Put a Bow On It: Scarf Edition

I've recently Instagrammed a few OOTD's (outfit of the day's) with scarves tied like a bow! A few of y'all have inquired about how to do it and even tried it on your own!

For those of you who have tried, you know, it's SO EASY. If you can tie your shoes, you can tie your scarf. You literally follow the exact same steps:

The steps go L-R top then L-R bottom!

Step 1: Lay your scarf with equal tails on each side. 

Step 2: Make a simple knot, like the first step when you'd tie your shoes.

Step 3: Pull one loop through, then followed by the other side. Again, just think, shoe tying!

Step 4: It will be lopsided. Choose to adjust or tie again!

Step 5: Adjusting

Step 6: Pull the loops to be wider so you can really see the bow!

Voila, you've just tied your scarf in a bow! Really, I follow the EXACT same steps like you would tie your shoelaces, so if in doubt, keep that in mind!

Give it a shot, and if you wear your scarf in a bow, tag me on Instagram @letsbepreppy so I can see your scarf bows! I'll post the best ones!

xxKatie

Outfit of the Day: Goodbye White Pants

Since I didn't do anything at ALL yesterday except go grocery shopping at WalMart, I didn't really utilize my last day of white pants! You'll probably see me break the rule a time or two since it's so stinking hot in South Carolina for awhile, but in honor of the last day of white pants yesterday, it appears that it is time to say goodbye!

I wore this outfit to work last week! I love any version of an Elsa top by Lilly, and this embroidered one was great! The colors are fun and vibrant and coral and turquoise seems to be everywhere these days!

This was also the first day of my Tory Burch flats! I got them for a STEAL! I can't even believe! The gold is definitely something I need to get used to, but I think they'll be a lot more toned down with dark jeans and great for fall!

Goodbye white jeans!

What are your thoughts on still wearing white jeans? Yay or nay? Hello or goodbye?

xxKatie

The Art of the Sock Bun

I FINALLY DID IT!

Note, not to my own hair, but I did this to my hair model Hannah's hair! I LOOOOOVE the way that it turned out!

I've been trying and trying and trying to master the sock bun. I actually saw something on Pinterest about the sock bun being created from a legitimate sock...well I'll just spoil that plot now, IT DOESN'T WORK. You need this:

Found here!

We snagged our sock bun donut at a Sally Beauty Supply store for less than $4!

In order to do a sock bun, you: 

1. Put your hair in a pony tail. Use a regular elastic to secure the pony on your head.

2. Pull the pony straight back (or up) depending on where you want your sock bun to be.

3. Take the donut and place it at the ends.

4. SLOWLY roll the ends INTO your pony, wrapping hair into the donut as you go down your hair.

5. There will be loose ends at the base, wrap those around the pony and mush them into the bun (such official terms...I know...)

6. Spray a little hair spray once you're in place and you'll have all the staying power you need!

Recommendations:

1. HAVE SOMEONE ELSE DO THIS. Your arms get tired and it would be tough to have to do it on your own.

2. Your hair will work better when it's straight--i.e. I tried it on my curly haired friend Colleen too, and it was TOO voluminous once it was in the bun. We could definitely do it, but it was easier with straight hair.

I got tons of great response when I posted this photo on Instagram, so I'd love to hear everyone's experiences doing it! Could you do it alone? Any good tips?

xxKatie

Classic Preppy

While shopping around a little in Nordstrom with my sister, there was this AMAZING display of men's shirts. She had already started going up the elevator when I stepped back to check them out. Wondering who made them, I did a little investigating and found that it was Brooks Brothers! Naturally! Check out some of their new shirts that I'm in love with:

Madras elbow pockets? I mean come on, how cute are they!?

It comes in a clean white with a navy/red plaid combo too! What's not to like?

This was really the shirt that caught my eye though! I love button downs and actually have all the different components of this shirt myself: blue stripe, pink, blue solid. I LOVE this shirt and would buy it in a heartbeat! It would look great paired with regular jeans and boat shoes--a staple outfit in any guy's wardrobe!

Do y'all like these two looks for guys? I'm a big fan and I love that Brooks Brothers did a few pieces like this!

xxKatie

Carolina Keeps Callin' Me Home!

All I can think about is going to school on Sunday!

