2015

Happy New Year's Eve! Somehow we have reached the last day of 2015. This year absolutely flew by and was filled with so many wonderful memories. Watching the blog grow has been so exciting. Our consistency dramatically improved, along with the content of the posts. With lots of new camera equipment between the two of us, we are looking forward to enriching the quality of the blog. Reading comments and interacting with other bloggers is such a wonderful benefit of blogging that I don't think we completely appreciated when we first started Preppy by the Sea, and in 2016 we hope to continue to expand our connections within the community. 

From a personal perspective, we both have grown tremendously within the past year. Experimenting with new trends has enabled us to truly discover our own personal style that may be slightly different that the content initially published in 2013. Majority of our posts do not go into depth about our personal lives, however I think that sharing some of that would be a nice change to see int he upcoming year. We incorporated a few pictures snapped with friends throughout the year, to give a small glimpse into our everyday lives. Our group of friends has become more close-knit in the past year. We have been lucky enough to get to go on lots of adventures together this summer and on the weekends and look forward to everything that the last year and a half of high school has to offer. 

So, I guess that's a wrap for 2015. Before you start to think about New Year's resolutions, if you start to think about them (I'm not the biggest fan), make sure to take a minute to reflect on this past year... the good, the bad, and the ugly. 2016 is going to be a big year, get ready! 

Cheers!

xoxo,

Catherine and Julianna

Preppy by the Sea 

December Playlist

Although I pretty much had Christmas music on all month, there were a few songs that I have been loving in addition to my holiday favorites! This playlist is kind of all over the place, but I found a bunch of new artists on Spotify which is always good. Howie Day just released a new album and it is amazing. His music is a bit slower but great to listen to while woking or on a long car ride. I recently discovered Childish Gambino and their songs are really fun and upbeat! My all time favorite for the month is Champagne High, I don't even know how I stumbled upon it but I definitely recommend checking it out! 

xoxo,

Catherine 

Preppy by the Sea 

Merry Christmas

Now that all the festivities are coming to an end, I wanted to write a quick post wishing everyone a Merry Christmas! I hope you had a wonderful day with your family, ate a little bit too much, and enjoyed some time by the cozy fire. Although I wish it felt a little bit more like winter, this was such a great Christmas. I got a new lens for my camera and am super excited to test it out and share some new pictures on the blog soon! Enjoy the rest of the day!

xoxo,

Catherine

Preppy by the Sea 

Little Red Dress

 

dress | shoes | necklace | bracelets 1 & 2 

Happy Christmas Eve everyone! I am in complete disbelief that Christmas is tomorrow and that all the celebrations begin tonight! Christmas Eve is one of my favorite nights, I love getting all dressed up and being cozy by the fire with my family. It is 60 degrees out today which is a little bit bizarre, but I'm happy to not be freezing in this dress. My closet is seriously lacking when it comes to the color red, so when I found this dress I knew it would be perfect for the holidays. The fit and flare style is so flattering and I know I will get a ton of wear out of it in years to come. I hope everyone has a wonderful night and a merry Christmas tomorrow! 

xoxo,

Catherine

Preppy by the Sea 

Gift Guide: Last Minute

Today is my last day of school and then I am officially on break! Although Christmas is in two days (!!!) I know that many people, including myself still have some last minute shopping to complete. Today I am going shopping and am on the hunt for the perfect gift for my dad. I rounded up a few gifts that you could easily pick up at local stores, a few of which would be great for him or her! A nice picture frame with a favorite picture of you and the person you are giving the gift to can be very meaningful and super easy to put together at the last minute. A magazine subscription is easy and also fun to receive as you will get something every week/month! Tickets to sporting events or concerts are  super fun, and give you something to look forward to after Christmas. Happy shopping!

xoxo,

Catherine

Preppy by the Sea 

Christmas with L.L. Bean

The other day I was browsing through Pinterest and came across the L.L. Bean Christmas edition catalogue covers. As a New Englander, I have grown up loyal to L.L. Bean from my first backpack, boat and tote, and of course my bean boots. They are such a great company and I absolutely adore the artwork featured on their covers each winter, through the summer editions are also beautiful! With online shopping becoming more popular, there has been a significant decline in catalogues sent in the mail. I love that they still send them out, and embody the beauty of New England scenery. My favorite is definitely the Christmas 1993 the harbor with wreaths on the fishing boats is to die for! 

