College Belle

Bon voyage!

2010-06-27T18:18:00.001-07:00

I'm off to Paris tomorrow! Talk to y'all when I get back!
xx, M

Great Lilly giveaway!!

2010-06-17T17:56:00.001-07:00

Head over to Persians and Pulitzer and enter this fab giveaway!
xx, M

Summer purchases!!

2010-06-16T18:52:00.000-07:00

Hi y'all!
SO terribly sorry I have once again been a bad blogger! Boo hoo, I have been busy! Well as busy as you can be in the summertime :) lots of shopping and lunches with friends! Oh yeah and getting ready for PARIS! Oh my goodness, I am so terribly excited. We leave in exactly 13 days! Yipppe!!

So without further a do ... here are my recent purchases!

A quilted Dooney&Bourke coat! I had been searching and lusting for the perfect quilted coat and for ages had been eyeing the D&B ones but with nearly $300 price tags but knew the only way I could get my hands on one would be if it went way down in price and the Dooney&Bourke gods answered my prayers and I got it for .... $90 at TJ Maxx!! By far one of the best buys ever!

This lovely Lilly skirt! Isn't the print adorable? At only $29 I absolutely could not resist. It was an absolute miracle I found it at TJ Maxx, I swear it was the only Lilly item in the store! Cannot wait to debut it soon!

The Lilly for LeSportsac side satchel! I was on the hunt for the perfect side bag for Paris and what could be more perfect than Lilly?! The print is absolutely adorable and it is very roomy so will be fantastic for sightseeing!

Glitter TOMS! Super comfortable,cute and a great cause! The first day I got tons of compliments on them!

Puma shoes for walking. Not being a total fan of gym shoes (actually not one really at all!) these are cute, pink, and seem quite comfortable!

Wedges and new t-strap sandals! Perfect for summer and going out at school!

Those are all of my purchases! Hope y'all are having wonderful summers, I've been loving all of your recent posts lately! Have a great night!
xx, M

Lilly giveaway!!

2010-06-07T13:37:00.000-07:00

Head over to Prissy and Pink Flamingo and enter to win these adorable LILLY key fobs!
Truly adorable!!

Crazy Eight Tag!

2010-05-09T15:33:00.000-07:00

First off, Happy Mother's Day, yaya!!!! What a special day to celebrate our wonderful mothers!!

I loved everyones Crazy 8 post, so I decided to do one myself!!

8 TV Shows I Like to Watch:
1. GOSSIP GIRL - My absolute favorite, rarely miss it.
2. General Hospital - Yes, a soap! My mom and I LOVE it!
3. The Real Housewives - Sucked into every season!
4. The City - I love Olivia's style and have always loved Whitney!
5. Martha Stewart Show - My new year's resolution last year was to become Martha!
6. SEX AND THE CITY - My all time favorite show. Charlotte and I have way too much in common!
7. Law and Order
8. Dawson's Creek - I have all of the seasons and love watching before bed.

8 Favorite Places to Eat and Drink:
1. Lou Malnati's - Delicious Chicago pizza! A family favorite.
2. Panera
3. Jason's Deli
4. Bargo's Bar - My Thursday go-to bar at school!
5. Nonno Silvia's - An neighborhood Italian restaurant
6. Jimmy John's - We ordered it way too much at school!
7. Coco's - My absolute favvvv for breakfast. It's right near our AZ house and has DIVINEE cinnamon swirl french toast.
8. Cheescake Factory

8 Things I Look Forward To:
1. My Dayton besties coming to visit me in 2 days!! I am SO excited.
2. Sophomore Year
3. SUMMMER!
4. Having all of my high school best friends reunited,for some reason my friends and I have been a bit distant so it'll be nice to all be together.
5. Being home with my parents
6. Seeing all of my high school "school friends"
7. Wearing summer clothes!
8. The most exciting one.... GOING TO EUROPE!! My family and I are going to Paris and the South of France for two weeks at the end of June!!

8 Things That Happened To Me Yesterday:
1. I helped my mom with her dinner party preparation and cooking.
2. I missed Dayton and my friends.
3. I went to Target and inevitably wanted to buy 3 headbands.
4. I got two compliments on my new shoes (post later!)
5. I talked to a super cute boy from school!
6. I read Carrie Diaries.
7. Bought my mom's Mother's Day present.
8. Wished I was in Daytona! It's a Dayton tradition so lots of my Zeta sisters and friends are in Daytona drinking under the sun! So jealous but next year I will be there!

8 Things I Like About Winter:
1. Christmas!
2. Decorating for Christmas
3. New Years!
4. Snow days
5. Cute mittens and scarves
6. UGGS - Yes I know.. but they are so comfy!
7. Big comfy sweaters
8. Hot chocolate and Starbuck's Peppermint Mochas

8 Things I am Passionate About:
1. My family
2. My friends - both old and new
3. The Lord and having a strong faith
4. Enjoying college and being young while still working hard in school and maintaining a good balance between the two
5. Being a great friend and sister
6. Manners
7. Being a girl - Not constantly swearing, spitting, yelling, or doing anything terribly unladylike.
8. Being a romantic - I know the right boy is out there.. I just need to be more patient and wait for my dreamboat to sweep me off my feet!

8 Words or Phrases I Use Often:
1. Oh my gosh
2. Y'all
3. Oh no!
4. Lovebug, lovey, and sweet pea
5. Wait, what?
6. Oh that's so cute!
7. Precious, perf
8. Loveee it!

8 Things I Learned From the Past:
1. People change - It is a part of life.
2. After going to college, you quickly learn who your real friends are.
3. High school is not everything!
4. College truly is the best time of your life.
5. Boys often let you down, but not all boys are total jerkfaces.
6. You cannot control other people - I had a friend who got sucked into drugs at a very early age and I tend to feel guilty and blame myself for not doing more to help her, but I know that I cannot control anything she does I can only remind her of my immense love for her.
7. Grades are not everything! - I was so concerned with getting A's in high school but really why? When we are 40 we are not going to remember that one history exam we bombed or the 10 page paper we got a C+ on, we will remember the good things!
8. It is so important to stay close with your family, they really are always there for you!

8 Places I Would Like to See\Visit:
1. Paris!
2. Greece
3. Italy
4. My Arizona house
5. Louisville, KY
6. The beach
7. Puerto Vallarta
8. Spain

8 Things I currently Want\Need! :
1. A new pair of tstrap\going out sandals - My Steve Madden ones are gross from going to the bars.
2. A pair of pink Jack Rogers
3. New jean cigarette pants
4. A new Lilly shift (or a few!)
5. A quilted jacket for school
6. An armband to hold my IPOD while working out
7. A birthday gift for one of my best friends, Courtney
8. A few more pairs of Nike running shorts, they are my favorite to wear while working out!

Yay, that was fun! Have a great Mother's Day y'all!
xx, M

Oh my reva!!

2010-05-05T18:55:00.001-07:00

I am officially dying for the navy TB Revas. So cute!!

Oh boy...

2010-05-02T19:20:00.000-07:00

I am officially obsessed with this!
Ode to the Nice Girls
"This is my tribute to the nice girls. To the nice girls who are overlooked, who become friends and nothing more, who spend hours fixating upon their looks and their personalities and their actions because it must be they that are doing something wrong. This is for the girls who don't give it up on the first date, who don't want to play mind games, who provide a comforting hug and a supportive audience for a story they've heard a thousand times. This is an homage to the girls who laugh loud and often, who are comfortable in skirts and sweats and combat boots, who care more than they should for guys who don't deserve their attention. This is for those girls who have been in the trenches, who have watched other girls time and time again fake up and make up and fuck up the guys in their lives without saying a word. This is for the girls who have been there from the beginning and have heard the trite words of advice, from "there are plenty of fish in the sea," to "time heals all wounds."

This is for the girls who have spent their weekends sitting on the sidelines of a beer pong tournament or a case race, or playing Florence Nightingale for a vomiting guy friend or a comatose crush, who have received a drunk phone call just before dawn from someone who doesn't care enough to invite them over but is still willing to pass out in their bed. This is for the girls who have left sad song lyrics in their away messages, who have time and time again dropped their male friend hint after hint after hint. This is for the girls who have been told that they're too good or too smart or too pretty, who have been given compliments as a way of breaking off a relationship.

This one's for the girls who you can take home to mom, but won't because it's easier to sleep with a whore than foster a relationship; this is for the girls who have been led on by words and kisses and touches, all of which were either only true for the moment, or never real to begin with. This is for the girls who have had their hearts broken and their hopes dashed by someone too cavalier to have cared in the first place; this is for the nights spent dissecting every word and syllable and inflection in his speech, for the nights when you've returned home alone.

This is for the hugs you've received from your female friends, for the nights they've reassured you that you are beautiful and intelligent and amazing and loyal and truly worthy of a great guy. This is for the girls who have been used and abused, who have endured what he was giving because at least he was giving something; this is for the stupidity of the nights we've believed that something was better than nothing, though his something was nothing we'd have ever wanted. This is for the girls who have been satisfied with too little and who have learned never to expect anything more: for the girls who don't think that they deserve more, because they've been conditioned for so long to accept the scraps thrown to them by guys.

Men complain that they never meet nice girls, girls who are genuinely interested and compelling, who are intelligent and sweet and smart and beautiful; men despair that no good women want to share in their lives, that girls play mind games, that girls love to keep them hanging. We nice girls are everywhere. But you're not looking for a nice girl. You're not looking for someone genuinely interested in your intramural basketball game, or your anatomy midterm grade, or that argument you keep having with your father; you're looking for a quick fix.

So don't say you're on the lookout for nice girls, guys, when you pass us up on every step you take. You don't want the nice girls, so don't say you're looking for a relationship: relationships take time and energy and intent, three things we're willing to extend - - but in return, we're looking for compassion and loyalty and trust, three things you never seem willing to express"

Soooo college!

2010-04-30T09:44:00.000-07:00

Hi y'all!
I am sitting here in my EMPTY room waiting for my parents to get here. I cannot believe that my freshman year of college is over! It is sooo crazy! It has been such a great year and I have met so many great friends and had many many many funny and good memories. I will definitely miss all of my Dayton besties and seeing them 95037 times a day. But on that sad note, it is officially SUMMER!!!! No more loads of homework, tests, finals, papers or projects! Yayayaa!

What I learned from my freshman year (in a very brief nutshell)..
1) Jungle juice is lethal! Chugging it at a frat party is the farthest thing from a good idea, I learned that the bad way!
2) Keeping up with all of the homework definitely pays off in the end. It also is VERY beneficial to go talk to your professors, as scary as they may be, they do care and will remember you came to talk to them.
3) St.Patrick's Day is the best day of year.
4) Make an effort to get to know all of the people in your classes so you have a study buddy!
5) Enjoy your weekends and have fun! We deserve it!
6) Joining a sorority really does make your college experience even better. I am so glad that I rushed and love being part of ZTA and having a whole new family of sisters!
7) Most important thing - Realize that you will change. It is inevitable and part of being in college. I feel like I grew up soo much this year and although I changed/matured, I am definitely still my Lilly loving,girly self and am so glad I have learned everything I did this year.

