SOCIAL MEDIA

Thursday, July 31, 2014

Pretty Paper & Snail Mail

I've never been one to write letters, but I've quickly become obsessed with pretty paper after venturing to Marshall's to look for cute notebooks. Let me just say Marshall's has a great and inexpensive selection of adorable stationary, notebooks and notepads. I immediately fell in love! I had to stop myself from buying 3 sets of thank you cards! TJ Maxx also has a great selection and for a fraction of the price that you'd pay at a stationary store.

So, what are you going to do with all this stationary you may ask? Well, I want to write to other bloggers! Send me an email if you're interested in being pen pals because I think that's such a fun idea! 

All things I bought are not featured in the picture above, but I bought the Dreams & Schemes notebook and arrow cards from TJ Maxx and the Merci cards are from Marshall's. I'm totally loving everything I picked up. If it has gold on it it's basically got my name written all over it. I'm pretty sure gold is my go to favorite color!

XO!
Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Basic Black Dress

I told ya I had a few outfit posts coming your way from Wisconsin. I actually forgot about this outfit that I shot on my last night in Wisconsin. This dress is actually a beach coverup (oops) from Target, but I've never actually worn it as a coverup. Because it's black I feel like even though it's just a cotton dress it looks a little dressier. I paired it with my favorite wedges, but took them off after the shoot because even though they are so cute they are impossible to walk in. Whatever though, beauty is pain! 





Target dress (similar) // Audrey Brooke wedges // Alex & Ani bangle // Francessca's starfish earrings (similar)

via Instagram @sprinklesofkate

I can't get over how scenic Wisconsin is! I was totally loving living by the lake for those few days! PS I was totally feeling like a mermaid in my new favorite starfish earrings!

XO!
Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Room Inspo + I'm Moving?

If you read the title you might be thinking that I'm moving, like legit moving away or something. But, no! I may/may not be moving rooms! I currently reside in my room at the back of the house with my own little wing of the home. I have a bathroom right off the door from my room, but it is shared with my brother. I've had the offer to move up to my sister's room in the attic, but I'm not sure what I should do! If I moved up there I'd definitely still have my own space, but I'm not so sure I love the idea of living in an attic. 

One thing that makes me really want to move up there is re-doing my room a bit. I re-did my room in eighth grade, but in all honestly I should have waited until high school. A lot of things change between middle school and high school including my taste in interiors. If I was to move up to the attic I would definitely be doing a bit of construction with my design. My current room is turquoise and has turquoise PB Teen floral bedding. I was thinking something along the lines of mint, gold, white and pink/blue or something like that for my future color scheme if I was to move. I'm not sure exactly what I want, but I'm so intrigued with the design process that it makes me want to move up to the attic more and more each day. Check out some of my current favorite room designs! Comment below any color schemes that you love for some inspiration for me!





Monday, July 28, 2014

Lilly Agendas

I am not looking forward to this school year. Well, that's a lie. I always look forward to starting fresh and making new friends and just the fall in general. But, this is my junior year and I'm nervous for what's going to come with it. School is already stressful enough, but junior year is sure going to be difficult. To prepare for the year I've gotta be ready for lots of organization so an agenda is NECESSARY. 

I personally just love using agendas because they are super cute and a great way to stay organized. I'm going to be using two this year! I probably don't need them both, but whatever. I ordered a Lilly one, but it was free because my Lilly one from last year fell apart right after getting it. The other one was a gift from the swag bag at the Smart Girls Conference! So, might as well use them both since I didn't pay for either one! Yay for free things!!!

Here are some of the cutest Lilly agendas! Leave a comment below letting me know if you wanna see a post on how I organize my planner because I'd love to do one! ;)

Lilly Agendas!