I'm starting to pack, say goodbyes, and make those last minute purchases for back to school! This song is a CONSTANT reminder of getting back to school and reuniting with all of my friends! I'm in the process of making visit plans for my friends who are at home to come see me and Momma and Daddyo will be back to see me about a month after classes start for the big Navy/USC game!!

It's just another song about missin' you

Like a phone call from my baby saying, "Honey I miss you like crazy"

Just like the sound of a siren's song

Oh Carolina ya keep calling' me home

Callin' me home!

xxKatie

PS: I'm off to get my hair cut today! Wish me luck!

Denim Advice

So this year, foolish Katie didn't pack very well to come home from school.  Foolish Katie made some mistakes in her packing ways after her freshman year. After sophomore year you'd would think she'd have learned but no. Foolish Katie forgot to bring home jeans. She brought white jeans but no regular ones. (Aside: this year I split a pair of jeans for the first time...#embarassing AND I was already running late for Accounting...great.)

Anyway, if you didn't catch on, I'm foolish Katie. I packed really poorly for home. All I brought literally was Lilly stuff, shoes, t-shirts, and my plastic tub of accessories. Not in there: enough socks, jeans, and a few other items I've lusted after knowing full well they're in my locked apartment in my locked room 550 miles away.

Just two days ago, I went into my local Nordstrom's Rack in Annapolis to the delight of their fabulous denim selection! I was ready to pay Nordy's Rack price off of the designer pants with ranges from $70-$100. Instead I first headed over to the clearance rack. After filing through all the indigo pants, I took 7 pairs in back with me to try on: Paige Jeans, Joe's Jeans, Seven for All Mankind, Citizens, the lot.

I tried and tried and tried + 4 more tries and only came out with one winner (which I guess is a good thing for my wallet) with a pair of Joe's Jeans.

These are the "Muse" fit in the "high rise" (cut?). I'm not sure of the color for sure or the inseam for sure but they're dark jeans with a LONG LONG LONG inseam. (I have long pants issues...#giraffeproblems). I was thrilled to find a pair that I liked AND on sale!

I happily marched up to the register (thankfully nothing else really caught my eye...we'll leave that for the real Nordstrom) and the cashier scanned my pants for...$27! TWENTY SEVEN DOLLARS for designer denim that fit. Where am I? Is that even real life? Is that even POSSIBLE?!

Needless to say I was excited and proud walking out with my great jeans! I happily would have paid the normal price but thanks to savvy shopping I got these for a steal!

Now I need more denim advice: WHERE DO YOU GET IT? I'm in the market for straight leg, darker-ish (I just hate light denim), LONG jeans.

Can anyone help a sista out? Where do you get your jeans? Do you rely on one brand or do you shop around (that's clearly what I'm guilty of)? I need some clues ladies!!

xxKatie

Summer Braids (Formerly Titled: "Long Hair Don't Care")

Let's get one thing straight: I have never ever ever liked having my hair in my face. It drives me nuts. When I take tests, I automatically put it back in a ponytail despite any straightening or styling I've done. I get so distracted by having my hair in my face that it is almost always tucked up or pinned or half pulled back in some way (excuse all the awkward self shots...I raided my profile pictures album):

Tucked back take 1...from Bayside Bride (if I wear my hair down, it typically means just like this)

Half up...from Christmas

Pulled back...at a party

Restrained with a headband...at a football game (I KNOW for a fact this day I put it in a pony because it was SO STINKIN' HOT, but we beat Alabama so naturally my hair-do/overall looks were NOT my priority that day)

Case in point, this summer I've been rocking the braid. Whether it's french braided or a regular fat braid in the back, it has been the perfect way to wear my hair without looking like I just got back from the gym.

I want to master this side/french braid because it's so put together! If only LC wasn't in every "good hair" picture everywhere. Whenever I look for good haircuts she ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS pops up!

I may or may not have googled how to french braid your own hair or something along those lines so I'm not a seven-year-old asking my Momma to help me with my hair...

Anyone else out there rock the Summer braid? Any tips for french braiding your own hair? This girl could use some tips!!

xxKatie

Carolina Cup Week: The What + Where

So, you heard it's time for Carolina Cup, huh? Well, what is Cup might you ask? And how cute is that Lilly logo for Carolina Cup this year?!

