June 26, 2017

Graduation Party Photos

This past Friday night I had my graduation party. Although the planning process was slightly stressful, I was really happy with how all of the decorations and food came out. My high school's colors are red and white so we tried to incorporate that into majority of the decorations. Unfortunately, I was not able to snap any pictures of the dinner food, but we had fried chicken and a variety of different salads. I highly recommend having food that does not need to be served hot or cold at a graduation party so your guests can eat when they would like to. As for dessert, we had cookies and cupcakes. To incorporate the cupcakes into the graduation theme, I made little Elon flags to stick in them for decoration. Now that we are nearing July (crazy, right?!) my graduation party schedule is starting to die down a little bit, but it has been such a fun month getting to celebrate with friends! 












xoxo,
Catherine

Preppy by the Sea

June 16, 2017

Friday Favorites

Happy Friday! I have officially hit the point in the summer where I lose track of what day it is #onbeachtime. This was my last week before starting work so I have been spending lots of time with friends at the beach and going out for dinner and ice cream. This weekend I will be going to a couple of graduation parties and the state championship game for our boy's lacrosse team before starting work on Sunday!

One: Beach Days
We have been experiencing a major heat wave this week and my friends and I have been spending a lot of time at the beach. I definitely don't appreciate where I live enough as I know I am going to miss living on the water so much next year when I am at college. 

Two: Jeep Rides
One of my friends has a jeep and we have had so much fun driving around in it this past week. There's something so fun about having the top off, playing your favorite music, and letting your hair blow in the wind on a nice summer night. 

Three: These Shoes
Last week I went into Old Navy and stumbled upon these chunky heels. I have been going to a ton of grad parties over the past couple of weeks and have gotten so much use out of them. For an inexpensive shoe, they are very comfortable and I can wear them with virtually anything. 

xoxo,
Catherine

Preppy by the Sea

June 14, 2017

Book Review: Gone Girl


Though there are many things that I am excited about for this summer, I am happy to finally have time to read. For the first time in years I do not have any summer assignments that I need to complete before heading back to school, so over the next few months I can read all the books that I did not previously have the time to start. I am extremely behind the eight ball with this one, but right when school got out, I read Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. The thriller captivated readers everywhere a few years ago, and then gained more attention with the release of the movie featuring Ben Affleck. I never saw the movie as I wanted to read the book first, and now I have finally gotten around to both. Gone Girl is 100% worth the hype, I could not put it down and ended up reading the entire thing in 3 days.  

Flynn's novel follows a couple, Nick and Amy Dunne who have been married for five years. The two uprooted their privileged lives in New York City and moved to Missouri to be with Nick's dying father. Every year, Amy organizes a scavenger hunt for Nick on their anniversary, however this year's a quite different as Amy disappears. Their home is staged as a crime scene, leaving Nick is a complicated and incriminating situation with only a set of clues to guide him. The modern psychological thriller is extremely dark and twisted and will leave you with chills up your spine. If you have yet to read Gone Girl, I highly recommend adding it to your summer reading list. 

xoxo,
Catherine

Preppy by the Sea

June 12, 2017

Tips for Starting a New Job

This summer I am waitressing at the same restaurant that I worked at last year. Although I have worked there before, I have never waitressed before, so it is essentially like starting a new job. I need to memorize the menu, learn about the different drinks, and understand how the computer system works for placing customers' orders. My start date is not until the 18th, however I have some training this week and I know many college and high school students start soon if  they have not already, so I thought sharing a few tips on starting a new job would be appropriate for this week. 

Ask Questions// This is probably my most important tip. You will likely have a few training days before they completely set you free, however questions will definitely come up in the fist few weeks and never hesitate to ask someone. Sometimes work is hectic and everyone seems very busy, but no one is going to fault you for speaking up and making sure you are doing something right. 

Address People By Name// I am absolutely horrible with names, so I try to address co-workers by name as it helps me to remember it. There's nothing more awkward when you have been working somewhere for a few days and someone asks you to find "Sally" and you cannot seem to remember which person "Sally" is. If you do this in the beginning, it will help out a lot in the long run.  

Know The Basics // Before you officially start your job make sure you know the basics about where you are working. For example, if you're like me and are working at a restaurant, know the menu, how your restaurant handles allergies, the reservation policy, and the seating chart. If you have this under your belt at the beginning, you will be more knowledge when a customer asks you a question or if your manager asks you to do something for them. 

Bring a Snack // Some shifts at work will seem long and you may not have the opportunity to have a break and eat a real meal. Always keep a bar or an apple in you're bag so you know you will have something if you get in a jam. Being hungry at work is the worst. 

Talk With Co-Workers // This one seems obvious, however your new job will be so much more enjoyable if you get to know those around you. Unfortunately, last summer I did not work with anyone that was my age, but I met a girl that just finished her freshman year at Elon so it was nice to have someone to talk with about the school I was planning on applying early decision to. Even if you don't think you will have a lot in common with someone, its better to chat with someone during a lull in the shift then stand there alone. 

xoxo,
Catherine

Preppy by the Sea 

June 08, 2017

Graduation Photo Recap











Last Saturday, I graduated from high school. Over the past four years, I have always thought about what graduation day would be like. It all seemed so far in the future, knowing where I would attend college, where my friends would attend college, and just the idea of being completely done with my time at the high school. I know everyone always says this, and it is quite frankly the definition of a cliche, but it goes by so fast. I genuinely feel like my first day of freshman year was yesterday, and somehow I was the one in the cap and gown getting a diploma last weekend. Although there were a few quick ran showers throughout the ceremony, the day went smoothly and we were all able to enjoy the big day! 

Although I am very excited to start a new chapter of my life, I really liked high school and know I am going to have a hard time saying good bye in August. My friends and I have been extremely close since sixth grade and I am so grateful that they made my high school experience something so special. At the end of the graduation ceremony, right before we all tossed our caps in the air, we all just looked at each other in a state of disbelief and hugged. Four years later, we did it. 

 Congratulations to the rest of the class of 2017! 


xoxo,
Catherine

Preppy by the Sea 

June 07, 2017

Graduation Gifts


Graduation party season is in full swing which means lots of shopping for presents. Although cash or a check is always a great option for kids headed off to college, sometimes it is nice to give something a bit more personal. Most of these gifts are catered towards girls, however I think that the college yeti, beats, or a speaker would be a great present for anyone! Anything personalized is always a cute idea for graduation gifts as they tend to feel more special, whether it be a necklace with their hometown's coordinates,  or a nice duffle bag to use on weekend excursions in college, you can't go wrong! 

xoxo,
Catherine

Preppy by the Sea 

June 06, 2017

Senior Prom











Happy tuesday everyone! The craziness of senior year has officially come to an end and I am excited to have lots of exciting posts up this summer. Last thursday was my school's senior prom which was a blast. We were so lucky the weather cooperated and it only rained for a few minutes because it rained all night last year at our junior prom. After taking pictures at my friend's house, we ventured down to the harbor. It is a long standing tradition in my town that all the seniors walk the red carpet at the harbor before heading off to prom. Anyone from the town can come and watch and it makes the event all the more special. The actual prom was at a golf club that had a spectacular view of the Boston skyline. Although this past week was honestly the most busy and sleep deprived I have ever been, I wouldn't have had it any other way and loved being able to spend so much time with all my friends and classmates. 

xoxo,
Catherine

Preppy by the Sea