xoxo,

Catherine 

Preppy by the Sea

Gift Guide: Stocking Stuffers

sunglasses | pencils | notepad | socks | earrings | perfume | headbands | passport cover | chapstick | nail polish | ring

It's the final countdown, only four days left until the most wonderful day of the year! I am so excited, I finished all of my shopping this weekend and now just have a bunch of wrapping ahead of me. Now, the last minute rush begins so I thought I would share some easy stocking stuffers for my last gift guide. Unless you are planning to pay for two day shipping, you're pretty much out of luck with online shopping at this point. You should be able to find majority of these things/similar items at local stores. Stockings are so great because you get to stuff a bunch of little things together, but they can also be really great treats. Some cute stationary or jewelry can be inexpensive but so useful! What are you go-to stocking stuffers?

xoxo,

Catherine

Preppy by the Sea 

Friday Favorites

TGIF!! Now that I survived this week I just have to power through 3 more days of school and then it's Christmas break! My school doesn't have exams until the end of January so I thankfully get to avoid the stress for now and fingers crossed I have an easy few days ahead of me. Tonight I'm going to my friend's annual cookie decorating party and yankee swap which I am so excited for! This weekend I'm going to try and wrap up all of my Christmas shopping, but I'm still a little stumped about what to get everyone. 

One: Decorations

I love the way our window boxes turned out this year! My mom always does a great job but I especially love the mixed greenery and holly! Also, driving around town at this time of year is seriously one of the most beautiful things ever... even if there's no snow. 

Two: Cookies

I talked about these cookies in my post on wednesday and I seriously can't stop eating them. The combination of chocolate chips and candy canes is absolutely to die for! 

Three: Christmas Cards

Getting Christmas cards is one of my favorite things about the holiday season! Every day when the mail comes I love to look at everyone's cards and see all the people I have not seen in a while!

There were a bunch of Holiday posts up this week, make sure to check out any you missed!

Gift Guide: Under $150

What to Wear to a Christmas Party

Candy Cane Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

My Christmas Wish List

xoxo,

Catherine

Preppy by the Sea 

Christmas Wish List

socks | vest | poncho | leggings | mittens | perfume | tinted moisturizer | bralette | book | card case

This year I have been somewhat conflicted about what I want for Christmas, which is kind of unlike me. There's not a ton of things that I "need" and I typically try to ask for a few bigger gifts around the holidays instead of a bunch of random little things. A black Patagonia vest and some new lulu leggings are definitely at the top of my list and I know that I would get a ton of use out of them. I am not really a big makeup person, but I think it's time for some new products as I haven't gone out to get anything new since before freshman year... What are you lusting over this holiday season?

xoxo,

Catherine 

Preppy by the Sea

Recipe: Candy Cane Chocolate Chip Cookies

Happy Wednesday; I thought I would spice up hump day with a super easy and delicious recipe! As I have mentioned before, I am a huge fan of anything peppermint. Every year my mom and I make these candy cane chocolate chip cookies and they are to die for. Start by making your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe, I didn't include one as everyone has their own "go-to" recipe. Next, fill up a ziplock bag with candy canes (mini's are easier) and smash them up into fine pieces. Place the candy cane in the bowl with the cookie dough and mix everything together. Place them on the cookie sheet and sprinkle a little extra candy cane on top! These cookies are so great for the holidays and an easy last minute recipe if you are going to a cookie swap! 

xoxo,

Catherine

Preppy by the Sea 

Christmas Party: Black & White

skirt similar | sweater | shoes | bag similar | earrings | bracelets 

Tis the season of Christmas parties! Although the parties that I am going to this year are all pretty casual, I thought that I would share a dressier look. This black and white outfit is one of my all time favorite and I am dying for an excuse to wear it. I purchased this black lace skirt at J. Crew last year and I am obsessed with it, especially the scalloped hem. This white turtleneck is seriously one of the most worn items in my closet and with a skirt and high ponytail it can easily be dressed up. I got these snakeskin wedges for a dance in 8th grade and completely forgot that I had them. They're a little bit "mom-ish" but they're super comfortable! Adding some shiny red nail polish and a bright lipstick are super easy touches to give the look a holiday vibe.

xoxo,

Catherine

Preppy by the Sea