Review :: Miss B

Maryam from Miss B was so kind as to send me items to review! The two items she sent me were the Bateau Dress in navy and the Boatneck Sweater in navy. These items are absolutely adorable and so perfect for fall!

I wore the dress to my junior ring mass, and I got so many compliments on it. The dress is three-quarter length and light enough to wear in the fall. If it's a little chilly out, the dress looks fabulous with a sweater.

I didn't get a chance to take a picture with the sweater, but I love it. It's so cute and warm. It goes really well with jeans, a blazer, and riding boots!

Thank you again to Maryam and everyone at Miss B!

What do you like from Miss B?

Sunshine Award

Grace from Preppy On The West Coast nominated me for the Sunshine Award over a month ago, but I've been so busy that I never got the chance to do it! So, I thought I would do it now.

Grace's questions for me:

{one} What's your favorite subject in school?

I have two favorite subjects - math and history. I've always loved math, especially since I want to be an accountant. I find history so interesting!

{two} What's your all-time favorite fall nail polish?

Even though pink is considered a summer color, I still wear it throughout the fall! I love that it reminds me of summer during the cold weather.

{three} What's one jewelry piece you wear every day?

Definitely my Alex & Anis.

{four} Who is your style icon?

Rebecca from Life with rMe! All of her clothes are to die for, and I want every single outfit that she posts on Instagram.

{five} What's your favorite store?

Any sort of Lilly Pulitzer store.

{six} Where can you always find a good steal/bargain?

TJ Maxx! I'm obsessed with that store. I can always find really nice Ralph Lauren clothes at a very discounted price!

{seven} What is one fall essential you think is worth the splurge?

There are actually two that I'm torn between - riding boots and a J. Crew Excursion Vest. Riding boots are so versatile, and they look adorable with anything. A J. Crew Excursion Vest is so cute and adds a pop of color to an outfit!

{eight} What is one thing you are most excited about doing in the fall?

Soccer! I love my school's soccer team so much, and we always have fun together during the season.

{nine} Have you downloaded the new iOS 7 updates? Thoughts?

I actually got iOS 7 at the end of July because my boyfriend found out a way to get the beta version. I didn't like it at first, but after having it for a couple of days, I fell in love with it! The built-in flashlight is a lifesaver.

{ten} What's your favorite color for fall?

Navy! It's a versatile color.

Now, I nominate any of you for the sunshine award! Here are my questions for you:

{one} What was your favorite thing you did this fall?

{two} What is your favorite study method for school?

{three} How do you stay organized during school?

{four} What are your favorite social media sites and why?

{five} What is your favorite fall drink?

{six} Where is one place you would like to visit in the fall?

{seven} What is your go-to fall clothing piece?

{eight} When you think of fall, what do you think of?

{nine} How do you like to spend your fall weekends?

{ten} What is your favorite fall food?

If you decide to answer any of these questions, tweet me (@privateschprep) or email me (ash.mas19@gmail.com) a link!

Junior Ring Mass

Last Tuesday was the Junior Ring Mass at my school. The Junior Ring Mass has always been a tradition for the juniors at my high school. It's when each person gets their class ring, which gets blessed by the priest. IF someone doesn't want to get a class ring or wants to get something else blessed, they can. The ring mass symbolizes becoming an upperclassman. On this day, all of the junior girls get really dressed up in dresses, skirts, etc. while all of the boys wear a shirt and tie.

I decided not to get a class ring. I didn't think I would wear it that much, so I didn't want to spend all of that money on something I'm never going to use. I was going to get a Tiffany ring instead as my "class ring," but I got so busy that I just never had the time. So instead, I got one of my mom's rings blessed! It was a really pretty ring that my dad had given to her for Christmas years ago.

My best friend, Erin (a sophomore), and me.

Tyler and me!

My momma's beautiful ring! It has a pearl in the middle and diamonds on the sides.

How does your school distribute class rings?

Perfection

Hi ladies! Today, Caroline from Surviving High School and Life will be guest posting for me about perfection. I think the topic is something most of us can relate to. Enjoy! xx

----------

Perfection.  By definition it means, 'the condition, state, or quality of 

being free or as free as possible from all flaws or defects.'  Now, obviously, no one is perfect.  I try to be perfect, but ultimately end up only hurting myself in the end.  I probably have been searching for perfection for awhile.  I didn't realize that perfection is just a crazy dream until last year.  I have been a total over-achiever for a long time now.  It's just who I am.  I'm an over-achiever who was searching for total perfection.

