Ballin'

A silly blog title for a beautiful night!!! So, I've been talking about this debutante ball for ages now, and it finally happened! And what a night it was! Let's start at the beginning:

6:00 pm: My friend Adam picked me up to go to the Mayflower in D.C.
6:30 pm: We jam out to Disney, Beyonce and the like
6:45 pm: We make UNBELIEVABLE time and get to D.C. before 7:00. We look for the Mayflower and drive in a few confused gps-hazed circles.
6:50 pm: Adam and I get all of our stuff out of Adam's car and make it into the Lobby where we run into our Deb's mom. I get the keys to the girls' rooms.
7:00 pm: Adam and I shove our stuff into our room and check the place out. We call the rest of the "party" and tell them that our room is finally open.
7:30 pm: The rest of the group settles into our rooms and we watch Jeopardy, where I get the final answer question correct with a response of "Who are the Kurds?". We veg out until 8.
8:00 pm: Vegging is over for the girls at least and we all start to get ready. Since we're girls, we're naturally indecisive on what we want to wear, how to do our hair and what earrings match.
9:30 pm: The girls who got ready on the 10th floor come down for pictures.
9:55 pm: Everyone hops on the elevators and we all make our way down to the lobby of the Mayflower, which is now beginning to fill up with Debs from years past (who are wearing red and green dresses) and the rest of the people who didn't eat the 800 course meal. Also at this time, we run into our "friend" (codenamed Mistletoe) who tends to follow us around.
10:00 pm: We turn in our admittance cards and get cards that say "10:00 presentation: Upper Balcony" for our viewing spot. All 10 of us find a spot right above our Deb's table where she will be presented later.
11:00 pm: After a few more rounds of pictures, the real procession and presentation finally starts (almost an hour off of schedule) with a live band. The 7 debutantes, their dads, and their 2 escorts, are all a part of the presentation. The first was a parade of the debs around this ballroom by their dads, followed by a traditional Waltz. Then the first escort cut in, and for Caroline, this was her brother. After an ADORABLE Waltz with him, the second escort cut in, which was Caroline's dance class partner, Johannes. He can speak 5 languages, and later that night became "YO-HANNIS from YER-MANY". Then, the emcee of the night, which I use that term loosely, called everyone down to the dancefloor for some more Waltz-ing.
12:30 am: A fabulous breakfast room is opened because they know we're kids and we need food, mainly sweets, and lots of it. We all trek into the room to snack and get back out on the dancefloor.
12:35 am: Adam and I "creeper-cam" on Caroline and one of the boys to get a few candid shots of the pair dancing. (Let's just say, mission accomplished, pictured below.)
2:00 am: Yes, it is 2 in the morning on Christmas Eve. We all head back upstairs to get "ready" for bed. We all get into our PJ's and decide we're hungry. A few of the boys head back down to the concierge to see where/if we can get anything to eat. They return with a number of a pizza place, that to our happiness, stays open until 4 am. SCORE!
3:20 am: After eating 3 large pizzas, the girls retire to 2 rooms while the boys head back to their own. We sleep. And sleep. And sleep. Of course, after talking about the whole night in copious amounts of detail. We sleep.
9:00 am: It's an early morning. We all pack up our things finding all the hair devices, makeup and dress bags. Adam, Caitlin, and I all go to the valet parking to get the car and drive home. Again, we rock out to Beyonce, Legally Blonde The Musical, and others.

What a fun night. Seriously, I haven't had this much fun in SO long! If anyone gets the chance to attend (and yes, I mean attend as a guest, not a debutante- too much stress) definitely say yes. It was SO much fun and I know I will remember this night for the rest of my life!!

xxKatie

Merry Post Christmas!

After a whirlwind Christmas adventure, I am finally back and a-posting! My sister, my parents, and I all drove up North for a few family visits on Christmas day. After finishing gift opening, we hurriedly packed and drove up to Brooklyn, NY and spent just over an hour in a Nursing home visiting one of my great aunts who has recently had a stroke. We then headed up to Rockville Center, NY for a family Christmas get together for my Mom's side. The next morning we headed further north to Sudbury, MA to get a quick visit in with my Dad's side. In all, we saw every relative on both sides minus 1 very elusive uncle on my mom's side. It was great to see (almost) everyone on both sides for a chance, despite how fast we had to travel.

