Blog Post Suggestions

My goal for this long weekend has been to put a lot of work into blog planning. I realized that I have never asked any of my readers what they would like to see me post about, so I figured now would be a great time to do so!

So, if any of you lovely ladies have anything in mind that you would like to see me post about, feel free to email me, tweet me, or comment below!

Pink & Green For Senior Year

shirt: Ralph Lauren // skort: Lilly Pulitzer // shoes: Jack Rogers // bag: Kate Spade

For my first day of school on Wednesday, we surprisingly got to wear whatever we wanted because we were only there for an hour. But usually when we have dress down days, we're super restricted on what we can wear: no low-cut shirts, open toed/open heeled shoes, no yoga pants/leggings, no shorts, no ripped jeans, etc. So when I found out we could wear whatever, I jumped at the opportunity!

I got this skort at the After Party Sale, and I was so excited when I finally had something to wear it to. I received tons of compliments on it, and it kept me cool since it was so hot that day!

How have you recently styled pink and green?

Review // Deco Naturals

Deco Naturals is a company that hand-makes lip balms using natural ingredients. The company was started by Gabrielle from The Lobster Polo, a sixteen-year-old from Michigan. Gabrielle makes every lip balm herself and even designs the wrappers on the containers! As an aspiring young entrepreneur, Gabrielle's story of how she started her company so young is so inspiring to me! I also have an addiction to buying lip balm, so I instantly fell in love with Deco.

I recently tried the tangerine lip balm and peppermint lip balm, and they're both amazing. The tangerine one smells just like a tangerine while the peppermint has that fresh, cool mint scent. However, there are quite a few flavors to choose from!

I'm thrilled with my lip butters from Deco Naturals, and I can't wait to continuously use them once the cold, fall weather comes.

Which flavors from Deco do you like?

Disclosure: I was sent these two lip butters to review, but all opinions are 100% my own.

Senior Year Goals

I can't believe today means I'm officially a senior in high school... It feels like just yesterday that I was walking into my school as a freshman only knowing a handful of people! I have changed so much as a person throughout my high school years, but I'm so happy with the person I am today. Since it's my last and most important year of high school, I thought I would come up with some goals to set for myself.

one // have fun & don't stress

Ever since my sophomore year was awful because of how much I stressed myself out, I have totally learned my lesson to not let the school work get to my head. I plan to only stress out a little bit this year (some stress is good stress!) and have even more fun than I did last year.

two // get good grades

I'm going to work really hard to continue to get good grades this year to ensure getting into the colleges I apply to! I've been looking at tons of study tips pins on Pinterest lately, and I've been feeling super inspired by all of them. I would love to find some study methods that work really well for me!

three // choose the perfect college

As I've mentioned before, I plan on majoring in entrepreneurship. I want to find the college that would be best for me, my major, and my goals for the future.

four // open a business

So obviously I really love entrepreneurship... And I have huge hopes of opening my own business this year. I truly feel that if I put in the right amount of investments in time, money, and research, I can do it! I've had some ideas floating around in my head, and I'm super excited to put them into action.

What are your goals for this school year?

Highlights of My Summer

Although I'm going to school for only an hour today for just a class meeting, I'm still considering today the last day of summer. This summer was honestly the best summer I've ever had! I did so many fun things, and summer is always better when all of your friends have their licenses and jobs. I thought it would be fun to share my favorite parts of summer!

one // Six Flags

This summer was the first time I've ever been to Six Flags! At first I was nervous because I had never been on super big rides like Six Flags had. But once I went on them, I wanted to keep going on! I went with Tyler, my best friend Alex, and Tyler's friend Jake. It was a really hot day, so going in the water park felt nice!

two // Cape

The week of the Fourth of July, my family rented a Cape house. We were literally two houses down from the beach, which was so nice. I spent so much time reading and relaxing. The downtown shopping was also fabulous! What's a vacation without shopping? ;)

three // Martha's Vineyard

Tyler and I took a quick day trip to the Vineyard. He had only been there to play against their football team for my school, but he hadn't been there to actually visit. So we decided to go! It was actually really hot the day we went, which was so weird because usually there's a really nice breeze there. We went out to lunch and looked around all of the stores, which was fun!