Can't wait to get home! More later, wishing y'all good luck on your finals and end of the year festivities!
xx, M

Happy Thursday!!!

2010-04-22T08:46:00.000-07:00

I was awarded the Happy 101 award by Preppy Perfection!! Thank you so much, it made my day! I absolutely love her blog and love sharing all of my boy sagas with her. Y'all should definitely check her blog out!

Here are the rules:
1 Copy and paste the award on your blog.
2 List who gave the award to you and use a link to her blog (or hyperlink).
3 List 10 things that make you happy.
4 Pass the award on to other bloggers and visit their blog to let them know about the award.

10 Things that make me happy!
1. My family
2. Zeta - I loveee everything about being in a sorority and love the close bond I have with all of my sisters.
3. University of Dayton - Yes, I said school makes me happy! Not the immense amounts of schoolwork but being at UD. I can truly not imagine myself anywhere else and cannot believe I will be leaving in just 8 days :(
4. Lilly - No matter what I have going on that day, I can count that wearing one of my Lilly's will make me smile, brighten my day, and give me luck!
5. Diet Coke - I have become a MAJOR addict. I have at least 4 a day, it keeps me going!
6. Weekends at school - Oh how I love my UD weekends. They are so fun and such a great way to meet more people.
7. Monograms - I am majorly obsessed with monograms. Especially my monogrammed koozie, I even bring it out to the ghetto ( where all the parties are at Dayton ) with me!
8. My mom - We are absolute best friends and I talk to her about anything and everything. She's the best.
9. Completing my homework early and getting a chance to relax- I always aim to finish my homework so I have at least a half hour a day to just have "me" time.
10. Shopping and mani\pedis - Two guilty pleasures that I will never give up. I love hunting for a bargain and finding to die for items as well as getting my monthly manicures and pedicures, so fun and relaxing!

Those are my special 10 things! I am going to pass this onto...
Summer Wind
Sweet Caroline
Sincerely Shannon

Have a great Thursday! It's almost the weekend!!
love y'all, xx M

Us!

2010-04-14T12:35:00.000-07:00

(813): She is wearing lilly and pearls while drinking natty from a monogrammed coozie. If that isn't a sorosititue I don't know what is."

One of my friends posted in my FB wall, it's so cute and so me!
Have a lovely day!! xx, M

Are the rumors true??

2010-04-12T20:20:00.000-07:00

Is the famed Lilly sale in June?!

2 post Friday!!

2010-04-09T12:45:00.001-07:00

I was crowned a socialiate by Prissy and Preppy Flamingo! Thank you SO very much, so sorry I didn't thank you earlier! Her blog is absolutely wonderful, y'all should follow it if you do not already. She too is a Lilly lover and always has great posts.

The rules-
Click on the above button and paste onto your blog/website
Answer the below questions
Pass onto 10 bloggers that you Love, go to their blog and let them know they've been tagged

1. Who is your fashion icon? Lilly Pulitzer
2. What is your favorite socialite lit book? Style by Kate Spade, Essentially Lilly, and the Official Preppy Handbook
3. Favorite party theme? I lovee theme parties! I would say Halloween (a major college holiday!) or tennis pros.
4. Go to Halloween costume? This past year I was a cat but next year my big and I are going to be Tiffany's boxes! Just like Summer Wind, such a cute\creative costume!
5. Extravagance you cannot live without? Anything Lilly or Tory Burch,manis\pedis, and SHOES, I have been a bit of a Tory shoe addict lately!
6. Living person you admire? My mom, she means absolutely everything to me and I would not be the person I am today without her tremendous love and guidance.
7. Greatest fear? Being unhappy when I'm older.
8. Trait you deplore in yourself? I worry way too much about the teeniest, not significant things.
9. What talent would you love to have? Well this is more of a trait, but I would like to be more relaxed when I am in front of big groups of people.
10. Greatest acheivement? Getting into college and staying true to my close relationship with my parents

I am passing this onto..(sorry for some reason I couldn't the links to work!)
Let's Be Preppy
The Company She Keeps
College Prep
Summer Wind
The Sweet Sea
Life, Love and Polka Dots
Everything is better in pink
Precious and Pink
Preppy Perfection
Monograms and Manicures
One Preppy Day

Have a lovely weekend! xx, M

College Belle update!!

2010-04-09T12:21:00.000-07:00

Hey y'all!
So sorry I have once again been a bad blogger, I have been SO terribly busy with school work, sorority activities, and school in general! Things have slowed down a bit so I can finally do a well needed recap!

I have so enjoyed reading your all's blogs everyday. The minute I get back from my first class I catch up on all of my blogs and cherish that part of my day.
I have LOTS of updates for y'all!

First off, I am officially a Zeta Tau Alpha! I was initiated and cannot imagine my life without Zeta, I truly feel like it has been a true blessing. Not only do I have 40 new sisters and the BEST big ever, but feel like I can truly be myself something I never really felt in high school.

Second, I got hired to be a tour guide at my school! Very exciting! I cannot wait to start giving tours and share my enthusiasm about Dayton.

I have successfully made it through my freshman year of college! We only have 3 more weeks of school! Cannot believe it went by so fast!

Those are my big updates! This year has definitely proved to me that there is so much more to life than silly high school.College really is SO different from high school. I myself was not a big fan of high school and never felt like I could be myself. But college really is soo different and so much better. Not only are the classes entirely different, with a lot more independence and individual work but you really are given a chance to grow up and change. It really has been a great year!

Here are a few pictures from recently!!

Have a fantastic weekend!!
xx, M

Today is.. my birthday!

2010-03-23T12:11:00.000-07:00

I am officially 19 years old!!!
Today is my birthdayy! It is the first time in YEARS where I have had class on my birthday since usually I am off for spring break during my birthday. It has been a wonderful day so far and I was awoken by a lovely seranade from my Zeta sisters and my parents. It was so cute and definitely made me feel better about not being with my parents on my birthday. After one more class (and a test!) my friends and I are going off campus for dinner! Yaya!
Hope y'all are having great weeks so far!
xx, Birthday girl!

Beauuuutiful welcome home

2010-03-08T13:45:00.000-08:00

Happy Monday y'all!

I am "home"/back to school! Back to the bussle of homework, sorority activities, and friends. Although I was sad to leave my parents and the comfort of my own bedroom and bathroom, I am so happy to be back. It kind of takes being away to make you realize how much you love something. My first day back started off wonderfully because it is sunny and warm here today! It was the first day in monnnthes that I woke up and actually did not feel super tired and wanted to get up. It is absolutely gorg here today, sunny and almost 60! I traded in my North Face fleece for my favorite Lilly sweatshirt instead! Brought out the topsiders and sunnies too! With only 5 more weekends of school (can you BEELIEVE that?!) I'm ready to capture the moments I love soo dearly and enjoy being with my friends! Oh what a beautiful day :)
Hope y'all are having good Mondays!
xx, M

Help needed - jean 911!

2010-03-04T14:40:00.000-08:00

Hi y'all!
Here is my dilemma. While I have been home on break, I had looked all over for a pair of jeans. We looked at Nordstrom Rack, TJ Maxx, and Lohmenn's. Absolutely noo luck! It seems like the biggest problem seems to be a gap in the back area. Do y'all know what I'm talking about? It seems like they fit perfect until I look and see that there is lots of space in the butt area. It's quite frustrating and I definitely need to get a good fitting pair before I go back to school on Sunday. Ideally I'm looking for a pair that works with my Revas, heels, and are both going out jeans and casual jeans. Our next stop is Nordstrom and J.Crew, hopefully I can find something!! Do y'all have any suggestions?

Thank you y'all!
xx, M

Spring break!

2010-03-02T20:46:00.000-08:00

Hey y'all!
I am writing to y'all from home! It is sooooo nice being back home and getting away from school. Although I love school, my friends, and my routine, I was definitely ready to get back and see my parents! It had been 9 weeks since I had seen them! I got in on Thursday and have had a super great break so far. My wonderful Mom had a few surprises waiting for me in my closet!

After the airport we went to dinner (real foood!) and it was yum yum. Then on Friday my mom and I took the El (the like Chicago Subway system) downtown and went shopping! Oh my gosh, y'all, we hit the shopping jackpot! First, we hit Nordstrom Rack. Thinking it may be a bust, we were optimistic but weren't sure if it would be a miss. We were sure wrong! I got the CUTESST things for soo cheap. I finally found a white dress for all of our ceremonies (the only one in the entire store!) and I also finally found a good fitting pair of black pants. Do y'all have trouble pant shopping? I have grown to despise it! I am kind of short and have a teeny waist but not so teeny legs so my pants are always too big in the waist or too long! But finally I found a good pair and I went down a size! I also got this really adorable Juicy tshirt and a few more pairs of sweat pants. Now I know that y'all are not always pro sweat pants but for class they have become my best friend. I'm going to post my comfy made cute outfits later this week! Anyhoo, I also found a very Betsey Johnson esque shirt for guess what.. $9! Thenn we headed over to the TJ Maxx and hit the sale jackpot again! I got the absolute cutest dresses ( I will post them tomorrow!) for less then $20 each and a Lilly gray pullover for $30! It is really adorable and will be perfect for class and wearable during all seasons. SO cute! It was by far one of our best shopping trips and truly a great time. It made me even more thankful for my relationship with my Mom and the opportunity to go shopping. Here are a few items from our trip!

xxx,
M

Can you say love?

2010-02-10T17:47:00.001-08:00

SO cute!

Snow day!

2010-02-09T13:16:00.000-08:00

Oh my goodness y'all SO sorry about my very long blogging hiatus. I have been SUPER busy with all of my Zeta stuff and haven't had much time. I am absolutely loving being a sorority girl and love having so many fun things to do and meeting all of my new sisters. It is so fun!
We had a half a snow day today which was so nice! It has been snowing here for a verrry long time so I am keeping my fingers crossed we have another one tomorrow!
Here are some pictures from recently!
xxox y'all!
M

College Belle is officially a......

2010-01-12T08:34:00.000-08:00

ZETA TAU ALPHA!

I could not be more excited! I thank y'all for your wonderful support! I will make sure to post tons of pictures this weekend!!

Contra contra contra!

2010-01-08T11:15:00.000-08:00

Hey y'all!

Quick Friday post for you today! I am absolutely in love with the new Vampire Weekend album, you must must must check it out! The songs are wonderful and instantly put you into a great mood.
Happy weekend, stay warm!!
xx, M
PS: Rush is going well so far!

