Happy Halloween!

So we're racing today at Princeton... Which is pretty great considering their colors are Black and Orange.  Festive, no?

Ready for a walk down memory lane?

xoxo

J. Crew Factory Store Online

I have a million pair of fun patterned socks from J. Crew (and GAP).

They're honestly my favorite part about wearing boots!!!  No one knows how ridiculous my socks look underneath!  [I never never never never never wear two different socks though.]

I wear them so often, that most of mine are beginning to show signs of wear and tear.  I blame my bean boots- they rub my heel a lot.

Someone on my tumblr suggested that I look for more socks on the J. Crew factory online store.

(For those that don't know, J. Crew offers factory items online over the weekend... it's epic.)

A few of the pairs I picked up.... Fabulous no?

 Well, my J. Crew mittens from my senior year of high school have finally been deemed unwarm.  They're perfect for texting however.  Please not the holes in the thumb.  Those holes are not supposed to be there.

Woo!  Found replacements online!  I am loving the darker grey.  Reminds me of a sock monkey!

Hmmmm.... So somehow I got a pair of pajama bottoms shipped to me.  And I didn't order them.  But they were my size.... and they're cute.  And I was looking for a pair of warm pajamas.  So they're staying here.  How cute do they go with my polka dot socks???

xoxo

Loafers...

So, you may remember that post I did about transitioning the Vineyard Vines skirt...

Well the first "Early Fall" polyvore had loafers.  I had just watched Nancy Drew and was really feeling the loafers.  And then I obsessed over finding a pair.

I searched all over Georgetown, popping in and out of stores, calling stores, etc.  No luck.

ZAPPOS to the rescue!!!

I ordered these.  They're Eastland Classic II in Tan Leather.  And I love them.  They're absolutely perfect.  I had to order a half size down (that's what is so great about Zappos.  Free shipping both ways!)

Okay, so once you get your loafers... what to wear them with???

I find that they go with almost everything!

xoxo

A new stack

Remember my post a while back about stacks?

I've added a new bracelet into the mix!

It's the Kate Spade "Give it a Whirl" bracelet!!!!  I picked it up while I was in New York City.  I just love it so much.  

There are little phrases engraved around the bracelet: 

play hooky

smile at a stranger

daydream

sing outside the shower

skirt the rules

have cake for breakfast

It seems quite fitting that I bought this while on my spontaneous trip to NYC.  The trip was extremely unlike me.... I mean, hello!!!, I went alone!

Here's my new stack du jour.  It fits in quite well with my "Live Your Dreams" cuff!

I like having these daily reminders right around my wrist, so if I'm having a not-so-good moment, I can look down and remember to give it a whirl and live my dreams.

xoxo

NEW YORK CITY part two

After shopping around Madison Ave, I scooted over to Central Park to relax, people watch, and just rest my feet.

The morning started off pretty chilly and windy, but it was shaping up into a beyond perfect day.  Look closely in the picture.... see the man performing Tai Chi?

Of course, I just had to sneak a peek at the Alice in Wonderland statue.  I've been a huge Alice fan recently (mostly thanks to Phoebe in Wonderland).

Can't you just tell how absolutely perfect it was outside???  I could have sat there for hours and hours and hours...... 

But there was too much to do, and so little time!

Off to The Plaza I went!  I had a reservation for afternoon tea in the Palm Court.  I got there a smidge early so that I could explore the Eloise nook downstairs!

Official Eloise costumes.... Little V, think you can fit into a size 4t?

The whole place was beyond precious.

Tea was absolutely divine.  I highly recommend for anyone visiting the city!!!

A cab ride into SoHo and I ended up at....

Kate Spade, obviously!

The store was so perfect.  Totally Kate Spade.  And the people working there were nice, friendly, and helpful (unlike the Lilly employees).

I did some more walking and shopping and eating and then took a very late (and long) train ride back to DC....

I really want to work and live in New York City after graduating.  And this trip reaffirmed that.  I love it so much.  If you want to walk around with a tutu on your head humming Taylor Swift songs into a kazoo, you can do that in New York.  If you want to just sit in a HUGE park and people watch, you can do that in New York.  Go to museums, or parties, or bars, or restaurants, or plays, or musicals (or all of the above in the same day) you can do that in New York.

xoxo

PS  Check out Emmy Lou's blog!!!  She's giving away a copy of my book!!!

NEW YORK CITY part one

You may have seen on my twitter account or tumblr, but this weekend I went to NEW YORK CITY!

My family used to go all the time, but I haven't been back in years.  This was the only weekend where I didn't have any obligations (i.e. crew)... so I planned the trip in super short notice.

I went all by myself... and didn't meet up with any body while there.  It was weird.  And nice.  And lonely.  All at once.

 Well, here's the absolute only picture of myself during the trip.  I'm not one to ask a random person to take a picture of my lonesome self. Haha... probably the only downside to the entire trip.

On Friday night, I went to go see Mary Poppins.  It definitely was good, but it was not my favorite show.  I will say though, however, that my sister's chorus did an unbelievably good job during their performance of it in high school.  ***Shout out to all my Rick's Cafe kids.***

I will admit, I spent most of my time just walking up and down the streets.  (My feet are proof... my blisters have blisters.)  This is another Rick's Cafe memory... Diamonds are a girl's best friend!!!

 Ooooh, I just LOVED all the fall decor.  I'm not a huge fan of tacky decorations... but pumpkins were everywhere and fabulous!  There was this one house, oh how I wish I had taken a picture.  It was INSANELY decorated.  Like, cartoon characters, lights, cobwebs, pumpkins, bats, ev-er-y-where.  

