding is tomorrow! Who is watching? I'm so excited to see Meghan's dress

2. Ok are y'all hearing Yanny or Laurel? I've heard Yanny every time except I heard Laurel when they were talking about it on the radio and played the clip

3. Kate's collaboration with the Impeccable Pig is so cute!

4. I just ordered this book and I am so excited to read it

5. Love how my friend Renee styled a blue and white top for summer!

6. The Drybar is finally opening a location in Charlotte next Friday and I am so excited about it!

7. Bailey shared her dorm room essentials and I could not agree more! Definitely a must-read if you're heading to college in the fall

8. My friend Cara is now selling monogrammed straw bags and they are so cute

9. Love this post on how to have a productive weekend!

10. Lilly Pulitzer's Splash into Summer promotion is this week! The gifts are so cute and I wound up purchasing this dress, this gingham one-piece, and this romper! Shop my favorites below

Have a good weekend!

My Chic Week: May 11-17

Happy Friday y'all! I can't believe that the weekend is already here as the week flew by! I absolutely love summer weekends and hopefully I can spend time by the pool and work on getting some sort of a tan haha!

I worked in the morning last Friday and then headed to a barre class afterwards. I didn't have anything going on in the afternoon so I blogged and also watched some Grey's. Friday night was pretty laid back as my family and I just made pizza for dinner and hung out!

Saturday morning, I somewhat slept in before eating breakfast and then going to a Pure Barre class. After barre, I had a few errands to run (including picking up a cake for Mother's Day!).

left: tote

right: candle

My dad hosted his work team over for dinner on Saturday so I got dressed and then helped my mom get ready for that!

As y'all probably know by now, Sunday was Mother's Day so we spent the day celebrating my mom! We went to brunch at a restaurant by us and then went to go visit some family friends in the afternoon for a bit. We then had dinner at home followed by bundt cake!

bikini top ⎢bikini bottom

Monday morning, I was up bright and early to go nanny. After nannying, I headed back home to work on the blog for a bit and then to go to a Pure Barre. I am definitely settling into my summer routine so I'm planning on sharing another day in my life post with y'all soon! I nannied again in the afternoon and the little boy I nanny had his t-ball practice so I took him to that.

left: leggings (on sale!)

I nannied Tuesday morning and after dropping the boys I nanny off, I decided to check out a new-to-me coffee shop in Charlotte, Joe & Nosh. I definitely get into a routine of going to all the same places so it was fun to try something new. My vanilla latte was so good and it has such a cute aesthetic so I will definitely be back.

Tuesday afternoon, I made cookies with the little boys I nanny. It was the perfect activity for a rainy day and who doesn't love some sweet treats?

Wednesday was another busy day of nannying as I nannied in the morning before heading back home for a little bit. I went a noon Pure Barre class and then grabbed Chipotle for lunch afterwards. I then nannied in the afternoon as well!

leggings

Thursday morning, I nannied and then headed home to work on the blog and get some items checked off of my to-do list. I went to an Empower class at my Pure Barre studio before going to pick my sister up from school and then to head back to nanny!

On Chic in Carolina this Week:

Lilly Pulitzer Summer Favorites ⎢How I Cleared Up My Skin ⎢The Lord's Plan ⎢Graduation Gift Ideas

Happy Friday!

Graduation Gift Ideas

It's officially grad party season! Most colleges have had graduation by now it feels like but high schools are just starting to have their graduations. I know my family has quite a few parties to attend in the next few weeks so I wanted to share a fun gift guide for any grad in your life!

Some of the gifts I received last year for graduation came in handy for my freshman year of college so I included a mix of practical gifts as well as some fun ones! If you're still stuck, monogrammed items are always (plus no one will mistake your monogrammed towel for theirs in the communal bathroom!) or college themed items are always fun. While it may not seem as fun as a physical gift, cash is always appreciated or a Starbucks gift card is perfect for coffee runs in the fall.

Map Art Print- Whether it's for their hometown or their new college town, a fun art print is perfect for the graduate's new dorm room in the fall. All of Evelyn Henson's art is so cute and colorful and will certainly brighten up a dorm while reminding the grad of home!

