Designs by Amanda Bee

My VERY talented friend, Amanda Bee, has been painting these designs very recently! If you follow me on Pinterest, I'm sure you've seen a bunch of them since I'm pinning them all too! The one above is my absolute favorite she's done so far, but check out some of my other picks too:

Maryland by Amanda Bee

Loafers by Amanda bee

Crosshatched by Amanda Bee

Knotty in Blue by Amanda Bee

Monkey's Fist by Amanda Bee

Argyle II by Amanda Bee

Colorful by Amanda Bee

Umm how amazing right? You MUST check her out!! See more of her full-size designs on her blog!

xxKatie

Weekly Gratitude

1. I am thankful today is Saturday because thanks to Rebecca Black, we know that Sunday comes after Saturday and I get to leave on SUNDAY!

2. I am thankful that my wonderful, loving parents took me back this summer. I feel like I was so busy I hardly got to take an extra breath, but they put up with me, school, a crazy work schedule and all kinds of girl drama.

3. I am thankful that my sister and I got to spend another summer together. Everything is SO completely different than it was just a year ago and I'm glad I get to spend some extra time with her because before we know it she'll be heading off to college!

4. I am thankful that all my friends are literally going to be within a spitting distance of me in a matter of hours. I plan on seeing everyone within my first week back. Mark. My. Words. Y'all. (Read: you'll get lots of hugs and maybe tears and lots of jumping!)

5. I am thankful for the close friends I have here at home. They have filled voids, made me laugh, helped me through crazy situations this summer, and most of all, listened to me and my craziness. All of it.

6. I am thankful today is my last day of work at the Pink Crab (but I will miss it tons!). I have had the best summer ever working this year, loading up hours! I will miss this place SO MUCH and I'm not sure what I'll do without the lovely ladies that I get to share a store with. I have the world's best boss, a great staff, and fun clothes to sell to cheery people. Oh yeah, and we have a sick view. Does it get better than that?

7. I am thankful for all the packing I've been doing. In the words of my smart Daddyo, "Katie, you can't pull an all nighter Saturday and expect to drive all day Sunday." He's a very smart man.

8. I am thankful for Amazon Prime. I've been looking up textbook prices and it's consistently saving me between 9-32% on every book. And giving me free shipping. But like I tweeted, big girl textbooks mean big girl prices. YIKES! (Thanks Dad!)

9. I am thankful to be going back to a school that I love. Bring me Gourmet Shop chicken salad, sweeeeeeet tea, Bojangles, Cocky, Publix, the VC and my UA family, sweltering heat, Williams-Brice, my little pink and green room, Wal Mart, 1704, Eric San Jose, football, Rosewood Drive, and YOUR CAROLINA GAMECOCKS!

10. I am thankful for Little, my car. It got a lot of work done this week that we weren't expecting and in the words of Jessie James "is lookin' fresh and brand new" for our drive back down South. (Dearest Little, sorry you have to get covered in disgusting bugs in North Carolina. I've never really understood that phenomenon, but it happens trip in and trip out.)

xxKatie

Drink Recipe: Wild Berry Iced Tea

So I'm completely stealing this recipe from a woman I work with. She introduced it to me and since I tried it I can't get enough!

For this wildberry iced tea, all you do is combine 2 kinds of tea bags, sweeten to taste and add accoutrements as you wish.

Take one bag (or more if you're brewing a pitcher or larger amount) of Celestial Seasonings Wild Berry Zinger and one bag of a Green Tea of choice (I just used Celestial Seasonings too because they were close on the grocery store shelf).

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And let it steep for 5-10 minutes. It will be a peachy-pink color and have a very light scent. It is VERY refreshing as is, but with a sprig of mint or a lemon it really does the trick!

It has gotten SO HOT here in Annapolis, we're breaking records left and right. The last thing I want is a soda and I get sick of boring old water so this really does the trick!

Once you're done steeping, let it fully cool and throw it over some ice in your favorite BIG ol' iced tea tumbler!

My three faves!

What are your go-to summer drinks?

xxKatie

Store of the Week: The Pink Crab!

WE ARE SO EXCITED TO BE LILLY'S STORE OF THE WEEK!

This is such a fun honor to have for the week! And in OUR week we even got to have National Wear Your Lilly day! 

