March 28, 2017

Spring Break Wishlist


wedges | romper | off the shoulder top | palm print bikini | black bikini top | bow back dress | skirt

After a long blogging hiatus, I am finally back with a new post! With spring break just a few short weeks away, I have been scoping out all of the new warm weather arrivals. My family and I are going to Eleuthera in the Bahamas for vacation and I am so excited to pull out all of my favorite summer pieces. This year I am loving simple and flowy pieces that I could dress up or down. Everything I have rounded up is under $200 and they would all be great items to add to your wardrobe for the upcoming months ahead.

xoxo,
Catherine

Preppy by the Sea 

March 14, 2017

Favorite Nespresso Pods

This past Christmas my dad got our family a Nespresso and it has seriously changed my life. He bought the Vertuoline model which makes both regular coffee and espresso so there is no need to have a coffee machine and a Nespresso machine. I can easily make a cappuccino or latte as I run out the door in the morning and have saved a ton of money as I do not go to Starbucks as frequently as I was before getting the Nespresso. Over the past couple of months I have tried majority of the pods available, including the limited edition pumpkin spice and gingerbread, but the five shown above are my favorites. In my opinion, when it comes to espresso the stronger the better. I usually put 2 Divaolitto pods in when I am making a cappuccino and if I run out of those I go for the Altisso, my mom's favorite. The Odacio is my favorite "regular" coffee, however if I am looking for a little twist on my classic cup of coffee the Vanizo vanilla flavor, and Melozio are my other favorites! Let me know what your favorite pods are as I am always looking to try new coffee! 

xoxo,
Catherine

Preppy by the Sea 

March 13, 2017

Weekend Recap




This past weekend my mom and I flew down to North Carolina for accepted students day at Elon. Because I found out that I was accepted in November and move in day is not until the end of August, college seemed so far in the future. However, this weekend things started to feel real. I sat in the basketball stadium with hundreds of other students that I will be going to school with for the next four years. They could be in my dorm, we could be in classes together, we could join the same clubs, and even if we share no commonalities, we will be a part of Elon University Class of 2021.

Before attending this weekend, I really had no idea what to expect. I am the oldest child and I applied early decision, so this would be my first and only accepted students weekend. On Friday morning, we started the day with a tour of campus. I had been on two tours before and this was pretty similar, however they completed the new communications building this fall so I was able to see that for the first time! After the tour we attended a seminar based on our intended major. It was nice to hear from various professors within the business department and see what other students had similar interests.  After the panel, we split off from the parents into small groups to talk with current students and faculty. Saturday morning started off with a breakfast where we were able to walk around and get to know some of the other students. The second day was heavily focused on residential life, so we began by attended a seminar about the various "neighborhoods" on campus. After learning about the focuses of each dorm (ex. global engagement, living-learning, honors, service) we set out on a tour in which we went into all of the different freshman dorms. This was honestly the most beneficial part of the weekend as I got to see the inside and compare hall style, jack and jill, suite style, and newly renovated dorms.

If you have the opportunity to attend an accepted students weekend for any college you are either going to, or considering I highly recommend it. I was always confident that Elon was my favorite school, and after this weekend I can really see myself there and am excited to start a new chapter there in August!

xoxo,
Catherine

Preppy by the Sea 

March 06, 2017

What I'm Loving

1. Apple Pie Larabar: I have a really difficult time finding bars that I actually like and this one is my new favorite (the peanut butter chocolate chip is a close second). Larabars have very few ingredients and are the perfect on the go snack. 

2. Better Than Sex Mascara: Before this year I have always used drug store mascara, but now I see what all the hype is about after trying the Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara. This product stays on all day (although I do wish it came in waterproof) and creates both length and volume. 

3. Candlelight Glow Highlight: I am not a big makeup person, but I had a bunch of Sephora grift cards from my birthday and Christmas that I have put to good use recently, hence the two makeup favorites! I had never used a highlight before and am definitely a new fan. During the winter my skin loses any glow that I have during the summer and this product adds just the right amount of shimmer to an easy everyday makeup look. 

4. Batiste Dry Shampoo: Second semester has really impacted my productivity and I would be lying to you if I said there were not nights when I go to bed without washing my hair. In the morning I just spray a little bit of this dry shampoo in my hair to get rid of any grease. How did I go 18 years without ever using this stuff!? 

5. Capri Blue Volcano Candle: This is my favorite candle of all time. Last week I burned through mine and now I need to make my way to Anthopologie to pick up a new one ASAP. 

6. UE BOOM 2 Speaker: This year for Christmas I got a speaker and I have been using in nonstop lately. Because it is waterproof and shockproof, you can use it in the shower and don't have to worry about the steam causing water damage like you do with an iPhone. The battery life and sound quality are great, so if you are in the market for a new bluetooth speaker I highly recommend checking this one out! 

xoxo,
Catherine

Preppy by the Sea