Common White Girl Tag

1) What is your favorite drink at Starbucks?
Chai Tea Latte. Caffeine in large quantities makes me jittery.

2) How long does it take you to get ready in the morning?
It takes me about 30 minutes to do my makeup and get dressed. (I don't do my hair. That would mean me having to get up 20 minutes earlier to straighten my hair or an hour to curl it and I'd much rather have sleep.)

3) How many selfies do you take on a daily basis?
Zero. Who has time for that?

4) How many Instagram followers and pictures do you have?
101 followers, 207 posts.

5) Do you ever say LOL or OMG out loud?
Occasionally, but only with irony.

6) Do you wear the same clothing item more than once?
Of course!

7) Are you racist?
Only against bigots.

8) How many tweets do you have?
 1,055

9) Instagram, Twitter, or Tumblr?
Tumblr!

10) What do you spend most of your time doing?
Procrastinating homework.

11) Who are your favorite YouTubers?
AllThatGlitters21 and missglamorazzi!

12) How often do you do your nails?
About 2-3 times a month.

13) Are you a shopaholic?
Reformed.

14) How many times have you watched Mean Girls?
The limit does not exist.

15) Do you own a lot of clothes?
Quality over quantity.

16) Do you take pictures of your food before you eat it?
I have a couple of times.

17) Do you wear makeup every day?
Every time I go out in public.

18) What are your average grades in school?
A's in English and Social Studies and B's in Math and Science.

19) How do you normally style your hair?
I either run a brush through it or put it up in a French braid. If I heat style it, I'll usually curl it.

20) Do you always look presentable?
I would say so.

College Bound

In celebration of receiving two college acceptances recently, I decided I'd make a list (typical) of things that I'll be needing to acquire before I head off to college in 8 months. Eek!

A Barbour. I'm hoping this will be able to replace my Letterman, but I don't know if its passable as a winter coat. (Apparently my brother wants one too. Maybe we can match!)

Basically the entirety of the Container Store. I have no shame.

Rain boots!

A laptop... preferably a Macbook.

Another pair of pixie pants! (Image from thepinkandgreenprep)

A rain jacket! I love the hunter green.

I hope everyone had a great Christmas!
(P.S. Roll Tide and Gig 'Em!)

Christmas Wish List

Christmas Wish List by Caroline

J Crew Tartan Pullover / Kiel James Patrick Riven Rock / Dogeared 'Hear Me Roar!' Necklace / Lilly Pulitzer 'First Impression' iPhone 5 Case / High Cotton Ties Headbands / Lilly Pulitzer Tusk In Sun Large Agenda / Jon Hart Grande Makeup Bag

(I forgot to put socks. I really, really, really would like some cute socks.)

My favorite part about this time of the year is seeing the lights. And only having two more weeks left in the semester. (That also means I only have two more weeks of keeping my grades up for class ranking, whoo!) Definitely counting down to Christmas.  

The Friday Shirt

So by some coincidence, I've managed to wear the same shirt for every pep rally (We only have them every couple of weeks, don't worry) and I'm thinking its because by the end of the week's craziness, I'm not capable of doing much more than throwing on an oxford and chinos/jeans and Jacks/riding boots.

The Friday that started it all.

This past Friday. I was in the mood for comfort.
(I also had worn all of my jeans, hence the Pixie Pants.)

The Shirt: Ralph Lauren (I got mine from the Outlet, tax-free with 40% off- score!)

What is your go-to item?

Bonus: This Song.

Fall Outfit Ideas

                     Fall Outfit Ideas by carolinerussell 

October Playlist

I hope everyone had a good October!

Preppy Girl Tag

So I watched quite a few YouTubers do this tag last week and really wanted to do it, so I figured I'd just type it up because... blogging.

1) What is your definition of 'preppy'?
Classic, put-together, and polished, lots of collared shirts and always, always, always with a dash of New England or nautical. 

