East Hampton Day Trip

So, a lot of my posts lately have been based around getting out of the house and doing something with your day. Like I mentioned in my last one (here), I went to the Hamptons yesterday.

The Perfect Bikini

After being at the beach all day yesterday, I think that it is only appropriate to talk about the bikini you need this summer. I honestly do not own many bikinis (although I am a lifeguard....). There have been so many vacations that I have gone on just to realize I really need to get some bikinis.

Summer Bucket List

I have this summer jam packed with activities to partake in when I am not working. Although I am trying to work as much as possible, I want to do a ton of things before leaving for college.
I always try to have a list of things that I want to try out, because I am the type of person that leaves things for the last minute. Normally, if there is not a list, I lose sight of what I want to try and stay home watching TV. Hopefully this summer there will be no more of that!

Dress: Vineyard Vines (just sold out, similar here) // Necklace: Kiel James Patrick //

Earrings: Kate Spade

The Belmont Stakes

I wrote in my other post (The Belmont Stakes: What to Wear) all about how I was so indecisive on what I was going to wear. Ironic, I know. However, I ended up going with the Lilly Pulitzer dress, and I could not be happier.

The Scalloped Edge: Spending Your Summer in Scallops

It is no secret that one of my favorite things when it comes to clothes is a scalloped edge. I think that they are so simple, yet always add great detail to any outfit.

The Belmont Stakes: What to Wear

This year will be my first year that I will finally attend The Belmont Stakes. I am extremely excited to finally be going. I have wanted to go for a few years now, but something always came up. Therefore, this year, I made sure to clear my schedule for that day, picked out a dress, figured out which hat to wear, then booked my ticket. I have been planning my outfit for a while, but it changes nearly every week now.

Photo

Pool Floats You Need This Summer

After Taylor Swift and Calvin Harris coined 'swan goals' last summer, cool pool floats have gotten even more attention than before.

The Perfect Graduation Dress

I have been looking for a nice, simple graduation dress that I could layer necklaces, earrings and bracelets on without looking overdone. It has been a long and hard process... I even bought three possible dresses during this search!

Prom

For as long as I can remember, I have been looking forward to getting ready for prom. Honestly, going dress shopping and figuring out how I was going to style my hair etc. excited me more than the dance itself.
My dress is a lot different than I imagined it would be. Ever since freshman year, I have dreamt of getting an A-line golden or red dress with delicate beading on the top. However, my dress is very much the opposite of that.

Ten Thursday Links

Like I said in my previous post, I have had a very hectic week. However, it has been hectic in a good way! Work is beginning to start up again, so juggling that and school for a month will be difficult but I am sure I can get through it like I have for the past two years. 

What I've Been Up To

Hey guys!
I am so sorry for being so inconsistent with my posts! This week was (and will continue to be) very hectic. The school year is wrapping up - so teachers believe that it is the perfect time to throw a bunch of work onto the students. Not as if that is enough, prom is this upcoming Friday!

The Hamptons

This Saturday, my family and I decided that we were going to make a last minute trip to the Hamptons Sunday morning. We headed out there with the mindset that we were going to be in East Hampton and eat, but like usual, we ended up in Sag Harbor quickly after.

Graduation Gift Guide

It is that time of year where you find yourself at a different graduation party every weekend. A lot have already happened, mostly college graduations, but many more are still to come up until the end of June (including mine).
Finding the right gifts to give those who are about to embark on a new phase of their lives is always a little bit difficult, whether it be a college or high school graduate.
I think, either way, both of those situations call for new room decorations, which would be used in a dorm or new apartment. I think it is pretty essential to get the graduate something that they can use, because let's face it, a dorm and a first apartment are not typically large enough to store things that are never going to be used. So, something that will come in handy (and hopefully also cute) is always the best way to go when gift shopping.

Vintage Heart Lights // Polaroid // Monogram Necklace // Graduation Necklace //

  Throw Pillow // Macbook // Backpack // Pink Pearl Necklace //

Watch // Wallet //Candle // Cross-body Bag // Dress // Suitcase // 

Tissue Box // Picture Frame // Sandals

There are a lot more things that graduates need, but this is a very basic (and fun) group of gifts! I think that if I were given any of these for graduation, I would use each as much as I could!