"The Carolina Cup race-meeting is a time honored South Carolina tradition that has achieved premier social event status. The annual 'rites of spring' draws over 65,000 fans from throughout the southeast, to enjoy the thrilling sport of steeplechase horse racing amid a flurry of spring fashions and elaborate tailgate parties. From our Hospitality Terrace to College Park, old friends meet and new friends are made during the afternoon of six races."

It's in Camden, SC and is one of the biggest tailgates in South Carolina!

Fraternities tend to take advantage of the day and turn it into a big ol' date function. All of my guy friends in frats have their outfits picked out, know who their dates are and are all looking forward to the day!! I just went shopping with a friend of mine to pick out his pants and his matching bowtie in his fraternity colors (look for a post about it tomorrow!!). We had such a fun time choosing all the different options in the store and they were even having a special Cup trunk show!!

Girls get ALL Lillyfied or wear their favorite BRIGHT colors and wear BIG hats and all the guys don their best seersucker, plaid, madras or colored chinos! Bowties are a MUST--again, I'll have advice coming up this week for all of it!!

Carolina Cup is on April 2, who's going?! Better question: WHAT ARE YOU WEARING!

Anyone have GREAT photos of last year?! Submit them on the Let's Be Preppy Facebook Page or email them to letsbepreppy@gmail.com!

xxKatie

Her Campus: A Collegiette's Guide to Life

Alright, so I don't ever really trust advice websites. I go to my closest friends when I need help with problems. I don't try to READ about the issues I'm ALREADY having. And when it comes to college advice guides, they're pretty much never ending! Until I found this great advice site all for college girls. It talks about everything from relationship issues, girl issues, budgeting, what and how to eat in college, and I honestly feel like they could be writing to me. They have representatives writing from a bunch of different schools so you get a great perspective from girls from the North, South, Midwest, East Coast, everywhere. I'm SO excited to see the Her Campus edition for USC and it debuts this week on the 15th! Some of my recent favorite posts they've had are:

1. 5 College Trends That Won't Go Away: this talks about the crazed trends that we've all seen (or may still be seeing) on campus. Too bad they forgot the Norts...

2. 10 Easy Ways to Save Money in College: my momma will be happy to see that I read this one!

3. Five Rules of Etiquette That Every Collegiette Needs To Know: I wish I could mass text/facebook inbox/email/tweet this article to most college girls I know. A little bit of polish and being polite goes so far in college.

4. The Craziest College Classes: 2010 Edition: From Star Trek to Nascar, you can find all the craziest sounding classes here!

5. How Technology has Changed the "Game" of Dating: Amen sista.

These articles are well-written by smart Collegiettes! They're real and I know many girls who read this website, if for nothing else, just for fun. Some things you can take seriously and some you can just laugh off. I definitely recommend checking this site out for any of my fellow fabulous college ladies!!

xxKatie

Blackberry Troubles

Unfortunately I've been having some issues with my Blackberry. I absolutely LOVE it, but for the past few days, I've been trying to download my system update and it freezes right when I've downloaded 72% of it. It won't get any further. My problems started last Saturday and I thought it might have been just because I hadn't turned it off in awhile, but I've tried re-starting it, re-setting it, and leaving it off for long periods of time. I've tried it in all the different modes and I'm now starting to not receive BBMs! I'm not quite sure what to do! If my problem continues through the weekend (which I hope it doesn't!!) I'm probably going to have to resort to going to the store--on a weekend, yuck--to see what they can do for me!

Does anyone have any tips or tricks to helping out a BBerry?! I'd hugely appreciate it!!

xxKatie

P.S.: I'm officially ADDICTED to BBM! It's part of why I love my BBerry, y'all were SO right!!