four // outlets

I actually went to the outlets near me a couple of times this summer. T picked up quite a few things from Ralph Lauren while I got a good amount from J. Crew!

five // Newport

I hadn't been to Newport since I was little, so I thought this summer would be the perfect time to go. Tyler and I ate lunch, walked around, and looked in all of the shops. It was also super hot that day!

six // shopping

About forty minutes away from me is a wicked nice plaza of outdoor shops such as Kate Spade, J. Crew, Lululemon, Vineyard Vines, etc. Unfortunately it isn't an outlet! But Tyler and I had a nice time grabbing dinner and walking around. I even got recruited for a job at that Vineyard Vines, which was so exciting! I was disappointed when I realized I shouldn't even bother applying because of how far away it is from my house.

seven // dinner on the Cape

Tyler and I both love lobster, so one night we spontaneously decided to go out to dinner on the Cape! We chose this really nice seafood restaurant that I go to every year with my family, but Tyler had never been. The food we had was delicious. We split a stuffed quahog and steamers for appetizers, and we both had lobster for dinner. The bill ended up coming to $150 including the tip... Oops. It was so worth it though!

Since this was Tyler's last summer before he leaves for the army next June, I'm so glad that we were able to have his last summer be the best summer yet.

What are your summer highlights?

Senior Pictures

I took my senior pictures on Tuesday, and I couldn't believe that I'm actually a senior! It felt like just yesterday that I was a freshman walking into my high school, barely knowing anyone. Being a senior is so bittersweet, but I'm very excited!

The studio I went to for my pictures makes a slideshow of the pictures and then uploads it to Facebook as a preview. The pictures below are a little blurry because I had to take screen shots while the slideshow was going, but I promise you they aren't actually blurry! I had two outfits: one for indoor pictures and one for outdoor. I have to admit that I do like my outdoor ones better!

I do like the top picture, but it's not something that I would choose for my senior picture! However, I really like the bottom two! So I need your help: should I choose the bottom left or bottom right?

Any input is greatly appreciated!

#AfterPartySale Purchases

Meredith Scoop Neck Sheath Dress // Marigold Lace Trim Skort // Delia Shift // Kingsley Pullon // Party Tote

I was one of those stereotypical Lilly lovers who got up early just to get into the sale on time! I had set an alarm for 7:30 Monday morning, but I was so excited for the sale that I woke up at 6:15. I grabbed my laptop and laid in bed to wait for the sale to come on! Once 7:50 came around, I pulled up the website and kept refreshing until I was finally let in a little after 8.

At first I just added everything that I liked into my cart, but because I had a budget, I had to go back and only choose the items that I really liked. So I ended up with these five beauties! I got them in the mail yesterday because I only made one transaction, and I'm thrilled with how all of them look and fit. Now time to share the fabulous deals I got on all of them:

Meredith Scoop Neck Sheath Dress // originally $378, got it for $99

Marigold Lace Trim Skort // originally $108, got it for $49

Delia Shift // originally $178, got it for $69

Kinsley Pullon // originally $128, $49

Party Tote // originally $79, got it for $29

These five items should have cost $871, but I got them for only $295 which is amazing! I find it awesome that all of these together cost less than what the Meredith dress retailed for. I'm obsessed with all of these and I can't wait to wear them!

What did you get from the sale?

Homecoming Outfit

dress // necklace // sandals

Although I'm not even in school yet and my homecoming isn't until October, I decided to take advantage of the J.Crew Factory Sale! I was absolutely obsessed with the dress and necklace, and then I realized they would be perfect for homecoming. It was even better when I realized I have my silver Jack Rogers to go with the outfit!

I can't wait for these goodies to come in, and I'm even more excited to wear them! I knew it was a good idea getting them when the sale took place because I already know of another event I can wear this outfit to. Using the sale code, the outfit came to $93.01 instead of $124, which I think was a really good deal!

Do you know what you're wearing to homecoming yet?

Review // City State Zip

One thing I've noticed is that it's nearly impossible to find any address books in stores. And if a store does have them, they're boring and plain. When I came across the Etsy shop City State Zip, I became so excited because Ashley offers adorable and affordable address books!

Ashley sent me the fabulous coral address book! She hand makes each book. The cover is made using Lokta paper, a special kind of paper made by hand and screen printed in India. The book is also sewn together to create durability!