Enjoy!

xoxo,

Ten Thursday Links

This week was definitely out of the ordinary. My math teacher left the school abruptly, I have not been getting as much homework as I usually do, and I have been surprisingly relaxed.
Considering prom is coming up in a few weeks, I expected to be a little more all over the place with my outfit, what and where I am doing my hair, and where I will be getting my makeup done. Thankfully, I have most of that figured out. The one thing I am missing is where I am getting my hair done. I feel like there are so many places to choose from, but I am really bad with trusting new salons (my one does not specialize in up-do's), so putting my trust in something new for prom is a little daunting.

The Quintessential Summer Wardrobe: Everything You Need This Summer

I have seen so many new styles emerging this year, and I am loving it. I am so excited to delve in to all the newest trends - it gives me an excuse to go shopping!

The Perfect Sneaker

So lately I have been on the hunt for the perfect sneaker. I bought two pairs of sneakers from the New Balance x J. Crew collection, but they are more for style than doing physical activity in.

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |

Hetch Hetchy Hiking

When we got to our resort on Saturday, aside from certain hikes in Yosemite, the concierge recommended that we hike Hetch Hetchy. Neither of us ever heard of it, and we were really interested to go see it.

Yosemite

I finally did the number one thing on my bucket list - I went and hiked in Yosemite!
It was the most amazing hike I have ever been on. Although I have not done much hiking (yet), it was my favorite by far. The hike was really hard and definitely made me work up a sweat, but the result at the top of the waterfall was breathtaking. There was a lot of uphill walking (which I expected), and then over two hundred unevenly paved steps that were soaked from the waterfall. It was not an easy one, but like I said, it was so magnificent and was 'worth the hike'.

Ten Thursday Links

All in all, this week was a good one, if you guys could not already see through my instagram posts and blog posts. Vacation is never dull, and I am so happy I can finally start working on my tan for prom (Which is in a month from yesterday! So that tan won't stay..)

The Three Stages of Traveling Alone For The First Time

Although I do a lot of traveling, this was my first vacation where I got on the plane and made my way over here on my own. I thought that it would be a lot more overwhelming than it ended up being. That could, of course, be because I am very used to airports - so either with or without anyone, I am at the stage where I am comfortable, and definitely travel alone again!

Staying On Top Of The Weather in San Francisco

The weather in San Francisco is a little wishy-washy, all throughout the day. At one point I was zipping up my jacket, and then five minutes later I had to fan myself to keep cool. It definitely is a lot different from New York, but in a very interesting way!

Every and Anything That You Need To Pack

I am finally going to California. Although it is exciting, I surprisingly pushed off packing until the day before I left. Typically, I begin to pull my clothes together at least a week before.

SHIRT // JEANS // SHORTS // BAG // HAT // PERFUME // 

SANDALS // HEELS // 

Mother's Day Gifts You Need This Year

"Mother's Day is hard when your mom deserves an island, but you can only afford a candle"

With Mother's Day just around the corner, it is time to buy your mom a gift. The quote above is totally relatable to most (or at least myself). I always hope to get her a gift that she can enjoy or use, however, I always dread the amount of research that goes into it.

How To Survive Your Junior Year of High School

As most of you know, your junior year of high school is the most important for colleges. If you have not been doing too well in your sophomore and junior year, it is especially important. Either way, do not slack off. 

Ten Thursday Links

This week was a busy one.. Hence the lack of posts in the last two weeks. I went up to the admitted students day at the college I will most likely be attending next year (yay!), and I have been bombarded with tests and homework, that I just have not had any time!

Anyways, now that all of that is in the clear, I thought I would get back to sharing some interesting articles (and recipes, etc.) with all of you!

ONE // To The Class of 2016: This Is Just The Beginning
I thought this was both eye-opening and saddening. Although I have read a lot of letters from current college students to high school seniors, this one was different. Most of these letters warn high school students not to forget how easy we have it in high school, this one hit me on another level. I guess a lot of that has to do with the fact that I read it on the drive back from my college admitted students day. However, it is a good read and really helped me see just how different things will be next year, with both stuff I already knew, and things I did not think about.