 As per Fordham Prepster's recommendation, I spent a good portion of Saturday morning in the Met.  You could spend days in there and constantly see something new.  It's incredible.

 Oh, what's that??? An entire store dedicated to crewcuts???

I wish Little V was with me!  We would have had so much fun trying on all the clothes together.  So cute.

 This is one picture I got before getting yelled at... hehe...

And then.....

 The Lilly store!!!

 The entire store was FUN and BRIGHT and everything you'd expect from Lilly...... but maybe not.  The actual store and decor were tres chic, but the girls working there were HORRENDOUS.  They stood in the back of the store chatting up a storm.  And they weren't saying very nice things.  I was actually disappointed.  Did I buy anything? NOPE.  The clothes were not enticing in the least.  Maybe some of the dresses were "cute," but not $350 cute.

The prints going down the stairway were so fun!

And the hand paintings hidden throughout the store were really fun to read.... they reminded me a bit of Eloise!  

Part II tomorrow!

xoxo

Preppy Potential

This is a new series!  Natastrophe (fellow coxswain from the Day in the Life post videos) gave me this fantastic– and super challenging– idea.  Take a CRAZY outfit and figure out how to make the look preppy!

The inspiration:

Here's the final result:

Flouncy skirt, hoodie layered with puffer vest, knee socks, and glitter flats... and a crazy headband!

What do you think?

Go ahead and send me links to crazy outfits... and we'll see what I can come up with!

Russell + Hazel

A friend jotted down "Russell + Hazel" on a post it note. And somehow it got lost. But, no worries, it's been found!

This is the mecca for fabulous desk supplies. No really, it is. ANYTHING you could possibly need (or just want) can all be found on this website. Super high quality stuff, not things found in an Office Depot, that's for sure.

And they feature different deskscapes. Obviously, I'm sharing the "Preppy Desk" here.

Their own description:

"You mix pink and green with ease and grace, sport woven prints of crossed tennis racquets and lobsters, and you monogram everything! Your L.L. Bean tote is stuffed with madras shorts, badminton birdies, and horn-rimmed glasses. You ski, sail, and are never without your signet ring. You're a preppy and the desk you use to manage your calendar of charity events, regattas, and weekends in Nantucket should reflect that."

So true, right? I mean, it is spot on!

This is the inspiration board for it! How fun!!!???!!!

Desks are really important for getting work done and staying organized. Little V just got a new desk and it's so awesome!

xoxo

My book!

I've mentioned a few times before, but I wrote a book during the summer after my freshman year.

I present to you guys....

THE FRESHMAN 50

And it's FINALLY published! It's currently available as an eBook in the Kindle library on Amazon. You don't need a Kindle to read it- you can download a FREE application for Macs, PCs, iPhones, iPads, etc from this link.

"The Freshman 50 documents a student’s journey through her first year of college in a part memoir, part survival guide format. Halfway through her freshman year, the author realized that there were so many things she wished someone had told her before stepping foot on campus. This book is her compilation of everything she wish she knew, was glad she knew, and wished she didn’t know. A must read guide for every high school graduate before they begin their freshman year of college."

Why I wrote it. So basically, midway through my freshman year (sort of around the same time I started this blog actually), I realized that there were certain topics and things that weren't exactly discussed at graduation parties or whatever. You know? Like, everyone tells you that you're going to have the BEST time of your life. And everyone gives their own "advice" on how to deal with roommates, most of the time by sharing their own horror stories.

I started making a list (obviously) of things that I wished someone had told me before I came to Georgetown. Especially being the oldest of the family and going to an out of state, smallish, private school, I felt like I knew next to nothing. Most of what I learned was from making mistakes. Lots and lots of them.

And the list kept growing. At some point, I figured that I could actually make this into a marketable book. A What to Expect When You're Expecting for college students, if you will.

That summer after my freshman year was spent writing each of the fifty chapters.

Fifty things that I wish I knew before heading off to Georgetown.

Okay, I'm not forcing any of you guys to buy it... but if you're in college (particularly a freshman) or in high school, or have a son/daughter/niece/nephew that is heading to college.... I really do recommend this book!

xoxo

New. Favorite. Dress

From Zara.

How fun are the stripes?

And the bows?

I also saw this dress, but unfortunately they only had one left and not my size :(

xoxo

I might as well move to London

Jack Wills is my new internet obsession. Everything is just so cute to look at.

What's great, is they have fabulous features on the website. It's super interactive. There is a great community section of it. And some articles of clothing have videos of a model walking in the outfit so you can really picture yourself in it.

I'm currently looking at

This

and

This

I'm dying for new WARM pajamas. My current flannel bottoms have been washed so many times that they're not warm anymore!

Another great part about the site is the "Get the Look" section!

Check it out!

xoxo

crewcuts

My obsession with CrewCuts started with little miss Little V. She's, well, little. Very, very tiny. She has all these super cute dresses from CrewCuts!

I started browsing their site and was so delighted to see that they've started carrying a size 14!!! I immediately ordered two adorable skirts. Including this Cupcake skirt:

I've been going to the website almost daily to look through the "Looks we Love" feature. It's great inspiration for what to wear!!!

I love that CrewCuts combines some of the old J. Crew with the new J. Crew. It's the perfect blend of trendy, classic, preppy, and a little weird. (Remember: there's nothing wrong with a little weird.)

One of the current Looks We Love:

Hmmm, is it weird that I have a favorite model? Too weird to mention on my blog, publicly? Oh well, she's too stinkin' cute to not mention.

Precious, right?

Even if you can't fit into the kids clothes, or don't have a child to buy them for, it's still a good resource for outfit inspiration! And a lot of the outfits are things you already have in your closet, but just have never experimented to put them together!!!

xoxo