Chicago Recap

If you follow along on Instagram or Twitter, you know that last weekend I was in Chicago for a quick visit. My dad surprised me with the trip as an early graduation present and we had such a fun time. We arrived early Saturday and left Sunday morning, so it was a quick trip but I have so many pictures that I figured that I would do a recap post rather than include in Friday's My Chic Week post.

We had an early morning flight on Saturday so we could spend more time in the city, which meant I had to get up at 5 AM. It, thankfully, wasn't too bad and we grabbed Starbucks at the airport, which helped a lot too.

The flight itself wasn't bad at all- I picked up Emily Ley's Grace, Not Perfection for the trip so between reading that and watching Gossip Girl, the trip was so quick.

Once we got to Chicago, we checked into the hotel, dropped off our bags, and then headed down to the Bean. I've seen so many Instagrams of the Bean that I wanted to go and, of course, get a picture. It was a pretty easy walk to the Bean from our hotel and we stopped at the bridge overlooking the water, which is right next to the Trump building as well.

This was the view from the hotel room- so pretty!

My dad was a bit skeptical about what the Bean was but it was so much fun to see in person. It is a very touristy part of Chicago but it was a lot of fun to take lots of pictures and selfies in front of it.

After seeing the Bean, we walked back up the Magnificent Mile and did a little shopping before brunch. My family always loves visiting Dylan's Candy Bar when we are in New York so my dad and I were surprised and excited to see that they have a Chicago location. We picked out lots of candy and then hung out at the hotel for a bit.

We had brunch at the Signature Room at the Hancock Building, which was incredible. The views were absolutely stunning and the food was amazing too. They had a buffet full of delicious foods and desserts and you can choose an entree as well. My dad and I both had the Fried Chicken and Waffles, which was so good.

After eating way too much, we decided to do a bit of shopping. Our first stop was Tory Burch, where I tried on and loved this beautiful dress. Unfortunately, the only size they had in the store was a bit too small and it's sold out online. Still super cute though!

We then went to Kate Spade where I found this dress that I decided to wear for my Baccalaureate Mass next month. The sales girls in Kate Spade were so sweet and it was so fun shopping there.

I also wanted to shop at Vineyard Vines and I found a few pieces that I knew I had to try on. The store was so cute and even though there was a line for the dressing rooms, it went by quickly. I wound up purchasing this dress as I thought it would be so cute for grad parties and then for my trip to Kiawah in June.

top ⎢dress

After shopping at Vineyard Vines, we walked around for a while before stopping into Kendra Scott. I didn't wind up buying anything there but I did run into Megan of Bowtiful Life. She was so nice and it was fun to meet her "in person" after reading her blog for so long. J. Crew was in the same area as Kendra Scott so I decided to stop in there as well. I was so excited to discover that the Chicago store carries the J. Crew x New Balance collection since my local J. Crew doesn't carry it. I bought these adorable striped cropped leggings and I've already worn them haha. We decided to go to Nordstrom as our last store of the day since it was close to the hotel. The Chicago Nordstrom is ginormous so we only walked around for a few minutes since there was so much to look at and so many people there haha.

We then headed back to the hotel to get ready for dinner and relax a little bit after walking so much (I seriously walked 20,000 steps according to my Fitbit).

We had dinner at Lawry's, which definitely was an experience to say the least. Our food was pretty good but the experience overall was just pretty interesting. The menu is pretty limited so if you're a picky eater like I am, this probably isn't the best restaurant for you. Even though this wasn't our favorite restaurant of the trip, my dad and I laugh looking back on it.

Since we had another early flight the next morning, we went to bed fairly early on Saturday night, which was definitely a good call.

We were up bright and early to head back to Charlotte so while I packed, my dad went to get coffee from the lobby. We took an Uber to the airport and then hung out for a bit as we had some extra time before boarding began.

weekender bag ⎢purse ⎢flats

The flight was thankfully another easy one and we were back in Charlotte before we knew it. We had some pretty incredible views of Charlotte as we landed, which was fun to see as typically I don't get to see a good skyline view flying back into Charlotte.

