Bursts of Pink!

I'm a junk food junkie. Through and through. I love snacks, candy, chips, all of it! I especially like jelly beans. 

Jelly beans are often elusive, especially when it's not Easter season! Many years ago, circa my middle school years, I discovered Jelly Belly Cotton Candy pink jelly beans. As soon as I mention "cotton candy" I'm sure most people gag. I actually think cotton candy is a misnomer. Being the self-proclaimed candy connoisseur that I consider myself, I believe that these would much more aptly be named "Pink". 

If you could embody the flavor of pink and yummy, it is this jelly bean! Even my mom agreed with the flavor. I've gotten TONS of my friends and co-workers on board with the Jelly Belly Cotton Candy jelly beans!

My sister, knowing how much I love these jellies, got my a redneck wine glass filled to the BRIM with pink jelly beans! It was one of my favorite gifts. She adorned it with the best pink and green ribbons and raffia and it just screamed "Katie"! I've managed to limit myself to only a few every so often so that they'll last me as long as possibly while I'm here at school.

Does anything say "pink" to you like these jelly beans do for me? What are you favorite candies?

xxKatie

Holiday Hostess

As the holidays are fast-approaching, there's often times when you'll find yourself staying at a girlfriend's house, spending time couch-surfing at an aunt or uncle or perhaps even staying with your grandparents! Below are a list of great hostess gifts that will be perfect when you're staying with someone!

Is your hostess a wine-o? I love this Lilly Pulitzer wine tote. Add your hostess' favorite type of wine and you've got a festive gift she'll love!

Is your hostess a big foodie? Specialty olive oil is a great alternative to flowers or even wine. A brand new olive oil shop opened here in Columbia and it's too cute! It really opened my eyes to the thought of olive oil as a gift!

Is your hostess very overextended this holiday season? Treat her to a manicure or pedicure! Add in a bottle of your favorite nail polish to go with it for some inspiration. Make it a date and go with her too!

Unsure of where to even start for a hostess gift? A candle is always a great option! I've posted about Capri Blue Volcano candles in the past, and they're my favorite scent. These candles are sold all over and make an awesome treat!

xxKatie

The Girl With A Pearl

Nancy McGinty

The Girl with a Pearl

presents 

Thai Sisal Handbags

Nancy has travelled extensively around the world 

and frequently makes discoveries that she brings home to her friends.

A handbag caught her eye, and within a few hours

Nancy had negotiated an order with tons of color combinations.

Hand stitched in Bangkok, it takes an artisan 3 days to complete a bag.

These amazing sisal purses really POP with vibrance and fun.  

Limited quantites and varied color combinations! These bags would make a great gift for anyone on your Christmas list! Think Moms, Aunts, Grandmothers, Sisters, anyone! 

Please feel free to contact Nancy:

FancyNancyPearls@gmail.com

Are you headed to a vacation this Christmas? What about into the New Year? These would make FABULOUS beach bags, travel totes and an awesome addition to your vacation!

Happy Shopping!

xxKatie

Gift Picks for the Preppy Graduate

The wonderful editors of the Swoozie's blog, "The Land of the Swoo" contacted me about pairing up to make some fabulous picks for graduates!! I LOVE Swoozie's! Don't you?! Here are my choices:

1. Acrylic Monogram Necklace: Just like colored denim is a fun, fabulous trend this year, so are these whimsical colored acrylic necklaces! This makes a great gift for a college OR college-bound high-school grad!

2. Personalized iPhone Case: I’m a sucker for anything madras, and if you add a monogram on there, I just about can’t resist it!! This cute cover would make any girl swoon (for Swoozie’s!). Add a big bow (and maybe even that shiny new iPhone to boot) and this cover will be perfect to give to your grad!