Have you ever shopped at the Pink Crab? Heck, have any of y'all been to Annapolis? If you're ever in the area, be sure to stop in and let us know you're a fan! We had all kinds of goodies for Wear Your Lilly day even though it was quite hot considering it was the first day of summer!!!! We are having a blast being featured on the Lilly blog--thanks for all the love y'all!!

Pink Crab Love and All of Mine,

xxKatie

Weekly Gratitude

It's been one heckova week in my life. Major up's and down, and I have a lot to be thankful for.

1. I am thankful for all of my friends. We were all reunited in a big event this week and it was great to see the high turnout. High school guys and gals I'm really proud of the class of '09, showing up in big numbers and with a lot of pride. Rally, and rally we will.

2. I am thankful for the lady at the Clinique counter at Macy's for being so efficient with helping me in my major foundation confusion. I've never been a face makeup girl, but in a pinch needed some for Monday. She was so helpful and kind and understood exactly what I was looking for. A great shopping experience indeed!

3. I am thankful for meaningful work that I enjoy. I have a great job that I love with people that rule. Does it get better than that?

4. I am thankful for a new Sally Hansen nail polis color that I bought over the weekend. It's exactly the same as OPI's Strawberry Marg for about 1/4 of the price...yes that's $1.99 a bottle!

5.  I am thankful for all of the small moments I get to spend with my parents. Just the past few nights my dad and I have watched some TV shows together and it's times like these I have to learn not to take for granted.

6. I am thankful for the Econ take home test we get tonight. I'll be able to take it at my own pace on my day off on Saturday which will be nice. In the meantime, I had another test yesterday in my second class! Eight weeks is sure to fly by at this pace...

7. I am thankful that gas at the beach was $0.20 cheaper per gallon than gas at home. This girl is ridin' dirty (any Chamillionaire fans out there? Throwback tunes party of 1.) with a full tank.

8. I am thankful that my new facecare routine is starting to show signs of changed. Sistagirl here has been super broken out (and since diagnosed with "adult acne"...gulp.) and I'm finally seeing some facial progress!

9. I am thankful to get the chance to start my new book! LOVING all the South Carolina bits!

10. I am thankful for 2 friends who have a ONE YEAR anniversary coming up SO soon! I like to think of myself as a 3rd member of that relationship. Man, this is the week of anniversaries! I LOVE it!So happy for y'all...xoxo

xxKatie

Outfit of the Day: P&G Party

Good friend Amanda (and her equally fabulous TWIN sista Amy) are hosting a Pink and Green throwdown birthday bash tonight! After work, I'm off to dinner with my sister and then we're heading our little selves over to the P&G party. P&G is a huge tradition for the twins and I can't wait to go to my first P&G party! This is what I will be donning for the shindig tonight:

June 11 by letsbepreppy featuring south sea pearl jewelry

I can hardly think of anything more appropriate than a P&G shift full of crabs! I'm looking forward to tonight and the wonderful theme of the party. I also can't wait to see what all the other guests are going to be wearing themselves!!

Ever been to a pink and green party? I can't wait!!


xxKatie

A Week in the Life of: Let's Be Preppy

I got this question on tumblr and decided to answer it in a real post. I want to turn it into a profile for a bunch of bloggers out there! Keep your eyes peeled (and your emails refreshed!)! My weeks are anything but typical. I've been lucky to have some kind of schedule this summer, but that is very rare for me. This is how my typical summer weeks have been running for the past month (which has FLOWN by if I do say so myself!). Click the days to check out an OOTD to accompany the day!

Monday: Get up around 8:30. Lounge until 9:00. Start getting ready for work. Depending on my dad's schedule sometimes he drives me, sometimes I drive myself. Work at the store from 10-5:15. Run to pick up really fast dinner and get to class by 6:00. With tourist traffic, this is sometimes difficult! Classes until 8:30-9 depending on how tired my Econ professor is. Get home between 9:00-9:30. Finish homework, answer emails. Tweet and tumble a little if time permits. Go "up" (which means to my room to lounge, read blogs, and answer more emails) around 11:00, asleep by about midnight.

Tuesday: Same as Monday!

Wednesday: Day off! Lounge until 10. Leisurely walk downstairs, eat brunch (this can vary from day to day) around 11:00. Watch TV, blog, do more homework. Lay out for about an hour and read Nudge while sunning if weather permits. Turn on SoapNet at 1:00 for The O.C. and watch One Tree Hill (as long as it's NOT the Nanny Carrie episodes. See this tweet.) until about 4. That is my absolute guilty pleasure of summer. Gluttonous, silly, fake TV shows. This 3 hour block I love. Start gathering things for school. Shower and change before class. Class from 6-9 again (I'm taking 2 classes, 12 hours a week!). Come home, do personal emails. Favorites include my chain with Holly! Play around on Pinterest for Bayside Bride or for myself.

