What's In My Bag: Summer Weekend Edition

Happy Monday! I can't believe this is the beginning of the last week of June...crazy. 

This weekend my boyfriend took me on a lovely dinner date at the Rock Center Cafe in NYC. It was delicious, and I definitely recommend sitting outside if it's a nice day. As I was unpacking my bag when we got back, I decided to take a picture for this post. I'll probably be doing more "What's In My Bag" posts throughout the year. 

This is one of my favorite purses. I love it so much that I bring it to work almost every day. My favorite thing about it is that it doesn't look super huge but it holds a ton, making it the perfect bag for a commute. I bought it a few months ago from TJ Maxx. 

And here's everything that's in it! I didn't edit it at all but I moved the stuff around to look a little better for the picture. From left to right, here are the contents:

1) Train schedule. I always have one of these with me, especially during work.

2) Clean & Clear blotting sheets. These things are LIFESAVERS. New York gets incredibly humid during the summer so these are great for blotting off the results of the weather. In my opinion, these are the best blotting sheets because they really don't mess with your makeup at all. 

3) Planner. I write things down obsessively because if I don't write it down I'm most likely going to forget it. At the end of last semester, my Lilly Pulitzer agenda got lost in the moveout process, so I've been using this little blue one from CVS until I can use my new Lilly one because I can't live without a planner. 

4) My company umbrella. Like a train schedule, this is an NYC essential. Regardless of how clear the sky looks there's at least a 30% chance of rain almost every day. Let me tell you, getting caught in the rain without an umbrella seven blocks away from the subway is no fun.

5) EOS lip balm. If you don't have one of these, go get one immediately! These fun lip balms are super moisturizing and come in a wide variety of flavors, all of which are amazing. 

6) iPad. I carry this around to read on the train. See my post on the case here.

7) Coach wallet. I got this at a Coach outlet store in California several years ago, and it still looks as good as new. The shiny material is very durable and I like that bills or checks don't get folded when I put them in the wallet. 

8) Marc by Marc Jacobs sunglasses...in a Ray Ban case. I consider my gold aviators to be the perfect summer accessory, so they pretty much live in my purse for use throughout the day. 

9) J. Crew Mini-emergency Kit. I bought this on sale at J. Crew because I thought the pouch was cute, but it's come in handy numerous times. It contains important on-the-go items such as pain relievers, safety pins, band-aids, nail polish remover, and many others in one convenient place. 

10) Hand Food hand lotion. Hands down (pun not intended) the best hand cream I have ever used. It smells delicious and keeps my hands soft for hours...oh, and its only $5!
PS: Yes that carpet is leopard print.

Have a good week, everyone! I have some fun posts planned for this week, so be sure to check back!

Weekly OOTDs

Hi everyone! Here are my favorite outfits of this week.  I always post these on Instagram, so be sure to follow @something_preppy! If something isn't linked, that means I couldn't find it online. 

Dress: Theory (old)

Necklace: J. Crew Factory

Shoes: J. Crew - on sale!

Top: Theory (old)

Skirt: J. Crew

Shoes: Tory Burch

Bracelets: Kate Spade (1/2)

Dress: J. Crew

Necklace: J. Crew Factory - on sale!

Top: Lilly Pulitzer

Skirt: Lilly Pulitzer

Skirt: Lilly Pulitzer 

Top: Vineyard Vines

Shorts: J. Crew

Shoes: Jack Rogers

Bow: Kiel James Patrick

I hope everyone is enjoying this beautiful summer day! 

Wishlist Wednesday

Wow it's Wednesday already?! I feel like all of a sudden the summer is flying by...Anyways happy Wishlist Wednesday! Enjoy and be sure to tell me what you're wishing for this week!

1) Tory Burch umbrella

I've been using an umbrella with my company's logo on it this summer, which is unfortunately not as attractive as it is functional. This umbrella would be much better looking for when I go back to school.

2) Jonathan Adler sticky notes

I have a little obsession with sticky notes. My desk is always covered with them because I'm constantly writing down my random thoughts on them. I wouldn't mind having a desk covered in these adorable owl ones though!

3) Tory Burch cardigan
Can you tell I've been pursuing Tory Burch online? I have the "shrunken" version of this sweater, which I love for its warmth and style. I also like this longer version as well as this oatmeal color.

4) Frye boots

Fun fact about me: I am a cowgirl. No, for real. I've competed in rodeos and been trained in roping, bareback, gymkhana, you name it. Frye makes THE BEST cowboy boots. I've had mine for 6 years now (wow I'm old). In addition to wearing them on horseback, I like wearing Frye boots in the fall, and these have caught my eye. 

5) Kate Spade watch

I blogged about this watch the other day...and now I'm thinking about getting it. This is how blogging can be dangerous, folks.

6) Spray water bottle/fan

This is only a half serious item on my wishlist. When I was in elementary school, everyone had these spray bottles that misted you while fanning you at the same time, perfect for humid New York summers. I could seriously use one of these right now as it's going to be ONE HUNDRED degrees in NYC tomorrow (and probably about 29 degrees in my office). 

Stay cool, everyone!

Outfits Inspired by France

After a very long plane ride, I'm home! I loved loved loved France (who wouldn't?). It was an amazing trip. My mom, sister, and I got to go to Paris, Avignon, Nimes, and many more. Something that surprised me while visiting all of those cities was how diverse they all were. Even though some were in pretty close proximity to each other, the architecture and feel of the cities were very different. In honor of that, I'm going to share with you guys some outfits inspired by my favorite cities. Enjoy!  

1) Paris

Paris doesn't really need much of an introduction. When I was there, I noticed that most Parisians favor the same type of city-chic that many New Yorkers do. Obvious labels are uncommon, and the goal is to make understated pieces shine with bold accessories. The outfit below is almost an exact replica of one that I wore in Paris.

Outfit information on Polyvore

2) Marseille

Marseille is a beautiful port town in the south of France that also happens to be France's first city. As you can see in the picture, the colors of the architecture, boats, and ocean are all extremely vivid. While I was there, it was fairly hot, so I stuck to wearing a dress. This outfit is inspired by the bright colors of the port. 

Polyvore

3) Monte Carlo

We went to Monaco at the very end of our trip, pretty much just to be able to say we'd been to Monte Carlo. While walking around, I noticed that there were a lot of royal guards (according to Google, they're technically called gendarmes). I made this outfit inspired by their uniforms. PS props to them for being able to wear pants in that sweltering heat. 

  

Polyvore

 As much as I loved France, I'm very happy to be back home. If you want to see more outfits like these, you can follow me on Polyvore under the username: somethingpreppy. 

Things I'm Loving: Pastel Nails

Butter London Kerfuffle, Essie Lilacism, L'Oreal I Do, Butter London Fiver, Essie Fiji

A few days ago, I began doing some planning for my trip to France (more on that to come!). I figured I'd start small by deciding what color nail polish to wear. I was able to narrow it down to five choices, but beyond that I was torn. In an effort to make a decision, I painted each of my nails a different color to see which looked best on my hands. 

The embarrassing thing is, I still can't choose! Since having this funny color combination on my nails, I've really started thinking about how much I love pastel nail polish. That may sound dramatic, but here's why pastel is the best:

1) The colors remind me of Easter and summer, so looking down at my nails always makes me happy

2) They add a pretty pop of color to a look without being overwhelming or drawing too much attention 

3) They look pretty and classy on every skin tone

4) Pastel colors are the perfect way to add a touch of summer to any outfit!

What are your thoughts on pastels? Which is your favorite color? (Please help me choose!!)