But last year my friend, W*, made me face the truth.  He told me 

one night when I was studying for some big test that: Perfection is Overrated.  In the back of my mind, I knew that all this time.  But I just needed a good friend to finally open my eyes to what I was doing to myself.  I was pushing myself to my maximum limits.  Which is a blessing and a curse.  I pushed myself to the point where I was the best of the best.  But I also pushed myself to a point where I was standing at the edge of the abyss ready to jump into the bottomless pit of just working.

I think then was when I realized I needed to do more with friends.  If 

I remember correctly, that was about the time when I was getting ready for states for PJAS, finals, graduation, planning two big dances, award nights and trying to balance other stuff in my personal life.  But I wanted to have more fun also.  So I worked on everything I wanted to accomplish plus other stuff that took me out of my comfort-zone.  I went out for dinner with friends more,  didn't spend every weekend just worrying about school, but mainly just took a more open mind to everything I did during my day.  I ended up really enjoying myself for the last bit of the school year and still graduate top of my class.  (Not to brag.)

I'm not sure how I did it.  I just realized what was important in my life. 

No really big or philosophical changes were made in my life.  I just stepped back and tried to figure out how to almost have perfection.  I think that we sometimes add a level of stress to our lives because we think it's too easy.  Everyone thinks that school has to be hard if you want to be successful.  It doesn't necessarily have to be hard or lots of work.  I think you sometimes need hard work.  But what made me successful in school was the fact that I actually enjoy school.  I like school and learning and hard work.  I thrive on a sense of accomplishment.  I know I won't be able to get 105% on very test.  But I can be a very good student while still having the time and energy to do other things I love to do.

I don't want to come off as the teenager who hates society, but I 

think celebrities put too much pressure on teens and young adults now a days to be perfect.  I know that I recently went searching for a homecoming dress.  But I didn't want something that was perfect.  I knew that I would never be able to find a perfect dress.  My perfect dress would probably cost a few thousand dollars. (Knowing my pickiness!) So instead I looked for a dress that was age-appropriate and reasonably priced.  And I did actually find a dress that was perfect for the occasion.  It met all of the criteria I had for a dress and was an amazing price!  (As in an unreasonable price!)

I think everything is going to have flaws if we are searching for flaws.  

The only way to avoid seeing the flaws are to keep an open mind.  The one priest from my grade school once told me one of the best qualities about me is that I am able to see the simplest things as beautiful gifts from God.  I like to think that is my best quality... The ability to see the beauty in everything and every little detail.  

Sometimes perfection exists.  You just have to be open to it... 

Wall Calendar

Before I got my Lilly Pulitzer agenda, I needed a way to keep track of which assignments are due on which days and which tests are on which days. So, that's when I came up with printing out a calendar and taping it on my wall!

I only did this for September because I wanted to use my Lilly agenda instead. Anyway, whenever I had an assignment or test on a certain day, I would write it down. Once it was the end of that day, I would then cross off the day. It was super helpful because I could physically see how much time I had left to finish an assignment or study for a test.

How do you keep track of your assignments?

Instagram Lately

I'm starting to use my blog's Instagram more and more lately. I'm so inspired to post pictures on there that I wouldn't normally post on my personal Instagram. I'm also super inspired by the pictures the people I follow on there post! Check out some of my most recent pictures.

What have you been posting on Instagram lately?

Cute Phone Cases

Remember how my boyfriend surprised me with a chevron monogrammed phone case for our year and a half? Well, about a month ago, it broke :( The edges started to crack, and I'm guessing it's from dropping it too much. So, I've been having to use my sister's Lilly Pulitzer case until I can get my own. I've been eyeing some adorable phone cases, and maybe you guys can help me decide which one to get. Check them out below!

one // two // three // four

Which phone case do you like?

Breast Cancer Awareness

As most of you know, October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. Cancer is the leading cause of death, so it's really important to be aware of cancer and raise money to support research. On October 1st, my friend (who is the sweetest person ever!) lost her mom to breast cancer. If any of you have the chance to raise money for breast cancer awareness or participate in something that raises awareness for breast cancer (a walk, run, etc.), I highly suggest you do it.

So, since October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I thought I would share this cute little Lilly quote I made that is perfect for October. Set it as your background on your computer, iPad, iPhone, etc. and share it with family and friends!

Cute Tortoiseshell Items

One trend I've been loving lately is tortoiseshell. Even though it doesn't seem like it, tortoiseshell looks good with basically anything. Check out the adorable tortoiseshell items I'm loving below!

long necklace // iPhone case // sunglasses // bangles // statement necklace // monogrammed cuff

Which tortoiseshell items are you loving?