As Christmas goes, it was very fun and for my "wow gift" as my parents have begun calling them, I got a GPS. I am pretty excited, but I have made a promise to myself that I will not become dependent upon it. My parents/Santa got me a TomTom, and just tonight I have downloaded a few new color schemes, my current one being a 4.5 star-rated "Girly Pink" scheme. What else can I do? It's kinda tough to see from my MacBook, but its a good glimpse! I love it and on our trip I found myself watching it like TV. My mom said it was the perfect chance to "get to know it" so that it's not s gadget-y while I'm driving with it. I got a bunch of other stuff too that I'm really excited about, mainly Lilly stuff from the store and a couple other pieces that I can't wait to blog about.

Tomorrow will be all about the Debutante Ball. Let me just preview it by saying that I haven't had such a fun time in a LONG time!! It was great, and fun enough to make the background picture on my computer! Lots of pictures to follow!

xxKatie

The Legally Blonde Musical

OMIGOD! Well, I saw this little number a few weeks ago at the Hippodrome Theater with my mom, sister, and then me. We decided to go after my mom found out that it was heading our way and she got some "buy-your-tickets-before-everyone-else" email. Well, we loved it! What a seriously feel good musical. I'm part of a family of musical fanatics, my dad included. I've seen The Sound of Music, Into the Woods, Hairspray (x2), The Lion King, Wicked, and now Legally Blonde: The Musical. I think there might be one or two more that I can't think of. Anyway, was this show fun! It's pretty true to the movie, but also makes some diversions.

I loved this movie, obviously enough to dress up as Elle herself, and loved the play as well. I would tell anyone who can go see it that they definitely should! It was totally fun and I especially enjoyed the outfits. Among the musical numbers, our cast was chock full of members of the MTV show, Legally Blonde The Musical: The Search for Elle Woods. Rhiannon, the youngest of the TV show members, was Elle's best friend and fellow Delta Nu, whose name I believe is Margo, but it could be the other one. Check out this song "Serious", one of my favorites (second only to "omigod you guys" but everyone knows that one...) where Warner tells Elle that he has to find a Jackie not a Marilyn, which everyone remembers is the scene in the movie at the restaurant in the beginning:

For any preppy girl, who enjoys a good musical now and again, this is most definitely for you! Happy Holidays, and Drive Safely!

P.S. The Debutante presentation is tomorrow, and I'm super excited. PLUS I GOT INTO FAIRFIELD UNIVERSITY!!!! I AM SO HAPPY!

xxKatie

Handmade Gifts

So obviously Christmas is fast approaching in only 4 days! I can't believe it myself! All of my friend's debutante stuff has kept me from really thinking about Christmas. One of my other friends, Maeve, just had an 18th birthday though too! It was a really fun night because it was just girls, and I couldn't remember the last time that I went to a party like that. I was a little overdressed because I thought it was a little dressier than it was in actuality. The gift I gave her, however, I had left up to the last minute, which is not something that I typically do. She held her party on the night of the day of our last exam (if the prepositional phrases in that sentence weren't confusing enough) so I barely had time to shop.

I was blog surfing and came across a site that had an entry on gift baskets for the holidays. I kept looking through it and then it came to me: MAKE YOUR OWN GIFT BASKET! Boy, did I run with this idea. I headed off to Target without a real idea other than what my friend really likes: cooking, baking, pastels, dark chocolate, etc. I knew that there were a few things that I would need: a basket of some sort, clear cellophane to wrap it all in, bows and ribbons to secure the top, and then the plethora of gifts to go inside.

I began browsing through Target and the first thing that I came upon was their "1$" steals section. It's a fabulous area of racks of one dollar items like festive/seasonal items, dog collars, cookie cutters, plates, plastic utensils, coloring books, no-name brand art supplies and everything like that. I found these GREAT pink sparkly plastic plates and bought 4 as a set in that $1 section. I tied them up with a square knot of pink raffia and decided that they would be my first part of the basket. I then decided that I'd have a pink theme of baking and snacks, a combo many girl's would like! Then I proceeded to the baking section because I knew that I would be successful there. I found a fabulous silicone baking mold for flower cupcakes and then a shape that when arranged next to its mirror piece would form a basket. There were about 8 flower molds, probably 2 or 3 different models of flowers, and then the 2 basket shapes (pictured). This was my second basket purchase. I continued throughout the store and ended up buying Funfetti Cake mix, pink Funfetti frosting, sparkling pink lemonade, a princess crown, a princess wand (both from the "circo" children's line at Target), some great Bliss dark chocolate that has a pink foil wrapping, sprinkles, and pink nail polishes and then a pink basket. It was a great basket.

