Giveaway: Pea Pod Paper and Gifts

Talk about a great giveaway for the holiday season, Pea Pod Paper and Gifts and I are pairing up to give you an AWESOME giveaway opportunity! It's #GiveawayMonday!

We are giving away a $50 gift card to be applied to whatever you want! WOO HOO! We couldn't decide what item we wanted to giveaway, so NOW y'all get to pick!

Here are a few of my favorite items:

Coral Phone Cases

Derby Bracelet

Greek Chevron Stationary

Boatman Geller Phone Cases

Tortoise Link Bracelet

Coral Note Cards

Lilly Pulitzer Note Cubes

Chinoiserie Cell Phone (this is probably my favorite of the FABULOUS phone case selection!)

To enter the giveaway, we're going to use the Rafflecopter giveaway widget again! If you can't find it, click on the title of the post where it says, "Giveaway: Pea Pod Paper and Gifts"!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happy entering!!

xxKatie

Outfit of The Day: Fallin' In Love

While this post has nothing to do with actually falling in love, it is the name of one of my favorite dress prints!

Since getting my iPhone I've been able to do OOTD's in an entirely different way! Instagramming (@letsbepreppy) different pictures has become my new favorite thing to do via my iPhone!

Fallin' In Love is the name of this charm bracelet print by Lilly. I was able to snag this dress before Christmas on a HUGE sale for a Christmas present from "Santa". I wore it to work (as you can see in the background) for a big event in the store that we held for Miss South Carolina pageant week!

I paired my strapless dress with my Fornash clover necklace and wedges. In the straps of my wedges are a little bit of metallic material that really pops with the necklace. There is also a bit of gold in the buttons on the dress that I love! Being the navy girl that I am, the combination of blue and gold (which also happens to be one of my Pinterest boards!) never gets old for me! I also had my Wayfarers on which are such a staple of summer for me!

I pulled my hair back in a fat French braid since it's one of the only hairstyles that keeps my short hair out of my face while still looking nice. I have only VERY RECENTLY learned to French braid my own hair--the key is to NOT think about it if you can tell yourself that!!

Here's to attempting to stay cool in this steamy SC summer (AND fallin' in love--both kinds!)!!!

xxKatie

Favorite Summer Earbobs

I've really gotten into fun earrings this summer! Here are a few of my FAVORITES:

I recently got these Gorjana earrings on Gilt and have barely taken them off! They're teeny-tiny and no bigger than than my pinky diameter!

I totally totally totally copied my sister with these earrings. She was wearing them and I was absolutely coveting them, so I went out and bought them. I have SUCH an affinity for Fornash designs I couldnt' help myself!

I also love these Fornash elephants! I got these last summer and wore them recently when I had a white tank and plain green khaki shorts and they were perfect! I'd say they might have stolen the show!

These J. Crew earrings I've had for awhile and unfortunately lost one of the backs but I love wearing them! I always get compliments on them and they're a great size for earrings--not too big. They do hurt my ears a little though if I forget to take them off before I go to bed!

My sister got me these Kate Spade bow earrings for Christmas awhile ago but I wear them as often as I can. They are SO me and an awesome match for so many outfits I have! 

Do you have a few favorite go-to pairs? 

xxKatie

Outfit of the Day: Trendy Colorblocking

April 3 by letsbepreppy featuring longchamp handbags

It's no secret that I'm not trendy. I don't "do" the big trends. I like what I like, and I stick with that about 99% of the time. There is, however, that tiny 1% of the time, when I venture into the world of trends. It's rare and often unseen, but I do it once in awhile. 

Tuesday was one of those rare days. Over the weekend, I found a colorblocked dress on major clearance sale at Old Navy. It was less than $17 dollars and so I figured I'd try it on. (Everyone's been seeming to be singing ON's praises these days anyway, so I had high hopes...) It was a medium so I wasn't sure, but I really liked the fit! It's a little breezy, but a cute day dress that really could probably be considered a work dress too! Toss on a blazer or cardigan and you've got a great work outfit!

The size medium came down to 1/2 inch above my knee and I paired it with Platinum Jacks. It wasn't ever static-y and the only time that it was hard to wear was in ONE of my classes where the air is set really high and it's super hot in the classroom. Other than that, I'm so glad I bought this dress and I know I'll be able to wear it a ton even though it is so trendy!

Do you try trends? Do you stay with classic looks and pieces? What about colorblocking? Do we like it?

xxKatie

Weekly Gratitude

1. I am thankful for my family and their welcoming me with open arms at home!

2. I am thankful for my close friends who I was able to reconnect with if only for a few days!

3. I am thankful for my FAB new bracelet! It's kind of an identity bracelet but not the typical kind: it's pink AND a giraffe...talk about my identity! I'm a big Fornash fan!