Thursday: Wake up early, do tweeting and video uploading for internship #2. Check internet to see if website is working. Continue uploads and start getting ready for work. Work from 10-5:15 at the store! (Note: this Thursday I'm off to the Lilly Warehouse sale!!!!!) Go to school until 9ish again (you're really starting to get the idea huh? ...Yeah me too.). Blog, email, book summer plans. STAY ORGANIZED.

Friday: This is my day that tends to change all the time. Sometimes it's a day off. Sometimes I'll work the later shift at the store. This weekend, I'm working from like 2-7 then heading to a friend's Pink and Green birthday! Thinking about wearing that to the birthday since it's a little more formal and fun BUT if I find a gem at the sale I'm gonna rock that!! I usually have to clean and do more homework on my days off. Laundry is supposed to fit in there somewhere too, right?

Saturday: Bask in the glory of not doing anything school related! I usually work the late shift again and enjoy dinner with the fam. I get picked up by the knight in shining armor (my dad) and we all eat until late. Saturday nights we tend to on-demand movies and "go up" early.

Sunday: Church at 9:00. I work some Sundays from 11-6 or run errands all day. That includes but is not limited to, laundry, supply shopping, Target runs, blogging, shopping, Robek's, etc. You get the idea. They're leisurely. Then we all grill out and have a quiet night. I download a lot of music on Sundays and gear up for the week ahead. Another special event to this week is sCe's 21st! Love her--such a sophisticated celebration!

You can say I've been busy for the summer! School and work take up my time, but I'm SO SO SO lucky (as I type this, I realize I haven't done a Weekly Gratitude yet...!!!!) to have all these opportunities this summer! I have loved every minute of being home and think of all my fabulous friends in Columbia 24/7 y'all! (Miss you like CRAZY!)

We're in the midst of one of the crazy weeks, but I love it! What are your summer weeks like? Insanity? Fun? All relaxing? Anything like mine? Let me know!!

xxKatie

Outfit of the Day: First Day of Work 2011

I was lucky enough to be able to return to my fabulous retail job this summer! I love the store and the people that work in it with me so I couldn't wait (I kept my fingers crossed) to hear if there was still space available! Thrilled to hear that there was, I happily took any days that I could. I was last minute squeezed into an afternoon and donned some of my favorite Callahan Shorts for the summer. These are versatile, good length, printed shorts that Lilly comes out with each year. I have them in these prints:

These are both from last summer! I have my eyes on a few more pairs throughout the summer though:

They're such fun shorts and give you plenty of opportunity to wear them through the spring, summer and fall! I often will pair mine too with a crisp white long sleeve t-shirt for a look that'll take shorts into "colder" weather...really more just like breezy!

May 16 by letsbepreppy featuring a deep v tee

This was my OOTD on my first full day back at work! I couldn't be more excited for the rest of the summer!! #onceacrabalwaysacrab

xxKatie

Croquet: The Annapolis Cup

Thanks to Skyler, one of my favorite people in the world back at home for reminding me of the fabulous Annapolis tradition of THE Croquet game of St. John's College vs. the Naval Academy. It is a hallmark event in Annapolis, as any native Annapolitan will tell you. It is a traditional event where everyone dresses to the nines and you strictly follow the Annapolis dress code. The St. John's College website describes the event for this year as:

The Johnnies and the Middies face off for this year’s 29th annual Annapolis Cup competition on Saturday, April 30, at 1 p.m. on the front lawn of the St. John's College campus.  Spectators picnic on the lawn, swing dance, dress in Gatsby-like fashions, and listen to the St. John’s Freshman Chorus and the U.S. Naval Academy’s Trident Brass Band.


Facts from St. John's College about the match:
1. St. John’s has won the Annapolis Cup 23 out of 28 matches; the Mids have taken the trophy five times.
2. The day before the match, the Johnnies have lunch with the Mids at the Academy mess hall, where the Imperial Wicket for the Johnnies formally challenges the Mids to a match.
3. Courtesy and good sportsmanship are expected of all players. No players may throw a mallet or hit a ball in protest or anger. No trash talk is allowed
4. The match opens with music. The St. Johns’ freshman chorus sings and the Naval Academy Trident Brass band plays. The Johnnies emerge in their surprise uniforms. At 1 p.m., the ceremonial first ball is truck and champagne bottles pop open.

