August 28, 2017

Good Byes

As I am typing this post, it is my second night at college after saying goodbye to my family. Before these past two weeks the reality of saying good bye had not truly crossed my mind. Yes, I knew it would be difficult to say goodbye to friends and family, but I never thought that I would have such a challenging time moving from one chapter of my life to the next.

The period of time between graduating high school and starting college is a very strange time in your life, you have essentially grown out of the high school phase, but are still not a college student. This summer was so much fun, I was able to live with my two best friends in my favorite place on earth for two and a half months. However, at the same time there was always the lingering reality that everything we have known for the past eighteen years was quickly going to change. 

Last Friday my first friend headed off to college and since then one of my other friends has moved in, and by this Sunday everyone will be settled into their new schools. I would not consider myself to be a "crier" as I have probably cried two or three times in the past year, but with all of the recent goodbyes there have been some serious waterworks. It is difficult to say goodbye to your friends who have been by your side everyday and know you so well and then prepare to move to a different state, in a different part of the country, where you do not have any friends and have to start over. I have no doubt in my mind that my best friends and I will all stay close even after heading off to all different colleges. It is going to be a serious adjustment period at first, however knowing your friends from home are just a FaceTime call away and that you will see them when you come home for various breaks makes it more comforting.

These past few days at school have taught me that the transition into college is difficult and finding your group does not happen right away. Saying good bye is tough, but you will always have those people to fall back on.

xoxo,
Catherine

Preppy by the Sea

August 23, 2017

Last Night in Boston







One of the highlights of my summer was spending the last night before everyone started to leave for college together in Boston. My friends and I all took the night off from work weeks in advance and treated ourselves to the most perfect night out in the city. We all got dressed up and took an early boat in so we could have time to wander along Boston Harbor and take lots of pictures (many of which will be hanging up in my dorm room). We all agreed that nights like this make us very excited to live in the city someday in our twenties... but let's get through college first ;) After our little photo session, we ventured over to Rosa Mexicano for dinner in the Seaport district and indulged in lots of chips, guac, and salsa, followed by delicious tacos. I am already looking forward to more nights like this over various breaks this coming year. 

xoxo,
Catherine

Preppy by the Sea 

August 18, 2017

Friday Favorites

This is the last Friday Favorites post before I move into college, wow. To be quite honest this has really been one of the hardest weeks ever. Yesterday, I said goodbye to one of my best friends which was extremely difficult and resulted in an ocean of tears. The upcoming week is going to be filled with lots of goodbyes and I have a feeling that it is going to be very taxing and emotionally draining. Today is my last day of work and after that, the college packing process will be in full swing until I leave on Wednesday to drive down to North Carolina. 

One: Dinner in Boston
On Wednesday night all my friends and I went into Boston as our final hurrah before everyone heads off to school. I could not have asked for a better night and it was the perfect way to end the summer. 

Two: Ice Cream
This week has been quite the indulgent one... I guess it's justified as I will be eating dining hall food for the next 9 months. Black Raspberry ice cream with pink sprinkles, along with my best friends, will be missed.

Three: New Laptop
This week my new laptop finally arrived! After five years with my macbook air, it was officially time to get an upgrade. I ended up going with the 512 GB macbook pro in gray and am so excited to have more storage and a faster functioning computer. Apple and Beats are running a promo for college students where you get a free pair of Beats with your purchase of a computer which is an awesome addition! 

xoxo,
Catherine

Preppy by the Sea

August 15, 2017

Best Shows on Amazon Prime

Streaming shows and videos online has revolutionized the world of television. There is no longer a need to have a TV in your dorm, remember to record your favorite show, or have to wait a week for the next episode to air. You can watch what you want, when you want, and how you want. Personally, when I go to watch a show on my computer I automatically think to open up my Netflix account. Although there is a plethora of amazing shows and movies available there, Amazon Prime's video section has a ton of great series that you would not be able to find on Netflix. Over the past year or so, these four shows have really caught my attention and have been deemed binge worthy in my book! Are you a fan of Sex and the City, Suits, The Good Wife, or Big Little Lies

xoxo,
Catherine

Preppy by the Sea 

August 14, 2017

Tassel Top








top (last season) very similar + under $80 | jean skirt similar | earrings | bracelet | shoes 

Hooray, I'm finally back with an outfit post! You guys don't know how long I have been waiting to shoot looks for the blog. In the middle of July my SD card (which I had had since freshman year) decided that it was going to break, so I ordered a new one on Amazon knowing it would arrive in two days. Unfortunately, I accidentally sent it to my house at home instead of to the Cape so I did not get until about a month later when my Dad went home for a few days. Now that I am finally back in business in the camera department, I am so excited to schedule a bunch of outfit posts before I head off to college! 