Outfit of the Day: Shagging Class Choices

January 24 by letsbepreppy featuring handcrafted jewelry

This was the outfit I wore to shagging! My shirt was a little different, but the color and sleeveless style from J. Crew was spot on! My shirt had a big rosette instead of the ruffles, but you get the idea. Our room was so warm that I can't imagine ever wearing anything besides sleeveless or MAYBE a cardigan. Anyway, it was super functional and the dress "code" was a pretty big range. A few of the sorority girls came in like 80's workout gear which looked a little out of place, but their leggings and t-shirts were comfortable for our "workout" type parts of class. Boys had all kinds of clothes on, but the most popular outfit of choice was a t-shirt and khakis with legal shoes (which ended up being, for most of us, socks). I had SO much fun and I can't wait to go back! I'm really looking forward to starting some of the harder moves and one of my close friends is pretty much a shag expert who even teaches at a local Jillian's! Depending on the weather and other variables Monday, I'll probably end up in a similar outfit!

xxKatie

Advice Needed: Hair How-To Help

Say that five times fast! So I found a set of Remington Hot Rollers in my house and tried using them for Christmas Eve but got so frustrated and sick of YouTube videos that I quit. I have this set:

Half are big ones and half are smaller ones and I just could NOT master them. I should have practiced a few times before thinking I could just get it! 

Anyway, my goal out there is to learn how to use them properly!! Anyone have any tricks? The look I'm going for is mostly volume and curl at the bottom of my hair. Think little curls right along the bottom of my hair to change-up straight hair. How do you also not get the crimp from the little holder? I have extremely thick hair also, so is it just silly for me to even try these? Next time should I just try velcro rollers instead? (That will also require multiple tutorials...)

If there's anyone out there who can console me/train me on hot rollers let me know!! I'd very much appreciate it!!

xxKatie

No Shave Brovember

I find this competition/holiday/whatever it is gross. According to no-shave-november.com, there are several rules:
1. You do not shave in November.
2. You DO NOT shave in November.
3. If you shave, you are out.
4. No trimming, no waxing.
5. No shaving can go on as long as you want to.

According to one of my favorite tumblr's, American Gentleman, there are rules on the maintenance of facial hair. I agree with them completely. They do not at all participate in "No Shave November". This is their ruling called "Basics: A Note on Grooming":

Facial Hair

Much like body hair, unless you have been told by your lady to keep a bear/goatee/mustache, you should not have one. Some women like hair on their men’s faces and that is up to them, but generally, a gentleman is clean cut. However, it is okay to let a couple days of stubble grow as long as you do not have an event and you are not working (read: it’s the weekend). This is also a very good indicator to someone about how much you care about your appearance, and a gentleman should always be concerned with his appearance.


So to all my loyal boy readers (you know who you are), I hope I don't see you participating in this scratchy face contest. It is so...NOT preppay (thanks Jon and Brett).

Ladies, do you agree or disagree? Does your man participate...? I hope not!!

xxKatie

The Rules of a Gentleman

To all my best boy readers (Derek, Michael, Brett, Shane, Robert, and all the others) this post goes to all of you. I found a new website called "Rules of a Gentleman" and I'm already a big fan. All the rules include little notes by the authors of the website as well. When I was little, I always remember when my dad would get fitted for suits and we'd always read the little books of knowledge that the store sold when  my sister and I weren't picking out our favorite ties. Really, the "rules" can apply to most people, but it's a great site. Check out some of my favorite rules:

Rule No. 7: The best suit is a tailored one. Please Note: Get a pocket square while you're at it.
Rule No. 23: Learn from those who came before you. Please Note: It's a Mr. Miyagi and Daniel-san type of thing.
Rule No. 36: Your outlook on life defines how you react to those life changing moments. Please Note: Those reactions can define your life.

Rule No. 13: Swagger is something you earn. Please Note: It's the whole speak softly big stick thing.

Rule No. 28: Opening the door for a lady is not optional, and will never go out of style. --Andy Rutledge Please Note: This means any door. (I would like to notice, we always notice. No matter what.)
Rule No. 2: Kindness goes a long way. Please Note: Fake kindness doesn't count.
Rule No. 21: Watch Location = Left Wrist. Please Note: Wearing a watch isn't a necessity for style.
Rule No. 34: Cufflinks when appropriate are never optional. Please Note: Always go for sophisticated not goofy.
Rule No. 18: A gentleman is one who puts more into the world than he takes out. --George Bernard Shaw Please Note: Better words have never been spoken

Rule No. 10: Personal notes should always be handwritten. Please Note: Chicken scratch is not acceptable.

Rule No. 1: Common sense always wins. Please Note: Common Sense is the new black.
Rule No. 33: Always provide correction in private and praise in public. --Scott Delinger Please Note: They will thank you later.