The first page of the book is completely customized so you're able to put anything you want on it: your name, address, monogram, etc. I love that mine has my name!

The contacts aren't separated by the alphabet, which is actually a great thing because then you can just go in whatever order you would like. And if you would like to alphabetize it, you can easily add your own stamps, post-it notes, etc.!

I'm thrilled with how my book came out, and I have already added all of my blogger friends' addresses for snail mail! It's the perfect size to throw in a purse and carry around on the go.

Which address book is your favorite from City State Zip?

Full disclosure: I was sent this address book to review and all opinions are 100% my own.

J. Crew Factory Sale

Although I spent a ridiculous amount of money at Lilly's After Party Sale yesterday (post coming soon ;)), I can't help but get excited while finding out that J. Crew Factory is having a 25% off sale! Since I wear a uniform to school, I have tons of summer clothes but barely any fall/winter clothes. This sale would be the perfect time to stock up on some much needed clothes! Check out my favorites below.

one // two // three // four // five // six

What are you planning on buying from the sale?

Wallpaper

Since it's time for school to start again, I thought I would make a new wallpaper to help motivate all of us ladies! I believe that the success of your school year will be determined by your attitude in the beginning of the year. If you start the school year not really caring, chances are it's going to be pretty hard to start caring later on in the year. However, if you start the school year caring about your work, that motivation will carry on into the year.

Ways To Organize For School

With school starting for me in a little over a week, I'm starting to realize how badly I need to start organizing. I love starting each school year with a fresh slate, and that all begins with being organized.

one // clean out laptop or iPad

Since my school requires us to have iPads, I have a ton of notes, essays, pictures, etc. on mine in multiple apps. If you are in the same situation, go through all of your apps and delete old classes and notes. This will make room for new notes in your new classes! Although I have an iPad, I still use my laptop to blog. Go through your laptop to delete old pictures, documents, etc.

two // get an agenda

I can't stress enough how much I love my Lilly agenda. It's like the Holy Bible! I use it to write everything down, but during the summer, I don't really need to write that much stuff down in it because I don't have a lot going on. However, once the school year comes, my days are overflowing with reminders, assignments, etc. If you don't already have an agenda, get one and write down reminders, assignments, and events that you know about so far. If you're not in school yet, you may not have that much to write down. Once you find out more things, don't forget to write them down!!! I find that I have so much stuff going on at once during the school year that if I don't write it down, I'll forget about it.

three // buy new school supplies

There is seriously nothing better than getting new school supplies. I love picking out pretty supplies to use, and it helps me to feel super organized and motivated. Head on over to Target or Walmart and pick up some fabulous goodies for school!

four // make a to-do list notebook

Along with my agenda, my to-do list notebook is also like the Holy Bible. As mentioned beforehand with assignment due dates, if I don't write down a certain task I need to do, I'll completely forget about it because of how busy I am. If you're the same way, invest in a pretty notebook to use to hold all of your to-do lists. My life has been so much more organized ever since I started using one!

How do you organize for school?

Outfit Help: Wedding

I'm going to Tyler's uncle's wedding next month, and I'm looking at this as the perfect excuse to buy a new dress! I absolutely fell in love with the Janice Shift online, and I can't decide if I should get it or not. I really want to buy it, but I know it won't be in the Endless Summer Sale because it's a fall item. I'm also worried that if I buy the dress, I'll end up finding something at the sale that I love even more for way cheaper! But the problem is I have a coupon for In the Pink to get $25 off a purchase of $150 or more that expires tomorrow... so I kind of have to decide super quick on what I should do.

So what do all of you Lilly ladies think I should do: take the plunge and buy this dress for $163, or wait until the sale and see if I find something better? Any input is greatly appreciated!!!

Get Crackin'

Hat: Ralph Lauren // Shirt: Ralph Lauren // Shorts: In the Pink // Bag: Kate Spade // Shoes: Jack Rogers

I am absolutely obsessed with this outfit and how well everything matches! My favorite color is (obviously) pink, so I get so excited whenever I get to incorporate the color into any of my outfits. The fact that practically my whole outfit is pink is fabulous! I got these shorts when I visited In the Pink, and I have been loving them ever since. They're adorable! The scalloped edges on them add the perfect touch.

