For Rainy Days

Rain, rain, go away. Come again another day.

It hasn't stopped raining all day. I really wanted to post an outfit post today but I guess you gotta just go with the flow sometimes. So, I decided to show you girls my favorite rainy day picks!

I have been obsessed with the Vineyard Vines Stow & Go Rain Jacket ever since I first saw it a year ago. The pink lining on the navy is perfect. Only catch is it's almost $200... Sobbing. The VV rain boots are on sale right now for less than $40 with coupon code "SUMMER5014" on the Vineyard Vines site! They're running out quick though so run! I'll probably be ordering me a Marley Lilly rain jacket this year. This one is in my school colors too, so I can still be cute and spirited at rainy football games. Hunter boots and Bean boots are both classics. 

What are you sporting on these rainy days?

XO, Ashlee

Little Ways to Make Your Day Healthier

First off, how do you like the new look?! I've been spending probably the past week trying to figure out how to code and working with Photoshop to make Preperella look a lot prettier. Now that I'm done with that, I can spend a lot of time actually working on posts! Also, I have some really exciting projects I'm working with and can't wait to be able to tell you girls the deets!

As much as I wish I could be one of those girls who lives at the gym and is crazy fit, usually it doesn't work out that way. Especially during the school year, I don't have time to be at the gym everyday, so I love incorporating little things in my day to make it a little healthier. They really add up! I've lost almost 10 pounds this summer by using these little tricks.

1. Start your day off with a glass of water.

This kickstarts your metabolism and gets your brain ready for the day! Your brain tissue is 72% water, so if you don't give it the fuel it needs, you'll be fatigued and just sluggish feeling. It flushes out toxins from your body as soon as you wake up. Your body will also learn that it doesn't need to hold onto water weight because you're giving it the hydration it needs. You can lose a few pounds just by drinking more water! If I keep a water bottle with me, I'll stay drinking it all day. My favorite is my purple Camelbak! (on sale for $11.90 here!

2. Unsweet tea

Unsweet tea?!? How can those words ever escape a southern girls mouth? Well at 240 calories, your large McDonald's sweet tea could be severely hurting your diet. Try an unsweet tea with sweetener! My favorite sweetener is Equal and I use 3 or 4 packets in my tea. It brings the calories down to zero! Don't feel bad treating yourself with a real sweet tea every once in a while, but just don't overdo it!

3. Park farther out

I like to say I do this because I am trying to be active. Really it's because I'm awful at parking and I'm scared to hurt my mom's car. Anyways, do this and you can count shopping as an exercise day. ;)

4. Blogilates

Blogilates is my little secret weapon. I can't make it to the gym everyday but I can do these workouts in my room. They really work too! Cassey Ho is the girl behind Blogilates and she posts new videos every week on her Youtube channel. Everyday she posts a daily workout playlist and two days are never the same! I love her workouts because I never get bored, she does them to great music, and she is so inspiring! She is always spewing out wisdom during her videos and I love it! It keeps me motivated. Check out her Youtube channel here and her website (full of inspiration) here.

Do any of you guys have some tips for making your day healthy? If you do I'd love to hear them!!

Ashlee

Note to My Freshman Self

Senior year is approaching so quickly and I'm excited! We go back to school August 4th, which is crazy and way too early. I can't believe I'm the same age as the seniors were when I was a freshman. They seemed so old! One of the first privileges you have as a senior in student council here is running the freshman orientation. I really want to give the girls in my group some advice that will help them in more than just getting around the school. I have until August 1st (my birthday!!) and I've been thinking about it a lot lately. I think the best way to do this is to give some tips to my freshman self. I figured I would share with y'all just in case there are any upcoming freshman or even sophomores that stumble on this post!

               

These are the least embarrassing throwbacks...

Dear Freshman Ashlee,

1. Seniors are friends, not food boyfriends.

The boys in the senior class are beautiful, I know. You're going to be the only freshman girl in a class full of them. They're going to flirt and joke around with you. You'll feel so special and cool for attracting older boys but LEAVE IT AT THAT. Even if you're really mature for your age, you still are in two completely different places in life right now. They're getting ready to embark on their own journey in college and you are just beginning your journey though high school! It's setting yourself up for failure. You can flirt around with them, but don't do much more. You could really screw up your reputation. If a senior (or older) guy is considering dating a freshman in high school, there is usually a BIG reason he can't find a girl his own age to date. 

2. Your friends will change.

Remember the girl who told your friend group that you all wouldn't even talk to each other after freshman year? When you all vowed to not let it happen to you? You should believe her. High school forces you to grow up a little bit. Especially combining with a whole other school, there are so many people to meet and become friends with. It's not a bad thing though.

3. Stay close to the sophomores.

You're on the dance team this year, so you're good friends with the sophomores. Keep them close because it'll get you out of a lot of the usual freshman troubles. Your backpack won't get ziptied or thown into the middle of the pit. Homecoming week during lunch, seniors will attack the freshman side of the pit with dodgeballs. You'll be sitting with the sophomores and be saved. Thank them later.

4. Hold onto the people you love.

This seems really cliché. It is really cliché. I don't care though, it would save you a lot of crying yourself to sleep. You try to just let people go when it becomes hard for you but fight for them. Please fight for them. You'll regret it years later when you're missing your best friend from freshman year, or when your on-and-off boyfriend since freshman year finally is happy with a new girl. 

5. Take every opportunity given to you.

You're beautiful and smart and have these four years ahead of you to make whatever you'd like out of it. 

Take on every opportunity you stumble upon by the horns. Be fearless. Make straight As. Take that research opportunity you'll get senior year.. (You do. (; ) Don't be scared to stay out a little bit later than curfew one night. Take chances. Be risky. Try new things. 