Jellies Be Jammin // Biggest Fan // Tusk in Sun // Hot Spot

Shop more agendas below!
XO
Saturday, July 26, 2014

Kate Spade New York ♠

I've always been a fan of Kate Spade, but more recently I've been falling in love with so many Kate Spade items. I popped into the store in NYC {total lust} and fell in love. Everything in there was just so cute and perfect. 
Kate Spade

Whatever Earrings // Créme de la Créme Mug // Eat Cake for Breakfast Tote // Tortoiseshell + Gold Watch // Hello Sunshine iPhone Case // Dot, Dot, Dot... & P.S. Notebooks // Coral Wallet // Live Colorfully Perfume

I am seriously in love with all these products. The watch is my personal favorite! I am strongly considering purchasing it because I totally fell in love when I saw it! I don't own a watch that actually works and the only other ones I own are from like my childhood.

Another top pick is the perfume! Let me just say this perfume smells amazing! I continued to smell it in every Kate Spade store I went to and totally wanted to buy it. The only reason I didn't was because I didn't think traveling with it would be the best idea. I also love the mini notebooks! They are the cutest things!

I'm also a huge fan of Kade Spade's mantras.

She had a cocktail in her hand and confetti in her hair.

She is quick and curious and playful and strong. 

Be happy. Be bright. Be you.

Eat cake for breakfast.

Live colorfully.

And who isn't a fan of the adorable Kate Spade bright colors mixed with metallic gold! I'm loving it!

 ♠
Friday, July 25, 2014

Lemon Stripes

I told ya there were a few outfit posts coming! This outfit was one of my favorites worn in Wisconsin. This outfit has been retired for too long (I wore it on the first day of sophomore year) and I figured this quick trip to Wisco was the perfect time to break it out. I love the nautical pairing of the plain yellow tank and the navy striped skirt. All courtesy of the beloved Gap! 




Gap tank (similar) // Gap skirt (similar) // Dolce Vita sandals

Sorry there aren't a ton of photos, but there weren't too many good ones haha.

Happy weekend everyone!

XO
Thursday, July 24, 2014

Flowy Top + Levi's

My go to summer uniform (when I'm not wearing athletic shorts and a t-shirt) is an airy top and levi cut shorts. I cut some Levi's jeans that I picked up at a thrift store for $5. They're perfect for lounging around and wearing with everything. Let me know if you want to see a DIY on how I made these I'd love to share. It was a bit of a task to do these, but it was worth the hundreds of times I'm going to wear these. 

I went to Wisconsin earlier this week and this was the perfect outfit to explore the resort and be comfy and casual!




 (a little outtake from me trying to find a picture to Instagram)

Nordstrom Top (similar) // DIY'd Levi's (similar) // J. Crew Factory Sunnies 

XO
Wednesday, July 23, 2014

When Summer Gets Boring


I LOVE summer! What's not to love about relaxing by the pool, chilling with friends and winding down with a bonfire at night? Nothing! But, as the summer comes to a close sometimes there's a bit of a lull in the action. I often will find myself just staying inside and watching TV or surfing around on my laptop, when really there are so many things to do! It's summer and the possibilities are endless. Fear not! I've compiled a list of some fun and different things to do!

+try a new fitness class; yoga is one of my faves, but I've been dying to try zumba!

+go for a picnic with your friends // stock up on yummy foods and sweet treats

+explore a part of your city or neighborhood that you've never been to before; if your town is small then explore the towns next to yours!

+read a book :: lay by the pool and enjoy your story (or summer reading book because we all know that happens at the end of the summer) or if the weather is bad stay indoors

+have a photoshoot; my cousin Carls and I love to take my camera and find cool locations to take photos :: you don't even need a nice camera to do this, just use your phone!

+host a tea party // this might sound so lame, but trust me it's fun! Invite some of your gals over and drink tea and have fun cookies, cakes & mini sandwiches

+plan something for the future :: if you aren't feeling like doing anything today, plan something for the future: a fun girls night out, a sleepover with friends, a bonfire next week, the possibilities are endless! 

+ get sh*t done // if you can't think of anything to do you might as well get things done; clean your room, organize something, do something productive!

What do you do when summer gets boring?

XO
Tuesday, July 22, 2014

What I'd Do Differently

I've talked so much about how amazing my trip to NYC was and let's get that down; it was amazing. I loved it! But, there were a few things that I'd wish I'd done differently while in New York City. These are just things I wish to change for the next trip that I go somewhere to make the vacation even more enjoyable!