4. I am thankful for the ease and speed of traveling in and out of Charleston. It was a breeze and really makes a HUGE difference in traveling back home.

5. I am thankful for my new phone battery (did I say this last week?) because it's making a huge difference. Now if the Blackberry system could catch up with patching the holes!

6. I am thankful that I got to spend time with my Grandparents. Our snowbirds were on their way from outside Augusta, Maine down to  Zephyrhills, Florida!

7. I am thankful that Annapolis is the best haven for clearing my mind. Fall break seems to always give me a new perspective and allow me to wrap up the semester with a better attitude. 

8. I am thankful that I'm back in Columbia and very luckily have no tests this week! What a great feeling.

9. I am thankful for everyone's kind words yesterday and this entire time with all my big news! Y'all are the best.

10. I am thankful that I'm past the midpoint of the semester, as are most of my college followers! Here's to ringing in the rest of the tests, quizzes, projects and everything else we tackle during the rest of the semester!

xxKatie

Outfit of the Day: Double Duty

August 24 by letsbepreppy featuring j crew shorts

I wore this outfit yesterday! I was at work for a little to fill out some new-hire paperwork, had class, and had an Ambassador function last night! We're starting our Recruitment process for our new cohort of Ambassadors and we couldn't be more excited! Last night got us SO excited (complete with a group version of Rock, Paper, Scissors that I'm so game for playing again) to bring in the new crop and start giving tours again!

I had two days worth of outfits squished into one! I had my class/work/run errands outfit that I was in until about 6 and then my visitor center/University Ambassadors/tour guide outfit that I wear (a different version of) once a week, for football recruitment, and special events that the University hold that require the aid of student volunteers!

I get a lot of questions about what I typically wear to give tours in so the second outfit is common. We have pretty easy rules to follow: it has to be garnet and black, have Carolina on it somewhere and bottoms must be fingertip length or longer. You also have to wear shoes that you're comfortable giving tours in! This is a pretty common outfit for me to wear until it starts to get colder out here!

Be sure to enter Tuesday's Sassy Palmetto GIVEAWAY too!!

Is it still hot as heck by y'all? I can be in tops like these for the next few months!!

xxKatie

Accessories Essentials: Gold & Pearls

Hmm, say that five times fast! Betcha can't--too many S's! Speaking of too many S's, try the world's HARDEST tongue twister:

The sixth sick sheik's sixth sheep's sick.

No matter how many times I try, I can't get it right. And it's not like it's any certain word or spot. Every time I seem to mess it up in a different spot!!

Anyway, I've been browsing accessories like CRAZY these days! Here are some of my recent faves:

Kate Spade

This is my absolute favorite I've seen in awhile! I know this isn't a new piece by Kate S., but I love it!!

Fornash

I have this guy and I've worn it so many times! Even better tip, wear it doubled up!

Loren Hope Designs

Forever 21

Aubepine via Etsy

Kate Spade

Danielle Stevens

I have recently been LOVING gold and pearls and the combination of BOTH! How about you? Do you like gold for summer and fall?

xxKatie

J. Crew Jewelry

Today I wore the J. Crew Symphony Crystal necklace and received so many compliments on it!

I wore a simple black tank (from Wal Mart actually) and a white J. Crew basic skirt with white Jacks. I haven't had a reaction like all the comments I got today in a very long time! People LOVED this necklace. It ties in the back and it hung very well with the neckline of my tank. I was thinking about wearing gold Jacks with it, but this morning I got up and couldn't seem to find them (curse you 8am classes everyday!) anywhere in my closet or around my room. 

My mom actually gave me this necklace for my birthday after we went shopping one day in a MASSIVE outlet mall about half and hour away from my house. I really liked the necklace when I first saw it in the store, but it was something ridiculous like $65 initially. Around my birthday, it went on sale for $30 with an extra 30% off at the outlet. I think the J. Crew outlet is great and I tend to buy more from the outlet than the regular store. Given, all the clothes you do really need to try on, but the accessories are great. Just this summer, I got a great pair of starfish pave earrings that are so much fun:

In my house, we're pretty big on starfish. I think all us girls have at least two pairs of starfish earrings (accrued over the years...my sister found the first pair in Rehoboth Beach, then my mom got a pair at a store here, and I followed suit with my Fornash earrings, then we all got these and recently my mom got a Fornash starfish pearl bracelet...yep I told you, we enjoy starfish). I think these earrings were $20 with an extra 30% off and we even grabbed up more to give as gifts.