How do you incorporate pink into your outfits?

A Peek Inside My Blog Notebook

(one of the fab finds!)

When I first got this notebook, I had no idea what I was going to use it for. A couple of days later, it dawned on me that I should use it to keep track of my blog post ideas, and I thought that was a fabulous use of this fabulous notebook! Below will show how I break down and organize my ideas.

one // number & title

I like to number all of my ideas to separate them from each other. It helps everything to stay much more fresh and clean that way. Next to each number is the title or main idea of the blog post. Having a title or main idea lets me see just what each blog post idea is about!

two // description

Beneath each title are bullet points with descriptions. These bullet points contain ideas that I want to mention or use in each post. This is super helpful because if I think of something specific I want to say in a post, I can just write it down underneath the title so I don't forget about it. It also saves me so much time when it comes to writing the post because I already have an idea of what I want to write!

three // highlight

I don't like to cross out the ideas with pen once I use them because I still like to look back and read them for more inspiration, but I also don't like to highlight all of them once they're done because highlighting is a symbol of importance to me. So I opted with just highlighting the number once I write that blog post, and this really works for me. It allows me to know I already used that idea while also allowing me to be able to read the idea again!

I have tried using an editorial calendar on Google, but that didn't work out so well for me because I don't like to set blog posts for specific dates unless I have to; I just like to post them on whichever date I feel like. I have used another blog notebook before this one, but I ended up not liking it because the notebook was plain, I highlighted all of the ideas once I used them, and I didn't go in-depth on each idea so when it came around to actually writing the post, I had no idea what I wanted to write. This notebook method has done wonders for me, and I plan on continuing to use it!

What is your blog notebook like?

Makeup Bag

While I was browsing through a lovely TJ Maxx this weekend, I found this fabulous makeup bag! I have been on the hunt for the perfect makeup bag for the past month. I've had the same one since eighth grade, and I felt that I needed a change. But every time I came across makeup bags in stores, they either weren't the right size, shape, price, or pattern for me.

Until I came across this one! When I found this one, I fell in love and knew it was meant to be because it was the only one left. I absolutely love nautical-themed items, so this was a must-have to me. And it was only $5!!! Plus it's #NavyOrNothing. It's actually pretty roomy and durable; it has a nylon-type fabric so it doesn't get stained.

I'm so happy I found this gem, and I already moved all of my makeup into it! This was definitely another fab find from TJ Maxx.

What kind of makeup bag do you use?

Inspiration Board

I decorated my inspiration board for the first time about a year and a half ago. I was obsessed with the board at the time, but for the past couple of months, I have been itching to change it. I was getting sick of looking at the images on there, and I just wanted to start over and make a new one.

So in comes my revamped inspiration board above! I did keep the First Impressions print, pink whale, and one of the "keep calm and carry on" cards, but everything else is new. The image of William and Kate is a cover of one of Bloomberg Businessweek's issues. The rest are all snail mail from my blogger friends! The anchor one is from Rachel; the sunshine, zebras, and quote ones are from Em; and the seahorse one is from Claire. Since I love writing snail mail, I thought it would be perfect to incorporate it into my inspiration board!

Do you have an inspiration board?

Splish Splash

Shirt: J. Crew // Shorts: Lilly Pulitzer // Bag: Kate Spade // Shoes: Jack Rogers

I got these shorts last year from the Endless Summer Sale, but since the sale is so late in the summer, I kind of forgot I had them. So when I pulled them out of the bottom of my drawer a couple of days ago, I was so happy I found them and fell in love with them all over again! I love how the different blues, whites, greens, and pinks blend together. And I am obsessed with how my Kate Spade bag brings out the tiny pops of pink in the shorts!

What shorts have you been loving recently?

Blogger Snail Mail

Two things that make me happy: blogger friends and snail mail. What's even better? Combining the two! Most of you know that I have a huge obsession with pretty paper and stationery, so I love getting the chance to send some letters. That's why I also love writing to my blogger friends!

