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