My next OOB (order of business) was to find that cellophane wrapping. I didn't find any in Target, so I headed down to the party supply store by my house. I still had a hard time finding it there on my own until I hit THE LAST AISLE in the entire store. I found this great clear wrapping with white polka dots on it that I had to have. With all my purchases, I headed back home to put my basket together. Our kitchen table became a tornado of pink metallic "grass", white paper Easter grass, pink ribbon and clear very static cling-y cellophane wrap.

Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures of the basket itself, but thanks to a friend who enjoys taking pictures and Facebook, I got a hold of a few pictures. The top picture at the beginning of today's entry, although not the most flattering, shows the backside of the basket and you can see the great cellophane wrap! Here is the birthday girl herself in her crown and with her wand:P.S. Deb Ball Night #1 was SERIOUSLY the most fun I've had in a really long time. We had a ton of fun, stayed up too late, and I can't wait until the presentation on Tuesday! I'll keep you updated!

P.S.S. I got deferred :( but it was about 99% to be expected, the early action is a little weird for the Nursing College. That 1% was like exactly what my mom said, "Just a little part of me thought 'What if you did get it? How cool would that be?'" So, I'm fine now, moved on, and shall be hearing in a few months! Future: Wildcat, Stag, Duke, Fighting Blue Hen, Gamecock, or Tiger writing for you right now!!!!

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas to everyone! Happy big 1-8 Maeve!

xxKatie

Monogram Jewelry

So, awhile ago I expressed interest of buying a necklace of my monogram. I was inspired actually by Cat Deely, the host of "So You Think You Can Dance" on Fox. She was wearing a lacy gold necklace and it got me wondering if you could do that with a monogram. I kept the idea to myself and kept looking. My mom, sister, and I went to go visit one of my great aunts in New York and took a quick trip to Park Slope. We were looking around the stores there and we came across this little quiet shop. We browsed and then I saw a lacy monogrammed necklace. It was gorgeous...and over $400. Totally out of my price range. I told my mom that I really liked it and she thought that a jeweler in our area would be able to do it. I didn't think too much of it until my mom brought it up when we got back home.
We looked into it at the small store and the saleswoman pulled out a catalog. There were all kinds of customized items like lapel pins, cufflinks, bracelets and necklaces. We finally flipped to the back of the catalog and there was the necklace I was looking for! There were two options and about seven different sizes per option. The first was traditional "interlocking script" that is typical monogram script. The second option was a circular design where all of your initials fit into a circle. This looked a bit too much like what you see on bath and golf towels so my mom and I went with the script. We decided on a $75 dollar, silver size and the woman told us that she would call us once the necklace was ready.
That order took so long because, I think, they had to create a custom mold for my necklace. My own monogram is "cRa" ("C" for Catherine, and yes, I do go by Katie. I don't know why exactly my parents went with this approach...). There were many loops in my initials and places where they could interlock, so I was excited. We got the necklace back and at first I, honestly, wasn't thrilled. I thought that the letters were too hard to decipher and I was just like "ehhh...". I have since begun to wear this necklace all the time. It's about the size of a quarter and falls right in the middle of my clavicle.
My mom said that she thought last night was the first time she'd seen me wear it! I couldn't believe it! I LOVE this necklace now because it is so different. No one really knows what it is until I tell them its my monogram and then I get so many compliments. I think the fact that it's hidden makes it special. No one else I know or have ever seen, besides Cat Deely, has a necklace similar to mine. This is definitely a cool buy and great for the holidays!

xxKatie

I'm Going to a Deb Ball!