I know that's a lot of rules, but they're so well written and fun. They go from etiquette to style to knowledge we all should have. It reminds me of a classier version of the rules from Wedding Crashers!

xxKatie

Needlepoint Belts (By Hand?)

So I've decided that I want to needlepoint a belt. I haven't the slightest how to needlepoint or where even to begin, but I'm going to do one eventually. Maybe over an extended break (i.e. Christmas, Summer, maybe both if necessary...etc.) I'll try it and see, but I want to do one.  That being said, it probably wouldn't be for me, but for a gift instead because I'd feel weird wearing my own. Also, girls don't really wear needlepoint belts as much, so most likely it's going to be a gift for a guy friend of mine (who won't judge me if it's not perfect...). Here are a few of the ideas I'm throwing around from different needlepoint belt sites that I simply found by googling it:

Bowties: so cute and would match a TON since there are so many colors

Schooners: I'm still a MD girl at heart!

Bourbons: for the quintessential Southern guy

Boat Flags: always a crowd pleaser

Trout/Fishing: very cute, but would white get dirty? Not sure...?

Sailboats: I love this and I love all the colors! To anyone who has done this before, do more colors = high level of difficulty? If so that might narrow things down a bit...

Dressed Horses: This would be so perfect for the Carolina Cup or Preakness Stakes! 

Golden Retrievers: How cute for anyone with a Chesapeake Bay Retriever? Perfect for MD!

So for any of my Southern Ladies who have made these:

1. Are they difficult? (1a. Is needlepoint hard to pick up? I feel like with YouTube, any tutorial is easy these days...)

2. Is it time consuming?

3. Did you get it finished professionally?

4. Do they hold up?

5. Would they make a good gift?

Advice please ladies!!

xxKatie

Pennington & Bailes: SEC Wear

Pennington and Bailes is quite possibly the best SEC/Southern apparel I've seen in awhile! They make great stuff for both Men and Women and even little kids!

A friend of mine was actually wearing some P&B shorts while we were working together and I told him I admired them, unaware of the maker. (Derek this is you, I'm not sure if you read LBP, but I'm referring to you!!) He had khaki shorts on with a garnet Under Armour polo from school:

How great are these shorts? Embroidered shorts with Gamecocks, well yes, I do adore them! He looked fabulous in his shorts and now I know his little secret! If you're feeling extra bold, they even have full length trousers (maybe for a cooler game per se):

This would be SUCH a good gift idea for a few of the boys I know! I'm not sure if any of them would actually wear them, but there's a chance!

I love this garnet skirt from the Women's section:

This would be so perfect with a black polo or tank! It would be great even in the winter for tours with a black turtleneck and tights and brown boots! Too cute!

 For some of my other local readers there are options for:

South Carolina (in general, I'm a HUGE fan of these)

College of Charleston

The Citadel

Duke

Wofford

All of these options are so much fun! I'll have to find just the right person to show these to to see if they would ever wear them! Such a cute idea! P&B even has a page of pants that match perfectly to your school's colors! I appreciate that they recognize that USC (Garnet) has different colors than Alabama (Crimson) and Georgia (Red)! Way to go!!

xxKatie

Body Boost

Right before my trip to school (as in very last minute shopping right before) I picked up some random toiletries that I'd need, just like any other vacation. I saw that the Garnier Fructis shampoo was on sale, and I liked the way it smelled, so I got a bottle of both shampoo and conditioner. I really like the effects that the Body Boost combo gives, except for one thing.

It also give my frizz/flyaways body and volume. I wore my hair in a pony tail today (since it was wet and I didn't blow-dry it all the way) and my flyaways were a little too voluminous. I think the humidity combined with not properly styling it 100% combined with the short length of the hairs, it didn't make a great hair-do. I've been fooling around with the styling to see if I can get it straight, but I haven't gotten the concept spot on.

Has anyone else used any kind of body/volume shampoo? How have you dealt with the shorter hairs (and the problems they bring along to the party)? Advice needed for sure!!

xxKatie

Genie in a Bottle

What's blue, and powerful, and great when you're in a bind? A genie in a bottle of course!