Check out a FABULOUS slideshow with previous years' photos here!! The pictures are from my hometown newspaper, so I can't post them directly, but DEFINITELY check them out!!

xxKatie

Top 10 in My Closet

I've been trying to write this post for awhile. I've been trying to narrow down the top 10 "things" (i.e. anything) in my closet. This includes but is not limited to clothes, shoes, accessories, bathing suits, and other miscellaneous items that are part of my wardrobe. My list isn't in any particular order, more about what I decide makes the list! Here we go:

1.  Lilly Pulitzer Worth Shift in the Not So Crabby print:

This is easily my favorite Lilly dress in my closet. I know that's a tough choice, but the print is SO me and I love a good shift. There's no doubt that this is my favorite choice for a summer dress!

2. Jack Rogers Navajo Sandals in Platinum:

The Platinum Jacks are by far the most worn, most popular, go-to shoe in my closet. I absolutely adore these shoes and they were the first pair of Jacks I ever got (and they show it...). They match EVERYTHING you can think of and you can dress them up or down. I have the best selling spiel when people are trying to decide what color JR's to get.

3. Ralph Lauren Slim Fit Oxford in White:

A white Ralph Lauren button-down is a must have in anyone's closet. There isn't a season you can't wear this in and it matches colored shorts, jeans, khakis, skirts, everything. It's about as versatile as a white T-Shirt.

4. J. Crew Jaquard Dress in Pink Dazzling Dots:

I had to sorta make up the name for this one, but this dress is my favorite J. Crew purchase of all time. I've worn it for a few very special events and it's a dress I really try to take care of. It looks great with silver accessories and was tailored to fit me!

5. CWD Kids Mommy and Me Madras Dress

I've had this dress for years and I love it! My mom got it for me from CWD and we had it tailored to fit me perfectly. I love wearing this during the summer because the madras material is so light and airy!

6. Bandolino Castalina Riding Boots in Cognac Leather

I get more compliments on this pair of shoes than any other pair that I own. They are a great winter color and the riding boot style is classic. The gold buckle is just enough to look nice. The heel is extremely functional and there's a little bit of elastic if you want to put them over jeans. I LOVE this pair of boots!

7. Patagonia Re-Tool Snap-T Pull on Fleece

This fleece is the ideal weight and can be layered or worn on top. I like they grey color because it matches a lot too!

8. Lilly Pulitzer Florida Shift in Classic White Beach Buns

I love this shift from Lilly! It was a teeny bit damaged at the dry cleaners, but the bows and pink and green combo is SO ME!

9. Gilligan and O'Malley (a la Target) Strapless Pluge Bra

Hands down, this strapless bra is BY FAR the best bra/undergarment that I own. It is less than $15 and easily better than any Victoria's Secret or more expensive bra that I've bought. It is the PERFECT fit for me and has a great rubber lining on all of the back straps so that the back and clasp doesn't slid down. I trust this strapless bra for all my important strapless dress occasions!

10. Lilly Pulitzer Jacqueline Ponte Knit Dress

I stole this off the Re-Lilly facebook group because I can't find it online anywhere! I have worn this dress many many times and it shows no wear. It seriously looks like the day I bought it. I even wore this to an interview last spring for my current position at the Visitor Center!

This post has taken me so long to write and decide upon. I really do LOVE all 10 of these items, but it was very tough to figure out my top 10! What are yours? Anything you couldn't live without??

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

What I'm Thankful For

There is so much to be thankful for in my life. Here's just a small snippet of my list:

1. My little family (EKS this includes you too but you're not in any of our "traditional" fam photos):

2. My big family (with all of our new additions!):

3. The best readers anyone could ever have:

4. Two crazy roommates who put up with me (one of these things is not like the others...):

5. Big wins that make us one of the best schools to EVER ATTEND:

6. Country music that helps me fall asleep:

7. The best place to work in the world (plus sCe, Miss Skyler obvi):

8. BBM so my I can send HUGE texts to my sister telling her about my big-college-girl-problems:

9. Diet coke to get me through Accounting 225 and Philosophy 110...the banes of my existence:

10. And last but certainly not least a little obsession I call LBP.

xxKatie