This look is one of my favorite outfits I have shared on the blog in a long time. I purchased the tassel top last year from Forever 21 and I absolutely love it. The neckline is very different from my other tops and the detailing on the hem makes the simple white top super fun. I actually purchased my denim skirt for spirit week in the spring when the senior class was the 90's for decade day and I rocked a nice denim on denim look. To be honest, I was not sure if I would wear it again, but I have found myself gravitating towards it quite frequently this summer. This would be a great outfit for the day and then transitioned to a cute night look by adding heels (these block heels have been my go-to this summer) and some fun gold jewelry! 

xoxo,
Catherine

Preppy by the Sea 

August 10, 2017

Dorm Inspiration

I like the rug from this dorm and how they used their dressers as night stands

Cute decor and simple bedding... 10/10 

Love Renee from Gimme Glamour's dorm + she goes to Elon so it helps to visualize a dorm at the school I'll be attending 

Love the layout of this room 

I bought a Nespresso for school and my roommate and I are already planning a little coffee corner for our room #priorities

Additional storage and organization

Now that I have purchased most things that I will be needing for my freshman year dorm, I have to start to start thinking about the physical organization and appearance of my room. I anticipate move in day to be kind of stressful and overwhelming so hopefully thinking about the layout before I arrive helps to make the day and overall transition to college a bit easier... granted I don't know what my exact room will look like :) Looking at lots of dorms on Pinterest has helped me to get a better sense of how people tend to arrange their rooms and what I think would work best for me. I am hoping to maintain crisp and clean look while still incorporating personal touches that will make my dorm feel a little bit more like home. If you have any advice for move in day and setting up dorms please let me know! 

xoxo,
Catherine

Preppy by the Sea 

August 09, 2017

Advice for High School Seniors


Senior year is the best. You will have fun, you will be stressed, you will make choices that will impact your future, you will cry, you will learn to love your best friends more than you thought was possible, and you will cherish your last year in the place you call home with the people you have grown up with.  

I am the oldest in my family so I really did not know what to expect from my senior year, so I am here to share what I learned and would have wanted to know about a year ago. As cliché as it sounds, senior year was hands down the best year of my life thus far. Somehow it went from showing up on the first day of school in September wearing our senior shirts to sitting at graduation in shock that it was all over in the blink of an eye. So, to the class of 2018 (and senior classes to come) here are a few things that you should keep in mind over the course of the next year. 

Get your college applications done ASAP // Last summer I finished my essays before heading back to school and it made my life 10x easier. My English class focused on college essays in the first month of school, so I was already done with some of my homework and thus was able to focus more on perfecting it rather than starting from the very beginning. Additionally, it is so nice to not have to come home from school and do your homework and work on the common app. 

Apply Early // I would highly suggest applying early decision if you have a clear cut favorite and know that you and your family can make that choice financially. I knew where I was going to go to college on November 30th thanks to going ED and had such a stress free senior year because of it. If early decision does not work for you, apply early action to any schools on your list that offer it so you know some of your choices by December. 

Don't let others impact you during the college process // This piece of advice was not applicable to me as I went ED and none of my friends applied to Elon, but the college process can be stressful and you have to really focus on yourself, not your friends or those around you. It can be difficult to see others get into a school you were denied or wait listed at but you need to just move on and accept that it wasn't meant to be. In addition to dealing with potentially uncomfortable situations around the times you hear back from schools, you also need to make your own decision about where you want to attend college for the next four years. Don't let your friends or even your parents sway you into going somewhere you don't think would be a good fit, after all you will be the one attending school there, not them. 