Yes! A real, Washington D.C. debutante ball, and I couldn't be more excited! There are two parts to this debutante ball: a holiday dance, and then the presentation ball. Tomorrow is actually the holiday dance where we all wear short, cocktail dresses. As advised by a guy friend of mine, very sarcastically he warned me to not "outdress" the debs themselves. Heeding his warning, although I'm sure he never expected this, I'm going in all black believe it or not. I have a beautiful Susana Monaco black dress that's nearly backless, that I absolutely adore. Paired with a pair of black pumps, I want to go very classic. That's me third from the left, I know, with short hair. The girl next to me on the right is the deb herself. She's been up here a few times herself! I am SO excited to go to this.

Now, the other night is the actual presentation ball, where each of the 7 girls are being presented by their fathers. There are two parts to that night itself: a huge 8,000 course meal and then the dancing portion of the ball (which starts at 10:00pm). Caroline, 2 girlfriends, her parents, her escort and her male floor committee are eating dinner and then the rest of the crew comes later. I'm one of the later arrivers. That night, we all have to wear floor-length gowns, prom-esque. The dress I'm wearing is the one on the far right, on my beautiful friend Audrey. Unfortunately, my LP prom dress won't be making an appearance a) because it's a bit too summery and b) because on a 6'0" tall girl, a size 0 prom dress is not floor-length (hence the shin-up picture). That dress was like barely to my ankles. Instead, taking advantage to post a prom picture, I am wearing a friend of mine's dress, a pale blue number that is made of the best material in the world. Along with my platinum Jacks and a little strap adjusting this dress is floor-length, or as close to floor-length as I'm capable of getting. I think the length is perfect really, because I don't need a dress that needs to be lifted up in order to walk around, especially if we're dancing the night away!

If anyone's been to a deb ball, let me know what you do and everything, because I don't really know what to expect! I'll post back with a deb ball debriefing!

xxKatie

Do You Like Party Schools?

Well my friends, it's an important question on the minds of many a-college applicant. As I sit here, helping my friends study for our "Current Issues" exam, I was thinking about some blogs I can do. (Mom, I've studied as much as I can, I promise). Anyway, I was thinking about the Resort 2008 prints that I love. Back to the Party Schools, though. It's not what you're thinking. My ultimate favorite print this year is called "Party School" and it's a school of very preppy fish.

This print is very traditional Lilly. I miss more prints like these! Resort is my favorite line of all the Lilly lines every year because it is so traditional. There are so many shifts and such great prints to look forward to. This "Party School" print is under the "Caw of the Wild" line by Resort Lilly. The best part about this print is that it comes in Women's, Men's, Minnie's, and Accessories. It actually my computer background on my family's Mac as I type this.

A great boatneck shift comes in this print called the "Florida Shift Basketweave Printed Poplin", which is a mouthful if I ever heard one. The top of the dress is exactly the name, a super cute basketweave shift. It is reminiscent of the limited edition shift dress of last Resort with the 2 lines of buttons around the neck. The length of this shift is my only worry, as with Lilly shifts I typically have to take out the hem. This dress is too fun though to pass up! Worn with a cardigan or light sweater, this can be worn in the summer, and then spring and fall. Try it with bone, light pink, platinum, white, light green, metallic blue or silver Jack Rogers, and you have a great little comfy outfit! I hope that you like this print as much as I do! Happy Resort 2008 shopping!

xxKatie

Spirit Week 2008

Well, semi-recently we had homecoming! It's one of the hands-down best days ever. There are only a few days that are better than homecoming, all I can really think about are prom video debut day and prom. As a hoco precursor, we have spirit week. It's a time to get pumped for homecoming, have fun dress up days and get a great competition between the different classes.

Spirit Week always has to do with the "overall theme" of homecoming. This year I was on the committee that helps to plan both homecoming and spirit week. The Senior Prefects, which I am one of, and Student Council jointly plan the festivities of the week. This year, we took a different approach one of picking days we thought that the students would enjoy and then finding an "overall theme". The days we picked included: decade day, movie day, consumer product day (we had to have something that the boys wanted...that's another story), and then the usual class color day. We then decided that our overall theme was "Americana" because "America" sounded lame, but "Americana" was just awesome.

