Tassel Top

top | pants | shoes (last season)  similar

You know when you order a bunch of new items and plan a specific outfit in your head? That was this look. Earlier this year I saw Mackenzie style this top and knew I had to have it. As much as I loved the crisp white tassels, I just couldn't justify the $280 price tag. When I was browsing the Forever 21 website one night, I stumbled upon this top for under $20 and ordered it right away. It is still available in every size so if you are on the hunt for the perfect summer top, I highly recommend it and it runs true to size! 

On the contrary, I did make one splurge for this summer. Last year I was lusting over these Tory Burch wedges, but never actually pulled the plug. When I was still thinking about them this spring, I decided to see if I could hunt them down. I ended up finding my size new with tags in the original box on Tradesy for almost 50% off. I knew I wanted to buy a new pair of wedges this year, so when they just happened to have my size, it was a sign. They match pretty much everything in my closet and are so comfortable for having a five inch heel.

The first few days of vacation were on the chillier side (excuse my paleness), so I opted for pants at dinner. I purchased this blush pair at Zara a couple weeks ago and love them! Recently I have been trying to buy pants that are different from my typical jeans, so the frayed hem and color really spoke to me. Blush is a great shade for this time of year and it surprising matches a lot. 

xoxo,

Catherine

Preppy by the Sea

Friday Favorites

Happy Friday! Today marks the official start of Spring break and I could not be happier. The stress of junior year has really hit me recently, especially with AP exams just around the corner. Here's to enjoying the next nine days of relaxation and sunshine!

One: Boston

Last weekend was probably one of the best weekends in a long time. All of my friends and I have such busy schedules that it is often time hard to all get together and catch up. Now that we all have our licenses, we have been driving in to Boston to do some shopping and go to dinner to mix things up. Julianna and our friend Clare are obsessed with Sweetgreen and they finally took me, needless to say the salads are delicious! After eating and shopping on Newbury Street, we made our way to the North end for coffee and dessert. If there is one thing I have learned this year, it is that making time to be with friends and get away from homework is so important. 

Two: Prom

Our prom is on May 13th and everything from dress craziness to proposals are in full swing. Yesterday, Julianna got asked at golf practice in the cutest way. I'm a sucker for a good pun and this did not fail to disappoint. Unfortunately, I wasn't at practice as I left early to go to Florida, but I am so excited for her! 

Three: Florida

My family and I flew down to Florida on Wednesday night. Unfortunately, yesterday was rainy so we ventured over to the outlets for a little shopping. I didn't end up getting new Ray-Bans, but I really like the aviators with blue lenses. The rest of our trip is supposed to be beautiful, so I am looking forward to relaxing at the beach, and hopefully getting a little bit of a tan! 

xoxo,

Catherine

Preppy by the Sea

Failure, in Hindsight

via

As a little disclaimer, this post is fairly personal, but I recognize that many of our readers are high school aged and can likely relate. Bear with me :)

Until this year, I'd never really been someone who was afraid of failing. Getting a bad grade on a test, not doing as well as I'd hoped in a golf match, and other small "failures" were easy to brush off and forget a few hours later. Yet, the moment I walked into school the first day of my junior year, it just felt different. Suddenly it seemed like every single thing I did inside and outside of that building counted to my future, and that completely freaked me out. Sure, my teachers and advisors had been saying for years to get involved, get the best grades you can, and "make your mark" on high school, but in that moment it finally began to sink in.

I would say that 70% of the difference is recognizing how competitive college truly is. Daily, I hear of seniors who appear on paper to be the perfect applicant get rejected from schools they thought they would get into. I'd say the other 30% is realizing that I'm nearing the home stretch of my high school career; have I made the most of the opportunity? Are there classes I wish I took, clubs I wish I joined? Am I doing enough to make myself different enough?

Those are the million dollar questions that pop into my head on a regular basis. So, when I found out I had been accepted into my school's chapter of National Honor Society, I was instantly excited and spontaneously decided to run for a position on the executive board. I decided on secretary, wrote a quick speech, and handed my form in with confidence that things would work out.

A little background information...

