Friday Favorites

Happy Friday everyone! Leave it to winter in Massachusetts to make yet another week fly by! Once again, we got hit with a huge snow storm and had Monday and Tuesday off from school which was such a nice surprise after watching the Patriots win the Super Bowl! I most definitely love a good snow day, there is nothing better than being lazy and watch the feet go snow pile up. Here are are a few things I have been loving!

One: Beautiful Winter Scenery 

With snow storms arriving on the weekly basis, my town is looking like a winter wonderland. There is about four feet of snow in my yard and along the roads and it couldn't be more beautiful. The pine trees are covered in snowflakes and it doesn't seem like we will see any less as there is a third storm on its way next week! 

Two: J. Crew Style Guide

I love a good J. Crew style guide (hint, hint post coming soon!) but the February issue is amazing! Also, make sure to check out my How I Edit My Instagram Pictures post featuring this photo!

Three: Valentines Day Goodies

With Valentines Day just around the corner, there seems to be sweet treats left and right. I love chocolate and these mini cupcakes are delicious- don't worry I didn't eat them all :) Did you check out my gift guide for some last minute ideas? 

xoxo,

Catherine

Preppy by the Sea 

Valentines Day Gift Guide

scarf  | earrings | sweater | sandals | wallet | travel mug | notepad | pens | nail polish | lipstick 

With Valentines Day just around the corner, I thought I would share a few fun gift ideas. Obviously this gift guide is geared towards women and would make the perfect pink and red surprise for your mom, sister, friend etc! The prices range from $8 to a more pricey $110. I am such a sucker for some cute pink things and what day is more perfect to go a little pink crazy than Valentines Day? 

xoxo,

Catherine

Preppy by the Sea  

How I Edit My Instagram Pictures

Social media is a very crucial part of blogging, it is a great way to discover other blogs and to gain your personal following. For blog purposes, Twitter and Instagram are the two platforms that we use the most. Although Twitter is great, Instagram is by far and away my favorite form of social media. Recently, a lot of bloggers have been doing posts about how they edit their insta pictures and I thought that I would hop on that bandwagon. Over the past few years the editing of Instagram photos has advanced from the lovely #nofilter days, to the not so hot filters on the app to the use of other apps. Our Instagram does not completely have a theme, although I try to keep it fairly bight and colorful and stick to a somewhat similar editing process on each photo. Let's get started! 

Taking the photo

Ahh.. taking the perfect Instagram picture is far less glamorous than the final product makes it seem. I often find myself moving from room to room trying to find the perfect background or lighting. Honestly, the amount of photos that I typically take before picking the one to edit is obscene. When taking pictures of objects, the layout of everything is crucial and it may take quite a few tries to get it right!

Selecting the perfect picture 

After I basically fill up my entire camera roll with practically the exact same photo, I choose the one that I think came out the best

 Exposure/Brightness

The first and sometimes only step (depending on the picture) I take is to adjust the exposure and the brightness of the photo. To do this I use the app, Afterlight. This app is great for little edits, but I don't love any of the filters. 

VSCO cam

If I want to take one final editing step, which in the case of this photo I did; I use the VSCO cam app. With this app, I usually use the F2 filter. I do not put the filter up all the way but typically somewhere between 5 and 7. In the fall, I liked using the C1 filter as well because it really highlighted the colors of the leaves. 

What are your tips and tricks to editing your Instagram photos?

xoxo,

Catherine 

Preppy by the Sea 

Black & Navy

Black and navy, it's probably the biggest fashion faux pas around. For me, wearing white jeans before memorial day or after labor day is basically the same thing as pairing black and navy together... a big no! It would be really nice on lazy days if it was "socially acceptable" to wear a navy sweatshirt with leggings, however the two solid colors next to each other just don't work. For a while now I have seen bloggers pairing the two colors together and thought I would give it a try. I think that making the colors work together is done the best in a more formal look with different patterns or textures. Stripes and leather mixed with the unique seams in the skirt help to bring it all together. The majority of my look is navy and then I added some black accents with my tights, flats and bag. If you are going to give this pairing a try, go for it in the Winter months because dark hues are an essential part of winter style. What are your thoughts on black and navy? As for me, I am definitely a skeptic and out of my comfort zone but I like this whole pushing the (fashion) envelope thing! 

skirt- J. Crew Factory  | shirt- J. Crew Factory similar | bag- Old Navy | necklace- Etsy | flats- Tory Burch | earrings- Hazel & Marie c/o

xoxo,

Catherine

Preppy by the Sea 

Accessory Obsessed

This outfit in general features many items that I'm currently obsessing over (and over wearing) in my closet. I've finally jumped on the monogrammed necklace band wagon and am never going back. I guess better late then never! Also, Catherine has her favorite elbow patches sweater as featured here, and I now have mine. A slightly different style, yet still one of my favorite J. Crew Factory purchases ever. My third obsession is this outfit is this leopard print bag. It's super versatile, good for any season, and the perfect statement for almost any outfit. I also like having a bag that's a little bigger than usual cross-bodies in the winter to carry gloves or a scarf in case it gets cold. You always have to be prepared for snow living in New England!

1.5 inches of jewelry heaven!

How cute is this bow belt? Bows are a great accent for any accessory.

I love the texture you can see on this bag. Kate Spade you've done it again!

sweater: J. Crew Factory | pants: Madewell | belt: Talbots (similar here) | bag: Kate Spade (similar) | boots: Frye | necklace: Monogram Online

xoxo,

Julianna 

Preppy by the Sea