Tuesday Inspiration

This was something I definitely needed to hear this week...

Enjoy! xx

Easy Hair Styles

Hello Private School Prepster readers! I'm Caroline and I blog over at citrus & style. I am a huge fan of Ashley and all over her organizational tips and tricks, so I am honored to blog for her today!

Something that's really been on my mind lately is my hair. Over the summer I washed it everyday or every other because I had so much time on my hands and could shower whenever it was convenient. Now that I am in the midst of my sophomore year of high school, time is much more limited so showering has worked its way down to the bottom of my to-do list. I try to wash my hair every other day but to be honest, there isn't always time with sports and homework. And since you all have busy schedules as well, I have come up with 3 quick and easy hair do's that are perfect for those dreaded no time/ dirty hair mornings!

:: one :: 

the donut bun

I'm not going to lie... I still have yet to master the infamous donut bun that seems to be pictured on almost everyone's blogs. I purchased a donut bun for very cheap at h&m and am having a little trouble with it but if I really sat down and played with it, I bet it wouldn't be too hard. (Here's a video I found on how to master the donut bun. Skip to 2:44!) 

:: two :: 

braided ponytail 

I looove the look of a braided ponytail. It looks like you put in a lot of effort even if it took you 5 seconds to do! My favorites are the fishtail (see tutorial here) and the basic braid. 

:: three :: 

knotted pony

Lastly, I love a great knotted pony. Similar to a braid, it looks like you put in a ton of effort to your do. Simply pull your hair into a pony tail with an elastic. Then, take a skinny piece of hair and wrap it around the elastic that is holding up your ponytail. Finally, hold the knotted piece in place by putting a clear elastic on top or by securing it with a bobby pin underneath the original elastic. Very easy! 

I hope you enjoyed these 3 quick ideas and try them out! 

Do you have any other ideas for quick hair styles for the morning?

xoxo,

cYa

(yes that's my monogram because I have a slight obsession ;) 

citrusandstyle.blogspot.com

Lilly Planner

As many of you know, my lovely boyfriend gave me a Lilly Pulitzer planner as part of my present for our two-year anniversary. When I posted a picture of it on Instagram, Caroline said she wanted to see a blog post about the inside of it! I thought that was a fabulous idea because I always loving seeing people's work spaces and the insides of their planners.

(Please excuse the blurriness in the photo - you might have to click on it to make it larger!)

I use this planner for school. Each day, I write which assignment is due or which test I have. That way when I look ahead, I know when to start studying for something or working on something! In blue or black pen, I write the assignments and tests/quizzes. In red pen, I write any events I need to go to, such as soccer, work, NHS meeting, etc.

On the monthly calendar pages (not shown), I just write in the days that I have work. I usually just leave that calendar blank because when I sign out to go to the bathroom or nurse in school, my teachers have to sign the day I went along with the time. So I need to have those spaces open!

I haven't come up with a color coding system for my planner, but I'd love to. If any of you have any color coding system that you use and it works well for you, please let me know!

How do you use your planner?

Fall Collabs

After seeing the collab Caroline did with Sloane and the collab Frannie did with Gracey, I totally fell in love with the whole idea of doing collabs! I feel like it's such a perfect idea, and fall is a great time to do outfit posts.

So, if any of you would like to possibly do a collab with me, please please please email me! We can try to figure out if we have any similar items that we could use. They don't have to be the exact same items; they can just be similar! I think it would be super fun, and I would love to see if any of you have similar items to me!

My email can be found on my contact page.

Would you want to do a fall collab?

Pinspiration

Now that my school requires each student to have an iPad, I always find myself on Pinterest when I have free time. I'll admit that I sometimes get a little carried away and end up pinning millions of things... #SorryNotSorry

Anyway, I've been super inspired by some things on Pinterest lately, whether they're DIYs, outfits, food, art, etc. I thought I would share some of my newly favorite pins with all of you since I've never done that before!

{cookie dough ice cream sandwiches} YES PLEASE!!!

{quote} I've had tons of homework lately, and it seems like all I do is homework. This quote motivates me to keep on going!

{outfit}Saying I'm obsessed with this outfit is an understatement.

{studio} How perfect is this stationery studio?

Which pins have inspired you lately?

Ziftit

Note: This is a sponsored post. All opinions are 100% my own.

I recently came across Ziftit, and it's probably the coolest thing ever. Ziftit is a website that allows you to make a wishlist consisting of any items that you want. You're then able to share the list with family and friends if they ever need to buy a gift for you. To buy a gift, they easily just go to the wishlist, choose the item, and send it right to you!