Lilly Pulitzer Makeup Bag- I've gotten so much use out of the makeup bags that I received for graduation last year. Not only are they perfect for holding your makeup, they can help to hold small necessities or even be used as a pencil pouch!

Clear Gameday Bag- If your grad is going to a big football school, this gift is the perfect way to prepare her for gameday. College football stadiums tend to have strict regulations for bags so having a clear or smaller bag is so handy. I love that the monogram makes it a bit cuter and also that you can personalize it by picking her school colors

Picture Frame- A perfect gift if your bestie is graduating! Fill it with a cute picture of the two of y'all and it will be perfect for decorating in the dorm! Pro tip: find out what color she is using for her dorm room or pick a neutral color so the frame will fit in with her color scheme

Kate Spade Gingham Phone Wallet- I remember doing an overnight visit at a college during my senior year and the girl I stayed with and all of her friends all had these plastic wallets on their phones. I remember thinking that they were not the cutest but after receiving one going through sorority recruitment, I was a convert as they are so practical. I kept my student id in mine and it made it so I could quickly run out to the dining hall or whatever and not need to bring my wallet with me. This Kate Spade version makes it so much cuter with gingham and scallops- I may need to buy it for the fall haha!

S'well Bottle- Water bottles, as you may expect, definitely come in handy in college as you don't have access to your family's collection of various water bottles and cups. I love s'well bottles as they don't spill, can easily be thrown into your backpack as you're running off to class, and come in so many colors and patterns to fit your grad's personality

Monogrammed Tassel Keychain- This keychain is so cute and would jazz up any grad's car keys. I love adding a fun piece to your keys for a personalized touch as they distinguish it as "yours" and also add a bit of personality!

Weekender Bag- A weekender bag comes in such handy as heavy suitcases take up a lot of space in an already small dorm room and it's perfect for when your grad visits home or visits their friends at other colleges! I have this exact bag and it has come in such handy plus I love that it's monogrammed!

What are your go-to grad gifts? Let me know in the comments!

The Lord's Plan

One thing I want to incorporate more here on Chic in Carolina is more faith based content. I recognize that not all of y'all share my religious beliefs and it definitely won't be pushy haha. My friend Annaliese does such a wonderful job incorporating her faith into her blog while still being approachable and is such an inspiration to me.

image via this blog post

Over the past year, the concept of understanding God's plan for me has been a recurring theme. I'll be the first person to tell you that I am a planner by nature with a very Type A personality. I would be perfectly content sitting down and planning everything that will happen but we all know that isn't how it works.

I'm one of those people who always thinks of the next step: after high school, I'll go to college then I'll get my master's and then I'll be a teacher and so on and so forth. Being a planner isn't necessarily a bad thing but my plan isn't always God's plan. Not to say that what I have planned is wrong or evil but God has something greater than what you can imagine in store for you.

But that's not always easy to see. It's not easy to see that when something bad happens or when things don't happen the way you necessarily want them to. It's hard to see those bad things as being part of God's plan. It's not easy to trust in the fact that God has a plan for you.

Everything happens for a reason whether it's growing apart from an once close friend or making changes that initially seem hard.

Over the past year, I've seen how God's plan for me has played out as beginning college was truly a transformative time in my life. Throughout the entire college application process, I had so much stress about the future: Should I apply to that school? What if I don't get in? What if I make the wrong decision?

Even though I knew Clemson was the right school for me, it was a scary choice to get there, or at least it seemed at the time. Clemson is much bigger than the high school I went to and I worried that I wouldn't make any friends or would feel out of place. I'm planning on sharing a post on how to make friends in college as I definitely feel that not making friends is a common fear but I know God's plan was for me to go to Clemson as he has put such wonderful people, opportunities, and experiences into my life.

Trusting in God's plan isn't easy and, honestly, I still worry about things more than I need to. It's definitely something important to keep in mind as what he has planned is better than what we can even imagine!

I hope you enjoyed this more faith-based post and let me know if you want to see more in the future!