I have a couple of blogger pen pals, and I always have so much fun decorating the letters that I send to them. And it's always super exciting when I get snail mail from one of them to open! I love seeing the pretty stationery they use and how they decorate it. Here are some of my favorites:

from Rachel

from Kate

from Claire (yes, Rachel and Claire sent me the same exact snail mail - how funny is that?!)

Aren't these stationery adorable?! I'm also super nosy when it comes to seeing the snail mail that other bloggers get because I love how cute everything is. And it also makes me want to go out and buy more stationery... #SorryNotSorry.

Do you like to send snail mail?

Future Plans

I don't share too much about my life on here, and I kind of wanted to share my future dreams and goals with all of you guys. I thought this would be the perfect time to do so since I'm finally going to be a senior in high school!

It wasn't until earlier this year that I decided I want to double major in accounting and entrepreneurship. I've always wanted to be an accountant ever since I was little, but lately I've been questioning it. I know I definitely want to major in accounting, but I don't know if I want to start out as an accountant right when I graduate college. To be honest, I've really been looking into focusing more on entrepreneurship right when I graduate college instead.

But here's the problem: I have no idea what I would want my business to be. I've looked into the idea of having a clothing company because I'm obsessed with clothes, but honestly, I just don't know. All I know is that I want to own a business as soon as possible. I've had a lot of difficulty coming up with ideas that really appeal to me. I've looked into my interests because usually entrepreneurs create businesses based on what they're interested in, but I can't think of anything I would want to start up that doesn't involve clothes.

My dream is to start a business in college so that right when I get out, that can become my full-time job and I can pursue it even more. But with not being able to come up with a solid business plan, I don't know how that will turn out.

I'm super excited for the future, and I know that no matter what I do, I'll enjoy it. I know for a fact that one day I'll own my own business, and I can't wait to see what that will be.

What are your future plans?

Vineyard Vines Fall Favorites

one // two // three // four // five

Along with Lilly Pulitzer, Vineyard Vines has a perfect fall collection. I went to Vineyard Vines last week and absolutely fell in love with the navy and white Shep shirt, so I won't be surprised if that soon ends up in my closet. When I go shopping for fall clothes, I will probably get more Vineyard Vines items that Lilly items because Lilly reminds me too much of summer while Vineyard Vines has the classic colors.

What do you like from Vineyard Vines's fall collection?

Red, White, & Blue

Hat: Vineyard Vines // Shirt: Vineyard Vines // Shorts: Banana Republic // Shoes: Jack Rogers

I'm a firm believer that the color combination of red, white, and blue can be worn in any month and not just July. Of course I wore this outfit on the Fourth of July, but I love wearing it on regular days as well. I actually got a lot of compliments on this outfit on the Fourth of July! It's a perfect summer outfit.

How do you incorporate red, white, and blue into your outfits?

Lilly Pulitzer Fall Favorites

one // two // three // four // five

Just like every other Lilly lover, I'm absolutely swooning over the fall line. I picked out my most favorite items, and honestly, I plan on getting all of them at some point. I'm going to my boyfriend's uncle's wedding in September, so I think the Janice Shift will be perfect for that wedding! I also don't have that many shirts for the fall/winter, so numbers 2-5 will be perfect for the chilly weather.

What do you love from Lilly's fall line?

Staple Jewelry Pieces

I've surprisingly received a lot of questions on what the pieces of jewelry in my outfit posts are, so I thought I would share it on the blog! I wear these three pieces of jewelry basically every single day except for when I'm working, sleeping, or showering, obviously. I always play with the ring and touch the necklace, so when I'm not wearing them, I still find myself going to touch my necklace or play with my ring!

All three pieces are from Tiffany & Co., and they were all bought by the lovely T. I'm so thankful that he bought these for me because they're not only really nice gifts but so useful too! The ring and pearl earrings were my birthday present from him (read about that here), and the necklace was my Valentine's Day present from him (read about that one here). Don't I have the best boyfriend ever?!

For some reason, the website won't let me go to the jewelry details. But for those of you who are interested in what the names of the jewelry are, the ring is the Paloma Picasso Love & Kisses Ring in sterling silver, the necklace is the Return to Tiffany heart tag with key in sterling silver, and the earrings are the Ziegfeld Collection pearl earrings in sterling silver.

What are your staple jewelry pieces?