Have you been to Chicago before? What was your favorite part of visiting? Let me know in the comments!

My College Application Experience

When I announced my decision to attend Clemson, I promised y'all that I would share a post detailing the whole college application experience. I wanted to wait until after May 1 because even though I had made my decision, I did hear back from a few schools after putting my deposit in and I wanted to wait until National Decision Day.

This post isn't going to be explaining why I didn't like some of the schools I looked at or anything of that nature but I wanted to document what the process was like for me for both looking back at this post in the future and for any other high school students looking ahead to the college application process.

I started my college search pretty early as I visited seven schools in North Carolina with my high school as a freshman. Even though I had no clue what I wanted in a college or anything really, I was able to get my feet wet in the college search and began to discover what I liked as well as what I didn't like in a college campus.

I toured so many schools throughout the entire college process and honestly, I didn't love some of them. Some I walked into the tour expecting I would love the school and wound up hating it while some that I thought I would hate, I wound up loving. Visiting is the best way to get a feel of a school because a college can sound amazing on paper but not feel like home in person. I know not everybody gets "the feeling" when they step on the campus they will call home but how you feel while you are at a particular school is important.

I visited Clemson for the first time January of junior year and I got "the feeling" the second we drove onto campus. But I also got "the feeling" at other campuses too. I envisioned myself going to several of the schools I applied to, which I don't think is a bad thing. I knew I could be at home wherever I chose to go and then I looked to other factors, which for me were the school's community and my major. I love how everyone at Clemson loves their Clemson Tigers and the education department at Clemson is amazing so my decision was pretty much made when I realized that.

I wound up applying to seven schools (Clemson, Furman, Elon, Wake Forest, High Point, UNC, and Ole Miss) and was accepted to 5 of them (Clemson, Furman, Elon, High Point, and Ole Miss). I was deferred from both Wake Forest and UNC, which I'm honestly okay with because I found that out after I put down my deposit at Clemson.

Seven schools is a lot but some of my friends and classmates applied to way more than that. I only applied to schools that I could see myself going to, which made my decision towards the end of the process easier.

The college application process definitely teaches you patience as there's a lot of waiting. The Common App opens on August 1 so I worked on my applications from then to around the end of October. I heard from two schools fairly early due to rolling admissions and then a scholarship but I still had some waiting for schools that let me know in December. I was deferred in January from UNC so it was more waiting to hear I got into Clemson (!!).

I visited Clemson in March after narrowing it down to my final two. I was actually able to visit both of those schools in the same day, which was so helpful in making the big decision. I always thought that I would have to make a big pro-con list to decide but I just knew that day I was going to go to Clemson, which was such a relief to have my decision made and I'm so excited to be a student at Clemson this fall #AllIn

I know this post is a bit longer and more personal than most of my posts but I hope you enjoyed reading as I loved writing this one!

If you're a senior, where are you going to college? Let me know in the comments!

My Chic Week: May 5-11

Happy Friday y'all! What a week- I wrapped up my last AP exam ever on Wednesday and we're slowly inching closer and closer to graduation! Things have definitely gotten a bit busy as all of my teachers are trying to cram all of our grades in before the seniors leave for summer break but I know the next few weeks will be full of lots of fun festivities as well. It hasn't really hit that "this is it" for high school, which is definitely bittersweet as I am so excited for Clemson but will miss all of my friends and the community at my high school as well.

That was definitely a bit sappier than I intended it to be (haha) so I'll save the rest for a graduation reflection post and we can chit chat about my week + what's on my radar because let's be real, I know that's what y'all want to read about.

Last Friday was a busy day full of fun events as we had Mass in the morning (my last all-school Mass of high school!!) followed by a yummy Cinco de Mayo lunch. They gave us a bit longer than usual for lunch on Friday so it was nice to catch up with my friends since it was a busy week with AP testing.