I decided to be, as I am the token prep among my peers, Elle Woods for Movie day. That's me on the far right with my friends Caitlin (tinkerbell), Caroline (Holly Golightly) and Sarah (Mary Katherine Gallagher). Channeling my inner Delta Nu, I found the best pink and green stuff I could. I then had to craft a Bruiser Woods too, which was when I had to get crafty! I headed out to Michael's to see what I could find. I came back, hands full of things that I could get crafty with. I found a tiny pink poodle and bought some feather boas that I knew would come in handy. This was definitely one of my favorite Spirit Weeks ever, and most successful.

That day, my fellow newspaper editor, Katherine, came in dressed up as the same thing. Not only are we co-editors, but we have lockers right next to each other, AND we had to make an announcement about that week's edition of the newspaper that day at our biweekly morning meeting. It was such a coincidence when we both got to school. We both ended up in pink dresses, pink long-ish coats, and heels. Not only did I wear heels for the whole day, but I had successfully run the Baltimore half marathon the day before. That was one of THE coolest things I've ever accomplished. Anyway, I'm super disappointed that I have no more spirit weeks left because I'll be graduating in June, but I'm not ready to start thinking about that yet...

Everyone- cross your fingers over the weekend for me, I have a friend's deb ball (actually, the girl who's Holly Golightly is the debutante) and I find out from my first choice school on Saturday!!

xxKatie

It's Always Sunny in...December?

Yes, it is, in fact! I ordered these glasses a few months ago after a nice paycheck from working a bunch of hours, and boy are they worth it! These glasses are the perfect shape for my face, I think I have an oval face according to some magazines...who knows. I adore these glasses, PLUS I found them on sale too! I had originally wanted the Lilly Pulitzer "Dawn" sunglasses, but I was a little apprehensive about the $150 price tag. Instead, I did my research and found these bad boys, usually $130, for around $83 plus shipping. I mainly keep them in the car for a quick "it's-too-sunny-to-see-over-the-Severn-River-Bridge" fixes. It happens more than you'd think. I swear that bridge has a weather pattern all its own.

I went out on a limb ordering these without trying them on, and I don't usually impulse buy things like that. I went in to a Ray Bans store in my mall, but to my dismay, they didn't have any of this pair (RB 4099). I decided I was going to order them anyway, and worst comes to worst, deal with customer service. Lucky for me, I got them, and they were perfect! Well, actually, they got to my house super late, because I ordered them during the like hurricane over the summer.

As I am wearing them on my head right now, they make a fabulous headband too. My hair's like 80142x longer than it was over the summer, so I couldn't do it then. My friend Maeve, who is super excited to have a blogging friend (me!) loves these too, when I got them she called them "beautiful" aka two thumbs up. She didn't think that she could "pull them off" but I seriously think that these glasses look great on everyone. They are definitely in the "oversized" category, if you couldn't tell in the picture!

They come in 2 versions: black with grey gradient, and tortoise shell with brown gradient. I am a huge fan of tortoise shell, but for practicality's sake, I got the black instead. I don't regret it at all. Black is much more advantageous for driving, which I learned in a magazine recently because apparently brown distorts the stop lights? I think that's a little bit of trash...but hey, I'll agree because I have the black.

Definitely these glasses are great quality, and well made, and when ordering online check that you get all the legit stuff! Happy shopping!

xxKatie

Natalie Franke Photography

So Senior Year is coming to a jolting milestone: second semester. I can't believe it. Among exams, college apps, and regular school assignments, senior pictures are a big event. I did this pictures with Natalie Franke, a freshman at Towson University's Honors College. I loved this shoot and had a blast! Natalie started her little enterprise a little while ago and already has many dedicated followers. With a website, http://nataliefrankephotography.com/index2.php , and Facebook group with over 250 friends, Natalie is your girl!

In this shoot, I decided to go with MY color: pink of course. I wore the Nancy sweater in Bookworm Argyle for the first half of the shoot, and then a pink long sleeve polo for the second part. Not only was a super comfortable in my Lilly Sweater, but I (think!) looked fun too. Along with Lilly Pulitzer Main Line jeans, and my black polka-dot wellies, from Target ($20 never looked so good!). I was all set for my early March shoot. With a simple J. Crew white T under my sweater I was warm enough to be able to move, and just cool enough not to have red cheeks!