Fab Finds

I'm always on the lookout for the cutest little accessories, so when I found these two notebooks while waiting in line to buy clothes at TJ Maxx, I knew I just had to get them. I have a huge obsession with pretty office supplies, so I obviously had to add these two to the collection. I believe they were only $3.99 a piece, which is a bargain! Kate Spade sells a notebook really similar to these two (view here) for about four times the price, so I knew I was much better off getting these instead.

I never knew TJ Maxx sold things like these fabulous notebooks until I was in line, but I'm so happy that I found that out! Except now I might end up with too many notebooks from there... #sorrynotsorry. These beauties have hard covers, which I love because I hate when the covers of my notebooks bend or rip easily. And I've even found two different uses for these notebooks already! So you may see some blog posts soon about them ;)

What are your most recent fab finds?

Pink & Navy

If you couldn't tell by my blog theme, I really love the pink & navy combo and completely agree with the whole #navyornothing notion. These two colors look fabulous together because navy keeps the outfit fresh while pink adds a pop of color! They definitely complement each other, so I love when I'm able to make an outfit using the two colors.

shirt: J. Crew // shorts: Lilly Pulitzer // shoes: Jack Rogers

I love wearing this outfit, and I also love wearing my silver Jacks with it to complement my silver jewelry. Everything in the outfit complements each other so well!

How do you style navy & pink together?

Learning During the Summer

Although it's already August, it's not too late to do some learning for the rest of the summer! I always view summer as a way to take a break from learning and school, but then I always find myself wanting to learn more about things. Summer is the perfect time to do this because then you have the chance to learn about what you want to learn about instead of what you have to learn about. You can do any of these options below!

one // take an online class

There are so many websites and apps that offer free online classes for you to take during a certain time period. My personal favorite is the app iTunesU, but I heard Coursera is a really good website to use. All of the classes are free, which is awesome! You can learn about business, take a new language, etc. I applied for a class on entrepreneurship on iTunesU!

two // read books

This is probably my favorite way to learn. I absolutely love to read, but I really only have time to read during the summer. So once I have the time to read, I take full advantage of it and read anything I want! It was just this past year that I decided I want to double major in accounting and entrepreneurship, so I went to the library and got about five books on entrepreneurship. I was so excited, and I couldn't want to start reading them! There are books about everything out there, so you can choose whatever you like.

three // look things up

This is a good idea if you have a quick question. I always find myself looking up events online that I hear about on the news so I know what's completely going on. It makes me feel so mature knowing about world events and what's going on everywhere! I'm also more able to understand something by reading it instead of hearing it because if I don't understand something the first time I read it, I can just keep reading it until I get a grasp on it.

How do you learn over the summer?

How To Conquer Lilly's Summer Sale

The only good thing about summer coming to an end is Lilly's Endless Summer Sale! I'm super excited for the sale, so I've been saving up my money all summer and working extra hours just so I have enough. The sale is a super crazy time for both the Lilly workers and the shoppers, so I've come up with a little list to make the sale a tad bit smoother for all Lilly lovers!

one // make an account

Many people have told me that it's easier to check out during the sale if you have an account. The account holds your mailing/shipping address and credit card information, making it easier to buy all of your items. Because so many people are on the website at once during the sale, the website becomes slow, causing it to crash. If you have your information already in the system, you can easily get your things and go!

two // set alarms

I believe the sale usually starts at 8:00 AM EST, but I suggest setting alarms beforehand to wake you up and get ready to shop. Although the sale lasts a couple of days, it's always a good idea to buy as soon as possible because sizes sell out quickly. If you set an alarm for an hour or an hour and a half before the sale starts, you'll be sure to be woken up and prepared to handle the sale!

three // know what you want

As I mentioned earlier, sizes sell out really quickly. Like ridiculously fast because the prices are so good. Before the sale happens, look through the summer line to have an idea of what you want to buy. If you're looking through every single item during the sale to try to find something to buy, that just wastes time. Time is very precious during this sale so you don't miss out on a good item! If you know what you want to buy beforehand, you'll be able to quickly check out your shopping bag.

As a fellow Lilly lover, I feel these tips will help you to have a successful shopping spree. I'm looking forward to sharing my purchases with all of you and seeing what all of you got!

How do you conquer Lilly's summer sale?