My Chic Week: September 2-8

My "My Chic Week" posts have gone up late the past few weekends in a row and I honestly feel so bad about it. As y'all probably know, I just started my senior year of high school and life has been so busy!

Friday was such a busy for me- I had my first AP Psych test of the year and a quiz in my theology class among all sorts of other assignments! After school, I hung out at home for a bit and then went to go nanny. It was rainy all day so we made a bunch of cookies, which was a perfect treat after a busy week! After nannying, I went to straight to my family friends's lake house for a dinner to kick off Labor Day weekend!

My mom usually brings my dog in the car in the morning but couldn't on Friday so  my dog was pretty upset haha!

Saturday morning, I slept in and went to a Pure Barre class before we went out on the lake. We spent pretty much all afternoon on the lake, which is always fun.

After the lake, I showered and then went to go babysit!

Sunday morning, I nannied in the morning for a bit so I walked with the kids I nanny over to Starbucks to get a coffee and a treat for them. I got my first Pumpkin Spice Latte of the season and I was so excited- like so excited I got a hot latte when it's 85 degrees out and I'm wearing a tank top and shorts excited.

After nannying, I drove home, ate some lunch at home, and then my family and I went over to our friends's lake house to hang out that afternoon as well as for dinner. It was so nice to hang out on their dock, read magazines, and listen to country music. They have two Irish Golden Retrievers running around and they're the cutest even though they're crazy haha.

From my Instagram story!

After dinner, one of the neighbors was having a party for the street so we went over there for a bit although it was one of the strangest parties I've ever been to. We wound up just going back to my family friends's house and watching the fireworks from the party there.

After two days of ignoring school, I spent most of Monday getting all of my work done! I slept in, did some homework before breakfast, ate, and then went a Pure Barre class. Once I got home, I ate lunch and then spent the afternoon doing homework and blog work!

School weeks have been so busy this year- the past few weeks have been kinda crazy getting adjusted to my new routine (aka getting used to saying Calc instead of Pre Calc and AP Lang instead of AP Lit haha) as well as getting the ball rolling in NHS and Service Committee. I nannied after school as usual and also managed to fit in a Pure Barre class in Wednesday morning (and got to school on time too!).

I decided that since this post is going up later than usual that I am going to either share a On my Radar post sometime in the next week with y'all or include more than my usual 5 in next Friday's My Chic Week post!

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

Labor Day Sales ⎢Organization Tips for the New School Year ⎢Can I Wear White after Labor Day? ⎢How to Save Money in High School

Happy Saturday!

How to Save Money in High School

Today, I am sharing with y'all a post a bit different than what I typically post here on Chic in Carolina- tips on how to save money in high school! As a senior (that isn't scary at all to say haha), I have definitely learned how to keep track of my money over the past few years so I thought it would be great to share with all of y'all!

Quality over Quantity

I am a huge believer in quality over quantity (I talked about it more in my post on how to build a classic wardrobe). I'd rather have a nice Lilly Pulitzer top than 5 Forever 21 tops that add up to the same price. Plus, these investment pieces can be worn season after season, saving you money in the long run.

Save your change

This is so easy and definitely adds up! I hate having change in my wallet so instead of just carrying it around I keep it in a Mason Jar. So that way, when the jar is fill I can take it to the bank and have extra money in my bank account. It is so easy as change can sometimes be a bit of a pain to deal with!

Be picky on what you spend your money on

Spend your money of what makes you happy. If you adore fashion, spend more of your money of clothes. If you love concerts, use more of your money on great seats for your favorite bands. If you're a foodie, spend your money there. The key thing is to save in the areas that aren't your favorite, unless you have an unlimited budget. Personally, I spend most of my money on clothes (as you might of guessed) so I don't spend as much on other things.

Make coffee at home

Junior year I became a total coffee drinker- something that can be very expensive if you buy your coffee from Starbucks or a coffee shop every morning. That $4 cup of coffee definitely adds up and you definitely save so much money making coffee at home. I usually treat myself to Starbucks once a week or less!

Have a safety net

Always have enough money to be okay if you don't have paychecks coming in for at least a month. Last winter, I lost one of my babysitting jobs which was a huge blow to my wallet but I definitely learned how important it is to have enough to cover the essentials for the next few months, just incase.

Buy it on sale!

There is nothing wrong whatsoever about buying a piece of clothing from the sales rack- it's actually a great way to buy more designer fashion on a lower budget! Most stores that usually don't have sales (Lilly Pulitzer for instance) have sale racks in stores so that's always a good place to look.

Time out your splurges

It's ok to splurge every once in a while but be sure to do so at a time where it makes sense. Don't spend all of your car insurance money on makeup. I typically spend a bit more around Christmas/my birthday because I have a bit of extra money so if there's something you adore, be strategic about when to buy it!

Tuck money away

It definitely doesn't hurt to have a bit of extra money in your savings account and I've heard it's good to have some money saved up before going off to college as well!

What money saving tips do you have? Let me know in the comments!

Can I wear White after Labor Day?