3. Personalized Cosmetic Case: Staying organized for a grad is always important. Maybe your new grad is moving to hall-style dorms and she’ll be sharing a bathroom with 20 girls sometimes! Maybe your new grad has moved to her posh new, hole in the wall big-girl apartment and needs a small place to keep her beauty products! Whether you’re sharing with all your floormates or your New York City new roommate, this personalized cosmetic bag will make a great “thinking of you” present!

4. Personalized Hugger: Koozies are huge in college with me and my friends! Imagine how jealous your college girl’s friends will be when they see she’s got her own pink and green monogrammed koozie! Too stinkin’ cute!!

5. Cupcake Folded Note Cards: I’m a cupcake girl through and through, so these have my name all over them! I was even known as the “Cupcake Queen” during my time in high school! I have always hand-written thank you notes for gifts, but these notes are perfect to drop friends a note who may have also just graduated and moved or friends who are away at school for the first time!

6. Chloe Necklace: In college, space is a premium and you’re pressed for what you can bring. What does that mean? Looking for pieces and accessories that match a TON of stuff! This white Chloe necklace would pair great with a pink and green shift, color blocked top, or just jeans and a t-shirt!

Are you part of the class of 2012? One of my favorite ladies, my sister, sure is!!

Happy graduation to all the members of the class of 2012!!

xxKatie

Port Winsor Giveaway: Winner

I am so pleased to announce that the winner from today's giveaway is "Hannah"! If you could shoot me an email at letsbepreppy (at) gmail (dot) com, that would be wonderful! We'll get your earrings and gift certificate on their way!!

xxKatie

Year of Birthdays

You're probably asking yourself, "Well, isn't every year the year of the birthdays?" Well yes, but this year I'm a junior which means the birthday that everyone gets the most excited about in college: turning 21! I often get questions about what to get for your friends for their 21st birthdays! Here are some of my suggestions:

Customized shot glasses: I got these for three guy friends last year and they all loved them! They all got 2 glasses: 1 personalized with their monograms and 1 personalized with something funny between us!

A season of their favorite show or a DVD of their favorite movie! This is ALWAYS a crowd pleaser!

Monogrammed Wine Glasses from The Cooler Girl (a fabulous friend of mine!)

Food gift cards! I know gift cards have a bit of an impersonal stigma associated with them, but give them a book of coupons and say you're taking them to the specific place. Need a reason to take this certain someone on a date? ...Sounds like a perfect plan to me!

The Bubbly! This gives you a fun reason to toast (or roast!) your friends at their birthday bash!

Local concert tickets! A bunch of my friends have birthdays the week before THIS GUY comes to town. Too bad I don't give away ANY birthday surprises! I do expect to see y'all all there though!

I saw this concoction on Pinterest a few days ago and it sparked my idea for this post! Too funny! Seems like something a Grandma might do!

What did you give your friends for their 21st birthday? Anything fun? 

xxKatie

Happy Birthday (Party) Day, Miss Skyler!

So y'all have heard me always include Miss Skyler in my posts! Today is the start of her birthday festivities! Her birthday begins tonight when the clock strikes midnight (Cinderella style...except maybe a little later...) and will last until however long we decide!

How adorable is she?

Anyway tonight is her birthday, just a small gathering of family and close friends at a local restaurant and I'm SO looking forward to celebrating. Because I haven't gotten her gift from the mail yet, here are some clues to what it might be:

 AND

for a special little basket of goodies that screams sCe!

Cheers to you, Skyler! Can't wait to celebrate tonight!!

xxKatie

Lilly Spring Dress Arrivals

Here are my picks for my favorite Spring Lilly items! I have a corporate gift card from Christmas that I've tried my BEST to save, but it's DEFINITELY going towards one of these beauties:

Wyatt Dress Printed (the belt's included!)

Sandra Dress Printed (if this is like last year, it runs big!)

Dolly Dress Novelty Lace

Adelson Dress Printed Dobby

Chloe Dress Printed (Any UA readers...this could totally be my Spring Banquet dress possibly!)

