Three Islands- Part One

dress- Three Islands c/o | sandals- Jack Rogers | sunglasses- J. Crew Factory | bracelet- gift similar

Fist off, let me just say I am ecstatic to finally be in the warm sunshine state! It is so nice to be barefoot in the sand and wear my favorite summer clothing again. A few months ago, we were contacted by Three Islands  to do a collaboration. There were so generous to send us a bunch of goodies and we absolutely adore everything! We wanted to wait until the weather warmed up a bit to shoot our photos, and what better time than spring break? I love the cut of the Julie Dress, and orange has been on my radar for this season, so this dress is absolutely perfect! It is made from a light cotton material, so it is great for the beach but could also be easily dressed up. I know I will be getting so much wear out of it this summer and will look even better when I get a little color! Look forward to a post from Julianna styling her Three Islands apparel soon! 

xoxo,

Catherine 

Preppy by the Sea 

Friday Favorites

Finally, it's the day we have all been waiting for, Friday. Honestly, Friday might be my favorite day of the week because by 4:30 school and sports are over and you have the entire weekend to look forward to. Recently, I have found a few things that I have been LOVING and wanted to quickly share them on the blog! I think that doing this Friday Favorites post is a great way to share some random interests with everyone- let me know what you think.

One: Scandal 

Three words: Oh. My. Gosh. Scandal is my new addiction, I started it three weeks ago and have finished all three seasons on Netflix.... Scandal is about the staff of the White House and a crisis management group called Pope and Associates. This show is so addictive and every episode has an intriguing plot and obviously some type of scandal! The created of Grey's Anatomy, Shonda Rhimes also created this and her newest show, How to Get Away with Murder. Scandal is on Thursdays at 9 on ABC, trust me you don't want to miss it! 

 Two: Trader Joes Pumpkin Waffle Mix

Just warning y'all I'm about to get real basic... One of the first things I think of when fall comes to mind is pumpkin everything (except pumpkin spice lattes- I hate those). Trader Joe's is amazing when it comes to pumpkin items for fall time, think granola, yogurt, cereal bars, ice cream, bagels, etc. however my favorite thing is this waffle mix. I instagrammed this picture last weekend, after having them for breakfast on Saturday and Sunday #dontjudge. If you have a Trader Joe's in your area definitely pick this up in your travels, you will not regret it! 

Three: Insulated CamelBak Water bottle

I have really gotten into drinking lots of water throughout the school day and obviously when running. I have found that it makes me feel so much better. In addition to that, a cold has been running ramped at our school and unfortunately I got stuck with it as well. Staying hydrated is so important especially when you are sick or before a workout. This water bottle is awesome because it stays cold for so long, the ice I put in it at 7:15 before school lasts until at least 1:00!

What have you been loving this week?

xoxo,

Catherine 

Preppy by the Sea 

Three Islands- Part Two

top: Three Islands c/o | hat: Southern Tide | shorts: Joe's Jeans | flip flops: Rainbow

Let me stay off by saying Happy Mother's Day! I hope everyone out there makes their mom feel special on this holiday. With that said, here is the second post on one of my new favorite companies, Three Islands. As mentioned in the first post, this has honestly been such a great collaboration as Three Islands' products are representative of both Catherine and I's style. I'm completely obsessed with this shirt, the pattern is adorable and I love all of the bright colors. Personally, I'm not a fan of tight shirts or really tight clothing in general, which is another reason why I love this. It's not too clingy and the wider sleeve adds some extra style to the top. I wore this top a few times while I was on vacation, even as a cover-up at the beach! I paired this look with my favorite Southern Tide baseball hat as the bubblegum pink complements the pink in the pagoda pattern.

xoxo,

Julianna 

Preppy by the Sea

Friday Favorites

I know that I have been saying this a lot recently in my past few Friday Favorites posts, but this week was so busy! I have had a ton of tests, a project and a research paper outline due along with a debate in history. Also, our course recommendations for next year came out this week which is alway stressful. Thankfully I am happy with my courses for next year, although I know it will be a challenge! Needless to say I am beyond ready for the weekend! Despite the hours I spend coped up in my room doing homework, the weather hit 61 degrees this week and thankfully I got outside to enjoy the sun! This weekend I am planning on going to the hockey game for my school because they are going to states which should be fun! 

One: Three Islands

Although it is definitely not summer dress weather, I have been lusting over this dress! Three Islands was so kind and sent us a lovely package with some pieces from their new collection. Once the weather warms up expect an outfit post styling some of their clothing! BTW if any of you are on spring break right now I am beyond jealous. I'm honestly not sure if I can make it to April before I get to go sit on the beach! 