New Years Re-cap \ Back to school!

2010-01-03T16:32:00.000-08:00

Hey y'all!
New Years Eve was super fun! My four friends and I went to a delicious dinner at Bravo, a super yummy Italian restaurant, and many many laughs. It was a fun way to end my break and definitely one of the most memorable NYE's to date. Hopefully y'all had good nights too!

Saturday was spent doing last minute things - manicure, packing, and spending time with my family. I am officially back to Dayton now! After a very early morning (I woke up at 5:30!) and a busy day of traveling I am safely back in my dorm safe and sound. Being back is great but I do miss all of the luxuries of being home. I am excited to start new classes tomorrow, meet new people, and for sorority recruitment! That's right, rush is this week! I am really excited, I have had all of my outfits picked out all break! Do you sorority girls have any tips or advice?
Happy 2010!
xx, M

Happy almost New Years!

2009-12-31T12:00:00.001-08:00

Hello hello!
I cannot believe 2009 has come and gone. It went by so fast! I graduated high school, started college, made new friends, started a blog, mastered the perfect cupcake and brownie, and had many great adventures along the way. I am so very excited for 2010. I truly think things can only get better!

Break has been absolutely wonderful and I have a great time hanging out with all of my wonderful high school friends, the Elles. It's so great seeing all of them, we have not stopped giggling and telling each other stories yet! Tonight we are off to Evanston (where Northwestern is located) to a friend's apartment for dinner and fun! I am excited. It's so terribly chilly here though so I am not sure I will be able to debut my darling new party dress. I may just have to brave the cold! Brownies are in the oven and I just finished a large batch of chocolate covered strawberries so we will be ringing in the New Year with delicious food!

With the New Year comes many new things and resolutions. My biggest goals are to work out more at school and put a small amount of money (a dollar or so) in a little box everytime I do a good deed or do something I am proud of. Hopefully by the end of the school year I will have enough money to buy something special.. can you say a new pair of Tory's? Or a Lilly shift? I say so!

Have a terrific New Year's!
xx, M
PS: I am also going to resolve to blog at least twice a week!

Merry Christmas Eve Y'all!

2009-12-24T11:31:00.000-08:00

I am so happy to be home. It is absolutely wonderful to see all of my best friends from high school and have no school work to work on. It's so great to just relax and catch up on all of my mom's DVRed episodes of Martha! I missed watching Martha everydday! Santa comes tonight and I cannot wait to open up all of my gifts!
Merry Christmas!!
xx, M

Home TOMORROW!

2009-12-17T17:17:00.000-08:00

Oh my gosh, I absolutely cannot wait to get home! I am so terribly sick of studying and taking tests. I think I studied more than I have slept! One more tomorrow, Physics.. which I haven't even studied for yet! But then in the afternoon I fly home! Oh goodness.. I cannot wait!
Talk to y'all once I get home!
xx, M
PS: Thank you so much for all the good luck wishes!

Christmas Christmas Christmas!

2009-12-11T17:03:00.000-08:00

Oh my goodness, I cannot wait until Christmas break! Absolutely CANNOT wait! I am so looking forward to being home, seeing all of my friends and family and most importantly not doing any school work! It's going to be so wonderful. One more week to go. Finals week though, so it's going to be pretty challenging. I can make it though! I still cannot decide what to get my mom for Christmas, any ideas? What are y'all getting your parents?
I'll keep you posted with how finals go!
Enjoy your break y'all :)
xx, M

Thank goodness it's almost the weekend :)

2009-11-19T16:48:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone!
I hope you have all had terrific weeks so far. I am so glad tomorrow is Friday and Thanksgiving break is approaching! I cannot wait to go home and see all of my friends and family! It's going to be great! My past two weeks have been super busy so I am really looking forward to being able to go out this weekend and being able to sleep in.

I had such a great weekend last week! Three of us girls went home with my friend Kaitlyn, which was wonderful. We got to get off of campus and have a delicious home cooked meal. And guess what? We went to the outlet mall! It was such a success. We all hit the jackpot at J.Crew. I got two adorable cardigans, the navy Jackie cardi and this adorable plum cardigan for... $25!! I also got a great fitting pair of cords that were $25 as well and an adorable headband. It was a total success. We then headed to the Ralph Lauren outlet where I bought 4 of their signature v-necks, I love those! I wear them all the time to class, they are so comfortable. I also got a pair of black sweatpants which will look cute to wear to class as well. It was so nice to shop! We all then headed back to her house and watched movies and had a slumber party. Sunday we headed to Target and Wal-Mart because we were all in desperate need of food for our rooms. I stocked up and got so many snacks. This week was pretty hectic- 2 big tests on Monday but I did well on both of them! I am so very relieved and now I can really have a relaxing, fun weekend! I will definitely post next week over break!
Have a great Thursday night!
xx, M
PS: Any of you who are seeing Twilight, I am so jealous!! Have fun, enjoy Edward!

Two post Sunday!!

2009-11-08T17:06:00.000-08:00

Hi again!
Big thank you to Sally at Everything is Better in Pink for the award! It's so nice of you! So sorry I didn't realize earlier. That is so cool that you applied to UD! I'm sure you would love it here. Definitely feel free to email me if you have any questions or want to know more.
Here are the rules for this award:
1. Thank the person who nominated you for this award.
2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog.
3. Link to the person who nominated you for this award.
4. Name 7 things about yourself that people may not know.
5. Nominate 7 Kreativ Bloggers.
6. Post links to the 7 blogs you nominate.
7. Leave a comment on each of the blogs letting them know they've been nominated.

7 Things Y'all May Not Know...
1. I want to be a teacher either 3rd or 4th grade.
2. I was born in Texas! I think that's where I got my love for the South.
3. I love Swedish Fish and Hot Tamales.
4. I always have my nails painted, always.
5. I have a bad habit of downloading music when I am bored. I actually just downloaded the Carrie Underwood cd and the Glee cd, I would definitely recommend them both!
6. I live on top of a very mighty hill.
7. I read blogs everynight before I go to bed!
I am passing this on to...
The Company She Keeps
Black Labs and Lilly
Let's Be Preppy!
Pink and Green Precious and
Preppy
Precious and Pink
Seersucker and Sundresses"
Southern Sunshine
Thanks again!

I'm Back!

2009-11-08T16:43:00.000-08:00

Hey y'all!
I am so sorry I have not been very diligent with my blogging lately. I have been super busy! Things have really picked up and I have had quite a bit of homework and lots of studying\papers. I really like UD though, everyone is so terribly friendly and nice! Things did get really hard right after fall break though. That was the first time I got super stressed and called my mom a few times in tears. She was super supportive and got me through those tough two weeks. I definitely learned the importance of being assertive and talking to my professors and reaching out for help. Plus I reminded myself that I have only been in college for two months and it is quite different from high school. How are y'all doing so far? Have you had stressed out calls to Mom yet?
I have a really great new strategy though that has helped me budget my time. I write down all of the things I have to do in a day.. Physics homework, eat lunch, meet someone for dinner etc.. and give them each a certain amount of time. That allows me not to get wrapped up on just one assignment and allows me to get everything done. It is really helpful! And at the bottom of each day I write down something in my planner to look forward to or a positive thing. Y'all should try it out, it really has relieved a lot of my stress!

So weekends! Oh weekends, how I love them! The weekends are super fun. Lots of fun parties and things to do. Halloween has been the best weekend so far. It was so fun to see everyone dressed up and look totally different for the night. I definitely opted for a cute costume rather than a super trashy one. This past weekend the girls on my floor and I did Dance Marathon. It was so fun but so long! I am so tired today and my body is sore! We danced for 12 hours! Yes, 12 hours! I have made some super great friends too, one of which is super girly like us and loves everything pink too! Those are the big things going on with me lately.

I will try my hardest to be more diligent with blogging!
Have a great week!
xx, M

Halloween!

2009-11-01T14:58:00.000-08:00

Hey y'all!
I hope you had a wonderful Halloween! I'll do a longer post sometime this week!
xx,
M

Thank goodness it's the weekend!

2009-10-24T15:29:00.000-07:00

Hey y'all!
So sorry I haven't been around much! I have been absolutely swamped with homework, midterms, and papers. It is definitely a lot! I think I am now really realizing just how different college really is. I had a few super stressed out days but am definitely feeling better now. It's so nice that it is the weekend! Last night my roommmate and I just stayed in, ordered in food, and had a Gerard Butler marathon. It was nice and super relaxing. I am really trying to have "me time" everyday from now on. I think I was focusing too much on homework instead of looking at the big picture and allowing myself to just chill out. Today I just worked on some homework and have been catching up on all of my television shows. I watched Glee, Real Housewives of ATL (My guilty pleasure!), The Office, and The City! It's been a good Saturday so far! We are going on a Wal-Mart run later and to dinner. Can you believe I am so excited to go to Wal-Mart? Then out tonight! And next weekend is Halloween,I'm so excited! I am being cat! What are y'all being for H-Ween?
Have a wonderful weekend!
xxxx, M

Weekend!

2009-10-17T15:50:00.000-07:00

Hey y'all!
Quick post tonight! Sorry I have been so absent this past week, things have been crazy! I have an EXTREMELY hectic\stressful week so I am so happy it is the weekend! Yay! Last night my roomie and I just watched movies and ordered in. It was fun and a nice break from doing silly homework. Tonight I am going out though. It is getting pretty chilly here so I will have to figure out a cute yet warm outfit. If only it could stay dress weather forever! Any outfit ideas?

Happy Saturday!!
xxx, M

Fall break!

2009-10-06T16:19:00.000-07:00

Hey y'all!
I hope y'all are having wonderful weeks so far. I am going back home tomorrow for fall break! I cannot wait! I have had quite the few days, full of tests and lots of assignments. Yesterday I had a physics test (icky!) and it didn't go as well as I would have like it too, so hopefully I did okay. Then today I had a day full of dorm chores and homework. Tomorrow I have a big religion test and then I fly home! I really cannot wait. It will be nice to be back in my house and in my own big room. I am all packed, I filled my Vera duffle to the brim with all my summer clothes. As you know, dorm closets are so teeny! My closet was filled to capacity so by bringing some of my summer clothes home (summer dresses, Lilly shifts) back I should get a little more room. I am so anxious to go shopping when I am home too! And to a Target! Oh how I miss my Target sprees with my mom! There are only Wal-Marts nearby so I haven't had any Target trips in awhile! I need to bring all of my corduroys back and my warmer cardigans. I will spend the majority of the time home with my parents and will get to see one of my best friends, so that's exciting. My friend and I are all set to go Halloween shopping. What are y'all being for Halloween? I was thinking about being a cat one of the weekends and then Pebbles! I will let you know which I decide and what my costume looks like!
Happy almost Wednesday!
xx, M

Absolute love!