The Nancy sweater is the perfect weight for just this temperature. My Main Line jeans have held up for almost a year to date, but I will need to replace them soon. They still have great color, but small signs of wear and tear are beginning to show up on the pockets. The best thing about these pants though, is their long inseam. They are higher-waisted than most jeans that are made for a 17 year old, but I like the fit a lot. Their boot-cut makes them perfect for wearing over Uggs, or flats!

Natalie was an AWESOME photographer who made me totally comfortable in front of the lens. A few of my close friends have gone to her for their own shoots, and one of my friends, an aspiring actress, went to her for her headshots. I want all of my readers who live around here to check out Natalie!! She rocks!

xxKatie

One of THE COOLEST Preppy Places Online!

If you haven't already found it, preppyoutlet.com is one of the best places to find older LP and Vineyard Vines, along with seasonal lines like Island Company, clothes! They seriously offer some of the best, and some of my own favorite items on their website. They are ALWAYS getting new stuff, so check back often.

All of their lines are organized by style. Women's has the most amount of stuff, but they have recently added a Men's section as well, which is pretty cool. I can't wait to order some stuff. As of today, they have over 10 pages of clothing items in their catalogue, the actually have 14 pages. You can even have a wish list, and gift registry. You can also order gift certificates for the preppy's in your family!

Their prices are even lower than the "Sale" or "Clearance" sections on some websites. Take for instance, the "Blayne Dress", one of my ABSOLUTE favorites from the Summer 2008 collection, is on sale for $79 and change. Seriously, this rocks! It started at $198 and is down to a fraction of that now! I mean how cute is this?! I was so disappointed when I saw that this dress was a shirt on my 6'0" body. Anyway, I love this dress, and this website!

Preppyoutlet.com has also recently added a shoe section, which is to die for! This section is great, because a lot of Signature Stores or Via Shops can't order a full selection of shoe sizes. Not only does preppyoutlet.com have a great shoe selection, but they have a variety of sizes to "boot"! They have shoes, for a much cheaper price, that some stores still advertise for full. Take "The Club Wedge", which are beautifully made and super super comfortable, are on sale for $99, while some stores still have them for $198, DOUBLE THE PRICE! They have flats, heels, sandals, McKims and wedges too. I want everyone to check out these guys!

I love this online store, and my only qualm with them is that they don't have a store I can come visit in! Thanks preppyoutlet.com for offering a great selection of Lilly Pulitzer at an even better price!

xxKatie

Jack Rogers: Popular Shoe of the Preppy

Jack Rogers, the preppy brand of sandals, are typically the shoes of the preppy. The brand is known for its "Navajo Sandals" which come in many different combinations of colors. One website even offers over 200 combinations of colors and heel size. Ranging from the typically pink to the racier leopard, the sandals are easily customizable!

These sandals are very recognized in the world of preppy. I have actually ordered my own in the "Platinum" color and the low flat heel. The popular sandals can be monogramed, but they come in a different style. There is a triangle where the band and toe-seperating "flower" is. To customize these shoes, you can pick the heel height, band color, and thread color. In some styles, too, you can even customize the material that it is made of: leather, patent crocadile, suede, or decorated with turquoise.

Some of my favorite combinations include (band color/thread color, respectively) Fuschia/White, Pink Metallic/Pink Metallic, Fuschia/Lime, and Platinum/Platinum (which is a goldy-silvery mix).

There are also knock-offs of the popular sandals. Steven Salario, who was Jack Rogers' old partner, now makes very similar sandals in wider widths. The pair worked together until they split and now both men are making virtually the same sandals. The shoes are almost unrecognizable when compared to one another. The Steven Salario shoes have a small triangle under the toe-seperater. Again, the Steven Salario sandals come in wider widths since the Jack Rogers are relatively narrow.

The shoes are not very expensive for the quality and longevity that they have. The leather and suede low flats run for around $85. The Metallic, Leopard and Croc low flats run for around $92. The turquoise run for about $125, but are intricately beaded and camel colored. The monogrammed low flats go for 120, and the monogrammed stacked heels go for $135. The monogrammed slides are about $120 as well.