Stephanie Shift Engineered

Kiki Dress Printed 

Del Mar Dress Printed

It's clear which styles of dress I like and in what color schemes, but I'm really loving the Spring Collection! I can't wait to see this all in person, and I'm sure it'll be just as good as the photos! What are y'all fans of? Anything I missed?!

xxKatie

Christmas Recap

The fam and I had quite the Christmas! First, Christmas Eve rolled around. We went to 6:00 mass (which was packed more than I've ever seen in Church).

My sis and I got pretty dressed up (excuse my no shoes...) and I wore a ruffle top from J. Crew and a shirred metallic skirt from H&M--they're having FAB sales so hop over there ASAP. I wore tall black heels (the ones I've worn for birthdays) that have trendy little zips on them. After Church we went to dinner with some family friends (and a future Gamecock!!) that lasted until almost 11, so we were all pretty tuckered out from it being Christmas Eve and all!

On Christmas morning, we got up around 9 and everything was unwapped by 9:30! All of us were extremely excited with our gifts! Here were some highlights:

Monster Mile NASCAR Tickets for Daddy!

+

Nook and matching Lilly case for Momma

My sister and I got some great stuff too! I got sunglasses (Tortoise shell Wayfarers and Costas!), a Patagonia fleece, the cutest retro bathing suit from VS, Lilly (of course...), pajamas, a VV shift and tote and long sleeve t-shirt and croakies, and lots of other stuff! I was so thankful for all of it and can't wait to add it to my existing wardrobe! 

After the unwrapping process, we headed North to New York for (what we thought would be) three or four days. We went straight to the family Christmas party at my mom's oldest sister's house (there are 7 sisters and 1 brother...) and met everyone there. It was a blast to see everyone, all the aunts, uncles, cousins, and all the relatives. We crashed at another sister's house after hearing all about the snowpocalypse that was about to hit the entire east coast. 

We woke up and heard that Long Island could be getting up to 16 inches of snow and decided to high-tail it back South to MD. My dad and sister left early early early on Sunday and my mom and I stayed until about 11am and then left. What normally takes between 3.5-5 hours took us almost 7 hours driving through snow and icy and slush (dear NJ, please start salting your roads.). It was scary and very nerve-wracking, so I'm glad we're finally home!!

I hope everyone had wonderful Christmases this year and are looking forward to the New Year!! Just a few days left!

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

Butch Bakery: Cupcakes for Boys!

A few weeks ago when I was getting my hair colored I was reading one of the gossipy lady magazines and came upon a place called Butch Bakery. I was intrigued by the name so I continued to read about this manly bakery located in New York.

They have very manly names with very manly ingredients (including some alcohol soaked flavors even!) and have no frilly decorations on top, but instead a chocolate disc with patterns like camo, plaid, and houndstooth. No girly flowers, pink sprinkles, or any pink!

Don't they look delish?!

Check out all their different varieties and fun names: where butch meets buttercream! I even love the words choice like "mouth-wateringly awesome"! Campout, Big Papi, and Tailgate are all my personal choices!

When you place your order, you can get all kinds of different options! Notice though, the small disclaimer (it made me laugh!):

If you live in NY and have a man who loves a good cupcake, you gotta grab these up and send him an order! It's perfect for a guys night in, poker game, birthday or Father's Day!

xxKatie

The Perfects

So, in an attempt to do a reflection on the 2008 year, I thought I'd come up with a "The Perfect ________" list. Here are some items on my personal "Perfect" list:

The Perfect Bag: The Vineyard Vines Classic Tote
This bag is huge, but not overwhelming. A step up from an LL Bean Boat' n' Tote Bag, this is a preppy must-have. I've used this bag at school, shopping, as a carry-all, at the beach, when I go out, you name it! I have a classic blue whale on pink pattern on mine, and I can't wait to monogram the top middle section above the front pocket.

