My Favorite Decor Websites

For all of you who don't know, I am currently in the middle of redesigning my bedroom (be sure to check out the inspiration for the re-do here!). It's been quite the process but I love how things are coming together so far! I have just a few more things that need to be done (aka looking into throw pillows and then a gallery wall) then I can't wait to share it with y'all!

Over the past few months, one of my favorite things to do is look at online websites for home decor! I have linked all of my favorite websites for everything from knick knacks, furniture, bedding, prints, throw pillows, picture frames, and more!

image via

Anthrologie, Caitlin Wilson, Design Darling, Evelyn Henson, History in High Heels, Home Goods, Ikea, Kate Spade, Lulu and Georgia, Nordstrom, Pier 1, Pottery Barn Teen, Target, Wayfair

What are your favorite home decor websites? Let me know in the comments!

January Favorites

I honestly cannot believe that it is already February! Seems just like yesterday it was New Year's and Christmas Break! For all of y'all who are new to Chic in Carolina (welcome!), at the beginning of each month, I share my favorite products and things from the month before (see all of my favorites posts here!).

Beauty Blender- My aunt got me a gift card to Sephora for Christmas so after reading so many raving reviews, I picked up the Beauty Blender. Let me tell y'all the hype does not disappoint! It blends your makeup perfectly and is definitely worth the price tag!

Oikos Salted Caramel Greek Frozen Yogurt- Oh my gosh, this frozen yogurt is so good! Honestly, it tastes just like regular ice cream and you get a fairly large portion for the calorie count! I also love the coffee flavor!

Longchamp- I bought this with my Christmas money and I am obsessed! It holds so much stuff (so much that it's sometimes hard to find the item you need) yet is so light!

Starbucks Peppermint Mocha Instant Coffee- Another Christmas gift (watch my Christmas haul here) but I am obsessed with Peppermint Mochas from Starbucks around Christmastime and this is the perfect way to drink it during a busy morning without actually going to Starbucks!

Origins Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask to Clear Pores- My sister actually received this for Christmas but since she doesn't really like face masks, she gave it to me. This mask works really well and in addition to removing acne, it also brightens your skin!

Crest 3D White Whitestripes “Shimmer White”- I picked these whitening strips up at Target earlier this month as I have always been interested in trying them and so far I like them. I haven't been using them everyday as the box suggests but I still have seen a noticeable change in the whiteness of my teeth.

Headboard- I ordered this headboard for my room redesign (see the inspiration for that here!) and it ties my room together perfectly! It looks amazing in my room and is at a really great price too!

Lilly Cashmere Cardigan- My mom picked this cashmere cardigan for me during the Lilly Pulitzer After Party Sale and I love it! It is so comfy and soft! I would definitely give your local Lilly store a call to see if they have it on sale (be sure to size down if you wind up purchasing)

Kate Spade “all in good taste”- I bought this with a gift card I got for Christmas and it is definitely the cutest! All in good taste offers party tips, etiquette, home advice, and more not to mention it looks adorable on your bookshelf!

Bean Boots- It snowed here in NC a few weeks ago and it's pretty safe to say I do not have any snow gear. Bean boots are perfect for the snow as they keep your feet dry and warm (especially with fuzzy socks!).

Ralph Lauren White Oxford- My mom and I stopped at the Ralph Lauren outlet after my tour of Clemson (read about that here) and I bought this oxford! I have been obsessed with it for such a long time and it is such a classic piece that can be paired with everything!

Sonia Kashuk Take Cover Concealing Stick- I was really tired of the way my old concealer applied so I picked this one up! It is a really great price and covers really well too!

Essie Saltwater Happy- I love this nail polish! I bought it over the summer and kind of forgot about it until now, it's the perfect shade of Carolina blue and brings a bit of spring to my nails!

J. Crew T-shirt- I bought a really similar shirt to the one picture at the J. Crew Warehouse Sale last fall (read about it here) and I have been loving it lately! It's so comfy and perfect for a casual day!

Natural Bliss Salted Caramel Coffee Creamer- Another coffee pick but this creamer is so yummy and it's all natural too!

What were your January Favorites? Let me know in the comments!

My Winter Go-To Outfit {Collab with Alyssa of Lots of Lys}

I am so excited to share today's post with y'all! Today I'm teaming up with my friend Alyssa who is the blogger behind Lots of Lys. We decided it would be fun to share with y'all our go to winter outfits (so be sure to visit her blog after you finish reading)!