2009-10-03T14:52:00.000-07:00

Oh my gosh, this dress is so cute!

Happy Weekend!
xx, M

Fall!

2009-09-30T07:25:00.000-07:00

Hey y'all!
I hope you are having lovely Wednesdays so far. It is officially fall here in Ohio! It is quite chilly out, only 50! I am so glad I have my North Face and my new rain coat to keep me nice and toasty. The start of fall has seemed to catch everyone here by surprise since just last week we were all wearing shorts and sandals! It sure is a crazy weather pattern. I got two new pairs of jeans this weekend, so I am all set with my pants. I cannot wait to get all of my favorite J.Crew corduroys when I go home for fall break (in just one week!) and all of my favorite heavier cardigans. I basically live in cardigans, dark jeans\corduroys and Tory Burch flats or Topsiders during the fall. Oh and I have a new way to style my Topsiders! I simply pair them with a pair of colored footie\socks. It looks really cute and keeps your feet a little warmer. The socks must obviously go with the rest of your outfit, I usually wear pink or navy ones, and they really make your outfit.

I am definitely lusting after the new navy,suede Revas. They are so darn cute! For anyone who is yet to own pair, you are missing out! They are quite comfortable and add a little something to your outfits on those days where you need a little something. The price tag is a little pricey, but I am telling you they are well worth it. Try looking on the TB website too, I found my suede pair last year on sale for only $115. And of coarse constantly check your local Nordstrom or department store. My only complaint was that they were not super comfy in the beginning, but like any other pair of flats, they get broken in quickly. They really are a fantastic buy.

Happy last day of September!
xx, M

PS: I missed Gossip Girl this week (awful, I know)! How was it?

Rain rain go away!

2009-09-25T06:12:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone!
Just a quick post today in between classes (I have 4 today :/). It is super dreary here, cool and raining. Absolutely yucky. Yesterday it started to pour just as I started to walk down to class. It was awful! But today since it is raining again I was thinking about pulling out my bean boots! It seems like a good opportunity to sport them. I just hope they aren't uncomfortable since I haven't worn them at all yet. Were they comfortable for you the first time you wore them? And I forgot the worst part of the day, my umbrella broke just as I was going downstairs! My mom must have accidentally packed the faulty umbrella that did not open! So I had to run back upstairs and thankfully my roomie let me borrow hers! It was just quite a day. Since I do not have a working umbrella I will have to pick one up.

Here are a few of my top choices that are both preppy and practical..

A lovely Vera..

A darling pink and green option

Even umbrellas can be monogrammed!

And to make things even better, this weekend is parent's weekend! I cannot wait to see my parents! I haven't seem them since August so it will be so wonderful to be with them. We plan on doing a lot of shopping and definitely going to Wal-Mart! (I'm sure you're jealous on that one). I am in desperate need of groceries and new clothes. I will try to post on Sunday to let y'all know about the weekend!

Happy Friday!
xxx M

College student must-haves (University of Dayton edition!)

2009-09-19T07:09:00.000-07:00

Hey y'all!
Happy Saturday! I am so happy it is finally the weekend! I stayed in last night and just relaxed after a very busy and tiring week. My roommate and my friend Emma and I watched Final Destination 3 and just as one of the characters was about to be killed, the fire alarm went off! It was so scary! I instantly jumped up and was so frightened! Scary movies are not my thing that's for sure. Today I don't have too much going on, I am going to work on my Religion readings and go work out. Then tonight we are going out! Yay!

So back to the post. Since I live on top of a mighty hill and spend a lot of my time walking to class, I play a game along the way. I call it the trend game. I pick a trend (think LL Bean totes) and count how many I see along the way. In high school, I would play it with my friends all of the time and we would count the UGGs, which were literally everywhere! So I thought that I would share with you some of the big trends I have seen\counted on campus..
We'll start off with our collegiate store of choice, J.Crew...

The perfect, summer cardigan that looks great with everything.

Critter flip flops, a college student's most comfortable shoe option!

The perfect option for those hot days when you want to look cute and comfortable.

On to the collegiate carryalls..

The ever stylish Vineyard Vines tote!

Longchamp in navy, pink, or black.

The classic LL Bean backpack (which has worked great so far!)

Footwear

Jack Rodgers

Vineyard Vine flip flops

Sperry Topsiders, a favorite of both boys and girls around campus.

Vera Bradley, a must-have!

Enjoy your day!
xx, M

Schools supplies gone prepster

2009-09-16T06:13:00.001-07:00

Hey y'all!
I hope you are all having nice weeks. Very busy week for me, cannot wait for the weekend! Wednesday's are my favorite day of the week though because it is the day where I go and tutor inner city kids. It is such a great and fulfilling thing and I absolutely love all of the kids. They are just the cutest! One of them, Ebony, told me that I was a "beautiful diva." Some days you just need those special pick me ups and hugs from kids!

I thought it would be fun to show y'all how I had a little prep to all of my school supplies. Collegiate C and I started doing this last year and we always get compliments on our cute binders. Since most binders look the same and are quite plain we sproose them up with a darling background graphic.

A few simples steps...

First you simply pick the picture of your choice (a favorite Lilly print, Vineyard Vines whale, Edward Cullen, Vogue cover etc)
Then print it out, and slip it behind the clear cover.
In those three steps you are done! Not only does it look darling but it helps you to distinguish between binders.

Have a great day!
xx, M

Can you say love?

2009-09-12T08:37:00.001-07:00

Kate did it again! Her fall collection is perfect!

Hope the little Kate preview brightened your day!
xx, M

A peak inside my make-up bag!

2009-09-05T09:42:00.000-07:00

Good morning girls!

I hope you all have lovely Friday's! I thought I would do a post about my go to make-up items. I love love make-up and getting ready at night so I thought I could take y'all along with me on my make up regimen.

During the week, I stick with the basics when it comes to make-up. I usually wear my favorite MAC spot cover up which fixes those blemishes and small spots. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who does not want to use a full foundation that you have to put all over. Then I move onto my CoverGirl tanfastic bronzer. I put that all over my face exactly where the sun would hit. I then move onto my Sonia Kashuk beautifying blush which I absolutely love! I am a big blush person and this one is by far my favorite. I wear it in a rosy pink which seems to work well with my complexion. The last step is my mascara. I am a huge mascara fan and love the look of really long eyelashes. I used to stick with the pink and green Maybelline mascara but I have moved onto the Maybelline Pulse Perfection. It is the vibrating kind and really does make your lashes look longer. I would recommend it to anyone who isn't positive they like the vibration and doesn't want to buy the Dior or Lancome mascaras. I finish with my Bonnie Bell (Yes, I'm still a fan at 18!) Dr. Pepper lip balm. It gives me a hint of color without being too much for class. I finish off with a little of my Lilly perfume and I am set for the day! At night I use MAC make-up remover wipes which work really well. I have tried countless other brands and no other brand seems to work as well as the MAC wipes. They take off eye make-up easily and do not leave your face feeling greasy afterwards.Hope you enjoyed the peak inside my make-up bag!

Have a great Saturday and long weekend!
xx, M

A look inside of my dorm!

2009-09-03T11:35:00.000-07:00

Hi girls!

I finally found time today to blog! My next class is not for a few hours, so I have time to catch up with y'all. So sorry for the long blogging hiatus!

Last week was the first week of classes and a total whirlwind. Most of my teachers seem nice and the homework hasn't been too terribly overwhelming so far. It is so much reading though, none of which is very interesting! How did you college girls get through all of it? Any suggestions?

I really like college so far! It is definitely a lot different then high school but in a good way. Everyone here is so very polite and all of the boys are very nice. I have spotted a ton of boys wearing Topsiders and many pairs of the J.Crew critter flip flops and Vineyard Vines flip flops. Lots of cute outfits too. And guess what? I found another Lilly lover! The girl across the hall loves Lilly too! So we of coarse bonded instantly. I also found another girl who likes VV! Clothes is an instant bond in my book.

So without further a do here is what my dorm room looks like...I'm sure y'all just cannot wait to see it!

Here is my bed.. the pink polka-dot\seersucker quilt is working perfectly. I have gotten so many compliments on it!

And here is a closer picture at my pink and green pillow and monogrammed green sheets. Oh and Miss. Raggedy Ann :)!

My desk, which at the time looked a bit messy.

I had to bring the preppy bibles along!

Our food area! (Notice the cute Jackie O magnets)

My teeny weeny closet!

Extra storage space.. (I'm the left side)

Our curtains and lovely Edward Cullen!

Hope y'all enjoy the look inside my room! Have a great Thursday!
xx, M

First few days

2009-08-24T18:42:00.000-07:00

Hey y'all!
Sorry I have totally neglected y'all for the past few days. I have been SO busy! My family and I left with our car super packed on Thursday for Dayton and all arrived in one piece. We had all of Friday to walk around campus and see more of the town which was nice and made me less nervous about things. We also went out to dinner with my roomie and her family which was great. Saturday was move-in day and a total whirlwind. We left our hotel around 645AM and were busy practically all day and night. Even though it took quite a while to unpack everything our room looks darling. Sunday we had mass and then I went out to lunch with my parents and said goodbye. It was hard saying goodbye but I know that I'll talk to them all of the time. Sunday was a lot of ice breakers (don't you just hate those after a while?). I met a few other girls which was nice.It is kind of awkward though but I'm sure that will all change once we all get used to everything. Classes start Wednesday so I'm sure I'll meet more people then. I will try to do a dorm room picture soon!

Hope y'all had great weekends!
xx, Melissa

One Last Batch

2009-08-18T18:10:00.000-07:00

Hi girls!
I just wanted to post real quick before I leave town for Ohio! I still cannot believe I am going to be blogging from college just a week from now! I talked to my roommate yesterday and she seems just lovely. So nice! She already moved her stuff in so she told me all about our room. It seems like our room will work out and we should be able to fit everything. I am pretty much done packing all of my stuff. You don't realize how much stuff you have until you have to pack it all up. How did you college girls fit it all? We are borrowing a bigger car and using one of the overhead containers so it should all fit. Keep your fingers crossed y'all!

I went out with my girlfriends tonight to say goodbye. It was quite bittersweet. Even though I know we all have so much ahead of us it still is sad to say goodbye to friends. Since I was a little bit sad I decided to bake for the last time before I go. My dorm only has a kitchenette the floor shares so I won't be baking until Thanksgiving. I decided to bake my speciality cupcakes and a batch of brownies. Both came out wonderfully and made me feel much better! Baking really does calm nerves.

AND girls, guess what? I got all of my finished monogrammed dorm stuff yesterday! It all looks DIVINE!! I really really like it! It came out even better than I imagined. I can't wait to put it all out in my dorm and use my new towels when I take a shower.