The Perfect Sandal: Jack Rogers Navajo Sandal in Platinum
I have worn these shoes time and time again. Beware that the first few days of wearing them, they ARE NOT comfortable. Upon breaking them in, however, I could live in these shoes. Not kidding, either, this color is the one I always tell people to buy in the store. They can be dressed up (as I did wear them to both prom and the debutante ball) or dressed down (as I've worn them with a simple LP skirt and polo for a work day). This color is also a fusion between gold and silver and is still shiny, but much less attention-drawing than metallic.

The Perfect Trendy Accessory: Pashmina Scarves in Plain Colors
I have recently gotten one of these scarves (from Target nonetheless) for Christmas. Don't buy an expensive one because you can pick them up easily for $10-$20 and really, the quality is not that much different. I have a raspberry colored one that goes well with black, white, brown, navy, cream, jeans, dresses (as a shawl). Usually I'm not into very trendy things considering my wardrobe is cable knits, polos and jeans, but I do like these scarves very much. Head up though, if you don't like ironing, look for a different material for these scarves. If you want it to look neat 24/7 you'll have to iron these, I don't mind a wrinkle so I let it go.

The Perfect Book (it's a tie): The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao OR In Cold Blood
I read both of these books this year and loved them both. TBWLoOW won the Pulitzer Prize for literature earlier in the year and my English teacher in 11th grade wanted us to read it. Although not the most uplifting of stories, it takes a look into the life of Oscar Wao. It is very readable and is about real life. A funny running commentary by Junot Diaz on the history of the Dominican Republic is conveyed in the footnotes. ICB, on the other hand, is not a happy story at all. It follows the story of 2 murders and the family that they kill with the climax of the story at the murder scene. Besides Harry Potter, I have never read real literature SO fast in my entire life. It took me probably less than 48 hours over the summer to read this book, and I would recommend it to anyone.

The Perfect Scent: Lilly Pulitzer "Wink"
Cleverly put in a pink bottle, this steals it for me. I own this as well, from Christmas, and again, I tell everyone in the store to buy this one of all the LP scents. In the words of Lilly herself: "Wear pink and make the boys wink!" It is the one on the bottom!

The Perfect Nail Polish: Sephora Brand Nail Color in L19 "tagada"
Talk about the perfect pink, this is it. Barbie Pink, Princess Pink, "Tagada", "L19", call it what you want, it is true pink, $4 to boot, and I love it. Cover it with a good clear topcoat and you're all set! As I look at my bottle, I have to remember to get more!

The Perfect Coat: H&M 6 Button Pea Coat
This is a great dressy, light coat. I have it in a charcoal color that is functional for everything. I love the way this looks with my uniform at school, over an outfit, and with a black turtleneck underneath. The only problem is that it is lined with polyester or something like that, and if any wind gets up there, it chills the fabric and your arms get cold!

The Perfect Running Shoes: Any Shoe From The Brand "Asics"
Now, I know there are some runners out there who will disagree, but I've run for 4 years of cross country with Asics. Some people argue that the toe box is too big or that Mizuno or New Balance make the best running shoes, but I love these shoes. I have had 2 pairs of the exact same model and changed recently for my past running season. Now, I am in no way a serious runner, but I did it for fun and to keep in shape. These shoes were so comfortable, held up beautifully, and I will be an Asics girl for the rest of my life.

The Perfect Gift: A Handmade Gift Basket
I have fallen in love with doing this. I think that for people that you really care about, this is the best gift that you can give. With a color scheme or theme in mind, you can't go wrong with putting one of these together. Bonus: it's a crafty project and you get to go shopping in a few different places!

Perfect Earrings: Silver Pearls
A twist on the traditional pearls, silver pearls are easy to find, stylish, and come in a variety of sizes. You can go with real silver or silver plated. I love wearing silver pearls because they go with everything, minus like gold stuff, and you can find coordinating bracelets and necklaces to go with them!