During the winter, I tend to stick with a few essentials: riding boots or flats, jeans, a comfy top, and a Lilly Pulitzer cashmere scarf. They always come together in an outfit that is cute, comfy, and also warm when North Carolina decides to be a bit chilly!

And because outfit pictures always wind up with at least one fixing my hair/ sassy picture

Top- J. Crew (warehouse sale find, similar) Scarf- Lilly Pulitzer (similar) Jeans- Lucky Brand (similar) Flats- Tory Burch Watch- Kate Spade Bracelets- David Yurman (similar)

What is your go-to winter outfit? Let me know in the comments!

My Chic Week: January 22- 28

Thank goodness it's Friday y'all! Is it just me or short weeks seemingly so much longer. After a bit of winter weather last week (no school last Friday or Monday!), the week was a bit harder to get adjusted to (that's what happens after 4 days of no alarms in the morning!) and definitely required a lot of coffee! Funnily enough it's supposed to be 60 degrees this weekend, which I could not be more excited about (#howlongtillspring).

I had both Friday and Monday off as snow days so it was nice to have a few, unexpected days off to relax and get all of my homework done! One of my favorite ways to spend the mornings off was to curl up in bed with a cup of coffee and get some things done!

North Carolina got a bit of snow but I opted to stay indoors as it was quite icy and honestly miserable out! But here is some proof that it snowed (at least a little bit!).

Friday night after dinner, my family and I went over to my next-door neighbor's to hang out (and to see their puppies who are so big now!).

Saturday and Sunday were both pretty relaxed although we did head out of the house to grab lunch on Saturday! Monday was more of the same as I worked on homework, baked brownies, and relaxed at home!

As long as this week was, it somehow flew by (well isn't that an oxymoron?). I had a lot of quizzes and schoolwork that we were catching up in classes due to our unexpected days off, which made the week go by fast! Like one second it's Monday night and then bam, it's Thursday. Definitely not a bad thing but definitely crazy! I feel like I have said this every week lately, but one of my new year's goals is to post more consistently on social media, which I have failed at again! I really (and I mean it!) am going to try posting more (be sure to follow me: Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest!) in the next week!

On my radar this week:

1. Love how Cara styled a Lilly dress for winter in this post!

2. As mentioned earlier in this post, I had last Friday off for a snow day! I spent the day to catch up on a bit of organizing and cleaned my makeup brushes (which I really need to do more often because they just get gross). I used this DIY for my brushes and this DIY for my Beauty Blender and now my brushes are so clean. For more beauty related DIYs, be sure to check out my Beauty Pinterest board!

3. Mackenzie's blog is just the cutest and I love all of her makeup and beauty product posts (slightly ironic as I tend to go very simple in what makeup products I use). She just posted her current makeup routine and I think I need to buy a few new products ;)

4. After remembering reading about this book on Dorothy's blog last year, I ordered this book and it is so cute! I have been using it as a little decorative accent in my room and it adds such a fun touch!

5. I found this article on what your acne is really saying so interesting

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

Battle of the Carolinas: Collab with Isabel and Sophie of Normally in Navy, Tips for Taking on the Second Semester, The BEST Brownies, Cute Winter Wear

Hope y'all all have a great weekend!

Cute Winter Wear

Charlotte experienced some major (well major for North Carolina) last week and after experiencing that, I am so ready for spring and warmer temperatures. Unfortunately, spring is a bit of a ways away so until then you will be sure to find me wearing comfy and warm clothing!

Cute (and warm) clothes definitely make the freezing cold temperatures of January and February a bit more bearable so I have gathered of my favorite winter pieces that will keep you warm and looking cute until spring actually arrives!

Hunter Boots Vest

Hat Headband Mittens

What are your favorite clothes for winter? Let me know in the comments!

The BEST Brownies

Over the weekend, I was determined to make a recipe for Salted Caramel Brownies that I found on Pinterest (follow me here). Unfortunately, they turned out quite disastrously so I decided to make my favorite brownie recipe that is from a Southern Living Cookbook.

These brownies are amazing and are actually quite easy to make! After trying these, I think it is so hard to turn back to boxed brownies!