+1. plan more

I always go into trips having things planned for me usually (my parents). When it came to New York, however, the trip was up to me. I was the one that initiated the trip and my mom said that we could do pretty much anything I wanted to. Needless to say I should have spent months planning and thinking of what I wanted to do while in the city. What didn't I do: plan. I barely even thought about planning and I just thought, "well, I'll figure it out when I get there". This is classic me. It was nice having leniency to the trip, but I wish I would have googled some fun restaurants or dessert places before hand so we had some things scheduled in.

+2. communicated with others

I met plenty of bloggers just via the conference itself, but I wish I had scheduled to actually do things with some other bloggers. I didn't even come to think of this, but I wish I would have spent some more time outside of the conference getting to know my fellow bloggers. I did get to meet many at the conference, but there wasn't much time for talking during the conference. Next time--if there is an next time (you'll bet I'll be there) I will definitely talk to bloggers ahead of time and plan to meet up and hang out with them.

+3. go with the flow

I'm usually a pretty easygoing person with my friends, but for some reason in New York if we weren't doing what I wanted I was getting annoyed. I should have just gone with what we were doing and made the most of everything we were doing (because honestly everything we did was fun), but of course I was a brat and only wanted to do what I wanted. 

+4. be a tourist

I hate doing touristy things the majority of the time, but in a place like NY there is just so much to do. The first time you go there I feel like you have to do some of the touristy things just so you see everything. I was totally against being a tourist, but I regret it a bit because we could really have seen everything this way. Let me just say we were everywhere in New York City, but I shouldn't complain because I really like being a tourist in my own town just because it's fun ha ha. 

XO
Monday, July 21, 2014

Tips To Wake Up, Sleepyhead


I am most definitely not a morning person. Hit that snooze button twenty times please! I always wake up the latest possible time for me to get ready (or I just get ready super fast!). I love sleeping in and waking up around 11 am to start my day. But, I've been nannying recently and I have to be there by 6:30 am. They only live down the block from me, but those are the wee morning hours. I've found that waking up earlier is actually better for me because I get so much more done in a day. But, in general it's a difficult task to wake up early, but there are tips to wake up happier and easier!

+1. pump up the tunes

Jamming out to music in the morning is the perfect way to get your day going, especially if it's upbeat. Turn on some throwback Cheetah Girls and Jo Bro's and you'll be dancing around in no time. It's a great way to get you up and at em (and in a better mood)!

+2. don't hit the snooze

You're better off just getting up right when you're alarm goes on because hitting the snooze tricks your brain and you're not going to fall into your deep sleep that you were in pre-alarm. Also, you're going to wake up more tired than you woke up before! I love using my sleep cycle app to perfectly time me when to wake up. It senses your sleeping patterns and wakes you up when you are in your lightest sleep so you wake up better.

+3. plan something fun

Usually I (we) have school, jobs or commitments and that is the purpose to waking up. But, if you're looking for motivation to wake up on the weekends, plan something fun. My gal Ava suggested we get up early one Saturday and go to yoga downtown. It was so worth waking up early because we went to the yoga early and then went out to breakfast. There was still so much time left in the day that I felt I used the day to the fullest.

+4. get some food + water

There was a time in my life when I would actually get up and eat a delicious breakfast every day before school. I can't say I still do this anymore, but there was something nice about getting up and cooking myself some eggs or something before school. I was actually motivated to get out of bed just because I knew there was food in my future. If you're not much of a morning eater, be sure to drink some water right when you get up to get your system going!

With that said, hope you're having a wonderful morning or afternoon/evening for all you sleepyheads.

How do you wake up early in the morning?

XO
Saturday, July 19, 2014

Weekend Sales

Yay, weekend! This weekend there's still so many fab sales going on and since I just got paid (thank goodness I'm no longer poor) I may have to do a bit of shopping.