Labor Day has come and gone bringing the end of summer with it. It also leads to questioning one of fashion's biggest rules- can I wear white after Labor Day?

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Some interpretations of the rule say absolutely no white after Labor Day (as in no white dresses, no plain white tops, no white pants, etc.) while others says it's just no white pants after Labor Day.

But here's my take on the "issue"- I'm going to wear white after Labor Day. Here in North Carolina, it will be in the 80s and 90s to at least the end of September (it will probably still reach 70 or 80 degrees in October honestly). I personally think that as long as it's over 75 degrees, you can still wear your white pants.

But I definitely think it depends on how you style the white pants. Depending how you style it, you could possibly wear white pants into the winter (I think a gingham shirt and riding boots would look super cute with white pants). It definitely depends on personal preference (I have no qualms about wearing a bright Lilly top in the fall but some people may be against that) but I think you can wear white long after Labor Day!

Will you be wearing white after Labor Day? Let me know in the comments!

Organization Tips for the New School Year

I am so excited to share today's post with y'all! Now that Labor Day has passed, most schools are back in session (if you're not back yet, you're so lucky!) and the new school year is the perfect time to get organized!

I am know amongst my friends as well as at my school for being organized and I thought I would share my tips and tricks with y'all!

image via this post

Buy an Agenda!

I talk about this in just about every organization post but I swear by my Lilly Pulitzer agenda! I've used one since my freshman year (I'm now a senior) and don't think I would survive without it. It's so handy for keeping track of everything going on as well as your to-do list. See how I organized mine sophomore year and how I organized mine last year (junior year). An updated agenda organization post will be up soon so be excited!

Clean your room every night

I cannot stand having my room a mess so every night (typically before I go to bed), I clean up and put everything away. It makes me feel so much more organized!

Find your system

Different things work for different people. I am personally a binder person but have friends who live by their notebooks and accordion folder combo or other organization methods. Finding what system works best for you is crucial because it will not be organized if it doesn't work for you!

Make your bed every morning

Before I redid my bedroom, I never and I mean never made my bed as my bed was lofted and I couldn't see it. Now that I have a normal bed, I make my bed every morning because my room looks so much more messy if it's not made.

Color code, color code, color code

I am a major fan of color coding (especially in my agenda). Color coding makes everything so much easier and a bit more aesthetically pleasing as well!

Write things down ASAP

When school gets busy, it feels like I'm running around in a million directions. To remember my to-do list, meeting dates, when tests are, I write it down right then. That way I can put it into my agenda later and remember it too.

Keep clutter (and trash) to a minimum

Going back to keeping your room clean, I hate having trash lying around whether it's a paper plate in your car, random water bottles in your room, or granola bar wrappers in your room! Throw these out as you go and things will be so much cleaner.

Clean through your closet

As the start of the school year coincides with the start of fall, it is a perfect time to clean out and organize your closet (read how I switched my closet from winter to summer in this post). This will make choosing an outfit in the morning so much easier and you'll be able to sell/get rid of the items of you don't wear anymore, freeing up some space!

How do you stayed organized? Let me know in the comments!

Labor Day Sales

Happy Monday y'all! And I can definitely say that today because no school so a bit more happy than your typical Monday :)

And since it's Labor Day, there's so many good sales going on right now. I decided that September is going to be a no-shopping month for me (which is one of 101 in 1001 goals!) so I will not be shopping today but I'll be living vicariously through y'all!

Anthropologie- Extra 40% off sale items

Draper James- 30% off sale styles with code LABORDAY

Fraternity Collection- 40% off site wide with code LABORDAY2K16. Use my code KATIEMASTRONE16 for an extra 10% off!

Gap- 40% off with code PARTY

Jack Rogers- Large selection of sandals on sale!

J. Crew- 25% off your order of $125 or more, 30% off your order of $200 or more with code SHOPMORE

J. Crew Factory- 50% off everything, prices as marked. Extra 50% off clearance with code WOOHOO

Kate Spade- 25% off sale with code DOTTY

Kendra Scott- Spend $100, save 15%. Spend $150, save 20%. Spend $200, save 25% with code MOREISMORE.

Loft- Buy one piece, get one half off and extra 50% off sale

L.L. Bean- 10% off with code LABORDAY (perfect time to buy your bean boots!)

Nordstrom- Summer Clearance Sale- up to 40% off sale items

Marley Lilly- Free cooler bag with any purchase

Old Navy- 50% off all jeans, dresses, and tees

Ralph Lauren- Spend $150, save $25. Spend $250, save $50. Spend $475, save $125. Spend $700+, save $200 with code LABOR

Tuckernuck- 20% off sale with code FINALSALE

Vineyard Vines- 30% off sale items with code STILLSUMMER16

Are you shopping today? If not, what are you up to today? Let me know in the comments!

My Chic Week: August 26- September 1

Another week, another late My Chic Week post, which I am so sorry about! This week was insane, so this post is going up a few days later than usual!

