August 07, 2014

Netflix

Let's just get straight to the point, I am literally addicted to Netflix. It's a problem. I know that I am not the only one out there with this problem, but seriously Catherine, it is not okay to stay up until three o'clock in the morning watching a show from 1998 by yourself. I have pretty much seen it all and have now moved on to shows that ended before I turned five. This post is most likely going to turn into me rambling on and on about how much time I have wasted on this highly addictive site, but I am going to try to turn this into a beneficial post. I don't typically watch TV during the school week because by the time I finish my homework, I just want to go to bed. However, during the summer and on weekends I guess I just go for the marathon...  Due to all of the series I have completed, I thought that I would do a review of each show. The order that I am writing about each show in is also the order in which I have watched them.


1. Gossip Girl
If you have not watched this show then, wow that's impressive. Gossip Girl is about a group of elite teenagers who live on the Upper East Side in New York City and their lavish lifestyle. The main characters are Blair Waldorf, Serena van der Woodsen, Dan Humphrey, Nate Archibald and Chuck Bass, most of which you will love by the end of the show. Gossip Girl is an anonymous "blogger" who reveals secrets and scandalous stories of Manhattan's elite. If you are looking for a good summer drama I highly suggest this!

2. Greek
For me, I found Greek to be somewhat of a time filler yet highly entertaining. This show is about Casey, a member of her college's most elite sorority, Zeta Beta Zeta and all of her friends within the greek system. When Casey's geeky younger brother Rusty comes to her college he decides to join her ex's fraternity establishing new drama, relationships and friendships. Definitely a good and funny show, but the acting is not exactly and Academy Award worthy performance. 

3. Friday Night Lights
This is a classic. Friday Night Lights is about football in Dillon, Texas and small town drama. The acting in this show is absolutely incredible and the the plot remains interesting throughout all five seasons. The team's coach, Eric Taylor, faces many struggles within the community, on the football team and with his daughter, Julie and wife Tami. Tim Riggins, the "bad boy", Tyra Collette the troubled girl, Lyla Garrity, the popular cheerleader, Jason Street, the paralyzed boy and Julie Taylor (Coach's daughter) form the group of main characters whose lives ultimately create an intriguing plot. It took me a few episodes to really get into this one but trust me, you will be hooked!

4. One Tree Hill
Well here we go, this is 100% my all time favorite show. One Tree Hill has an incredibly long run of 9 seasons, all of which bring new feelings and plot twists. With OTH you really do fall in love with each and every character, they are all so different and offer so many amazing qualities. The show is technically about a high school basketball team in Tree Hill, North Carolina. However it is really about the characters and their lives and relationships. The plot of this show is definitely unique. Nathan Scott, the star basketball player and Lucas Scott, the outcast, are technically brothers, however their father, Dan Scott leaves Lucas's mother, Karen after their senior year to raise him all alone. Next we have Peyton who is somewhat dark and obsessed with art and her record collection and Brooke the popular cheerleader and party girl. These two are best friends. Finally we have Haley, the super smart and somewhat nerdy girl who is best friends with Lucas. Throughout the nine seasons we travel with these characters from their sophomore year of high school until they are about 30 and are married with kids. One Tree Hill offers so many life lessons, couples you will love and of course some quality drama; it will not disappoint!

5. Hart of Dixie
Hart of Dixie is about a doctor, Zoe Hart from New York City who moves to a small town in Alabama called Bluebell. As one might suspect, life in the big apple is extremely different compared to this little town in the deep south. The other doctor at the practice, Dr. Breeland has been there forever and is not exactly welcoming to Zoe the new doctor. Similarly, his daughter Lemon Breeland who is quite the Southern belle is not accepting of the new things that come with Zoe Hart. The Mayor, Levon Hayes owns a large plantation home with a few guest houses where Zoe lives along with Wade, the attractive bartender that she has a thing for. Hart of Dixie is hilarious, if you are looking for a good laugh this is your show! There are only two seasons of this currently on Netflix, however it is still airing weekly on CW. 

6. 90210
This show could be considered the not as good Beverly Hills version of Gossip Girl. Annie Wilson and her adoptive brother, Dixon move to LA from Kansas, which is obviously a major culture shock.  At their new high school, West Bev, they become friends with a group of extremely wealthy kids. With the excessive trust funds inherited by these teenagers this show has its fair share of scandal, parties, private planes and fun friendships- definitely a perfect summer show! 


7. Dawson's Creek 
And my One Tree Hill addiction continues on here... Dawson's Creek aired between 1998 and 2003, later on One Tree Hill would be loosely based upon this show, hence the reason I am currently watching it. Dawson's Creek takes place in the fictional town of Cape Side, Massachusetts which is supposed to be located on Cape Cod. This is really fun because sometimes there are shots taken on the Vineyard, Nantucket, Cape Cod and Boston that I am familiar with, although the actual show is filmed in Wilmington, NC. The premise of the story is about a girl, Joey Potter (Katie Holmes) and the boy down the creek who she has been best friends with her entire life, Dawson Leery (James Van Der Beek) and all of their friends.  The show follows the two and their group of friends throughout high school and later on in life. But, I am still only on season 3.  If you liked OTH I definitely recommend this, plus finding all the coincidences is so fun! 