Two: Elements of Spring

If you saw this post from earlier this week than you probably know that I have been trying to transition some of my outfits to brighter spring style. I love tulips and these bright yellow ones are perfect! Quick tip: add a colorful scarf to a simple outfit to add a pop of color for these transition months!

Three: Organization

I posted a bathroom tour & organization post and people seemed to real like it which was exciting! Before I took all of my pictures I completely cleaned out my bathroom and it is so much more organized now! I am definitely in a spring cleaning mood and take on little tasks each week. Let me know if you would like to see a spring cleaning tips post! 

Happy weekend! 

xoxo,

Catherine

Preppy by the Sea 

THREE

Three years ago today we started Preppy by the Sea. It's so crazy to think that the blog has followed us through our entire high school journey and has evolved with us over the years. Since starting the blog on a whim during the summer of 2013, we have gone from completely anonymous to fully sharing our personalities and creative side with friends, family, and readers. Our content has expand dramatically and the quality of our images has gone from the iPhone 4 to DSLR (currently in the process of getting a new lens, look our for more improvements!). Blogging has truly become a huge part of our lives and has allowed us to discover and express our passions with our readers. As we enter into our fourth year of blogging our lives will endure huge changes; we will apply to college, turn eighteen, graduate high school, and head off to college. Though things will change, we look forward to the continued growth of Preppy by the Sea and expanding our role within the blogger community. 

This past weekend, Julianna, a few of our friends, and I all went down to the beach to take some pictures. Like any blog shoot, there were lots of bloopers, however I think that these in particular effectively convey our personalities #behindtheblog. Fixing the hair, funny strangers who enjoy photobombing, and our friends that put up with all of our blogging shenanigans made the pictures complete. Though our moms primarily take all of our photos, our friends deserve a big shoutout as well. Thanks for dealing with the need to get a good "blinsta" (blog insta) every time we go out to eat, venturing out to take outfit pictures, and doing Q&A's on snapchat, you guys are the real MVPs. Finally, we want to thank all of our readers who have followed us on our journey for the past three years. We absolutely love blogging, but having support from followers and reading your comments really makes it all so much more rewarding! Here's to many more years of Preppy by the Sea! 

xoxo,

Catherine

Preppy by the Sea

Friday Favorites

Happy Friday! Homecoming is on saturday so this week was spirit week! We started the week off with pajama day (my favorite) followed by tie dye day, Hawaiian day, and finally school spirit day to get ready for the pep rally! My friends and I have gotten really into the themes and have dressed up every day- it's the little things like this that make senior year so fun. Tomorrow I will be at school all day working at tables for various clubs, cheering on our teams, and finally going to my last homecoming dance. Do you have any exciting plans for the weekend? 

One: Cape Cod

Last weekend my family and I went to the cape for part of the long weekend. I had not been back since school started and it was so nice to go for beach walks, pop into the candy store, and just relax in my favorite place. 

Two: Foliage

On Monday my friends and I made the three hour journey up to Franconia Notch State Park in New Hampshire. I have been dying to go on a scenic dive throughout New England during this time of year and oh my gosh did it not disappoint. The foliage is absolutely breathtaking everywhere you look. This year I really want to go on more day trips with friends and take advantage of all the awesome places just a few hours from home. 

Three: Hiking

Once we got to Franconia Notch, we set out on a 4 mile hike. I have not been on a real hike in two or three years and now I can't wait to go on more. If you are familiar with the area, we did the Lonesome Lake trail which is the perfect half day hike. The trail is pretty steep, however the views of the lake at the top are so pretty and worth the trek. There is an AMC hut at the top of the trail that we stopped at for homemade cookies and hot apple cider, which was just what we needed as the temperature started to drop quickly. After last weekend's fun adventure, we definitely want to try an overnight hike next time!

xoxo,

Catherine

Preppy by the Sea 

Friday Favorites

I don't think I've ever been so relived to see Friday during the summer! This past week has been beyond hectic. It started off with having a bunch of friends down to the cape for the weekend, then it was my sister's 13th birthday, followed by a ton of driving between the cape and home... needless to say I am 100% ready to enjoy the weekend off. Tomorrow night is my friend's graduation party and I cant wait to see her and everyone I haven't seen since getting out of school to celebrate! Do you have any fun plans for the weekend? 

One: There Years of Blogging

This past Tuesday Preppy by the Sea turned three! It is unbelievable to think that we have been blogging since the summer before freshman year and we are now entering our senior year. So much has changed since we started the blog and I am so excited to see where it goes in years to come. Thank you to everyone who has followed along and supported our journey! 