After school, I nannied for a few hours and we wound up making a pit-stop at Starbucks, which is always a great way to celebrate the weekend.

from my Instagram story

I didn't have too much planned for last weekend, which was really nice. After enjoying breakfast at home, I went to a barre casual (as usual haha). My mom and I went to get our nails done Saturday afternoon, which is always so relaxing.

leggings

My family and I went to Saturday night Mass so I took that as an excuse to wear one of my favorite Lilly shift dresses. I got this dress during my sophomore year, so it is unfortunately not available anymore but I still love wearing it! I also felt it was very appropriate to wear a shift dress to watch the Kentucky Derby with my family!

My mom helps with the Book Fair at the elementary school my siblings and I went to so Sunday morning, I went to help her with that. We always pick up Munchkins for everyone who comes to the book fair so I had to grab an iced coffee and a donut too haha.

After a few hours at the Book Fair, we headed back home where I worked on this week's blog posts before going to a Pure Barre class. It was definitely a productive Sunday, which I always love.

This week has been especially weird as since it's the end of the year, I have had a lot to do in some classes and then nothing to do in others (I'll gladly take nothing to do haha). Monday and Tuesday, I didn't have a ton to work on other than prepping for my last AP exam on Wednesday and then some projects due next week. Since my Faith Formation class ended last week, I worked on both Monday and Tuesday.

necklace ⎢sandals

As I mentioned earlier, Wednesday was my last AP exam (AP Lang) so I was at school all morning taking the exam but then had the afternoon free. I caught up on the latest episode of Pretty Little Liars (anyone else still watch this??), worked on a few things for school, and walked the dogs before going to work a bit earlier than usual.

While nannying, I took the kids to get popsicles from King of Pops, which are so yummy! I got the Sweet Tea and Lemonade flavor, which was so refreshing and the perfect way to celebrate being done with AP exams!

Thursday was getting back into the swing of things after not being in class on Wednesday and continuing to work on all of the assignments I keep talking about (lol). I did film my senior interview for our senior video during lunch, which wound up being so fun to do! I worked after school as well on Thursday before heading home to work on a few assignments for school.

flats (on sale!!)

On my Radar This Week:

1. CHICAGO! My dad and I are heading up to the Windy City tomorrow morning for a quick weekend trip and I am so excited- any recommendations for things we should do?

2. My blogger (and real life!) bestie, Riley, shared a Q&A post this week, which I loved reading! And I may or may not have contributed some of the questions to it haha ;)

3. Even though most of these tips are directed towards moms, I love this post about ways to make time for "me time"!

4. My friend Annaliese just shared a post on why she is doing a 4 week shopping fast, which I love! I did a month without shopping back in September (which you can read about here) and it was so helpful in saving money!

5. Lilly Pulitzer just released some new arrivals and they are, of course, gorgeous! My favorites from this shipment are this dress, these pajama pants, this shift dress, this maxi dress, and these shorts.

This week on Chic in Carolina:

My Chic Week: April 28- May 4 ⎢April Favorites ⎢Habits to Incorporate into Your Daily Routine ⎢Graduation Gift Ideas

Happy Friday y'all! 

Graduation Gift Ideas

Graduation is just around the corner (less than a month) and the invites to grad parties have definitely been rolling in lately. The next few weeks will definitely be busy with graduation related activities and I'm so excited!

Today, I wanted to share some gift ideas that would be perfect for any grad regardless of your budget. Depending on the person you are giving the gift to and your budget, the item may be totally different, which is okay. For high school grads, I think anything from college apparel to items for their dorm (like monogrammed towels) or classic pieces they'll get a lot of use of.

I'm breaking this post into more splurge-worthy pieces that are perfect if you have a bigger budget or if you're looking for gifts to ask your parents or family for graduation and then more budget friendly options that are perfect for gifts for friends as most are under $50!

monogrammed weekender bag ⎢day designer agenda

david yurman bracelet

j. crew pajamas ⎢tory burch bag ⎢kate spade watch

needlepoint key fob ⎢champagne gummy bears ⎢kate spade initial necklace ⎢tory burch perfume

pineapple tray ⎢vineyard vines earrings

palm print s'well bottle ⎢lilly pulitzer pillow

What is your favorite thing to give as a graduation gift? Let me know in the comments!

