Friday Favorites

TGIF amiright!? I don't want to be a total debbie downer but this week was by far and away the worst week of junior year. The first week back from spring break combined with multiple tests, AP exams just around the corner, and pre prom stress are never a good combination. Needless to say I am so excited that it is finally the weekend and have the chance to relax a little bit. My weekend is pretty low key, I am helping out at my class car wash, babysitting, and going to a spinning class. 

One: Newport

Last weekend Julianna and I drove down to Newport for the day. We walked around Bellevue Avenue to admire the lavish mansions- if you are ever in the Rhode Island area they are a must see! Afterwards we went to lunch at 22 Bowen's and caught up after being away for a week. The day was topped off with shopping and ice cream, needless to say it was the perfect way to end the vacation.  

Two: Flowers

Because this week was not the best, I kind of embraced the treat yo self attitude and went to Trader Joe's to buy flowers. Throughout the winter we didn't really have flowers in our house and I missed the colors and sweet scents. Aside from peonies, hydrangeas are my favorite flower. They are a constant reminder of summer on Cape Cod, which will always brighten my day! 

Three: Cape Cod

This weekend my dad and I are going down to the Cape for the day and I could not be more excited! I  have missed our house and being by the beach all winter and am in desperate need to be back in my favorite spot. I am going down in hopes to find a summer job, so wish me luck! 

xoxo,

Catherine

Preppy by the Sea

April Playlist

xoxo,

Catherine

Preppy by the Sea

Seaside, Florida

Throughout my vacation, I had my camera on me all the time. The town of Seasides is one of the cutest coastal towns I have been to (Cape Cod will always be my #1) and I snapped so many pictures of the beaches, stores, and houses... you know you're in a pretty place when your memory card and iPhone storage constantly run out of storage! Though it is in Florida, there is definitely a Southern feel with all the porches, sweet tea, and accents. Each neighborhood is colorful and the white picket fences lining the streets are so quaint. Unfortunately this is my last post from break, so hopefully the weather here warms up so I can start taking more spring outfit pictures! 

xoxo,

Catherine

Preppy by the Sea

Saving

image via

One of the things I am most proud of from the past year is how much I have changed my spending habits. In years past I spent way too much money on things that I really didn't need. When I got my permit my parents told me they would buy me a car when I got my license. There was just one little catch, I had to pay for a third of it. So I had six months to change my ways and start saving. I'm not going to lie I was not psyched about this deal, however in hindsight I am happy that my parents made me do this because it did teach me the important lesson of saving. Here we are a year and a half later, I have had my car for a eight months, paid my share, and am somehow not completely broke. By no means am I an expert about this, in fact I am far from it, but I thought I would share a few tips and things I have learned along the way. 

+ Keep limited cash in your wallet 

I used to keep hundreds of dollars in my wallet because I rarely went to the bank to make deposits. News flash this is a horrible idea. I now never keep more than $40-$60 in my wallet at a time, this is just enough for coffee runs, and if I need to fill up my tank. Having less cash in your wallet helps avoid impulse purchases, losing money, and reminds you to go to the bank and deposit money in your savings account. 

+ Deposit majority of your earnings 

I do not have a job during the school year (still need to get a summer job ahh) and majority of the money I make comes from babysitting. When I get home from babysitting I always go to the bank the next day and make a deposit. Honestly, I barely keep any of the money I make in my wallet and on average probably save $80%. Compensation for the blog is always in checks which I really like because you have to cash it at the bank anyways so depositing it is a no brainer. 

+ Be Mindful of Spending Habits 

By no means have I shut off all of my spending, I think I have just been a lot smarter with what I purchase. I spend most of my money on clothes/shoes and at this point I am pretty content with my wardrobe. Each season I buy a few new things that I have been lusting over and maybe one big investment piece. 

xoxo,

Catherine

Preppy by the Sea

College Touring Recap: New England

It's mid-April of my junior year and it's safe to say the topic weighing most heavily on my mind is college. I know some people start their college touring before their junior year has even begun, but I, admittedly, was no where near that eager to begin going on tours. It wasn't until I went on my first tours a few weeks ago at Northeastern and Dartmouth that I realized how fun they can be. I thought they would be the necessary evil that would plague my next 6 months, but I was pleasantly surprised. As much as you may like a school in pictures, I personally think there is no way of knowing if it's the right "fit" until you walk around campus and see students in a natural college setting. For that exact reason, I left last week to look at schools in Virginia and North Carolina (post to come). I still have no idea what part of the country I want to spend my next four years in, and am just starting to get a feel for what size/atmosphere feels right. I'm sure that through writing these recaps I'll get to reflect in depth about what I liked and didn't like about a school. A win-win for both you and me, as I'm hoping this type of post makes an interesting read for our followers! Enough with the intro, here are my thoughts on Northeastern, Dartmouth, and Boston College!

via

{Northeastern University}

Boston, Massachusetts, 17,990 undergrad

Northeastern was the first school I toured, so I really had no expectations going into it as to things I already knew I liked and didn't like about colleges. The school is located in the heart of Boston, yet it did have more of a campus then I was expecting for a city school. It is extremely urban, the buildings have a modern, sleek, feel rather than the gothic charm you find at a lot of older schools. Things that stuck with me the most was their incredible study abroad opportunities and their co-op program. This program allows students to work full time paid internships for at least one semester during their time at Northeastern. It is proven to help students find jobs after graduating and helps them to find fields they are truly interested in working in.  I loved the strong emphasis on research at Northeastern, and even liked the large school size. Not to mention the gym was absolutely incredible. However, I'm realizing more and more that while I want to be in close proximity to a city, I don't think I want to be directly in a city. Northeastern was a great place to start looking as it set my expectations very high. Side note: I didn't take a single picture at Northeastern because the weather was so bad and I didn't want to remember it in a gloomy light (that explains why the picture is found on Pinterest!)

{Dartmouth University}

Hanover, New Hampshire, 4300 undergrad

I'd always dreamed of visiting Dartmouth, eager to see the picturesque northern scenery and authentic campus. Even in New England's grossest time of year (aka mid-March), Dartmouth was still so beautiful. The buildings were exactly how I imagined, and the school is in a really cute, rural, setting. As one of the top schools in the nation, Dartmouth has so much to offer from incredible study abroad opportunities, to intimate, small classes to personally engage students in learning. However, from visiting Dartmouth, I was able to realize that, much to my dismay, the school was not for me. I'm looking for something in a more suburban setting and this school just felt too out of the way. Furthermore, it did feel a little small compared to other schools I liked.

{Boston College}

Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, 9200 undergrad

Boston College has been on my radar as a place I might want to attend college since I was a little girl. Several of my family members are BC alumni, so I've grown up attending the football and hockey games, and am familiar with the campus. This "closeness" in both familial ties and geographic proximity caused me to resent even the thought of BC for a while, even though in the back of my mind I knew I loved this school from the beginning. Touring the school just solidified this feeling, as I recognized BC is everything I could ever want in a college. Particular things I like include the suburban location, medium size, and sporty feel. The one downside is definitely how close it is to home, as I always thought I wanted to go a little farther away for my college experience. Nevertheless, BC was by far my favorite of the northern schools I've seen, as it truly does hold a special place in my heart.

Have any of you toured colleges in the northeast?

xoxo,

Julianna