Anyone else have any J. Crew jewelry? I clearly love mine!

xxKatie

Fornash VS. KEP Designs

Hello all! I hope that your week is going well and enjoying the start to the weekend! As usual, I'm working and resting and reading (I just started The Tenth Circle by Jodi) and daydreaming of my roadtrip back to school! Today while I was at work, I saw these beauties that we just ordered from Fornash:

...and...

The clovers are about the size of a quarter and very cute! There is no clasp so you have to struggle a little bit to get a double strand effect. There are 6 different color choices to match most outfits! Get this though, the price: $38. I couldn't believe it, I was literally floored. They are 39'' and have only one long size. They are enamel and gold plating (I think).

However, I've also been seeing these KEP Design necklaces for the last few summers:

(Perfect combo for any Auburn fan!) Here are two strings of the necklaces by KEP Designs. Unfortunately the zoom function on the KEP website prevented me from linking any pictures to my site, but you get the idea. The KEP necklaces are 42'' long with a clasp making a double strand look easy to attain. They come in a very very wide array of colors and two sizes. They cost $130 for the long version and $100 for the short version. The flowers are about the size of a dime and are a bit sturdier than the Fornash clovers (I'm using the terms flowers and clovers per what the respective websites called them).

It is a very interesting debate going on between to preppy jewelry makers! Certainly both companies also design other pieces. Fornash in my opinion is little bit more costume-y while KEP is a bit more upscale since they have more precious pieces. Both make very cute designs, and I can say from experience that they both sell extremely well! They both are really copying the real designer: Van Cleef and Arpels at the end of the day, however both brands are much more accessible for everyday wear in my opinion. What do you think? Who has better designs? Does it matter who came first?

I'm not quite sure I even know the answers!!

xxKatie

Outfit of the Day: Work for Memorial Day Weekend

Hi all! Today I'm working a bit later at the store since it's Memorial Day weekend! I am super excited, except it looks very stormy and we had SO much rain last night. Here's my outfit for work:

May 28 by letsbepreppy featuring Longchamp bags

I'm not a big believer in "the rules" as far as clothing goes, but even if I was I'd be breaking the white pants rule about 24 hours early! (Big deal...) I've already worn these pants at school and it was fine! I'm loving my Murfee Scarf and my Fornash earrings. How great are they!? I love that they're pink and silver too! I was kind of surprised when I got them and they were as big as they are, but they're such a fun addition to any outfit! (I would definitely pick up a pair!) These are the ones I have:

I'm a major fan of the white and crystal combo:

Look at the new styles they have too:

Pink and green, always a hit!

Green and blue are such a good beachy combo! These also come in gold versions too. And at first I thought they were a different shape, but if you look at them to the side (tilt your head) they're just turned!!

Enjoy Memorial Day weekend everyone!!

xxKatie

Current Desire

So as you all know, I'm at college. While not having your entire wardrobe at your discretion, you remember the things you really love. Not to mention, the weather here is a bit silly, with yesterday being chilly and torrential downpour and today's sunny and 80 degrees! Since I haven't been at home, I've realized how much I try different jewelry on with clothes. Normally each day, I wear simple post earrings (generally pearls, silver pearls, faint pink pearls or pearl/diamond combo studs) and one of two silver bracelets given to me as gifts as a reminder of my fam. Recently, I've been looking at other types of earrings and I've decided that my two top choices are from KEP Designs (ahh who doesn't love them) and Fornash (a hometown-ish brand)!! My mom has a wonderful pair of diamond starfish earrings from a tiny boutique from here in Columbia! Ever since she got those, I've been looking for similar ones myself. Another family friend has a pair of starfish earrings that have pink diamonds and they're beautiful! I love these KEP Design starfish (however, they're WAY above budget):

These earrings are so fabulous! We sold some KEP floral earrings and necklaces (a cheaper version of Van Cleef and Arpels) and they sold out as fast as we could restock them! KEP Designs are always fabulous! There's another size that I think are ideal for jewelry wear-ers like me who like small earrings for just around $120!

Next on my list are two pairs from Fornash. Fornash has a great little store right in Georgetown that is full of preppy pink and green trinkets!

And this great combo in pink too!

These pink and white starries run just around $45, much better than the $400 KEP ones! How cute would any of these pairs be with a black turtle neck (a piece in my winter collection that I can't live without) and jeans or a crew neck and flats? These starries will definitely be on my Christmas list for '09...is that bad I'm already starting a list!

What jewelry do you wear all the time? Is there something (besides a wedding ring...) that you seem to wear all the time?

xxKatie

PS. Aren't you guys just loving the new Blogger features for posting?! I know I am!