Well that's all for now, I will be back to you hopefully after move-in on Saturday! Have a great week!

xx, M

"It's not goodbye, it's see you later..."

2009-08-16T10:37:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone,
I hope you are all having great weekends. Today is my last day of work so I am quite excited! I will have all of Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday to pack and get all of my last things together. It sure is a lot of stuff to pack. My mom and I packed pretty much all of the things we had bought like all of the toiletries, school supplies, and all of my folded clothes. I am planning on only bringing some summer stuff and the start of my fall clothes. My parents will be back up at the end of September so it's silly to lug all of the stuff when they can just bring it when they come later in the month. It's really starting to hit me now! I only have 4 more days until I am officially a grown-up college student! That's such a crazy thought!

My first friend left today for school. Collegiate C said her goodbyes yesterday and headed out today. We spent her last day at the beach which was nice and then went back to her house and had a delicious dinner. It was a great thing to do before we all started to leave. It's definitely a little bit sad saying goodbye to all of my best friends since so much will change once we get to school and make entirely different friends. I am excited to see how everyone changes and to go and visit them at their schools.

My backpack arrived on Thursday! It seems like it will be the perfect size and fits my laptop perfectly. I think my mom and I are going to go shopping this week to get a few last minute things. I got the new LL Bean catalog and am eyeing the darling pink and green raincoat. It will be just perfect for rainy Ohio in the Fall. I also want a pair of navy Keds. I have a pair of red ones but they got all icky inside from wearing them so often so I may try to pick up a navy pair.

Have a great Sunday!
xx,M

Question and answer time!

2009-08-12T19:15:00.000-07:00

Hi girls!

Sorry for my lack of posts lately, I have been really busy with getting ready for school ( I leave in just one WEEK!). I cannot believe I leave in only a week! I feel like the summer as truly flown by! I am so glad I started my blog this summer and so thankful to all of you wonderful readers. It always brightens my day to read all of your lovely comments and to see I have a new follower. It's great to read your blogs and learn about new and creative things. Y'all are really wonderful! I had said in my post a few days ago that I would do a question and answer post, so here it is!

What college will you be attending this fall?
I will be going to University of Dayton in Dayton,Ohio. It is about five hours from my town so not too terribly far. As you already know, I am very excited!

What will you be studying in college?
My major is English Education. I plan on being a middle or high school English teacher. My mother is a teacher and I see just how extremely rewarding it is to make such a difference in a child's life.

What kind of music do you listen to?
Well as y'all know, I really like indie bands like Delta Spirit, Andrew Bird, Ben Folds, and Vampire Weekend but I also like all kinds of music. I like to listen to Frank Sinatra (just like Summer Wind!), Beyonce and Black Eyed Peas when working out, Coldplay, Kanye West and I love all of the OC Mix CDS.

What are your guilty pleasures?
Oh goodness, well I am TOTAL sucker for bad reality television. I DVR all of my favorites including NYC Prep, Real Housewives, Toddlers and Tiaras (it's so addicting!), and all of the bad MTV shows. Reality television is enticing!

What is your favorite store?
I would have to say my favorite store would probably be J.Crew. Most of my clothes is from J.Crew and their clothes seem to fit me the best. I love when the catalogs come and looking at them over and over again for new styling ideas. I also really like The Gap and Ann Taylor Loft. Most recently I have gotten into the LL Bean craze and just ordered a bunch of clothes for college. I sadly have never gone to a Lilly store! Can you believe that? There's only one in IL and it's very far away so all of the Lilly things I have I have gotten at either Ross or online.

What's your favorite item of clothing?
I guess I don't have one favorite item but a few that I think I will hang onto forever. My J.Crew cashmere monogrammed sweater I got for Christmas that I wear to pieces would definitely be a favorite of mine. I am a big fan of dresses and seem to buy one every time I go shopping. I also love capri's, I have them mostly every color and wear them quite often. I think they are very feminine and always look so cute.

Are you planning on rushing a sorority?
I am planning on rushing. At my school, you do not rush until second semester so I will have plenty of time to get acclimated and find which sorority fits me the best. I am hoping there is a Kappa Kappa Gamma on campus!

What is your favorite television show?
My favorite television show would definitely be Gossip Girl. I just love Blair, she is so fabulous and I also really love Chuck Bass. Blair's style is impeccable and I love all of her bows and headbands.

Do you have a boyfriend?
I do not have a boyfriend. I did not have a boyfriend all of high school actually. The boys that I went to high school with were never my type and were always very immature and into the same kind of girl. I am hoping that the boys in college will be different and I will be able to find my kind of boy. I like preppy boys, not a surpise, and boys that are nice of coarse and have good morals and get along with many types of people.

What is something you are proud of?
Well of coarse I am very proud of myself for getting into a good college. I am also proud of myself for becoming a lot braver and less square. Something my friends and I were proud of this past school year was being voted "Best Dressed" in our school's yearbook for our Blair Waldorf style. We all just about died when we found out that we all got it and it was because of our Blair style! It was very exciting!

How did you get the idea to start blogging?
I had read blogs for quite awhile before I got the idea to start my own. I used to read the Teen Vogue website and came across the blog section and that is where I first found out about blogs. I then starting reading Teen Fashionista and somehow came across Hopsy's blog. I fell in love with all of her Lilly's and her positive and creative take on life. I found many others that I loved along the way and after graduating high school decided to take the plunge and start College Belle!

I hope you learned a little something about me! Have a lovely night, only a few more days until the weekend!

xx, M

Lollapalooooooza!

2009-08-10T19:26:00.000-07:00

Hello hello,
I had an absolutely WONDERFUL time at Lollapaloooza this weekend! It was by far the best weekend of summer. The weather was less then delightful in true Chicago fashion, but we made it through and had a great time.

We arrived in the city around 1030AM on Friday and headed over to my aunt's condo which looks over Grant Park(where Lolla was held) and got ready to head over. At that time it was just really muggy so I was in my melon cigarette pants,navy crew neck,and pullover cable knit sweater and my topsiders. Much to our dismay it started to rain the minute we got to the park. The cold and rain didn't stop for six hours!!!! My poor poor topsiders are very very muddy and may not be able to be saved. The rain and mud just demolished everyone's feet. I honestly didn't think I could get as dirty and icky as I did over the weekend! My friends and I didn't get back until 12AM on Friday and were pooped! My favorite shows on Friday were Kings of Leon and Andrew Bird, both really good.

Saturday was the start of the heat. I wore shorts this time and my gingham shirt and my older pair of J.Crew grosgrain flip flops. It was so terribly humid out that my hair quickly turned into a very very curly mess. The two best shows were Delta Spirit (y'all should check them out!) and Santigold. I absolutely loved them both! They were very fun shows full of dancing.

Sunday was by far the hottest day. It was almost 100 outside and super humid out. I was super excited though because it was the day Vampire Weekend was playing! As y'all know they are my absolute favorites! They were GREAT and every bit as good as I expected. The band was all dressed in perfectly preppy outfits, each in a different RL oxford. My friends and I fell in love with them the minute they stepped on stage. It was a wonderful show as were The Killers.

By the end of the weekend, I was pooped and a bit fried by being in the sun for two days. It was the best weekend of summer and a great thing to do with my besties before we all leave for college. I loved every minute of it and enjoyed seeing so many great bands and intersting people.

I thought it would be fun to make y'all a playlist of a few of my favorites from the weekend. Enjoy!

Creator:Santigold
People C'Mon:Delta Spirit
Starstruck: Santigold
Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa: Vampire Weekend
Kate: Ben Folds
Rockin' the Suburbs: Santigold
Hang me up to dry: Cold War Kids
Summertime Clothes: Animal Collective
Mansard Roof: Vampire Weekend
Roxanne: The Knux
Myknos: Fleet Foxes
Textbook Love: Fleet Foxes
17: Kings of Leon
Jenny: The Killers

Have a lovely night!
xx, M

Lifes a changing

2009-08-05T15:24:00.000-07:00

Hello again,

I hope y'all are having wonderful Wednesdays. I went to breakfast this morning with a few friends from high school which was lovely. Both of the girls are going to state schools in the area and are leaving in just one week for college! It really got me thinking about college and how I only have TWO more weeks left! I cannot believe the summer flew by so quickly. I am definitely starting to get a bit anxious yet very very excited. I know college will be a life changing wonderful experience and that life is really just beginning. It definitely is a bit scary though!

I have pretty much everything for my dorm room. Did I tell y'all that my roomie and I are having no other than a pink and green color scheme! I'm sure it will look darling. I cannot wait to see everything set up. Thank you Summer Wind for your wonderful hints about what to buy for college. They were all very helpful!

After careful contemplation, I have decided to just get a backpack for class. My dorm is up on top of a hill so not very centrally located. I was set on getting either a new Vera tote (the new prints are divine) or a LL Bean tote but have decided to do otherwise since I will have to carry my laptop, books and other necessary items up and down the hill and to class everyday. I am going for the classic LL Bean book bag in navy with my monogram. It will be sturdy and efficient and serve as a perfect carryall. Do you college girls use totes or backpacks?

Oh and I forgot to tell y'all where I will be this weekend! My friends and I are going to Lollapalooza! I am so terribly excited. For anyone who does not know what Lollapalooza is, it is a big concert held in Grant Park here in Chicago with about 100 or so bands. There are different stages and you can just walk around and go to the various shows. It is a 3 day event and the girls and I will be going all 3 days. Since we don't live in the city, we are staying at my aunt's second home in the city that overlooks the park. I am just so excited! It will be my first big concert and I will be able to see many of my favorites. My favorite band, Vampire Weekend (total dreamboats!) will be there as will Fleet Foxes another one of my favorites.

I won't be posting over the weekend but will try to maybe do a quick post tomorrow after work. Oh yes and I was thinking about doing a question and answer post next week to answer a few questions, do y'all have anymore questions you would like me to answer? I hope y'all have a fantastic rest of the week!

xx, M

PS: Prissy Southern Prep, may I have an invite to your blog? And congratulation BLC, what an exciting time for you!

Nantucket Gift Company giveaway!

2009-08-05T09:45:00.001-07:00

Hi girls!
I love Summer Wind's idea to have a giveaway from Nantucket Gift Company! They have many lovely items and a ton of really adorable things for the home. I would have to say my two favorite items would be the Island Palm headband (so cute and very Lilly!) or the embroidered hand towels (perfect for the preppy home!). There are many cute items and I am so thankful to Summer Wind for the gracious giveaway!

Happy Wednesday!
xx, M

Kate Kate Kate

2009-08-04T16:09:00.001-07:00

Kate Spade has done it yet again! Her new website is so cute! There are a ton of adorable thins on sale and many wonderful new items. Y'all should definitely check out the site!
These are my favorites...

xx, M

I'm back!