Friday started off with my first AP Pysch quiz of the year and was kind of a busy day as we had Mass in the afternoon. After school, I babysat! Saturday morning, I had a training for Faith Formation, which made me so excited for the new year to start. This year is my third year teaching a class of first graders and it's so fun! Afterwards, I hung out at home for a while and then babysat that night for one of the cutest babies ever!

On Sunday, I did all of my homework, which took awhile as you may guess. That night was a bit more fun as one of our teachers planned an event for us at the Loft to try on some new clothes to wear to clothes, which resulted in me finding some cute pieces!

As for the rest of the week, I was running at a million miles a hour all over the place. It seems like school has never really ended as everything has kind of picked up where it left off in the spring. I had quite a few tests and quizzes, an essay due, meetings, attended a few Pure Barre classes, nannied, did homework, submitted a college application that was due on Friday (it was suggested that I turned it in early for a scholarship program haha), and you know slept :) Definitely glad to have a nice long weekend haha!

This endless supply of homework has definitely made me miss exploring New York City over Spring Break, I mean look how gorgeous are these hydrangeas at the Plaza! Be sure to read about that trip here, here, and here!

On my Radar this week:

1. A month of no shopping- One of my 101 in 1001 goals is to go a month without shopping and I decided that September would be the perfect month to do that! I love to shop but spent quite a bit last month plus I have a few things to save my money for so wish me luck haha!

2. Labor Day Weekend! I'm so excited for a weekend on the lake and by the pool for one last hurrah of summer!

3. I grew up writing a lot of thank you notes and I'm a firm believe in them to do this day so I love Julia's post about thank you notes and other occasions to write them for!

4. Since finally finishing the Great Gatsby (the one with Leo) on my flight home from Hawaii a few months ago, I have been obsessed with the soundtrack. Totally old news but whatever ;)

5. And finally, I am so excited to announce that I am now a rep for The Fraternity Collection! You can take 10% off of your order using my code : katiemastrone16

Be sure to check out this week's posts!

Off-the-Shoulder + Gingham ⎢Senior Year Bucket List ⎢Pink Peplum + Navy Stripes ⎢August Favorites

Have a great Sunday!

August Favorites

I feel like I always say this in my monthly favorites but I am honestly in disbelief that it's September as August flew by! It was a super busy month as I enjoyed a trip to my family's lake house in Upstate New York, spend some time at home, went to the beach with the family I nanny for, and started my senior year of high school (which you can read all about in my "My Chic Week" posts).

On the first weekday of every month, I always share my favorites from the month before which vary from clothing purchases to beauty buys to fun accessories to foods I've been loving and more!

Monogram Acrylic Desk Organizer- Even though I finished my room redesign earlier this summer, I couldn't help but pick up this darling piece from Mackenzie Horan's boutique. I use it to store my agenda and to-do lists and it makes my desk look a bit more pretty!

Pita Chips (image via)- Totally random, but I have been on such a pita chip kick this month. My favorite is Stacy's Simply Naked, so yummy and such a good snack!

Lilly Pulitzer Agenda- If you have been following Chic in Carolina, you know that I love my Lilly agendas! I got the jumbo for this year and have already used it so much to keep track of college applications, meetings, homework, barre classes, and doing things with friends. I am definitely going to be posting a blog post all about it soon but in the meantime, check out how I organized last year's agenda!

Navy Chino Shorts- I've needed a pair of navy chinos for quite a while and finally bit the bullet while at J. Crew last week (which you can read about here). I bought them on sale and have already worn them a few times!

theSkimm- I've heard about theSkimm before but just signed up a few weeks ago. Y'all, I already love it! I have to admit that I'm not the most informed when it comes to current events and politics but theSkimm breaks everything you need to know down into easy to follow emails. I had a current events quiz in Gov the other day (to see how much we have been paying attention to the news over the summer) and I was surprised to learn that I knew most of the answers from reading theSkimm!

Instagram Stories- Instagram released their new Stories feature while I was in New York and I honestly love it. Y'all probably noticed that I don't have Snapchat (I don't even have a personal Snapchat) but I have been loving sharing more behind the scenes content this way! Be sure to follow me on Instagram so you can see my stories!

Nature Valley Granola Bars (image via)- I have always been a granola bar fan and these are my latest favorite. They are a bit messy (I definitely don't recommend eating these and driving, it will get all over your car) but so yummy!

LePens- After hearing one of my favorite bloggers, Dorothy, gush about how amazing these pens are, I decided to order them to use in my agenda. I've been using them to color code and they have been perfect so far!

Starbucks Iced Vanilla Latte at Home- I found this on a whim while in Walmart in Upstate New York (of all places) and it's so good! It tastes just like the Iced Vanilla Latte in stores. They don't carry it in my local Harris Teeter but I will definitely be looking in Target for it!

Seersucker Bikini- I have always loved this seersucker bikini from J. Crew and I finally bought it this summer! I have worn it so much this month and I know I will be wearing it this upcoming weekend for Labor Day festivities!

What are your August Favorites? Let me know in the comments