2) What is your favorite all-time brand?
Most of my wardrobe at this point is J. Crew, but I adore older Lilly P. and have recently been liking Vineyard Vines. 

3) What is your favorite Lilly item and print?
My most treasured item is definitely my Dark N Stormy shift. My favorite print is First Impressions because 1) it reminds me of my bedding that I had up until I was 14 and 2) it was the first Lilly print I fell in love with in 8th grade. Notable mentions go to Chum Bucket, State of Mind and You Gotta Regatta. 

4) Favorite preppy Youtuber?
glamourkate08. Can I just say how perfect her hair is? Here's her Preppy Girl Tag Video. 
Bonus: My favorite bloggers are The College Prepster and Prep In Your Step. 

5) Jacks or Sperrys?

JACKS. 

6) Jeans or khakis?

Jeans. But if I could find a cute way to style khakis, believe me I would.

7) Opinion on oxfords?

You mean the only shirts I wear?

8) Duck boots, riding boots, or Hunters?

Riding boots because 1) it never rains or snows where I live and 2) I think they're the most polished option. 

9) Navy or black?

Navy is more year-round, but I do like black as long as its not on my nails. 

10) On a scale of 1-10, how much do you love J. Crew?

I'd say a solid 8.7. 

11) Favorite Ralph Lauren clothing item?

Either my white oxford with the obnoxious logo or my basic blue one.

See? Obnoxious. 

12) Pearls or bows?

Pearls! 

Lilly Resort 2013!

So glad Lilly is finally selling wristlets again!

I feel like this is a more 'classic' Lilly print.

 

They don't sell these shorts yet (fingers crossed!) but I'm already head over heels for them.

Overall I don't love the collection, however, I do like it and am already pretty fond of Mai Tai in small doses. Congrats to the Pink & Green Palace!

Retail Therapy

This past week was particularly stressful. Like hell-week-I-didn't-know-I-was-going-to-have-and-doing-assignments-the-class-period-before-they're-due-stressful.
Not fun. But today I have no school and tomorrow is for sure going to be an easy day and my mom was nice enough to indulge me in some (much-needed) online retail therapy. (I haven't been shopping since tax-free weekend in August, about two months ago. I think that's a new record.)

What I Bought: 

Keeper Chambray Shirtdress

Outfit inspiration. Can I please have CP's entire wardrobe?

I cannot wait to wear this.

Belts to wear with my chinos next summer. 

So I've been eyeing those belts for a couple months and I didn't know they were embroidered all the way around until after I ordered them... oops. At least they were over 1/2 off. #winning

Happy Columbus Day!

Phone Cases

I'm getting wayyy tired of my Otterbox, so I've been perusing for a new phone case. Here are some I've found that I like!

I found this Kate Spade case at Nordstrom and I want it. The words are glittery. I repeat, glittery. 

I love these phone cases from The Preppy Planet! They're from the Rugby Stripe Collection.

This phone case is so darling!

 I hope everyone has a good Sunday and an even better week! 

PS- I really like this phone case too!

Crazy Cords

I was browsing Anthropologie's website when I found these:

I've made it pretty clear that I love plaid, and these took my obsession to a whole new level (like Pluto high). I don't think the world is ready for these pants, Anthro. 

What do you think of them? 

What's In My School Bag

Happy Monday, y'all! I thought I'd share what I take to school.

Everyday Essentials

A-Day

• AP Calculus AB (My teacher is literally the coolest. He tells us stories every class, which eases the pain of the college level math I'm supposed to be understanding.)
• AP Environmental Science

B-Day

•  AP Statistics
• AP British Literature
• AP Macro Economics 

The bags I use: Large Bilberry Longchamp and Black Thule Backpack (stolen from my brother)

Where I got my binder covers: Quatrefoil and Lilly Pulitzer

I think I'm finally getting into the swing of things this week and my classes (read: quizzes and tests) are becoming easier for me. I seriously love all of them. Everything I'm learning them (except Calculus) is starting to match up and connect and I'm loving it.  