When trying these shoes on, make sure you try them on for length. I know this sounds funny, but the width will stretch out. Now I mean, be able to get your foot in, but make sure they are long enough. The other day when I tried mine on, I was debating between a 9.5 and a 10. My boss, who was helping me, told me to try and kick it off. The 10 slid right off! I couldn't believe it, but, she said that I should go a size down. Make sure you try all of these methods when ordering!!

Now go out and buy yourself a pair at one of your favorite preppy retailers!

xx Katie

Extra! Extra! Preps are in the NUDE!

Nude?! I meant NEWS. Oops. Anyway, what's with the recent buzz about preps. LP fashion has been featured on TV twice since the beginning of fall. Lilly Pulitzer bangles have recently been in Glamour. Lilly is making the NEWS! (HA! I got it that time!)


So in the beginning of the fall, a new series on the CW premired, called Gossip Girl. The show has become increasingly popular with each airing of an episode. In the first episode, a character names Jenny was starting her first day at a prestigious girl's school in the heart of NYC. She happens to stumble upon the queenbees of her school within the first few minutes. Lucky, right? Well within those first few minutes, I immediately noticed that Jenny was wearing the Kiera Coat. I yelled "MOM LOOK! That's a Lilly jacket! We have that dress upstairs!!". My mom kind of just rolled her eyes. But I was TOO excited. Something I recognize, on TV?! I felt a little famous actually. You can see here that Jenny (the one standing up, with the red bag) is wearing the pink brocade coat. How cool?!


Lilly has also been featured on the "older-set" of stars. On the popular ABC show, Desperate Housewives, the picture-perfect housewife, Bree VanDeKamp was spotted in several Lilly outfits. She is wearing the Jesse Top (a sleeveless V-Neck shirt) to cover up a false pregnancy, and don't worry the baby's been born since then!! This item is from the Spring 2007 collection and when I saw it I had another "moment". I go, "HEY! See that shirt Bree has on??? YEA, ITS IN THE STORE!!" and again my mom just rolled her eyes. And yes, again I felt a little famous. I broke the news to some of the girls in the store, but no one seemed to be as excited as I was...let's just say that's because I guess you had to see it to understand. In October, Bree was also spotted in another Spring dress, the Willa dress, in yellow. This time, however, I hadn't caught it, and I am just seeing for the first time. Doesn't a pregnant Bree just look adorable anyway?

Not only has Lilly Pulitzer been spotted on TV but also in the print media. Since many pieces (especially the Casa Loca collection jewelery) are becoming more mainstream, magazines are beginning to feature LP pieces more often. Magazines like The Oprah Magazine, Glamour, Oprah at Home, Self, and others have recently featured LP pieces in their fashion compilations. Even a main page for Neiman Marcus showed the Lani Dress (the black mesh overlay dress) as a featured party dress. Recently Featured items include:

The Oprah Magazine: Points of Interest Flats
Self: Romancing the Stone Sandal
Neiman Marcus Catalog: Lani Dress
Footwear News (and no, I've never heard of this): pieces from the Minnie's collection (aka kids clothes)
Golf Digest: Charles Blazer (MEN'S!)
NY Times: Little Lilly Dress (Kids again)

But really, isn't all of this publicity cool? It means that all of this preppiness is becoming more mainstream. Now, that's not to say that LP is becoming everyday mainstream, but more people are buying and WEARING it. Personally, I think that's pretty cool. If more people buy it, then more people will see it and in my opinion, admire it. Awesome!

xx Katie

Let's All Buy Our Own Resort!

My advice: buy a resort. They're sunny, warm, trendy, and comfortable. No, I'm not talking about a hotel in Palm Beach. I'm talking about the newest Lilly Pulitzer collection: Resort 2007. Ladies (and now) gentlemen get ready to stuff you suitcases and dust off your duffles because we're taking Lilly on vacation!

Now resort is designed exactly for its name; its for people going on holiday break or just to brighten up a drab winter wardrobe. Full of bright classic LP patterns, this year's resort collection is totally Lilly. Ranging from swimsuits to "formal" dresses this year. The Jacqueline shift dress has many different forms this season. From the Jacqueline Ponte Dress, which I'm actually ordering, to the Jacqueline Sateen Dress, to the original Jacqueline Dress. These shifts all are a little bit different, either with different necklines, embroidery, or material. The ponte knit dress is the perfect length for anyone ranging from 5'2'' to almost 6'0'' (I know from experience).
Classic LP patterns include, "Private Property", "Sea Crets", "Getting Loopy", "Scallopini", "Tailwind", and "Pink Coral Horseplay". My favorites include "Private Property"- a combination of a navy background and pink flowers with green vines, and "Tailwind"- pink and green swishes that are actually lion tail, "Heading South"- pink swirls and green sea animals with passports, and "Animal Crackers" (in Men's)- colored animal shapes and they're the best on the men's boxers.