Ziftit even has tons of cool and helpful features, such as...

{one} trending feed - if there are products that are similar to what you like, they will go on your trending feed to see if you like those items as well

{two} events page - you can create invites online and manage who is going

{three} barcode scanner - if you see something you like in a store, you can scan the barcode and add it to your wishlist (umm SO helpful!!!)

{four}upgraded account - with an upgraded account, you can split the cost of a gift between a group of people

Ziftit is perfect for high school and college students because...

{one}if you scan an item you like with the barcode scanner, you can see where the cheapest price of that product is

{two} you will actually get gifts that you like from family and friends!!!

{three} you can easily manage organization events, parties, etc.

Lastly, Ziftit even has a super cool upcoming trendsetter contest! Through this contest, the contestants will have to add items from all over the web to their wishlist. They will then have to try to gain followers by adding items to their wishlist that they think will appeal to their followers as well. The goal is to get tons of followers and have the followers re-add items that were added to the contestants' wishlists. On December 15th, the participant with the highest overall influence rating will win $10,000! Umm, yes please?!

Overall, this is a super helpful website and app. Now that Christmas is almost two months away (eek!), it's the perfect time to get a list going and send it out to your friends and family!

What do you think of Ziftit?

Wish List Wednesday

This is just a little list to show everything that I've recently been lusting over :)

via ASOS

via Tory Burch

via J. Crew

via Vineyard Vines

What have you been lusting over recently?

Homecoming ft. The New Haircut

On Saturday, I had my school's homecoming. It was so much fun! I went to my friend's house for pictures with a couple of other friends. Since most of us have our licenses, we all drove separately to her house and then to the school!

This post is also featuring my new haircut, also known as "the bob." I got my hair cut a couple of hours before homecoming. When the hairdresser asked me if I was sure about getting nine inches cut off (yes - NINE INCHES!!!) before homecoming, I said yes but was secretly super scared I wouldn't like it! Fortunately, I fell in love with the haircut and received tons of compliments.

My older sister, Chelsea, and me.

James, Maggie, me, Tyler, Cassidy, and Collin.

The group again!

Amber, Maggie, me, and Cassidy.

Tyler and me :)

My best friend, Julianne, and me.

My best friend, Erin, and me!

A little selfie to show my new hair :)

My makeup was done by Chelsea, my dress is from Forever 21, the necklace is from New York and Company (my older sister Brittany's necklace), and my shoes are from Payless.

How was your homecoming?

Why British Girls Like to Dress Up

 Hi, I'm Karen. I am in my early thirties and live near Manchester in the UK. I have an online fashion boutique and I eat, sleep and breathe clothes!

Kate Moss

As an English girl who loves to dress up I think I was born in the right place. The UK very much differs to the rest of Europe when it comes to fashion. Countries such as France and Italy are famous for their sense of style and fashion, but in my experience they like to stay safe and rarely experiment with fashion. It is almost as though they are scared to get it wrong. English girls don't care if they get it wrong, and often do! However, with this freedom of choice it is a great place to explore your sense of style.

Kate Moss is a true fashionista, she symbolizes "cool Britannia". She is not a true beauty, but oozes great style and taste. Whether it be a glitzy party or  festival, she just gets it right. I love her taste, she just seems to be able to look great in every occasion.

For me, true Britannia style is quirky with a blend of the preppy look accompanied with an Indie shabby style.

This is blogger Megs, who wears the Brit style well. She accompanies a navy, chandelier loose chiffon blouse with a cut pair off denim shorts, an oversize burgundy hat and preppy satchel to finish the look.

I love this look; it would work well at almost all occasions.

As I said, we don't always get it right, in fact we have a reputation for really getting it wrong. In England we have a real "clubby" culture. This means that Friday and Saturday nights are all about the bars and clubs. Us girls, like to take advantage of that and use it as an excuse to really dress up. The smaller, tighter and shorter the better! We don't care what the weather is, if a coat doesn't suit our outfit, we will not wear it! This very raw and brave attitude towards "weekend clubbing wear" is very much frowned upon throughout Europe. Often it is considered cheap and class less. I admit, often I see sights that perhaps you wouldn't want to see, but on the other hand I really embrace it. I like the fact British girls aren't afraid to wear what they want. No matter the size or the shape of the girl they will not be told that they cannot wear it and I think this is great and should be celebrated.

Saturday Night Out

In conclusion, British style certainly cannot be defined. It  does not ooze style and sophistication, but it does symbolize a rare freedom to truly express yourself by the way that you dress.