Omg, there are too many things that I want from the Nordstrom anniversary sale. I am totally loving this adorable Kate Spade phone case! It's so fun, plus it's on sale so I might just have to snag it. They already sold out of my favorite pair of Frye boots (wah!), but that's just how the Nordstrom sale is. If you see it and you know you want to buy it, you'd better buy it quick because everything sells out so fast

Two // J. Crew Sale
I saw Caroline wear this super cute fluted skirt from J.Crew at the Smart Girls Conference and I fell in love. It's so cute and versatile. It's on super sale as well! I may just have to order it, the only thing is that it's final sale so if the size doesn't fit right that could be a problem. But it's such a good deal...I don't know! Check out the J.Crew sale for an extra 40-50% final sale styles. Use the code SALEFUN!  There's also an extra 40% off all shorts + swim for women, men, girls and boys!

Three // Tory Burch
Take an extra 20% off all sale styles! Tory Burch rarely seems to have sales so this seems like the perfect time to pick up this perfect striped zip wallet! Or there's another super fun gingham one! Too many cute choices!

Four // C. Wonder
I can already feel the tension between C. Wonder and Tory Burch, ha ha. C. Wonder has so many adorable things on sale. I went to the store in SoHo about a week ago, but I couldn't find many things that I totally loved. There's so many more choices online. I'm totally loving this lucite initial perfect for decorating a room. I found it in the store last week, but they were all a little scuffed up. Maybe I should order one online he he. 

What sales are you loving? Please share so I can shop!

XO
Friday, July 18, 2014

Basics in NYC

I'm missing New York more than ever right now and all I want to do is go back and explore some more. On my last full day in NYC we explored SoHo and headed to The Crosby Bar for lunch. The decor was so interesting and fun and after lunch my sis and I found this adorable little garden. It was the perfect time to shoot a quick OOTD. 

I love this outfit because I'm a huge fan of white jeans. I think they're so versatile and go with everything. This top I picked up from Brandy Melville in NYC is the softest thing I've ever worn and it was so comfortable to walk around SoHo. The shoes were also perfect because I got way too many blisters in New York from wearing uncomfortable shoes (beauty is pain) and walking far. If you're headed to New York, bring comfy shoes ha ha!





Brandy Melville Top (similar) // Gap denim // Dolce Vita sandals // Longchamp

Happy weekend!
XO
Thursday, July 17, 2014

Jack Rogers

Getting a pair of Jack Rogers seems overdue (since summer is already half way over), but I still think I need a pair of these in my shoe collection by the end of the summer. Everyone at the conference pretty much had them and they're just so cute! I've wanted a pair for a while, but I never could bring myself to actually buy a pair. I'm debating the color that I want because I love the platinum one because I think that would match a lot for me, but there's also some pretty fun colors on sale. Do I splurge and get a super versatile color or save and get something that wouldn't go with everything? I'm not sure yet! There's way too many cute colors anyways that it's too difficult to decide. 

I already can imagine wearing Jack Rogers with white jeans, dresses, skirts and even just regular shorts. Are they comfy? Comment below! I've tried a few pairs on, but that wouldn't tell me. 

Shop my favorites below:
Do you have Jack Rogers? Tell me how you like them!

XO
Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Lilly in Central Park

I've talked about this Lilly skirt before in a Friday Fours post, but it's making a comeback! My friend found this adorable pink Lilly skirt at a thrift store for $5! How can you pass that up!? It's totally adorable and I love styling this more dressy skirt with my jean jacket to give it a less formal look. It was a bit cooler out in the early morning in NYC, but it quickly warmed up. This is a perfect daily look and it's so simple too!






Jean Jacket (similar) // Tank Top (similar) // Lilly Pulitzer Skort (similar) // Sandals

XO
Tuesday, July 15, 2014

My Business Cards

With a fresh new look to my blog I thought it was time to make some business cards. I had the fab gal, Stephanie from How Sweet Designs create my business cards. I wanted them to match well with my blog design and let me say she did a fabulous job. 

I wanted to include just the general information on my blog. I included my name (of course), location, email and website. I debated for a while about including my Instagram, but I opted not to just because the @ sign could lead people to believe it's my twitter, but I rarely use twitter. 