Happy Sunday Y'all!

Today was my grandad's 85th birthday, so I drove down the expressway (stressful), over a bridge, to Grandmother's house we go went.

It turned to fall overnight, so I was more than
happy to pull my boots out.

Top: J. Crew (similar)

Skirt: J. Crew (similar)

Boots: The Frye Company

Watch: Kate Spade

My mom made a fabulous coconut cream pie.

I made some tea when I got home.

Curls and pearls for Selfie Sunday. 

 The fact that fall has arrived has put a really rosy glow on the rest of this week. I'm beyond excited to start wearing sweaters (once they're dry-cleaned), boots and vests! Specifically my hunter green one that I got at the J. Crew Factory store in August. Its been sitting in my closet for a month, taunting me, but no longer.

I hope y'all have a fantastic week!

Prep In My... Drive?

I should be getting my licence within the next week or two and I can't wait to start driving! ...and accessorizing.

Cute keychain!

I love this keyfob. Pink and green AND plaid? Yes, please!

I definitely cannot wait to put some bumper stickers on my car... the only thing is I don't know exactly which car will officially be mine, so I probably won't be able to deck my car out choose a limited quantity to put on my back windshield until I go to college (and I'm definitely saving room for my future university's bumper sticker).

• Obviously, VV whales. A total prep staple.
• I've visited Virginia more times than I can count in the past two years and I've really fallen in love with the state. 
• Foxes are my favorite animal and I love plaid and madras, so this Longshanks sticker from Country Club Prep is pretty appealing.
• The Republican Lilly sticker is adorable, but declaring your political stance on your car in some places may or may not leave you with a keyed car, no matter how cute the sticker. 

Actually, revoking my statement about the Lilly sticker... I would have no shame in putting this on my car especially if it was one of our old Mercedes.

New Blog Name!

The "this-and-that" names are a bit cliche, and I'd had my new blog title stuck in my head...
...so I went for it.
Its my mantra in the morning when I get up and have no idea what to wear, or no desire to put any effort in. Putting on an oxford and a comfortable pair of jeans takes zero effort but looks twice as nice as the old norts routine that so many girls adhere to.

Don't settle- when in doubt, prep out. 

PS- Sorry I haven't posted in a while. Life is really hectic right now!

What's In My Purse?

I either take A) everything ever (in which case, my Longchamp Le Pliage works perfectly) or B) the bare minimum, in which case my Fossil crossbody is exactly what I need.

• Lilly Croakies: My sunglasses would be lost without these. 
• Pilot G-2 Gel Pens
• Vera Bradley Lanyard: Never without my whistle attached, and occasionally a set of car keys. 
• Tarte Lip Stain in Charmed
• Coin Purse: Bought in Ruidoso, NM on a ski trip with my family back in 6th grade. 
• Polka Dot Hair Ties from Dillards
• iPhone with Otterbox: I was using my phone to take the picture, so I figured the case would work in place of it. 
• Vera Bradley Sunglasses (Old-ish)
• Lululemon Headband: My bangs are in an awkward stage of growth, so I carry my headband around in case I get really frustrated with them. 
• Earbuds

First Week of School Recap

I'm finally here. Senior year. Amidst all the homework I received in the first week alone (why on Earth did I ever thing 5 AP classes was a good idea?) I haven't had time to work on college apps and the next two weekends are going to be dedicated to finishing my Driver's Ed course (yeah, yeah, I still don't have my licence, I know I'm a senior) so I'm kind of freaking out that I won't get to go to college because I'm too busy worrying about high school. How dumb would that be?
But otherwise, its been pretty good. Three day weekends are the best (and so are teachers who don't give you homework over the weekend- A-Day teachers, you're awesome), but as of today, I'm in for the long haul.