Habits to Incorporate into Your Daily Routine

Happy Wednesday y'all! We officially made it halfway through the week, which feels a lot longer than that haha.

I've been loving sharing more health/inspiration themed posts with y'all lately so I figured that this would be a fun post to share with y'all today. I originally titled this post "Healthy Habits to Incorporate into Your Daily Routine" but decided to change it to encompass wellness as a whole rather than just physical health.

One of my favorite style of posts to read on other blogs feature tips to incorporate into your daily life to make your life easier and better (more well lived) that aren't too crazy. As a high schooler, I don't have the time or money to accomplish some of these tasks, like working out in the middle of the day or redesigning your living space to be more calm. Not to say these are bad, but at this point in my life, they aren't attainable. I love little tasks to accomplish that don't take up too much time in your day but really make a difference.

image via my Instagram

Make your bed, every morning
I didn't start doing this until I redid my room last year (which you can see here) but it is crazy how much of a difference having your bed made makes for your room. I personally hate having a messy room and when my bed is made, it makes the room look a lot more presentable and makes me feel like my life is at least somewhat together.

Workout, whether it's a quick walk, a Youtube video, or a class
I do a lot of sitting at school but exercise is so important for your physical health as well as your emotional wellbeing. Even if you don't have the time for a full workout, getting up and just walking around for a few minutes or two helps as well. I try to go to Pure Barre classes a few times a week (read my Pure Barre review here) but on days I don't go, I try to be active by walking to the park while nannying or just getting up and moving more often.

Empty your coins from your wallet into a jar
After being my NHS's treasurer for a year, I really do not like coins, which is kind of weird haha. I always have loose change in my wallet but I never use it because who wants to fish 57 cents out of their wallet while at the check out counter? I usually take all of my coins in my wallet and put them in a jar, which helps to save up money and also decrease the amount of stuff in your bag (because coins always wind up at the bottom of it too). 

Lay out your outfit the night before
I don't always do this but when I do, it makes me feel so much more put together. Finding the perfect outfit can be somewhat time consuming so putting it together the night before saves you so much time in the morning. Rather than debating whether that top would look cuter with jeans or a skirt, you can just put on your outfit and go.

Clean up your room before going to bed
This may just be me being Type A but cleaning up the random items around my room before going to bed makes me feel so much more put together (and who doesn't want to feel put together?). Usually for me, this means putting away that pile of laundry, putting my shoes in my closet, and tidying up random piles of stuff that pile up.

Update your agenda three times a day: in the morning, at lunch, and in the afternoon
During the school day, it can be pretty impratical to be constantly updating your agenda. At the minimum, I will update mine during advisory (my school's version of homeroom) or first period, during fourth period or fifth period (before or after lunch), and then in my free period or when I get home from school. This way, I will keep track of everything I need to but also save some time. Curious about how I organize my agenda? Check out this post.

Keep granola bars in your purse for an on-the-go snack
I definitely need snacks in between meals so on particularly busy days, having a granola bar on hand makes sure my stomach doesn't growl super loud. I usually always have a granola bar in my backpack for school and it's so nice to have an easy snack for whenever I'm hungry.

Need to work on emails at odd hours? Save them as drafts and don't send them till the next morning
I've only recently started doing this but it has been so helpful. For both the blog and for school, I sometimes don't get started on emails I need to send out until somewhat late at night at times where I don't want to send out emails because it's not during "work hours". I will write the email, save it as a draft, but not send it until 8 AM or whenever the next day within "work hours". This way you can have more of a "work-life" balance and it does not seem like you're available to answer emails 24/7 (you can send me emails but I probably won't respond the second after if it's late at night haha).

What other tips do you recommend? Let me know in the comments!

April Favorites

I definitely say this every month but I can't believe that it's May. I only have a few days left of class and the countdown to graduation is definitely on (June 3!!). With jumping too far ahead, April was still a fun month with our senior service day, Spring Break in Florida, my 18th birthday, and celebrating lots of lasts in school!

If you're a newer reader here on Chic in Carolina, at the start of each month I like to recap the previous month's favorite products for y'all. I've been sharing my monthly favorites for such a long time now and it's so fun to look back on previous months! Spring has finally broken out here in NC so I feel that this month's favorites definitely represent that!