2009-08-03T21:50:00.000-07:00

Hi girls!
I am so happy to be back to the world of blogging! I had an absolutely DIVINE trip! Arizona was really wonderful. It was quite warm (115!!) but perfect. We sunned everyday and I read three beach reads and tons of magazines! I finished Gossip of the Starlings, read Mating Rituals of a North American WASP and my summer reading book! All were very good. We went to dinner with our old friends and had many delicious meals.

And of coarse we went shopping! I was looking for a few "party" shirts so we headed to Nordstrom and Macy's. Surprisingly Macy's was a hit! I walked away with five adorable shirts all that were on sale for less than $25! I also found a darling pair of black, polka-dot cigarette pants that are really cute and were on sale for only $14! My best buy was a pair of white jean Lilly capris that I found at Ross for only... get this girls, $19!!!!! It was such a spectacular find! It was truly a shopping miracle. There were only two pairs one in a 0 and the other in my size! They fit like a glove, and I love love love them! We also stopped by J.Crew where I got a pair of pumpkin colored cigarette pants, gray bermudas, a new pair of grosgrain critter flip flops, and two really cute tortoiseshell headbands. It was definitely a successful shopping week!

Here are a few pictures from the week...

First day: My step-father and I at the airport.

Family breakfast at Marie Callendars!

My mom and I (in the Lilly capris!) after a dinner out.

The whole family after dinner at the Salt Cellar, a very East coast seafood restaurant.

Dinner at the Salt Cellar!

Enjoying delicious gelato!

After a wonderful J.Crew trip!

Before enjoying the hot AZ sun!

Wearing my favorite Lilly dress on our last night.

I hope you all had lovely weeks!
xx, M

PS: I finally found a copy of Southern Living and loved it!

So long,farewell!

2009-07-24T20:04:00.000-07:00

Hi girls!
I'm off tomorrow for sunny Scottsdale,Arizona! I plan on wearing a fairly simple outfit on the plane, my navy J.Crew crew neck,white and navy argyle cardigan my most comfortable Gap jeans and my gold Jack Rodgers. And of coarse my white bow! I made sure to pack all of my bows and headbands. I have a weird quirk about always have earrings on and a bow in my hair! My mom used to always put me in a bow that matched my outfit so I do the same now all of these years later. I am all packed and ready to go other then my make-up and last minute things. I tried to pack somewhat light: five pairs of shorts, one pair of my peach pink J.Crew cafe capris,my favorite Laura Ashley nightgown,crew necks,polos,my new VV skirt (can't wait to wear it!),and my two Lilly dresses. And of coarse my swimsuits,a definite must in sunny AZ! I decided to only bring three since I usually wear my favorite Lilly one when I'm sunning. I'm so terribly excited to get out of this dreary weather and into the warm, AZ sun! It is almost 115 there, so I will be sure to be nice and toasty!

I hope to catch up on my beach reads and sit by the pool and relax! I am about half way through Gossip of the Starlings and about to read Mating Rituals of the North American WASP. Have y'all ever read it? I was attracted by it's darling pink and green cover!

I am going to try my hardest to resist from checking my email and going on the computer so I am saying farewell for now! I wish you all lovely weeks and will make sure to take lots of pictures!
xoxo,
M

PS: BLC, I got the Lilly juice at Dominicks :)!

Manicure Wednesday

2009-07-22T19:01:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!
I hope y'all had nice a Wednesday. I was supposed to work today, but once again the weather was too chilly and the pool closed early. Since I had the day off, my mom and I decided it would be the perfect day to get our manicures and pedicures before vacation. I am a total pink girl so I usually go with a light,nude pink on my nails and a darker color on my toes.

In honor of my visit to the nail salon today I thought I would share a few of my favorite polish colors with y'all...

A-dore-aball: Essie

Mademoiselle: Essie

Castaway: Essie

My Chihuahua Bites: OPI (A new favorite thanks to Summer Wind!!)

Lincoln After Dark: OPI (The perfect fall pedicure color)

Big Apple Red: OPI (The best red!)

Have a great night!
xoxo, M

PS: I bought the Lilly juice today! I was so excited, I spotted it right away!

Parties,friends, and vacation

2009-07-21T17:25:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone!
I had quite the weekend. Two of my bf's had their graduation parties so it was a very quick and hectic weekend. I had a great time at both of the parties and enjoyed seeing classmates I had not seen in a long time. By the end of the weekend, though, I was pooped!

I had today and yesterday off of work which has been very nice. I worked on Sunday and it was terribly boring! This bad Chicago weather has caused the pool not to be very crowded leaving me bored and ready for sunshine! Today it was a little nicer, some sun, so my mom and I went to the pool which was nice.

I am reading Gossip of the Starlings and I definitely recommend it! It is a really good read! It's the story of two prep school girls and their adventures and misadventures through their crazy lives. The book is a total page turner! Y'all should definitely pick a copy up!

On another note, I leave for vacation in four days! I cannot wait! I am so anxious to get out of town and have a whole week of relaxation. My mom and I have yet to get our manicures but we are scheduled to go on Friday. Any polish suggestions? I usually go with A-Dore-Able, a fantastic, paler Essie color but I was thinking about maybe going for a different color. I usually go with a paler manicure color and a nice peachy color for my toes.

Oh and I got my Ray-Bans! They are lovely and a great purchase.

I'm off for Italian ice with my girlfriends!
Have a great evening,
xoxo M

Handsome boys and Harry Potter

2009-07-15T19:45:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!

I hope y'all are having a nice week. Sorry about my slowness with posting, I have been pretty busy.

Yesterday, I had my court date for that accident I had gotten into a few weeks ago. I channelled my inner Elle Woods and found the perfect courthouse appropriate outfit. I wore my darling new VV skirt, a white sweater set, my pearls, and my patent Tory Burch's. The court date was successful ( I did not have to say a word!) and I got my license back within ten minutes. It was kind of silly to go all the way there, but it ended happily. My parents and I then lunched at Maggiano's to celebrate afterward, which was delicious. My mom and I shopped around for a bit and then headed home.

After giving myself an impromptu manicure and pedicure, I took a quick power nap and got ready for the big night ahead... seeing Harry Potter!! I myself, am not a huge huge fan but do really enjoy all of the movies. I have seen them all but never read any of the books. My girlfriends are all Harry crazed too, so we went to the midnight showing. The movie was absolutely wonderful! Y'all should go see it! It was really good, and I'm saying that from someone who never has read the books and gets easily confused in movies. We went to the biggest movie theater in town and it took us 45 minutes (!!!) to get out of the parking lot. It was a driving nightmare. I was happy to finally get home to my bed at nearly 4AM. Thank goodness I didn't have to work today!

Then today, I went out to lunch with my mom and to the bookstore. I just finished Chasing Harry Winston, quite a good beach read, and was looking for another good read. Collegiate C had suggested a book called Gossip of the Starlings, you may have seen it in People, so I picked that up. On my way to the check-out, I saw the most handsome boy! Y'all may have just died! He had a comb-over, a navy RL polo, tan chino shorts, and Topsiders on! He was quite possibly the best dressed boy I have seen all summer! It was by far, the highlight of my day!!

Here are a few pictures from our Harry adventure....

Collegiate C and I!

Collegiate C,Devvy and I in our homemade "I love Ron" t-shirts!

Have a lovely Thursday,
xoxo M

I have my eye on you...

2009-07-12T18:52:00.000-07:00

Hello girls,
Hope everyone had a lovely weekend. I had a nice weekend, worked both today and yesterday and lounged around the house. I sunned yesterday before work and read, which was lovely since it was finally a good sun day. While laying out, I had a sudden epiphany. I needed to start stocking up on a few items before I go on vacation. I do shop quite a bit while I am in Scottsdale, but there are a few things I have my eye on getting before we depart. Do y'all ever have those sudden shopping lusts? Oh I do all of the time! My mom just kicks me for my love of all things shopping. I could shop for hours! I think the item I am looking forward to looking for in AZ the most are Lilly dresses. One of the Marshall's has an entire Lilly and Vineyard Vines section! My money could be lost in one swoop in that section! I am also looking for some sort of tote to bring to class in the fall. What would you college girls suggest? I have a darling Vera messenger but that isn't too terribly big. We will have to see what I spot while on vacation.
Here are a few of the items I have my eye on...

I have the smaller version of this bag in pink and just love it. I think maybe I could use the bigger style? It's such a good,durable bag.

These J.Crew shorts are my absolute favorite. I have them in a dark bone color and wear them often. They fit seamlessly and are very comfortable. I would recommend them to anyone who hasn't yet found the perfect pair of shorts.

Oh how I love these Ray-Ban's! My current sunglasses have gotten really stretched out from me wearing them on my head so often. These are cute and very All-American. I think this is my top lust item. So practical for all seasons!

My Jack Rodger's are definitely my most worn summer item. I wear them ALL of the time and always get numerous compliments on them. If you can believe it, my town hasn't got Jack Rodger fever yet. Very few people actually know what I mean when I talk about my JR's! Since not many Illinoisans know about Jack Rodgers it is very hard to find them. The one store that sells them in town only has one color so they are of no help. I may try to pick up another pair in AZ, that is where I got them before. Or I could just order them online before hand? I will have to propose that plan to my mother.
That is all for now for my item lust!

Have a lovely Sunday evening,
xoxo M

Music to my ears

2009-07-10T17:09:00.000-07:00

One of the best things about summer is going on vacation. In a few weeks, I will be departing for my favorite place in the world, Scottsdale. I have been vacationing there two times a year since I was a little girl. It is my absolute favorite place in the world. It is so very relaxing and resting. When on vacation I sun, read, and listen to music. I have started to compile my perfect "summering" playlist so I thought I would share it with y'all!

Melissa Elizabeth's Summering Picks
Summer Wind: Frank Sinatra

The World on a String: Frank Sinatra

A-Punk: Vampire Weekend

M-79: Vampire Weekend ( A favorite of mine!)

Mansard Roof: Vampire Weekend

Teenage Love: Neko Case

Knocked Up: Kings of Leon

You Found Me: The Fray

Don't Stop Believing: Journey

I 've Gotta Feeling: Black Eyed Peas

Boom Boom Pow: Black Eyed Peas (My friends and I love this song!)