Say Yes // You will quickly come to understand how fast senior year flies by, and with this realization I can guarantee that you will want to make the most out of every day left with your class. If your friends invite you to do something or go somewhere, try to say yes as much as possible. There will be some nights when all you want to do is be in bed and watch a movie, but trust me, as the days start to dwindle you will regret not spending every waking minute with your best friends. Go to the soccer game, drive to get pizza at midnight, have a sleepover on a school night, participate in senior skip day, whatever if may be just say yes and really seize the day- or the year :) 

Spend time with your family // Depending on where you decide to go to college, your time spent with your family could significantly decrease in the next year. Don't forget to hang out with your parents and siblings during your senior year, they have played a major role in getting you this far and are your biggest supporters. 

Enjoy second semester // By the time second semester rolls around, if you haven't made your college decision yet, you will at least know the schools that you got into. I'm not going to write an advice post and then tell you to give up during the second half of the year, but trust me you can 100% get by with doing a lot less. At my high school, seniors who maintained a B average for the year did not have to take finals. Personally, I did not find it all that difficult to keep my grades up (I actually had my best grades of high school during senior year) because as the school year started to wind down, my teachers lightened the workload and wanted to have their students have an easy and fun few months. So, don't let homework stress you out too much on a dreary day in February, or on that first nice day in spring. 

Hang out with your friends as much as possible // The most important for last. Take it from someone whose best friends are about to be plane rides away and doesn't know how they will go without seeing them everyday, spending time with your best friends is sooo important. I am really lucky to have an insanely close group of friends that have been by my side since our sixth grade homeroom. In fact, three of us got jobs on the Cape and lived together this past summer- so we really took this piece of advice to heart. With everyone leaving for their respective colleges in just a few days, it is difficult for me to write about this one without getting emotional and sentimental, but just do me a favor and cherish every second with your bffs during the next year, you will thank me later. 

xoxo,
Catherine

Preppy by the Sea 

August 07, 2017

2017-2018 Agendas


Well here we are... August 7th and I am writing my first back to school post. For the past thirteen years I have started school on the Tuesday after labor day weekend, so going to college in August is going to be quite the adjustment for me. As move in day gets closer and closer, I have to face reality and start to gear up for classes and get my school supplies. Every year, the thing I get most excited about when school supplies shopping is getting a new agenda for the upcoming year. Over the years I have had my fair share of agendas ranging from the assignment notebook we were given in third grade, to a few Lilly Pulitzer ones, and a Sugarpaper for Target one. Though I do love all of the agendas above, I ended up going with the "blue tile" day designer! I love the 8.5x11" size and the fact that it has both monthly and weekly overviews. Initially I was considering the original Day Designer, but personally I do not feel the need for a full page for everyday. Have you purchased your agenda yet? 

xoxo,
Catherine

Preppy by the Sea

August 04, 2017

Friday Favorites

Happy Friday! I seriously cannot believe that it is already August and I move into college in 21 days. This has been one of the best and fastest summers to date. With move in day just around the corner for me and my friends, we have been trying to make the most of every single day. This past week has been a total whirlwind but I have enjoyed every second of it!  

One: Martha's Vineyard
This past weekend my friends and I went to the Vineyard for the day. We try to do at least one day trip every summer and our days off finally all overlapped so we were able to do it. The day started off with a lovely 5:30 wake up call to catch an early ferry over. We enjoyed lunch on the water in Edgartown, shopped around town, and walked up to the lighthouse to take some pictures. 

Two: Maine
Friday-Tuesday I was lucky enough to spend in Maine with my two best friends from when I used to go to camp. We always get together once a summer and this year we had a blast going to the beach, cliff jumping, boating, and eating lots of delicious food! 

Three: Birkenstocks
You guys, I finally caved and purchased a pair of Birkenstocks. Honestly, I still think they are the ugliest shoes ever, however they are beyond comfortable... I haven't worn other shoes since I got them. If you have a summer job that requires you to be on your feet all day, or know you will be doing a lot of walking on campus in the fall I could not recommend them enough! 

xoxo,
Catherine 

Preppy by the Sea