After writing this I have confirmed my obsession with Netflix and realized I am writing and it is 2 am- just another exciting summer night :) What is your favorite show? 

xoxo,
Catherine

Preppy by the Sea 

August 05, 2014

Pattern Party

Link ups are such great opportunities for bloggers, they help to build new connections with other bloggers who have similar styles or interests. A few weeks ago, Scarlett from The Trendy Chick emailed us asking if we would be interested in joining, of course we said yes and are so excited to be participating today! I am obsessed with patterns, in fact when you look in my closet it is a sea of Lilly Pulitzer, stripes and polka dots! Patterns really give the "fun factor" to any outfit and pattern mixing is also a fun trendy look! If I had to limit myself to one pattern I would chose stripes, they are classic and look great with so many outfits. When I say that a huge portion of my wardrobe is navy and white stripes I am not kidding. Every time I go shopping I gravitate towards anything with that pattern and end up purchasing it, it's a slight obsession...Today I am styling my J. Crew Factory striped skirt- that is not navy and white :)  The metallic detailing provides a more dressy feel and the neutral colors keep it simple. I would consider this look to be business casual and a perfect city look!


A nude chunky heel can dress up any look, plus they are super comfortable! I scored this pair on sale at Old Navy for $20!


As much as I love a good statement necklace, I am obsessing over this pendant-style jeweled necklace. J. Crew has really done it again and I have a feeling that you will be seeing a lot more of this piece in the upcoming months! In addition to the necklace I am also loving my tassel tote from Old Navy, It is perfect for blogging because I can fit my camera in it and it matches everything- definitely worth the $32!


Skirt- J. Crew Factory (Old) similar | Cardigan- Nordstom (Old) similar | Tank Top- Gap | Necklace- J. Crew Factory | Bracelet- J. Crew Factory | Shoes- Old Navy | Tote- Old Navy

Leave a comment below if you are also participating in the link up, we would love to check out your post! #patternpartylinkup

xoxo,
Catherine 

Preppy by the Sea

August 04, 2014

Pink Pineapples

This past week has been pretty uneventful, however I did help my mom clean out her closet. Normally this does not sound like the most riveting way to spend a summer afternoon, but lucky for me she stumbled upon a ton of vintage Lilly and this Old Navy skirt that she let me keep. At first glance I thought this was Lilly as well, but nope Old Navy must have gone through a Lilly dupe phase in the early 2000's :) Pineapples seem to be a common trend this summer and I love the little pink ones on this skirt along with the sea turtles! To create a more casual look, I paired this with a simple white tee shirt and my favorite baseball hat. 



Pearls, Gold & Bows- Does it get any better?

And obviously no summer look is complete without Jack Rogers :)


Shirt- J. Crew Factory | Skirt- Old Navy (Super Old) Similar | Shoes- Jack Rogers | Necklace- Etsy | Bracelets- Crewcuts & Forever 21 | Baseball Hat- Vineyard Vines

xoxo,
Catherine 

Preppy by the Sea

August 03, 2014

Tips and Tricks to Babysitting

So I'm sure that a lot of our readers have done their fair share of babysitting. I babysit on a regular basis and really enjoy it; I love little kids. That being said we've all had that experience where either the kids have gone crazy, they refuse to go to bed, or you've just run out of ideas of things to do (or maybe a combination). Through my experience with babysitting, I've found that there are a lot of fun activities that kids enjoy that don't require watching television or anything too crazy. It's most definitely possible to make babysitting fun for the kids and the sitter. I've included a list of easy activities that have never failed me when I've babysat; the secrets to my success!

1. Do Some Baking
Personally, I love baking and like to do it in my own free time. So, why not do it with the kids? I normally stick to cookies and brownies; simple and delicious. Any kid loves to pour in the ingredients and mix it all together, so as long using the oven is alright with the parents, start baking!
via Pinterest
2. Cards
This may come as a surprise to some of you, but I've found that all the kids that I babysit for love playing cards. Cards are not as messy as setting up a board game (though also a good idea) and are simple. As long as the kids are 5+, they should have no problem playing Crazy 8's or Go Fish.
via Pinterest
3. Build a Fort
Building a fort is perfect for a rainy day or as a solution to boredom while babysitting. Although putting away the pillows and blankets afterwords may be a hassle, playing in the fort will keep the kids occupied for at least an hour. 
This fort is way cooler than anything I've ever made…
4. Sidewalk Chalk
If your babysitting during the day and it's nice out, there really is no better option that drawing with chalk on the driveway. Mess free and fun, this will keep the kids entertained and smiling!
via Pinterest
5. Painting Nails
If you're babysitting girls, this is a really fun activity. Every girls loves to have their nails painted and it's an enjoyable, quiet activity for young girls.
via Pinterest
6. Story Time
Kids love it when babysitters read to them before bed. So, instead of reserving a quick 10 minutes before it's lights out for reading, make it into an activity. Read a few chapter as opposed to a few pages.
via Pinterest

Did you find any similarities between my list of ideas and yours? What are you favorite things to do with the kids you babysit?

xoxo,
Julianna 

Preppy by the Sea 

August 02, 2014

Maxis and Monograms

This past week I rediscovered my love for maxi dresses and skirts and boy oh boy am I glad I did. Maxi dresses are the solution to every girl's lazy summer days, they are incredibly comfortable and can be worn casually around town or dressed up for dinner and literally require zero effort. I saw this dress on Citrus & Style a few weeks ago and knew that it needed to make its way into my closet. I was so excited when I found out it was from Old Navy and was on sale for only $20 because who doesn't love a great deal!? Hot pink is such a fun summer color and I love the little tie at the waist, not to mention the fabric is so, so comfortable!


When looking through our Instagram and old blog posts I realized that we are really lacking when it comes to the color yellow. I love yellow, it is such a fun and happy color, however I can NOT pull it off in clothes. The sunflowers add the perfect pop without making me look horribly pale. 


Monogrammed floppy hats are perfect for beach days or blog days :) 



I am loving these bangles that are a Kate Spade dupe from Forever 21 for $7!

Dress- Old Navy | Shoes- Jack Rogers | Bracelets- Forever 21 | Hat- C. Wonder Similar

xoxo,
Catherine 

Preppy by the sea