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!

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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!

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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!).

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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!