I had Stephanie design the cards, but I printed them using Vistaprint. The quality is pretty decent of the cards and I have to say they look exactly as they did online. My only issue was that I wanted the cards to come before I left for the conference so I paid the extra amount to get the 3 day shipping, but they took longer than expected. If you're ordering something from here be sure you have enough time for them to come because they might take a while. 



I can't wait to use these! I'm in search of a lucite business card holder so I can display how cute they are on my desk! Love it!

XO
Monday, July 14, 2014

NYC Recap

I'm back! I missed a few days of posting (oops!), but I'm officially back! For those of you who didn't know, I was in NYC these past few days for the Smart Girls Conference at Fordham University! It was so much fun and I'm so glad I had the chance to meet so many fabulous bloggers. I had never been to New York City before (or anywhere on the East coast really) and it was such an adventure in the greatest city on earth! I'm mentally confused now because I always say that Los Angeles is my favorite place, but I feel that New York has it beat. I don't know though--it's a tough choice!

Day 1: 

When I first arrived in New York I was so excited to explore! My mom and sister accompanied me on the trip and also attended the conference. We explored the city a bit and went to our hotel! We stayed at The Empire Hotel *aka where Chuck Bass hangs out at the bar*. They had the prettiest pool deck and rooftop!


We later went for lunch at The Smith which was a total must! The food was delicious (although I forgot that Frannie had recommended the mac & cheese so I was missing out). I opted for a chicken sandwich and just looking at this picture makes me want it again!


Later in the day I met up with Anna and Hunter at the Kate Spade store on Madison Avenue. We found ourselves enjoying drinks on the gorgeous balcony and just getting to know each other. 


Day 2:

The first day of the Smart Girls Conference was today and I was so excited! The day was super fun and there were so many amazing speakers. My mom, sister and I left early (oops!) to explore the city. The summit was so interesting, but we felt that we were missing out on experiencing all that NYC has to offer. I showed them around Madison Avenue and we shopped a bit. For dinner we went to the super fun Stardust Diner. It's such a touristy location, but it was fun because they perform songs all night long. 


After dinner we had to explore Times Square just to see it. It was overwhelming, but an incredible sight!


Day 3:

The second day of the summit! Today the speakers were amazing! Of course seeing Carly and Mackenzie in real life was incredible! They gave such wise advice and it was funny to see how they are in real life vs. on the internet. I also met FrannieCarolineSammy and Chloe today! I had a ton of fun meeting them and seeing what they're like in real life (and in case you're wondering...they're fabulous!). 

I regret not bringing my camera that day because I didn't take any photos with the gals. Later that night we went to dinner at Cognac. The food was to die for and it had the cutest outdoor patio. 


Day 4:

We spent the day exploring SoHo on our last full day in NYC! There were so many stores! It was unreal! I consider Chicago to be a big city and I think there are 1/10 of the amount of stores there are in NYC! SoHo was such a fun place to explore with all of the shopping and cool locations. We went for lunch at The Crosby Bar (in the Crosby Hotel). The food was amazing and the decor of the hotel + restaurant were so cute! I was happy to find a cute little garden in the back of the hotel (stay tuned for an outfit post coming soon in this location!). 


My sister and I had to stop at the Alex & Ani store! Earlier in our trip we picked up bracelets! My sister got the crown bracelet and I got the shell one. If you haven't heard of Alex & Ani definitely check them out, their bracelets are so cute!


To end our day we dined at Tavern on the Green! The restaurant was probably one of the prettiest ones I've been to (and I've been to a lot)! It had the most gorgeous outdoor patio and the most gorgeous strung lights. At the end of our meal, a fireworks show lit up the sky over Central Park! It was the perfect ending to a perfect NYC day. 


Day 5: 

Our last day in NYC. We were only there for the morning, but my sister and I got up early to shoot a quick outfit post in Central Park.


 After the shoot we headed over to Magnolia bakery for a morning snack. My sister had been wanting to go there the whole trip so we were happy we were finally able to squeeze it in. The decor was so cute!


That ends my fabulous stay in NYC! Obviously there were more thing we did thrown into our day, but there was just way too much to include in just one post. Stay tuned for a few outfit posts as well! 

XO