J. Crew Factory Coverup- I ordered a swimsuit from J. Crew Factory for Spring Break and just had to order this coverup too! It is so cute and perfect for pool/beach/lake days as it is loose and comfortable (perfect for when you unfortunately have a sunburn). The pom pom detailing is so cute too and I know I will be getting a ton of use of it in the next few months as I seriously wore it everyday during Spring Break in Florida.

Tory Burch Flats- As you probably figured out from this blog post, April is my birthday month so I decided to use my birthday coupon from Tory Burch and some birthday money on these gorgeous shoes. I've owned a couple of other Tory Burch flats before but these ones are so comfy! The print is so fun and perfect for spring too!

Tory Burch Bag (similar)- While in New York last year for Spring Break, my mom got herself this purse and I absolutely love it! I initially borrowed it for Annaliese's going away dinner but my mom was so nice to let me borrow it for longer. It is such a great size and the cross body feature is so handy, especially for nannying!

Origins Face Mask- I've had a sample of this face mask forever and after finally finishing that, I decided to buy the full-size version. This is such a great mask if you're acne-prone like I am and even though it is a bit pricy, it is one of my favorite face masks.

Laura Mercier Foundation Primer- I received a sample of this when I placed an order at Nordstrom last month and it seriously rocks. You put it underneath your concealer and foundation (as the name suggests) and it makes your makeup look so much better! I bought the full-size while in Florida and still love it just as much!

J. Crew Bikini (top, bottom)- In preparation for Spring Break, I bought a few new pieces and this bikini was one of them that I just adore. The french blue color is so pretty and I love the halter style of the top paired with the girly ruffled bottoms!

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

My Chic Week: April 28- May 4

Happy Monday y'all! So last week was another slow one in terms of new blog posts here on Chic in Carolina. Senioritis is definitely real and has been affecting my productivity when it comes to blog work too. Thankfully, I only have 8 days of school left (!!!) so my posts should be a bit more regular. I have lots of fun content to share with y'all and hopefully, I will have pre-scheduled this week's posts over the past few days (prewriting this post so fingers crossed!).

Two Fridays ago was really laid back as I didn't have a lot due for school and I was able to go to a barre class after school since I didn't have to work. After my class ended, I went home for a relaxed dinner with my family.

That Saturday, I was able to sleep in a bit before heading to a 10:30 AM barre class. After barre, I went straight to go babysit for a few hours. I wound up working a "double shift" of babysitting on Saturday as I worked in the afternoon for a few hours, went home, and then babysat again for the same family in the evening. I did grab Chick-fil-a for dinner, which I will never complain about haha.

from my Instagram stories

Sunday was pretty much dedicated to studying for my AP Psych exam. I went to a 9:15 AM barre class before starting my studying, which took up most of my day. My teacher hosted a review session at a local coffee shop later in the afternoon, which was a great way to review to material before the exam.

Monday was my AP Psychology exam so most of my day was dedicated to that. Since Psych is an afternoon exam, I didn't have to be at school until 11:30 so I was able to sleep in and relax during the morning. I was able to be somewhat productive and get a few random things done in addition to doing a bit of last minute studying.

from my Instagram story

Psych is a two hour exam, which is shorter than most AP exams thankfully! I don't want to say what I felt about it as I obviously haven't gotten my scores back but I'm feeling pretty optimistic about it at the moment.

Since I didn't have any homework, I was able to catch up on Pretty Little Liars after school before heading to my Faith Formation class that I teach on Mondays. Monday was our last class of the year and I'm so sad because this is my last year teaching since I'll be at Clemson in the fall. After Faith Formation, I went to a barre class, which was a great way to decompress after a hectic day.


The rest of last week wasn't too crazy as I didn't have any other AP exams but and the end of the year is finally in sight. I did work each day after school, which is always good!

a snap from last Tuesday's outfit post

Last week's posts:

My Chic Week: April 21-27 ⎢Polka Dot Flats

Happy Monday!