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!

Polka Dot Flats

I'm so excited to share this post with y'all today because I'm finally sharing these adorable flats with y'all! While I was in Florida over Spring Break, I went shopping with my mom and my aunt and we, of course, managed to find ourselves in the Tory Burch store. Since my birthday was the week before, I had a birthday coupon to use and decided these flats were the cutest thing. I've had three pairs of the Reva flat but unfortunately Tory decided to discontinue those and replace them with the Minnie. Y'all they are so comfortable and also look super cute!

I wore this outfit to school last week and loved that it was both cute and comfortable. While I love my Kate Spade watch that my grandparents gave me for my 16th birthday, I usually wear my fitbit throughout the school week since it's a bit more practical. I also love this top from Target as it's so versatile and rather inexpensive (plus it's currently on sale!). These pants are my favorite and I bought them sophomore year so they're unfortunately unavailable but I linked a super similar pair below for y'all!

Top- Target Pants- Vineyard Vines (similar) Sunglasses- Kate Spade (similar) Ballet Flats- Tory Burch Bracelets- David Yurman (similar) & local boutique Fitbit

Thanks for reading!

My Chic Week: April 21-27

Happy Monday y'all! Sorry for the brief lack in content here on Chic in Carolina last Thursday and Friday- I was sick last Tuesday so I had a lot of work to make up and with AP exams this week and next week, school has been pretty busy. My AP Psych exam is today so, thankfully, things should be a little less hectic, which means I'll have more time to dedicate to the blog!

I typically post my "My Chic Week" posts on Friday but since I missed last Friday, I figured I would share it today so we would be on track for this Friday and that Friday's post won't be too long!

Two Fridays ago, I was still on Spring Break (wow that feels like forever ago) and I had the day to kind of just relax at home, which was really nice. I was able to sleep in and go to my favorite barre class time that I went to all the time last summer (the 12 PM class).

I was also able to catch up on a massive amount of blog work, which was nice to get a head start on since school has been so busy coming back from Spring Break.

via my Instagram stories

Saturday morning, I went to barre yet again before nannying for a few hours in the afternoon. Charlotte has been having the most gorgeous weather lately so we went for a walk in the park, which had some beautiful scenery to go along with the gorgeous weather!

Sunday was my last day of Spring Break so it was fitting that I had a lazy day haha! I'm very Type A and I kind of stink at relaxing (seriously, my friends will tell you this) so having a lazy day and not doing a whole lot is big for me haha.

I did go to a Pure Barre class in the afternoon, which was a great way to brighten a rainy day, but other than that it was a pretty lazy Sunday!

lilly pulitzer leggings

Since it was the first day coming back from break, Monday seemed especially busy. The 6 AM alarm seemed a bit more abrupt than usual but it's been nice to kind of settle back into my routine at school last week (although it won't last long as summer is just around the corner!). I taught my Faith Formation class in the afternoon and then went to barre class afterwards.

Like I said earlier, I was sick on Tuesday so I stayed home from school and just relaxed. I did work on a few assignments so I won't get too far behind but other than that, I didn't do much haha.

After taking a sick day on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday were a bit busy as I had quite a few assignments and quizzes to make up in addition to preparing for AP testing. I also nannied in the afternoon both days, which was fun after not nannying over Spring Break since I was in Florida (which you can read about here!).

Last week on Chic in Carolina:

White Graduation Dresses {Collab with Amy of Pastel N Pink} ⎢AP Exams Tips & Tricks ⎢Lately... (Part 4)

Happy Monday and good luck to anyone taking AP exams today!