Gravity: John Mayer

Textbook Love: Fleet Foxes

Meadowlark: Fleet Foxes

Come on feel the Illinoise: Sufjan Stevens (Kate Spade's favorite)

Sunshowers: MIA

Jesus Etc: Wilco

Everlasting Everything: Wilco

Rock Your Body: Micheal Jackson

Billie Jean: Micheal Jackson

Sexyback: Justin Timberlake

Senorita: Justin Timberlake

Halo: Beyonce

Deja Vu: Beyonce

Summertime Clothes: Animal Collective

Hometown Glory: Adele

Daydreamer: Adele

If You Seem Amy (quite the play on words!!): Britney Spears

Beautiful Liar: Beyonce and Shakira

Fever: Micheal Buble

Moondance: Micheal Buble

California: Rufus Wainwright

Live High: Jason Mraz

If It Kills Me: Jason Mraz

Love for a child: Jason Mraz

Oxford Comma: Vampire Weekend

Have an absolutely lovely evening,
xoxo M

Busy busy busy

2009-07-09T19:58:00.000-07:00

Oh goodness girls, sorry I have been so out of the loop these past days. I have been busy working and running around town.
Since I am going to be a freshmen at Dayton in the fall, I am busy preparing. I am getting quite anxious! I recently found out who my roommate was and she seems to be perfect. She is from Ohio and seems really nice. And guess what? She loves PINK AND GREEN and her favorite place to shop is J.Crew! It is a match made in roommate heaven! I am so relieved that I seemed to have gotten a really good roomie. We have decided on a pink and green color scheme so I'm sure our room will look quite darling and preppy. Have y'all had good roommates and college experiences?
Have a lovely night,
xoxo M

PS: I will be back with a longer post tomorrow, promise!

Home sweet home

2009-07-06T18:27:00.000-07:00

Hello hello!
I had a just glorious fourth of July weekend. The town fireworks were very good and I enjoyed seeing classmates I hadn't seen all summer long. We left gloomy Chicago around 9 on Saturday and arrived safely to the lake by noon.The weather wasn't too good when we first arrived, rainy and chilly,so my girlfriends and I decided to go to lunch at the clubhouse. It was a real simple place and we got the best surprise in the world... free ice cream! It was quite a treat! After lunch, we headed back and played Apples to Apples. Have y'all ever played? It is such a fun game. The sun finally came out around 3, so we were able to go tubing. The lake was SO terribly chilly but I was brave and jumped right in. The tubing was very fun but quite tiring. Later on we went and saw the fireworks at the dock. It was a beautiful show and a great ending to the day. On Sunday, we layed out in the sun and read. I am currently reading Chasing Harry Winston, quite the juicy beach read. Just as I got fully enthralled in a juicy part I felt a piercing sting on my hand. Guess what? I got stung by a big,fat bumble bee!! It really hurt! After the bee bite,we decided to go to the beach and cool off a little. We arrived at the beach and were able to sun and talk. We left the lake soon afterwards and stopped at Dairy Queen on the way home. It was as usual, delicious. I had a chocolate shake, which was absolutely yummy. The drive home was fine, full of laughs and food. We all arrived back to town, tired and giggled out. It was overall a lovely weekend full of laughing, singing, and relaxation. Hope y'all had a wonderful weekend as well!

The beautiful night view of the lake.

My friends and I in our matching nood-dees (no hooded sweatshirts). We love them!

Collegiate C and I on the boat before the firework show.
Have a lovely evening,

xoxo M

Away we go!

2009-07-03T15:17:00.000-07:00

My girlfriends and I are going to C's lake house this weekend. I am super excited! Hopefully we will have nice weather and be able to go tubing and enjoy the outdoors. In my town there is a huge firework show at the local high school, so that's where we will be tonight and then we're leaving bright and early tomorrow for the lake. I have packed my darling new gingham swimsuit and some simple polos and my favorite J.Crew chino shorts. I hope all of the junebugs stay far away from me... I hate those icky things! I will back to y'all with pictures in a few days!

Have an absolutely lovely holiday and a great fourth!

xoxo, M

A new award!

2009-07-02T16:20:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness, girls! I got another blog award! I am so excited! Thank you so much Summer Wind. I was gifted with the Kreativ Blogger Award! It's a total honor! I am supposed to tell y'all seven things I love..

So here it goes..

Bad reality television ( I still DVR The Real World!)

Vera Bradley

My family and my close relationship with my mother.

My best friends

Arizona, it's my favorite place in the world!

Frank Sinatra

Charlotte York from SATC ( We are verrrry similar!)

Okay I am going to pass this on to....

My Blue Blazer

Sweet,Sassy and Always Classy

The Pink Washingtoniette

Headbands and Handbags

Pretty in Pink Megan

Have a great evening!

xoxo, M

What a catch!

2009-06-30T21:10:00.000-07:00

On a whim yesterday, my mom and I decided to stop at TJ Maxx. My mom got a really cute Limited black shift dress and I got a tennis skirt and really darling stationary. While scanning the clearance section I found an absolutely lovely Vineyard Vines skort!

Can you believe TJ Maxx had VV? I was so amazed when I saw it there. It was truly lucky to come across such a darling and inexpensive skirt. It was ..$13!! It was the only one in the store and I was so terribly happy I snatched it. It would look perfect with my Ralph Lauren white polo and a cute cardigan. The skirt will also be perfect to wear to class and into the fall with brown tights. It was quite a shopping trip and I knew y'all would enjoy hearing about my new preppy purchase!

Have a fantastic Wednesday!

xoxo, M

Party re-cap

2009-06-29T18:33:00.000-07:00

In my Ann Taylor dress and Lilly sweater!
I had a perfect summer weekend. My graduation party was on Sunday which made things quite busy. Oh yes, did I mention it was a pink and green theme?

Everyone wore their best pink and green attire and looked great. It was so fantastic to see a whole pool of pink and green attendees. I myself wore the pink Ann Taylor Loft dress, which worked out perfectly since it was quite warm outside. I was a little nervous for the party since there were quite a lot of people coming over (around 35) but it all worked out wonderfully. Everyone seemed to have a nice time. I mingled with most of the party guests and really enjoyed myself. It was great to see people I hadn't seen in a while and just sit back and enjoy the party. We had an absolutely DIVINE chocolate tiered cake, y'all would have just loved! It even had pink and green frosting and was just delicious! My mom worked long and hard to decorate our entire house in pink and green which also looked quite cute. Overall, it was a wonderful night and a very successful party!

My best girlfriends and I in our pink and green!

The gorgeous pearl set my aunt gave me!

Have a wonderful evening!

xoxo, M

A very special award!

2009-06-29T18:03:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness, I am so excited to get my first blog award from Headbands and Handbags! Thank you so very much! I received the "lovely blog award" which is quite special. Thank you for the honor! Now I am going to pass this onto five wonderful blogs....

The Company She Keeps

College Prep

Summer Wind (My first follower!!)

Preppy Panache

Monograms and Manicures

Y'all can now pass it onto five other bloggers!!

Calling all Vineyard Vines lovers!

2009-06-26T12:14:00.000-07:00

Oh girls, guess what?? Vineyard Vines is having a giant sale! There are a lot of really cute sundresses, skirts, and items for summer for quite cheap. Some items are marked down as much as 40%! Stop by and shop away!! Here is a link to the sale.. http://www.vineyardvines.com/index.cfm Enjoy!

Here are a few of my favorites....

A perfect belt for summer.

One of the best parts of the sale these darling seersucker shorts!

So so cute!

A darling green and salmon skirt.

Such a fun print..

Have a wonderful Friday!

A few of my favorite.... magazines!

2009-06-25T21:31:00.000-07:00

Yesterday while at the drugstore I got a perfect idea for a post.. a post all about one of my favorite pastimes, reading magazines! I love reading in general, but reading magazines is something I always enjoy doing when I need to relax and not think. I must admit that I am a total sucker for juicy celebrity gossip. I subscribe to and look forward to reading it every week. US Weekly seems to be the best.. well if there is a best, for Hollywood gossip. I also really enjoy Elle and Vogue. The September issues are by far the best but I love spending a night in just devouring them for hours and hours and dreaming about owning some of the fabolous frocks. When on vacation I love to read InStyle. I think it is one of the only fashion magazines that is perfect for everyone. It can be read by someone like us, a busy mom, or even a grandmother. It is not too fashion-ey and has a lot of really good finds and hints. I also really like Lucky. It has some really darling finds and always has some really good deals on the last few pages. And last but not least, Glamour. I think this actually must be my favorite. It is always has really cute editorials. I am anxious when my montly Glamour arrives and I can sit and read it cover to cover. They have the perfect amount of celeb news, fashion, and real life stories.
What magazines do y'all like to read?

Ps: I am currently on my new laptop and loving it!

College Belle as of late...

2009-06-24T15:38:00.000-07:00

Hey girls,

So sorry I haven't posted in a few days my computer has been acting up. The screen is constantly turning on and off which is quite a nuisance and makes going on the computer a hassle. Anyone know why this could be happening? I assume I need to get a new monitor. I am currently on our other computer which will be my key to the blogging world just for now.

The past few days have been quite nice. On Sunday, we celebrated Father's Day at my aunt's house with my family which was very nice. My mother and I went to the wonderful woman's house who is monogramming my towels and sheets. She has a lot of experience with monogramming and seems to know just how to do it. I think she is one of the only adults I know that loves monogramming as much as I do! I will definitely post all of the items for y'all to see!

Today my mom and I went to Old Orchard, an outdoor mall, which was as shopping always is, lovely. I was in need of a few new undies and bras so we went to Victoria Secret which is usually a little too much for me but had a ton of the simple bras for only $20! I got four of them for really cheap which was a good deal. We then headed to J.Crew for a few things and of coarse ended up with a little more. They were having a pretty good sale and had all of their polos for only $14.99! I bought two of those, a few simple crewnecks (always a good thing to stock up on) and a pair of chinos for under $100! We had lunch at the Cheesecake Factory which was yummy. The reason for our shopping trip was to buy a pink or green dress for my pink and green themed graduation party on Sunday. I was planning on ordering a Lilly but by the time I picked the one I wanted I realized it would not be here in time. J.Crew only had a few dresses but were all too beachy. We looked at Bloomie's only to see that they carried the Jubilee collection which was a little out of our budget. My mom is a huge fan of Ann Taylor so we peaked in and guess what.. found the perfect dress! It is a fuchsia pink with a cute eyelet pattern and is just darling. That too was on sale! Ann Taylor Loft also had these darling shorts that were very Lilly like. I also spotted a pink and green Dooney and Burke bag that I thought was surprisingly quite cute. It was a good shopping day for sure!

Here are a few pictures from the day!

Aren't they very Lilly? And only $40!

Dooney&Burke has officially gone preppy!

Isn't it just adorable? It will be just perfect for my party!

Have a lovely night!