 Ingredients

Butter, Unsweetened Chocolate Baking Squares, Eggs, Sugar, Flour, Salt, Vanilla

Instructions

1. Microwave butter and chocolate squares in a microwave safe bowl for 2 minutes or until both are melted, stirring mixture once

2. Beat eggs at medium speed with an electric mixer; gradually add sugar, beating well

3. Add flour, salt, and vanilla, beating well

4. Stir in chocolate mixture

5. Pour batter into a lightly greased 13 by 9 inch pan

6. Bake at 325 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes

7. Cool in pan on a wire rack

8. Spread with icing (see below) and cut into squares

2. Beat eggs at medium speed with an electric mixer; gradually add sugar, beating well

3. Add flour, salt, and vanilla, beating well

4. Stir in chocolate mixture

5. Pour batter into a lightly greased 13 by 9 inch pan

6. Bake at 325 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes

7. Cool in pan on a wire rack

8. Cover with chocolate chips and spread

Ingredients
- 1 cup butter
- 4 (1-ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate baking squares
- 4 large eggs
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 cups flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions
1. Microwave butter and chocolate squares in a microwave safe bowl for 2 minutes or until both are melted, stirring mixture once
2. Beat eggs at medium speed with an electric mixer; gradually add sugar, beating well
3. Add flour, salt, and vanilla, beating well
4. Stir in chocolate mixture
5. Pour batter into a lightly greased 13 by 9 inch pan
6. Bake at 325 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes
7. Cool in pan on a wire rack
8. Spread with icing (see below) and cut into squares

The Easiest Chocolate Frosting

Ingredients
- Chocolate Chips

Instructions
1. Once the brownies are out of the oven (and still hot), cover the top with chocolate chips
2. Spread to form an icing and if necessary, place into the oven for a minute to melt the chocolate chips
3. Spread as an icing and allow brownies to cool

Tips for Taking On the Second Semester

The first semester has come and gone and now we're jumping into the second semester, the home stretch of the school year (is it too soon to be looking forward to summer?). Third quarter is always a tough one as it's cold and you're smack in the middle of the class. So to help y'all take on the rest of the year, I have gathered my tried and true tips!

Use your Agenda!
Remember that super cute agenda you bought at the beginning of the school year? Well it's time to break it back out and use it! My agenda is my lifesaver (not joking) and I would probably be 100 times more stressed without it! Be sure to check out how I organize my agenda here.

Clean out your binders!
Get rid of the notes from last semester's classes that ended (I would recommend keeping the notes for the class that are all year round for your final exam!) and hole punch all of those loose papers. Let's get it all clean and organized for the new semester!

Drink lots of water
Stay hydrated y'all! Bring a cute water bottle to school and drink as much water as possible!

Ask for help
Struggling in a class? Go into school 5 minutes early or during your free period and ask your teacher for help. I have done this numerous times for a few of my classes and it has definitely helped.

Have time for fun!
If you're anything like me, you're bound to get stressed. However, don't let this completely take over your life. Go have lunch with friends, do something fun on the weekends! When you look back at your various years of high school, you wouldn't remember the stresses over classes but the fun times with friends (trust me, I vaguely remember the stresses from previous years of high school)!

Date Everything
That random piece of paper from Biology? Put the date on it. Yesterday's test? Put the date on it. I just started doing this and it makes it so much easier to organize your binder later on.

Have a little “me time” every day
I've found that this is the key to staying sane despite crazy amounts of homework. Spend anywhere from 5 minutes to a hour doing whatever makes you happy: doing a face mask, painting your nails, watching the Bachelor, reading, blogging, pinning everything on Pinterest!

Aim for 8 hours of sleep. Every night!
Being stressed isn't fun. But being stressed and cranky from a lack of sleep is even worse. Set a bedtime for yourself and get to bed as early as possible!

Read a book that’s not for school
Something I really need to work on this semester! I'm currently taking AP Lit and the reading load for that class is pretty large so I haven't really read anything else this past semester. I'm hoping to find more time to read this upcoming semester.

Find an organization system that works for you!
Binders don't work for you? Use something else! Just because so and so organizes a particular way doesn't mean you have to as well! Try a few different ways and then use what works best!

Workout
Another thing I need to work on. I was awful (and I mean like I didn't workout for 3 months awful) about working out this past semester. Working out is an amazing stress reliever so I am definitely going to be improving the amount of workouts I do this semester!

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