Remember, life begins at the end of your comfort zone.

Best of luck to you these next four years, Senior Ashlee

P.S. I still think I peaked freshman year.. So enjoy it.

I hope this at least helps someone! If you're an underclassman reading this, comment and tell me! I'd love to hear from you! And if you know a freshman girl scared about high school, show her this!

Design Overhaul

I'm trying to redo my blog into something other than the bland layout it has right now, so what are y'all's suggestions and tips on blog design?

P.S. J Crew Factory is having a HUGE sale right now. Extra 50% off of clearance with coupon code SALETIME. The scalloped dress I posted about yesterday is on sale in aqua. Things are going fast so move quick! #cleartheclearance

Lust List

We all have lazy days... I've just been having a little more than usual this week. I've been pretty sick these past few days and wasn't scheduled to work much this week so I have an excuse, right? ;) Definitely. Anyways, after spending all of my money last week in Charleston, I've been spending a lot of my time filling up online shopping carts with the things I would buy if I could. Here's my list of things I've been lusting over while being laaaaaazy.

J Crew scalloped dress / Chevron Tuskwear Tank  / Jack Rogers sandals / Kate Spade red handbag / Riley Infinity Loop in Lobstah Roll / Kate Spade planner/ Janice Shift Dress - Lilly Pulitzer / Handpresso HPWILD Wild 16-Bar Hand-Pump Portable Espresso Machine

I saw the J Crew dress on a waitress in Charleston and I was looking for it for a week before I found it on A Little Seersucker Sass's blog! (And it's on sale for $49!!) I also saw the Janice shift at a Lilly store last week and fell in love. I can't find it in my size online but I've seen it in quite a few stores recently. The color combination is seriously gorgeous.

I applied to my first college this week, University of Alabama! I have no clue where I'll end up but ever since I've been eyeing the Tuskwear website like crazy. I have a free tuition offer for if I go there, but we'll just see what happens.

This handheld espresso machine is MADE for me. I've always loved coffee, but working at an Italian restaurant has made me appreciate a good shot of espresso. The Handpresso website has demos of people using it in the car! That would be perfect for those mornings when I'm running late to school and don't have time to make coffee. (every morning)

I love everything Lobstah Roll! This scarf is no exception. It's sold out on the Lilly site but I managed to find it on one boutique online. There's a very strong chance my next paycheck will be spent on this beaut.

I have a thing for school supplies. My friends and parents think I'm odd, but what's new? I usually get a Lilly planner but have been contemplating between it and the Kate Spade one for this year. Speaking of Kate, the Holly Street Jeanne bag is lovely. Not too big, not too small. It has a crossbody strap, and the bow detail is so cute! It's on sale for $256 right now on the Kate Spade site!

Last thing, Jack Rogers. I've wanted a pair for a while, but nowhere sells them around me. I'm a little iffy about ordering shoes online because I'm inbetween sizes. Whenever I get a pair, though, it will be the gold pair. Love them and they go with everything!

comment and tell me what you're lusting over!

Falling in Love with Charleston All Over Again

Charleston is my happy place. It's been my "future home" since I could remember. I've always had the same vision of how my life will play out. I'm going to go to med school and end up as some kind of surgeon in Charleston. I'll have a house with two-story (or three (; ) wraparound porches, and a husband I met in med school. Ever since I was a little girl that's been it. Everytime I go I fall back in love with the place harder than before. This past week I stayed in Isle of Palms with my best friend, which is right across the bridge from downtown Charleston. I'm really, really, really sorry for all the pictures.. I narrowed it down from 200 to 40 so relatively I am doing really well!! ;) Here's my week through the lens.

Summer Beauty Staples

My beauty philosophy during the summer is "If I have to worry about it breaking me out if I don't take it off tonight, I'm not wearing it." Natural beauty is the way to go during the summer. I love to give my face and hair a break from all the harsh chemicals and heat for a few months! That being said, I still like to look presentable if I'm going out of the house. Here's how I do it during these hot months!

These are the only products I use during the summer. Occasionally I'll put a little more eyeshadow on if I'm going somewhere fancy, but this is essentially it. I couldn't say anything other than amazing things about BareMinerals makeup. It offers amazing coverage without feeling like your face is caked on. My foundation is the Matte formula in Light. I also use the Well-Rested Eye Brightener which fakes a look that you've gotten all your beauty sleep, even if you were up all night! Both of these products have SPF in them, so you don't have to rub greasy sunscreen all over your face! My all-time favorite blush is Bobbi Brown's Peony which is a beautiful bright pink that just makes you look happy and glowing. For a pop of color on my lips, I use Fresh SUGAR Rose Tint SPF 15 which also protects your lips from the sun while giving a rosy glow!

For my eyes, I like to keep it waterproof. I use Urban Decay Primer Potion in Eden alone to make my eyes look perky and awake. If I decide to wear eyeshadow, I brush on a wash of my absolute favorite makeup product I use, Stila eyeshadow in Kitten, for a pretty bit of extra sparkle. To finish it off I use my Urban Decay 24/7 Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner and Urban Decay Cannonball Waterproof Mascara. I love these products because they are waterproof but come off when you want them to! There's not the usual hassle of taking forever to get these off at night! I also included Mario Badescu Enzyme Cleansing Gel which I use to get everything off at night! It's a nonfoaming gel that takes your makeup off without taking your skin's moisture.

Hope you guys enjoyed! I just got back from Charleston the day before yesterday. I'll post about my trip once my pictures upload! My computer battery went bad a few days before I left and my adapter coincidentally broke at the same time so that's why I've been MIA. A new battery and adapter are on the way to my house right now so it shouldn't be too much longer until I'm posting more regularly! 

Comment and tell me your summer beauty essentials!