DIY Lilly Pulitzer Monogram

Last year, I decided to make this Lilly Pulitzer monogram to put up on my door. Although I loved the finished project, I never put it up and eventually lost it...

So no matter how many times I put it off, I eventually bought more wooden letters and decided to re-create the project I did last year. Although the letters were a little different this time in shape and design, doing this again was still so much fun! It is so fun and simple, and looks great anywhere in your house (or dorm)!

Homemade Magnolia Cupcakes

It is the time of year where every high school senior is beginning to hear back from their very last colleges. Just as I expected, these last two weeks have been very stressful not only for me but also for my friends. Therefore, in hope to lighten the mood, I decided to start making a cake for each friend of mine when they commit to a college.

April (Humid) Showers Bring May Flowers: How to Survive New York City Humidity

Now that we are in this transition from winter to summer, the weather continues to fluctuate like crazy. Yesterday was very humid and rainy. I left the house prepared more for a thunderstorm than 70 degree weather, which was a pretty bad idea.I wore jeans, boots, long sleeves and a jacket. Needless to say, I was ready to run into a store and buy shorts. It rained all morning, and every now and then in the evening, but the humidity was unbearable.

Trend I am Currently Loving: Lace-Up Flats

This picture is from my Oheka Castle post, but you can see just how beautiful these flats are!

Ever since I got home from my trip to Europe last summer, I noticed everyone was wearing these adorable lace-up flats, and I was dying to get a pair. Then the cold weather came, and everyone packed the lace-up flats away and replaced them with boots. So, I completely forgot about them (oops) until about a month ago when I started seeing them again.

Ten Thursday Links

This weekend differed a little from last week, considering we had a long weekend last week.. However, I am nearly there to the weekend, and that is always a good thing.
Anyways, aside from not having a long weekend, this week was a good relaxing one. Last week was hectic, it was almost as though my teachers are going out of their way to make second semester senior year a painful one. But, this week consists of new units, not as many tests, and a Vance Joy concert. I went to the concert on Tuesday at the Beacon Theater, and I loved it! Vance Joy is by far one of my favorite artists, so it was an amazing experience to see him in concert!

Spring Lookbook

Just as I mentioned in my previous post, I think that Easter truly marks the beginning of spring. Although it is gloomy and rainy (at least in New York it is), I am still in the spring spirit, and will not let these nearly April showers bring me down.
On Friday, I splurged a little when I was out shopping. I basically raided the Kate Spade store (they have the best spring items!). I wanted to buy everything in the store, but left with a dress, bag and earrings. That was not the only buying I did on Friday, but it is what I am most excited about!
However, all of that retail therapy made me look on the bright side today, thinking of the warm days ahead of us!

Photo

The Perfect Easter Dinner Dress

For those of you that are still yet to buy your Easter dresses (or if you just really want to find another cute dress), I decided to share some of my favorite, Easter appropriate dresses.

This photo is from just another amazing, vintage 1998 J. Crew catalog!

How to Enforce Good Study Habits in High School and Beyond

I think that the hardest thing for me to learn in high school was how to get good study habits. I of course had all of my teachers enforcing different methods (index cards, lists, repetition etc.), but I always found those to be long, hard, and boring.
Don't get me wrong, I do not have fun studying. However, I think that the most important thing you need to learn to do is how to study while retaining the information (and you can't be distracted!). Therefore, aside from that which my teachers tried to enforce, I have picked up study habits that I feel work for me (and maybe they will work for you too!).

Photo

What is in my Carry On

As a follow up to my last post, I thought I would share what I typically bring along in my carry on. Depending on the length of my trip, where I am going, and how heavy of a bag I am willing to carry - the items inside seem to always change. However, there are always many essentials, which I thought would be interesting to share!

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9 // 10 //

Spring Break Essentials

With all of my spring break plans finally falling into place, I decided to share what I plan on bringing along with me on vacation! Unfortunately, my spring break falls about a month behind that of most of my friends.. but, I am hopefully going to California. Therefore, I am planning on bringing many swimsuits, dresses, and flowy shirts.