At the end of my freshman year, I ran to be the treasurer of the class of 2017. Getting up on stage and speaking in front of 300 of my peers and teachers was honestly the scariest moment of my life. However after nailing my speech and feeling confident about my response from the audience, I truly thought I had won. As it turns out, I was wrong. I lost to the person whom I least expected and felt so, incredibly, embarrassed. From that point forward, I was never a fan of public speaking and was too nervous to run against another classmate for the entirety of my sophomore year.

Back to the present

For me, running for an NHS position was a big deal. I wanted to redeem myself, and, who am I kidding, it would be a nice addition to a college application. However when it came time to read our speeches to all the Junior members of the club, I found out I was running against three other girls. My speech went well, but I didn't want to get too hopeful, the odds were not in my favor and I sensed a repeat of freshman year. 

Tuesday night was the induction ceremony into NHS in which the club advisor was to announce the new executive board in front of all the students and parents. I told myself I didn't expect to win, that I would be okay with losing, and that I shouldn't be upset. Yet when it was time to announce the secretary and my name wasn't called, I still felt the shock and heartbreak that I swore to myself I'd bury inside. Losing is hard, especially twice, and I don't think there is any magic way of making it sting less. I got my hopes up, even if I didn't want to.

I've always been a fan of the saying that "when one door closes, another one opens" and I'd like to think that applies here. Over the past two years, I've become increasingly involved in my school's Green Team, Student Council, and Model United Nations Club. I know I want to hold a exec position in Green Team, and possibly even Model UN if it all plays out. I have found things in high school that I'm passionate about and I confident now that I'm doing all that I can to make the most of high school. Losing one election allows me more free time to run for a different position in another club. From failing, I feel as though I've made the greatest revelations about myself. Surely I don't know what the future holds, particularly in regards to college, but I at least can say that I'm doing my best. How could I ask any more of myself?

What are your thoughts on perseverance?

xoxo,

Julianna

Preppy by the Sea  

Blue Hues

tee | jeans | vest | sneakers

Spring is often times a very difficult season to dress for as everyday you can expect something different. Recently, I have been noticing that I gravitate towards the same few items in my closet this time of year. Regardless of the season, it's no secret that I have a thing for stripes. I have this tee in a few colors, they are under $15 and I honestly find that the quality is so much better than the J. Crew painter tees. Also, my ripped jeans are definitely a spring favorite. The light wash and subtle rips are perfect for the transition months! 

My converse have 100% been the best thing I have purchased in the past year. Initially I bought them the night before I went to Italy because I needed a pair of walking shoes, never did I imagine that they would quickly become one of my favorite pairs of shoes! If you are looking into converse, I highly recommend the white as they match everything, they also run really big. I typically wear an 8 or 8.5 and had to go down to a 7.5. What are your go-to spring pieces? 

xoxo,

Catherine

Preppy by the Sea

Spring Break Bucket List

via

On Wednesday night my family and I leave to go to Florida for spring break and I could not be more excited. Although I don't love New England winters, I think that the long months of cold make getting away to the beach that much better. For the past few weeks all that has been on my mind is sunny weather, bright clothing, and days at the beach. I want to make the most of my week away, so I came up with a little bucket list of things I want to do in Florida! 

read a book // One of my goals for 2016 is to do more reading in my spare time, and what better place to enjoy a book than the beach! Any recommendations for a light vacation read are welcome!

Get a tan?// I am currently extremely pale, so I am hoping to get a little bit of a tan throughout the week. Fingers crossed I skip over the lobster phase. 

Go swimming// This one is pretty obvious, but it has been way too long since I have been in the ocean. I am looking forward to having salty hair and sandy feet :)

Create a new playlist// Because I am going to be spending a lot of time at the beach and traveling, I want to make a new playlist. There is nothing more relaxing than sitting and listening to your favorite songs by the ocean. 

Get ice cream// Although I eat ice cream throughout the winter, I think we can all agree that it is so much better at the beach. Late night ice cream runs never fail to disappoint- especially when they have black raspberry and homemade cones. 

Go for a run// Obviously I am planning on eating a lot of yummy food- that's that vacation is for, right? However, I want to take advantage of the nice weather and sneak in a run or two throughout the week! 

xoxo,

Catherine

Preppy by the Sea