LBP Loves Phi Mu!

So more than a year ago, I gave fellow Lilly lover, Amanda, my old Lilly prom dress. I was a size 0 back then, and looking back I'm not entirely sure why my friends or family tried to dissuade me from wearing a dress that was nearly a foot too short...I sure had my heart set on it. Long story short though, I'd never be able to wear that dress again nor would I be able to reuse it in some sort of Lilly blanket/quilt/etc because of the material. I knew it had to go to a Lilly LOVER who would take care of it and make sure that it got a few more special dances around the dance floor!

I'm going to refrain from posing old photos of me, once you see how absolutely amazing Amanda and her beau Brett look, you'll see why! They seriously should model together!!

Phi Mu formal was over the weekend on Saturday and Amanda's a graduating senior here at USC. I've gotten to know her a bit better, and better yet, she toughed it out at Relay from 7-7 and then rallied to get ready for formal on Saturday night! How GREAT is she? Phi Mu sure is lucky! Check out how great her and Brett looked over the weekend:

Don't they look so stinkin' cute together? Love them! 

That's Amanda's apartment complex in the back, what a great view! Plus how cute is Brett's matching Lilly bowtie? It's PERFECT!

Don't they look like celebrities? I'm convinced Brett is will be in the next James Bond with that look!

Have you ever worn Lilly to a formal? Anyone spot these two lookers over the weekend? Love it!!!

xxKatie

Lilly & Rue La La

While some people weren't very successful on the RLL sale, I was able to snatch up this dress for $30! I had a credit on RLL and got this Bowen from summer:

I really lusted after this dress from Summer but it was out of my price range even with my employee benefits. I tried it on time and time again but never made the decision. By the time it went on sale, my size had be snatched up! I was lucky enough to find this on Rue La La AND I had a $50 credit to my name so I couldn't pass it up! I rarely find things that are my style on RLL, so when I saw the Lilly sale come around I made sure to check it out! I'm very pleased with my completely guilt free new dress!!

xxKatie

Lilly and Books

Today my Momma and I were out shopping and strolling for the early afternoon and we eventually made our way into Barnes and Noble. My mom is quite the reader and she was looking for a few summer books. I saw this fabulous display while I was perusing the shelves of the goodies B&N has to share:

How cute is all their Lifeguard Press stuff? I love that it's all centered around the "Essentially Lilly" book too! I'm a huge fan of reading especially during the summer, so I wanted to compile some of my good (and maybe some preppy) reads!

What I've read recently/want to read:

American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld

So I was recommended this book by a fellow co-worker of mine and was really excited to read it over spring break. It was a very interesting novel, and apparently based on the life of Laura Bush, but unfortunately I found (or felt like) that the author had an agenda. I would recommend the story to people, but read it as fiction and not based on the life of a first lady. 

Songs of the Humpback Whale by Jodi Picoult

I am a HUGE JP fan especially for summer reading because you can get sucked in SO fast. I've read 6 (I think...) books that she wrote and liked very many of them. This was the first one she wrote, and it's clear that she was just getting started since some of the other books I liked better. I liked this book, but if you want to read one by her and haven't read My Sister's Keeper and Nineteen Minutes. I read Ninteen Minutes in 1 day it was so good!

Social Climbers by Beth Dunn

Beth is one of our own preppy bloggers, so I had to add this to my list. I've never read it myself, but she actually handed a copy to a co-worker of mine! How sweet! I'll most likely be adding this to my list over the summer if I can squeeze it in!

The Official Preppy Handbook (by a collection of folks)

I was actually given my copy of TOPH by my godmother who found it used (in unbelievably amazing condition condition) and sent it to me. I think it is such a fun book to have and I love the old fashionedness of it. The drawings of all the different things have to be my favorites too! 

True Prep by Lisa Birnbach

I can't wait to check out this one! I've heard so many reviews of it and love that it's the sequel of TOPH. I'm very excited to see how things have changed and truly how "it's a whole new world" as the cover says. And I know they say "never judge a book by its cover" but this one is just too cute! I'm sure you all would agree! (Plus on Amazon, I checked out what other readers have read section along the bottom and tons of Jodi Picoult are listed, so these readers have some sense!!)

Any GREAT book recommendations? I'd love some ideas!!

Happy summer reading (which ironically I used to hate in middle school)!

xxKatie

Read Up: A Guide to Books on Preppy-ness.

Alright, so we've all heard about the Preppy lifestyle. But how does it get passed down? From grandmother to daughter to daughter to daughter Preppy has been and will be around for generations. (Mark my words!) But besides word of mouth, is the life of a Preppie recorded anywhere? Well, to answer the question yes, in many places. Or should I say pages?

Thankfully, someone had the brainy idea to start publishing books on how to be preppy. (Note: I've only read a couple of these myself, I found the rest on the web!!) Some titles include:

• The Preppy Handbook (Duh. Will be abbreviated from now on as TPH for future refrences)


• Tipsy in Madras: An 80's Guide to Preppy Drinking (by Johnnie and Mitzy-kind of a sequel to TPH- and I just love the title)
  
• Essentially Lilly: A Guide to Colorful Entertaining (written by THE prep herself, or highess, Lilly Pulitzer, but is extremely sincere, since it is written more like a diary then anything else)


• Essentially Lilly: A Guide to Colorful Holidays (A guide to throwing parties?!? I want to buy this one! The Christmas season IS coming up everyone...)
  
• A Privlaged Life: Celebrating WASP Style (Maybe, I don't want to read this one..., it does however, come "Highly Recommended" from Gail on Amazon.com)


• The Catcher in the Rye (Holden Caulfield was the original preppy bad boy)


• A Seperate Peace (basically the written-but-unwritten code of rules for boarding school- just remember: don't push your friends or break their legs.)

Also, a preppy characterisic is liking to read. This is supposed to be ground into you in high school, but some HS's don't. TPH says, "The school hopes that, upon graduation, you will be a well-rounded young Prep, familiar with the right vacation spots and customs, articulate and witty in conversation, understanding of literary and historical refrences [Holden Caulfield is one of the MOST referenced characters in all of Literature, in my opinion], proficient in the Prep vocation you pursue, capable of making at least one astute comment on any given subject [leave that to your liberal arts colleges, that's why they have a core curriculum...right?]--in short everything necessary for membership at a good country club". Cute right? (Preps know how to write EXTREMELY long sentences...)

Try one of these books anytime soon. If your high school didn't prepare you for the real world, hopefully these books might. Give TPH a look first and it should guide you for awhile, if not forever, and embrace your inner prep!

xx Katie