Two: Fruit 

Fruit is probably one of my all time favorite foods and it is so delicious and fresh right now. From watermelon to cherries to peaches to berries, everything is to die for! I have such a bad sweet tooth and fruit is a great healthy and natural alternative to satisfy those cravings, plus what's better than a summer fruit salad? 

Three: Travel

I have been a little bit AWOL on social media this week, so I am resorting to an old picture for number three. Because of my work schedule on the cape and having things going on at home this week, I have been doing a ton of back and forth. Although the drive is only about an hour and twenty minutes, it can get really grueling doing a ton of driving, which has thus resulted in sporadic posts this week. By Sunday I will have driven back and forth four different times which is mildly insane, but hey you gotta do what you gotta do, right? Thankfully as of next week I will pretty much be able to stay on the cape for the rest of the summer which is quite a relief. Look out for some more outfit posts next week! 

xoxo,

Catherine

Preppy by the Sea

Friday Favorites

Happy Friday!! I honestly can't believe that after today I have one more exam and then I am done with my junior year. Although this week has been filled with lots of exams, end of the year research presentations, and meetings, it has surprisingly been pretty manageable. Because of my exam schedule I actually have a three day weekend. In some ways this is nice and will give me more study time, however I would honestly much rather just finish up my classes and start my summer ASAP. This weekend I am going to my friend's birthday dinner and then will probably do something fun and low key with my dad on father's day! Do you have any fun plans for the weekend? 

One: Golf Banquet 

Monday night we had our end of the season golf banquet. It was so nice to get to have one last event with this team, especially with the seniors before they leave for college. The venue along with the extensive ice cream bar made the night so much fun! Julianna is going to be one of the captains for next year and I seriously could not be more excited or happy for her!! You can see my outfit details here and purchase Julianna's dress here. 

Two: Car Shopping

Last week I was rear ended on the way to school and unfortunately we just heard back from the insurance company that my car is totaled. I was really holding out hope that they could just fix it, but the damage ended up being far worse than initially expected. Now I am on the hunt for a new car and and going to look at some this weekend with my dad. Fingers crossed I find something similar to what I had before. 

Three: Running

This week marked the start of cross country summer training, which is kind of crazy seeing that we aren't even out of school yet! I have slowly eased myself back into somewhat of a running routine and am excited to build up my distance and pace throughout the summer. I'm still adjusting to working out in the heat as my workout routine had previously consisted of solely indoor spinning classes. The Lululemon tracker shorts are my absolute favorite for running and I highly recommend purchasing a pair if you are looking for something breathable and flattering. 

xoxo,

Catherine

Preppy by the Sea

Friday Favorites

Happy Friday! This week has been surprisingly manageable for me school wise, which is always great. Although it was an easy week, I of course am excited for the weekend. It is going to be a very busy one, but I have lots of exciting things planned. Tonight I have to volunteer at an elementary school halloween party, but afterwards my friends and I are all celebrating my friend's birthday! On Saturday my mom and I are going into Boston to do some shopping, blogging, and go out to dinner! Look forward to come fun city fashion posts next week! 

One: Madewell's Current Collection

Last weekend I was wondering around found myself in Madewell... I wonder how that happened?  I pretty much fell in love with everything in the store and wished I wasn't limited to a high school budget. My birthday is next month, so I guess I will start dropping hints to my parents :)

Two: Sunday Drives

The fall foliage is absolutely breathtaking right now! Last sunday I just drove around town looking at all the gorgeous trees! I drove through one of the parks and could not resist snapping a quick picture of the scenery. 

Three: Olive Pants + Black Flats + Mochas

This picture pretty much sums up most of my favorites from this week. I have been wearing olive green all the time, and these pants are amazing- and under $20! Also, I wore my Tory Burch flats three times this week, they are so great for this time of year. Finally I have randomly had hot chocolate craze. Typically I am coffee's number one fan so it is slightly out of the norm. I have been opting for a mocha to get the chocolate taste and the caffeine perks. 

xoxo,

Catherine

Preppy by the Sea 

Friday Favorites

What a whirlwind of a week this was! I enjoyed the long weekend in Vermont, but spent majority of it studying for exams. Unfortunatley, the weather was freezing so I opted to go to the gym instead of hitting the slopes! Tuesday we took our history and math exams and Wednesday was science and English. Although the beginning of the week was quite stressful, we got out at 11:15 both days and had no class on Thursday! I would say it was a great week, can't really complain about going to school for three days! Although I pretty much lived in sweatpants and oversized t-shirts this week I have a few favorites to share.