Magazine Drive

Every year, my school does a magazine drive. Magazine drives are super important to Catholic schools because Catholic schools aren't funded by the government; the schools are run due to money received in the schools' communities. Therefore, magazine drives are really important to my school. We just started our magazine drive last Monday, and the goal is for each student to raise $200. I really want to do that to help out my school, but raising $200 also qualifies me for a week of dress-down days... hehe. #CatholicSchoolGirlProblems

This year, we added cookies and soup to the drive as well! The cookies are Otis Spunkmeyer, and the soups are the same soup brands that supply soups to Legal Seafoods and Panera... yes, Panera!!! I'm dying to get my hands on some of Panera's chicken noodle soup. Since we added cookies and soup to the drive, they count towards the $200 goal.

With that being said, I was wondering if any of you would like to buy magazines, cookies, or soup (or all three!) from me for my school. You can easily order magazines from me online. All you have to do is visit www.gaschoolstore.com, type in my school ID number (2499481), my name (Ashley Mason), and order magazines! However, I believe you'd have to contact me personally in order to be able to order cookies or soup. You can do that by finding my email on my contact page!

I would really appreciate it if you guys bought something from me. Every order counts, and please make sure to let me know if you do end up buying something!

Shep Shirts

Now that the cold weather is (finally!) coming, I've started to look at a lot more warmer clothes vs. summer clothes. Something I've definitely fallen in love with is Shep shirts from Vineyard Vines. I plan on putting one on my Christmas list if I don't get one before! All of the Shep shirts out for fall are fabulous for the cold weather, yet they still have a reminder of summer in them. Perfect!

Polka Dots

Stripes

Lobsters (obsessed!!!)

Which Shep shirts do you like from VV?

Office Supplies Haul

Remember when I told you guys that my boyfriend took me to Walmart when I was really upset to get office supplies to cheer me up? Well, I thought I would do a little haul on all of the office supplies I got! I got a ton. #SorryNotSorry

Anyway, below is a picture of all of them, but not everything can be seen, so I included a list as well.

white legal pads | yellow legal pads | fluorescent cardstock | five notebooks | two packs of business card templates | address labels | small pink legal pads | two packs of envelopes | binder clips | staples | thin Sharpies | highlighters | two packs of colored pens | two Mason jars (not shown)

Tyler ended up spending almost $60 on me (oops...), which I felt really bad about. He didn't mind at all, which shows how sweet he is! These office supplies just add to my other piles of office supplies, so I don't know when I'll be able to use them. It's good to know that I have them just in case!

What are your favorite office supplies?

Adorable Stationery

(Rebecca did a similar post a couple of days ago - too funny! Check her post out here!)

I've always loved stationery. There's just something about it that makes me want to keep buying tons of it. I don't really send a lot of snail mail, which is something I definitely want to start doing. Because I mean, who doesn't love getting sweet little notes on cute little stationery?! They're the perfect pick-me-ups!

I could spend hours looking through stationery to add to my wish-list. They make fabulous gifts! The only thing I don't like is how some of them are kind of expensive... I don't want to pay $18 for just six cards and six envelopes! Anyway, check out the stationery below that I'm currently lusting over!

Personalized Blossom Stationery - $18 for 12

Personalized Stationery with Gold Chevron Liner - $20 for 10

Monogrammed Notecards - $12.50 for 10

Personalized Stationery - $18 for 10

What stationery do you like?

To-Do List Notebook

I'm an avid list-maker because I always have a lot of stuff to do, love staying on top of things, and love the feeling of crossing off a finished task. However, since I always have so many things to write on my to-do lists, I go through countless pages of paper. I wasn't always able to complete everything away because some of the items on my to-do lists are long term, so I would have pages of to-do lists. It got to the point where I had so many pages that I would lose track of them all.

I'm a huge fan of being organized, so I had to think of a way to organize all of my lists so that they're all in the wrong placed. So one day, I came across a pin on Pinterest that led me to a blog post (can't find the link - sorry!) about using a notebook as a huge to-do list. I thought it was a fabulous idea, so I just had to do it!

You can either use a cute notebook or a cheap notebook. I just chose a cheap notebook since I know I'll be going through them quickly. Whenever I finish a task, I highlight it. It has worked really well for me so far, and I plan on continuing to use this method!

How do you organize your to-do lists?

Wallpaper

Since the last wallpaper I made for a computer, iPad, or iPhone was a Lilly Pulitzer wallpaper last February, I thought I would make a new one. Just click on the image to get the full-size picture. Enjoy!

Tweet me or email me a picture of you using this quote as a background!

@privateschprep or ash.mas19@gmail.com

What's your favorite quote?