Photo

Jack Rogers Sample Sale

As some of you may already know, Jack Rogers is have a huge sample sale in Manhattan this week! I went on Wednesday and there was an overwhelming amount of reasonably priced sandals!
Also, if you are a shoe size six, you are in luck because that is their sample size! They have just about three times as much stuff in a size six (and for the fraction of the price).

St. Patricks Day Outfit Essentials

This Saint Patricks Day marks the first one in a decade that I won't be Irish Step Dancing in the parade, which is pretty bittersweet. Training for the parade was always long, tiresome, and repetitive -- and after doing it for ten years, it was pretty exhausting. *PS: the Irish Step Dancers in The Saint Patricks Day Parade always use the same three dances-- thus being another reason why it was so boring*. Starting in the end of January, we would practice every Sunday morning for about four and a half hours, doing the same thing over and over again. The only thing that got me through it was the excitement of the parade and being able to dance in it with some of my closest friends. 

This picture was taken last Saint Patricks Day; the one that marked the end of the decade we spent dancing in the parade! That is me all the way to the right in the purple dress. 

So, now that I am no longer wearing an over bedazzled uncomfortable dress, I am scrambling to find something to wear. A large group of friends and I are going this year (some that danced in the parade, others that have not), and we are excited to finally partake in the crowd!

The Brooklyn Bridge

This past Sunday, my friends and I decided to go to the Brooklyn Bridge and walk across (from Manhattan to Brooklyn). We met up at the South Street Seaport, where I had only gone a handful of times when I was younger. I did not recognize much because I had not been there in a long time, but it was beautiful! It did not even look like Manhattan, and with the warm weather, it felt as though I was on vacation.

Saturday Brunch

This week was pretty stress packed. However, my family from California came out to New York for the weekend, and that was really what put me through it. We all met up for brunch, and it felt as if no time had passed since we saw them last.
We met up at this amazing restaurant, the Blue Dog Cafe, and had a great meal. It is always so fun to meet up with family, it's just like a breath of fresh air. 
Also, the warm weather finally allowed for me to break out my first dress of the new season, which is always thrilling.

Ten Thursday Links

It is finally nearly the weekend! Thursdays always come with the exciting promises for the weekend, but are not there just yet. Therefore, in order to help you guys get through your final haul of the week, I decided to share some interesting things!
A lot of these links are taken from Gwyneth Paltrow's blog, "Goop". I love to check up on her blog a few times a week because it always has great advice on nutrition, recipes, traveling and so much more! If you have the time, I highly recommend you go check it out!

ONE //  Why It's Hard to Lose Weight - and Why Most Diets Fail
I thought that this article was really interesting considering the popularity of people dropping their diets. For the most part, many people hope to stick to a strict diet plan for their New Years resolution, and around this time of the year, a lot of those promises fall through! Reading this article was interesting because it breaks down why diets are failing! It is a very interesting read, I highly recommend it!

Dream Vacation Houses

Because my parents are currently away on vacation, traveling is all I am thinking about! I have spent the whole week daydreaming about getting out of New York and going some place warm!
That got me thinking about my previous vacations. Whenever I go on a great vacation, I always fantasize about one day (hopefully) buying a vacation house there! Although it is a more of a  pipe dream than reality, it is still fun to do! I think that it is always fun to look up houses in my favorite destinations, and I decided to share some of those with you guys!

Newport, Rhode Island

Oheka Castle

Shirt: Gap // Jeans: Lucky Brand // Shoes: Zara

Jacket: Barbour // Scarf: Vintage Salvatore Ferragamo (similar) // 

Glasses: Karen Walker // Earrings: Kate Spade (similar)// 

Bracelets: Kiel James Patrick // Watch: Daniel Wellington 

Bag: Chanel (similar) 

You may recognize this castle from photos, weddings, proms, or perhaps Taylor Swifts Blank Space video. It is a true gem in Long Island, and it was my first (but not last) visit. 

Yesterday I was in Gap and I came across these adorable tee-shirts! I impulsively bought all of them due to their great price, and dont regret a thing (I actually even went back in today to see if they had any other styles)! All in all, these shirts are adorable and ridiculously comfortable! I highly recommend them!

Shop my outfit here:

          

Enjoy!

xoxo,