Perfect Treat: Funfetti Cupcakes!
Boy oh boy, am I a fan of these bad boys. I have become known as the cupcake queen at my school for making funfetti cupcakes. They are SO easy to make and are always good. It's tough to mess up cupcakes from a box. Tip: don't overmix the batter. If you overmix, you lose that melt in your mouth taste (as corny as that sounds...). Although, I have had a friend tell me that she's bitten into a little rock of batter from me not mixing enough!!

Any other additions? Leave a comment with some of your Perfects!

xxKatie

Handmade Gifts

So obviously Christmas is fast approaching in only 4 days! I can't believe it myself! All of my friend's debutante stuff has kept me from really thinking about Christmas. One of my other friends, Maeve, just had an 18th birthday though too! It was a really fun night because it was just girls, and I couldn't remember the last time that I went to a party like that. I was a little overdressed because I thought it was a little dressier than it was in actuality. The gift I gave her, however, I had left up to the last minute, which is not something that I typically do. She held her party on the night of the day of our last exam (if the prepositional phrases in that sentence weren't confusing enough) so I barely had time to shop.

I was blog surfing and came across a site that had an entry on gift baskets for the holidays. I kept looking through it and then it came to me: MAKE YOUR OWN GIFT BASKET! Boy, did I run with this idea. I headed off to Target without a real idea other than what my friend really likes: cooking, baking, pastels, dark chocolate, etc. I knew that there were a few things that I would need: a basket of some sort, clear cellophane to wrap it all in, bows and ribbons to secure the top, and then the plethora of gifts to go inside.

I began browsing through Target and the first thing that I came upon was their "1$" steals section. It's a fabulous area of racks of one dollar items like festive/seasonal items, dog collars, cookie cutters, plates, plastic utensils, coloring books, no-name brand art supplies and everything like that. I found these GREAT pink sparkly plastic plates and bought 4 as a set in that $1 section. I tied them up with a square knot of pink raffia and decided that they would be my first part of the basket. I then decided that I'd have a pink theme of baking and snacks, a combo many girl's would like! Then I proceeded to the baking section because I knew that I would be successful there. I found a fabulous silicone baking mold for flower cupcakes and then a shape that when arranged next to its mirror piece would form a basket. There were about 8 flower molds, probably 2 or 3 different models of flowers, and then the 2 basket shapes (pictured). This was my second basket purchase. I continued throughout the store and ended up buying Funfetti Cake mix, pink Funfetti frosting, sparkling pink lemonade, a princess crown, a princess wand (both from the "circo" children's line at Target), some great Bliss dark chocolate that has a pink foil wrapping, sprinkles, and pink nail polishes and then a pink basket. It was a great basket.

My next OOB (order of business) was to find that cellophane wrapping. I didn't find any in Target, so I headed down to the party supply store by my house. I still had a hard time finding it there on my own until I hit THE LAST AISLE in the entire store. I found this great clear wrapping with white polka dots on it that I had to have. With all my purchases, I headed back home to put my basket together. Our kitchen table became a tornado of pink metallic "grass", white paper Easter grass, pink ribbon and clear very static cling-y cellophane wrap.

Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures of the basket itself, but thanks to a friend who enjoys taking pictures and Facebook, I got a hold of a few pictures. The top picture at the beginning of today's entry, although not the most flattering, shows the backside of the basket and you can see the great cellophane wrap! Here is the birthday girl herself in her crown and with her wand:P.S. Deb Ball Night #1 was SERIOUSLY the most fun I've had in a really long time. We had a ton of fun, stayed up too late, and I can't wait until the presentation on Tuesday! I'll keep you updated!

P.S.S. I got deferred :( but it was about 99% to be expected, the early action is a little weird for the Nursing College. That 1% was like exactly what my mom said, "Just a little part of me thought 'What if you did get it? How cool would that be?'" So, I'm fine now, moved on, and shall be hearing in a few months! Future: Wildcat, Stag, Duke, Fighting Blue Hen, Gamecock, or Tiger writing for you right now!!!!

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas to everyone! Happy big 1-8 Maeve!

xxKatie