...but really, Downy Wrinkle Releaser is something you NEED to have. (Also, the spray itself isn't blue, just the bottle is...to clarify!) If you don't have this stuff already, go out and buy some ASAP. I stole for about a month had this at school after "borrowing" (more like kidnapping and not giving back until I packed my room up right before my last exam) it from a guy that lived across the street. I really needed an iron one day but couldn't track one down from any of my friends, so he gave me this stuff instead. Simply put, it works wonders. A girl in one of my classes did a speech about how great it is, and it is absolutely worth the ~$8 price tag. I finally bought one of my own here at Target. They newly redesigned the bottle and I couldn't find it anywhere after looking high and low. Then I realized that it was in a blue bottle (it used to be white) and found it the first time I tried looking in Target. I tried it on my Worth Shift about an hour before I needed to wear it (to the Lilly and Lemonade Party) and it was great:

If any of you own this dress, it's a very heavy cotton slub material and I would have thought that the spray wouldn't have worked. Well, I was wrong and the spray was great! Not only does it work fast, it's super easy, and it left ZERO marks (no water lines, no discoloring, nothing!) on my dress. All you do is spray it evenly over your garment and then pull the item slightly as to "pull" out the wrinkles. I haven't tried it on anything super stretchy yet, so I can't say how it works on say, a jersey material, but on my Shift it worked fabulously! 

Anyone else try this stuff? Let me know!

xxKatie

P.S.: This stuff is a great idea for college students (who don't have irons) to get before you move out!!

Love Me Some Southern Tide

So for any of you who haven't been introduced to Southern Tide, you have to check them out! I swear they have the SOFTEST polos created. I got an email from their mailing list with all the new polo colors (and chino colors too) coming out and had to pass it on to you all. They are so fun for summer and I know they'd be a delightful addition to any boy closet!

I am loving the Bluefin color for the polos and the Sailor Red and True Blue for the shorts.

I've mentioned ST on the blog before, but it is perfect for the beginning of summer which is (thankfully) right around the corner! This is their Skipjack Polo and they describe it as "The best, most comfortable classic polo ever made." and I know some boys who would agree for sure!

I also have to love a company who gives the good ole Gamecocks some TLC. Brittons is a great store located on Devine Street in the greatest city of Columbia, SC that has a huge selection of clothing. Look at what ST did for the Gamecocks:

For all my USC fans, you just gotta love em! I can't wait to see more ST hopefully up North here a little more. Any of my boy readers should invest in a polo or two for sure! (School colors are always a plus...having an "almost alumni" own the company helps too!)

xxKatie

Outfit of the Day: Chilly Transition AND Advice Needed! HELP PLEASE!

Today was oddly cold in the morning so I had jeans on actually and had to wear closed-toe shoes for my Monday anatomy lab. After my lab final, I went back to my room to change and then I headed over to work. I finished the day with an exit-type interview since the year is wrapping up as well as renewing my contract for next year (Woo hoo! They're taking me back!!) so I was excited about that. I got to tell the full time staff members what I was thinking about the organization and I got to hear what they had to say about me. This was what I wore for today's endeavors:

April 19 by letsbepreppy

I was very comfortable for the outing and the day. Plus I wanted to look decent for my "interview". By no means did we have to dress up, but I certainly didn't want to be in a t-shirt or anything like that. I started out wearing a FAB madras belt, but changed because it kept untucking my shirt--oh no!

I do however have a banquet coming up on Wednesday and I need some help deciding what to wear. I have a few options for the night. It is definitely dressy and nicer than a typical jersey/cotton/knit dress. I think a cotton Lilly would be nice, but I have a feeling it is a little bit dressier even still. Here are a few options for what I'm thinking:

This pink dress from my Baccalaureate ceremony. I have great silver wedges to go with it too! It's from J. Crew and all the little jacquard dots are adorable and shiny. I wore this dress during rush and got so many compliments on it! It is on the dressier side, but I LOVE this dress!

I couldn't find a better photo of this dress, but this is my other option. I'd have to wear a cardigan or something with it until we sat down for dinner. This is a Lilly that I like too and it is pretty dressy. I'd wear this with gold Jacks and some gold jewelry to dress it up a little more.

I also have a few black dresses also, which have been stored in my closet since football season (garnet and black gameday anyone?!) and I have those as options, but I'd rather be summery for the banquet. Please tell me what you think about the dresses and which one I should wear!! Thank you!!

xxKatie