AP British Literature, anyone?

Moving on to the most important part: the outfits.

This outfit made me feel like College Prepster. I wore it with the shirt tucked in and a thin belt.

This outfit may not look like much, but with a French braid, it looked pretty polished.

My gameday outfit. Comfy and classic. 

Friday night lights with the other drum majors (and two of my best friends). I'm on the right.

                             My first watch! 

 On a side-note, now was not a good time to develop a new-found love addiction to Gossip Girl... oops.

xoxo,
cRm

Southern Fall

Okay, so its still in the mid-to-upper 90's here in Texas, and it's going to be that way for a while. But school's started and I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who wants in to be chilly so I can wear sweaters and boots and generally dress like its fall.

Why do I not live here?

But since I can't, my simple solution is having a couple pieces summer-y clothing in richer, jewel tones and lots of accessories- specifically ones that involve plaid.

Southern Fall by carolinerussell 

J. Crew Peplum Tee / Teal J. Crew Chino Shorts / Bordeaux J. Crew Chino Shorts / Tory Burch Miller Sandals / Sam Edelman Flats / Minnetonka Moccasins / Longchamp Le Pliage / Kate Spade Wristlet / Fossil Wallet / High Cotton Ties Perry's Plaid Headband / High Cotton Ties Gingham Headband

What is your favorite way to dress for fall when the weather's not cooperating? 

Need Help With Reading for English Essays? I'm Your Girl.

After doing really, really well in my AP Language class last year, I figured I would share my tips for how to successfully read and annotate books for class so you can write essays from your analytical perspective. The key is that Sparknotes is your friend to understanding what is going on in the book, but NOT a crutch for analyzing it (but I do admit it is really helpful for getting my creative juices flowing). The best stuff (symbols, motifs, themes) you'll pull out of a book to use in class are the things that come from your own viewpoint and experiences.

Things you will need:
Said book and assignment
Highlighter(s) and pen/ pencil
Color Psychology, Mood, Symbolism and Associations: Color tells a lot about a story and its characters- all you have to do is figure out if its in the negative or positive spectrum.
Sparknotes
*******Post-It Flags*******: I used a different color to mark each character's annotations and it made essay-writing a breeze (it also thoroughly impressed my teacher sophomore year). You can also use them to mark really, really important sections and scenes.
Extra Credit: How To Read Literature Like a Professor (It explains what to look for and why in books.) Here's a good, basic run-down I found!

Archetypes
Common Allusions and References

Step 1) Read up on the book's characters. Find out their names and a little bit about who they are as people and in relation to each other. This helps to prevent you from getting lost in a sea of names early on.
Step 2) Read chapter, annotating as you go along- note settings (season, place, weather), symbols, characterization, and whatever else your teacher or professor wants you to note. Try to find common threads and imagery throughout the book.
Step 3) Read the Sparknotes chapter summary to make sure you have a grasp on what actually happened versus what you think did.
Step 4) Repeat steps 2 & 3 until you've finished the book.

Sparknotes is a good tool to get a feel for the book, and a great guide for essays, but make sure to use it to form your own opinion of the essay prompt.
I hoped this helped!

Outfit-Making Earrings

Pearls are beyond awesome, but sometimes you need to spice things up!

Celtic knots are said to be symbols of luck. Maybe these earrings will help you pass that first test! (But you should still study. Results not guaranteed.)

Monograms, of course!

Elephants are also said to be lucky... and cute.

These earrings from J. Crew are absolutely fabulous! 

Maybe its because all three of my names have French origin, but I love fleur-de-lis.

Earrings for those days when you're missing the beach.

These spade earrings are just plain cool. 

Even if you don't Roll Tide, you can't deny that houndstooth is chic.

Simple, but incredibly cute knot earrings.

More monograms! These might be my favorite.  

These remind of me of David Yurman, but at a much more reasonable price point!

What are your favorite fun earrings?