2009-06-22T21:22:00.001-07:00

Bow ties,boat shoes and boys

2009-06-20T19:01:00.000-07:00

Hello hello!
I hope you each had a wonderful Saturday. It was beautiful here today, nice and warm. There is one item that I think no boy should live without- a bow tie. In my opinion, a boy who can wear and pull off a bow tie is quite a dreamboat. There is something very catching about someone who has that subtle yet unique preppy style. I love love love when boys add anything preppy to their wardrobes like boat shoes or a classic RL oxford but I must say bow ties are my favorite. They leave me swooning every time! The boys at my high school definitely lack in the area of style. Many of them live in sweat pants.. which I will never understand or just wear boring sweatshirts and jeans. If only they could understand how much better they will feel if they added a little something to their outfits. I think people in college dress a lot better. Actually I know that. When I visited Dayton, I saw a ton of boys sporting boat shoes and oxfords. A definite plus in my book! Here are a few of my favorite bow ties for those special boys in our lives..

A simple,nautical print from Vineyard Vines.

The witty whale print is always a good look.

Bowties+Lilly? What could be better!?

A fruity and fun print from Southern Proper.

Have a wonderful Father's Day :)
M

Rain,rain go away!

2009-06-19T15:30:00.000-07:00

I had quite the day today. While driving to work in a absolutely terrible thunderstorm I had car trouble. It was quite scary and not a very good start to my day. I am still a little shaken about it but at least it finally stopped raining (it had been raining for 12 hours!) and I am okay.
On a way happier note, I stopped by the Lilly website last night and found some adorable things. The prints this season are just lovely! I also browsed the Tory Burch website and found some really cute things too. Can you say graduation money!? I think I'm going to pick one special thing and spend some of the money I get on that item. Which do you like the best?

So cute and can be both dressed up or down.

Isn't it just divine? I just love the pink and green floral pattern.

Cute and modest.

So perfect for summer and spring!

The must-have tote for class?

Happy weekend,

PS: If you are in need of new TB Revas they have an older version of the patent leather ones on sale!

Invites?

2009-06-18T21:38:00.001-07:00

A few of my favorite blogs have gone private! How do you get an invite to the private blogs? If you are reading this and your blog is private I would love to be invited, I miss reading your wonderful blogs!
Lulu in Lilly
The Prepbulican

Goodnight girls :)

Kate Spade sample sale!

2009-06-17T16:00:00.000-07:00

Girls, guess what??

Kate Spade is currently having her annual Sample Sale. There are a ton of really cute things for quite cheap. Now I just need to get paid and I will be in real luck! Here's the link.. happy shopping!! http://www.katespade.com/category/index.jsp?categoryId=2130331

Summer television

2009-06-17T15:13:00.000-07:00

I have completely been sucked into bad summer television. Since the weather was terribly cool the pool that I work at was closed so I was home the whole week. I spent my days watching a ton of bad television and watching a few of my really old DVD's. I had a huge phase of Jessica Simpson and absolutely loved her so I watched a whole season of the Newlyweds which made me love her again. I think she is really cute and very normal. I then watched The Breakfast Club which I fell in love with again. There is something very very real about that movie and is quite true to how high school can be and is for many people. The movie was actually filmed at a high school in my town!
Then last night I hate to say I TIVOed the Real Housewives of New Jersey. It's so terribly enticing and always on television so I watched the finale where the one housewife blows up and nearly throws a table across the room. It was quite eventful. The one summer show I will never turn my back on is So You Think You Can Dance. It's soo good and full of really talented dancers. My friends and I watch it together every week and even went to the concert this past fall. My newest show is NYC Prep which seems like it will be pretty good. I myself am a huge Gossip Girl fan and love everything Blair Waldorf and Upper East Side. The kids (well I'm not sure if they are considered kids they are soo adult like!) the.. youngsters seem to be very similar to the GG characters. The blonde girl who seems to have a crush on PC reminds of Serena and PC tries to be like Chuck Bass. I think he seems like a bit of a tool but maybe he will redeem himself. Oh goodness, the joys of no school and bad tv!

They were so cute, I still wish they hadn't broken up!

Such a classic!

A real guilty pleasure.

They even posed them like Gossip Girl!

Hope y'all had a nice day :),

A day of shopping

2009-06-16T16:54:00.000-07:00

Hello hello!
As I posted yesterday my mom and I were going on a shopping adventure today. We were on the search for the perfect quilt and other dorm necessities. It's never too early to start looking especially since stuff was already a bit picked over. We hit a definite pink and green jackpot! I found a DARLING sorbet pink polka-dot quilt at TJ Maxx and an adorable pink and green polka-dot pillow to match. The quilt is exactly what I was looking for and even is reversible with a cute seersucker print on one side. I also got some really cute Vera like thank you cards, since you can never have too many of those. They'll be perfect for my thank yous after my graduation party. We then moved on to Lohmann's to check out their Lilly dresses which was a complete and utter disappointment. They had absolutely NO Lilly anywhere. Last time I went there they had a whole heavenly section of Lilly shifts but not today. And guess what they replaced it with? Dolce and Gabbana (ickky!) ! Absolutely awful switch on their part! We then went to Home Goods and got some really cute purple polka-dot towels, a cute pink and green striped trash can,and my light green sheets. And we found an adorable Vineyard Vines like towel at the bottom of a towel bin, which was quite exciting.
Since I am a huge fan of everything monogrammed it is no surprise that I wanted a few things monogrammed for college. My mom has a friend who has a secret obsession with monogramming as well and offered to do all of my monogramming for absolutely no charge! How absolutely wonderful,right? I'm soo excited! I'm going to have her do the towels, my pillow cases, and a few cardigans. Tomorrow we're bringing it to her so I will definitely let y'all know how everything turns out. Here are a few of my finds....

Very Vineyard Vines like and perfect for the beach!

My new quilt! It's lovely, isnt it?

The matching pillow and garbage can!

Have a wonderful night and a lovely Wednesday :)

Weekend fun

2009-06-15T17:35:00.000-07:00

Hello girls!
It was my first official summer weekend and it was wonderful. I cleaned my closet and took out all of my winter and fall clothes which was well needed. I ended up finding a lot of cute things I had forgotten about which is always nice. It's a good job done before I leave for college even though it seemed to take what seemed like forever. My friends and I went to see The Hangover on Saturday, which was suprisingly HILARIOUS! Really, you all should see it. I thought it would be silly but it wasn't and was quite funny. Before we went to the movies we stopped at Micheal's (I love that place) and picked up some new ribbon. They had a dollar bin full of perfect preppy prints for only one dollar, so they were a total steal. Then yesterday my bestie, Cel, had her graduation party which was very fun. My friend, Kel, gifted us each with lovely braclets that each have "The Elles"(my friends and I call each other that) engraved on them. It was quite a special night. I worked today and tomorrow my mother and I are starting my dorm room shopping which I am very excited for. I never really thought about how much new stuff I would need to get before I leave for college. It's exciting and an excuse to go shopping!
Here are a few pictures from the weekend! Hope you had a great weekend as well!

Kate the great!

2009-06-11T20:46:00.000-07:00

I have always been a huge fan of Kate Spade. I think she is an absolutely wonderful and have read all of her books. She has a very simple yet adorable style and I always fall in love with something on her website.Tonight I was looking on katespade.com and fell in love once again! There were a ton of really cute party dresses and a lovely pink handbag.
Here are a few of my favorites....

Aren't they all just darling?

College Prep giveaway!

2009-06-11T12:56:00.001-07:00

College Prepster is hosting a mini-giveaway to celebrate the summer! What's better way to do that than post favorite beach pictures?
Here's my favorite beach picture:

My friends and I at the beach last summer :). We took this picture at least five times and finally found this perfect one. It reminds me of that wonderful summer and my great friends.

What to do?

2009-06-11T09:39:00.001-07:00

Hey girls!

I have quite a dilemma. My favorite pair of my Tory Burch flats, my patent leather ones, have become terribly worn. I got them only about a year ago and have worn them a ton but didn't expect them to get this worn in. They inside part has started to come up which makes them a bit uncomfortable to wear. Although I have completely switched to wearing my Jack Rodgers it's still nice to have the opportunity to wear my Tory's. Hopefully I can get them fixed! I'm not sure if maybe I should just superglue it in or bring it into the shoe repair man? What do y'all think? Did the same thing happen to your beloved Reva's?

A few fun facts

2009-06-09T10:23:00.000-07:00

I am an only child and very close with my family.

I love Lilly Pulitzer and Kate Spade.

I am an expert cupcake baker.

I love anything and everything pink and green.

I have an obsession with shoes.. especially Tory Burch reva flats and Jack Rodgers.

I love love love Dr. Pepper.

I was born in Dallas and lived there when I was little.

My goal is to be an English teacher and live in the South when I graduate college.

I love reading blogs!

I love TJ Maxx and Target, you can always find such wonderful treasures!

I wear a bow in my hair practically everyday and always am wearing a cardigan.

I am excited to get to know you all! Have a wonderful Tuesday :)

Blisters and prom bliss

2009-06-07T16:40:00.001-07:00

High school is officially almost over! I had prom this last weekend. It was really really fun. My girlfriends and I went to the dance together as a group and danced our hearts out. We went to a school sponsered event after which I wasn't at first to keen about what ended up being quite fun. I didn't get home until 730 AM the next morning, so I was pooped. My feet were killing me half way through the night and I am the happy owner of not one but five blisters. The pain we go through for beauty! My jewerly did not hold up well either. It was all vintage, and as expected did not withstand the whole entire night which was a bit of a let down. My dress worked wonderfully and I got many compliments on it. Tomorrow is graduation, the day I have been waiting for for ages, and I can't believe it. High school will officially be over in 24 hours! Crazy! I will be wearing a new Lilly dress to ring in the night. I'll make sure to post more pictures!

To buy or not to buy?

2009-04-22T12:16:00.001-07:00

For a few weeks now I have had my eye on one of the Southern Proper belle bands. They are just darling. I cannot decide if I should buy a belle band of invest in one of the Tucker Blair headbands which are a little more exspensive. I am not too terribley saddned to pay for them since I know I will wear them often. Any advice on which to buy?

First post!

2009-04-22T12:09:00.000-07:00

I thought for my first blog I could share with you a few of my favorite things!

Lilly, Kate, and J.Crew. I absolutely love them all.
Vampire Weekend. They are my favorite.
Baking and cupcakes. I absolutely love to bake!
My girlfriends, The Elles.
Shopping with my mom. We are best friends.
Preppy people and the preppy lifestyle
Southerners,especially well-dressed Southern men.
Blogs!

Hi,all!

2009-04-22T11:31:00.000-07:00

Hi, all! After being an avid reader of blogs I decided to start one of my own. I am an eighteen year old and live in Illinois.
I will start off my telling you a little bit about myself. As I said before I am eighteen, a high school senior. I will start college in the fall at University of Dayton, and I cannot wait. I am not a typical Northerner and dream of living in the South when I graduate. I love to shop and live a pink and green life. I love meeting new people and learning new things. This is quite the short version. More to come! I cannot wait to join the blogging world!