One: My favorite sweater

As I mentioned in my post on tuesday, I am in love with this grey elbow patch sweater. I wore it last weekend and not only is is super cute but also oh so comfortable! 

Two: Rocksbox

We received out first Rocksbox packages this week and adore everything in the box! Read the full review post here and use the code 'preppybytheseaxoxo' to receive a free month subscription!

Three: Kate Spade Things We Love Coffee Table Book 

I received this book for Christmas and have not stopped flipping through the pages ever since. The book is filled with color, patters, quotes and lots of fun old pictures! 

xoxo,

Catherine

Preppy by the Sea 

Styling Red & Green

We are counting down the days until Christmas and what better way to get ready than styling some red and green!? Today we are doing a collab post with Mary Kate from The Prep Nxt Door to share some of our more casual, yet still festive, holiday looks. Pairing red and green together can sometimes get a little overwhelming... unless you are going for the full on tacky Christmas sweater look. We think the easiest way to accomplish this is to select one color as the main focus and add a little pop of the other with jewelry or accessories. Both Julianna and I opted for a more red look. 

I was in Vermont last weekend when I took the photos for this post, so don't mind the excessive amounts of snow in the background. Unfortunately, the lighting was horrible and I only came out with three decent photos. Sorry! 

I ordered this cabernet colored cable knit sweater at the end of the summer from J. Crew Factory. Last weak I unearthed it from my bottom less sweater drawer (sweaters definitely my weakness) and wore it to school and again this weekend #sorrynotsorry. Unfortunately, it sold out on their website but you can still find lots of similar sweaters that are oh so cozy like this one! 

Is anyone else shocked about bean boots being backordered on L.L. Bean until March? I got mine three years ago and wear them practically everyday from Decemeber-March. If you are hesitant about waiting, don't be! I would order them, in fact last year the same thing happened and my sister's were backordered but they came a month earlier than expected! 

 sweater- J. Crew Factory (sold out) similar | Jeans- Joe's Jeans | Scarf- Forever 21 | Boots- L.L. Bean | Socks- J. Crew (old) similar

I received this dress from Anthropologie for my birthday and am completely obsessed with it. It's a perfect winter color and a great dress for the holiday season (even though it is sleeveless :). Although I'm wearing a dress, I still consider this to be a fairly casual and comfortable holiday look.

What's a better sign of Christmas than holly?

I also love that the skirt is somewhat full and the length isn't that short. I like that it's different from the dresses that you always see on department store shelves. Sometimes theres a better alternative to short and tight.

How cute is this neckline!?

Dress- Anthropologie (check local store, not online) | Boots- Frye

Make sure to check out Mary Kate's post here for more holiday inspiration! 

xoxo,

Catherine and Julianna 

Preppy by the Sea 

Thanksgiving Outfit Ideas

Thanksgiving is the kickoff to the most wonderful time of the year (and it's my birthday), so naturally I am pretty excited for Thursday! Once Thanksgiving comes around, I feel like the holiday season is in full swing and there is nothing I love more than the holidays! Family, delicious food and of course, great outfits are what I am most looking forward to. Most years, my family hosts Thanksgiving, so when it comes to picking out and outfit I don't have to think about bundling up to travel somewhere. I am very indecisive when it comes to selecting an outfit for an event (this weekend I tried on five outfits before going out to dinner for a party), so I have three different Thanksgiving looks to share today! The first look is definitely the most formal, I paired my favorite black lace skit with a plaid shirt, nude pumps and a pearl statement necklace. For a more formal dinner, you could also opt for a dress, but I think that pearls and heels make any look more dressy. The second look is very simple and casual, I wore green cords, a white cable knit sweater and plaid scarf. Finally, the third look is semi-formal and I typically end up wearing some variation of this look every year. I wore my favorite J. Crew sweater dress with the perfect fall hues, a puffer vest, riding books and simple jewelry. What is your go-to Thanksgiving look, I am always looking for new ideas?

Outfit One: Formal

Shirt- J. Crew Factory (old) similar | Skirt- J. Crew Factory | Necklace- J. Crew Factory | Bracelet- J. Crew Factory | Heels- Target

 Outfit Two: Casual

Sweater- Forever 21 (old) similar | Pants- J. Crew (old) similar | Shoes- Tory Burch | Scarf- Local Store similar | Bracelet- J. Crew Factory

Outfit Three: Semi-Formal

Dress- J. Crew Factory (old) similar | Vest- J. Crew Factory | Necklace- Etsy | Boots- Dolce Vita

Which look is your favorite?

xoxo,

Catherine 

Preppy by the Sea