New editions in this season's resort include an entirely new Men's resort collection, one formal-y dress in the Women's collection, using gold and silver metallic in pants and shortjackets, PJ's, and accessories/shoes. (In the Spring 2008 collection look out for LP sunglasses- but don't tell ANYONE I told you!!!) There also was a crafty gift giving guide (say that five times fast!) introduced with many gift opportunities. A fleet of luggage and handbags were also a recent introduction to the LP line. "Catching ZZZ's" is also becoming a very popular print for the bags.

Last but CERTAINLY not least, the LP warehouse sale is coming un in King of Prussia, HQ of all things Lilly. It is tomorrow 11/30 and Saturday 12/1 at the Valley Forge Convention Center fomr 7am-8pm. Go and finid some great deals on things from Spring 2007, Summer 2007 and Fall 2007 and maybe even some other stuff! Good Luck, Happy Shopping, and Happy Holidays!

xx Katie

Lilly Bedding is BACK!

Raise your hand if you own Lilly bedding. I hope you're all raising your hands! I know I have it myself in my room back at home. Here in college I have Jillian's Closet bedding that I love. Anyway, Lilly bedding is coming back and looks better than ever! LP is pairing up with Garnet Hill this time around and it seems like both companies couldn't be more excited!

As Garnet Hill says, "Check back in January" and check back will I do! I LOVE LOVE LOVE my current bedding because its the Perfectly Patched bedding:

Just seeing a picture makes me want to get cozy and snuggle-y in my own bed!! Check out another Garnet Hill preview for the new bedding:

SO FUN! I can't wait to see what it all looks like in person! Yayyyyy! Lilly, welcome back to the world of bedding!

xxKatie

BUT DADDY I WANT THE PINK ONE!

So I am online today looking stuff up about preps and being preppy. There are specific stereotypes that address Preps as some stupid, trashy, sleezy group of people that only vacation on Martha's Vineyard, get whatever they want, and only use their parents' credit cards. I decided that I am going to do a blog entry on the typical stereotype of what everyone thinks a prep is. Then at the end I am going to say all the false things and what really isn't part of the stereotype. Like ok?

So, OH MY GAWD. Like today, my daddy let me use his credit card at the mall! Like I was just there yesterday but he didn't really care. He's in Japan on business I think. And tomorrow I'm getting my new car! Well, its not REALLY new because I crashed my last one last month on the Cape. We were going to a picnic and I accidently hit the tree. Daddy didn't mind but mummy was mad. She said the insurance man was NOT NICE so she had to drink a strong one after their phone convo. So today like at the mall: first I went to Starbucks to get my 1/2 fat, non frap, lightmocafrappuchino, shaken, sweetened but no sugar, chai skim latte. It was soooooooooo good! Then I went to Abercrombie and Fitch, my FAVE store. OMG the boysss there are soooooooooo hot. Almost as hot at the boy who cuts the grass at our house in the Vineyard. Then I went to NORDY's to buy some more UGGS! Instead I got these flats from some designer and then daddy's card wouldn't go through so I had to call him and then he fixed it. So then I went to Hollister to buy some jeans but I ended up charging like $800 because I could not live without the lavender sunlight Verando beach henleyyyy! But then daddy called me to pick me up to go to the car dealer! Like then, I went to meet him but instead the driver picked me up in the Club Car. I was so mad and I called mummy and she said that daddy had a suprise for me. Then I got really excited so I went to meet daddy at the car place. He showed me this BIG land rover or whatever it was called and I didn't like it because it was too small. AND I wanted a pink one but the mean car place man said that that couldn't happen. I was yelling at him and my daddy for like an hour. Then mummy took me out of the car place and said that I had to be nice or I wouldn't get my car. She was being so mean to me so then I think I like called Shelly but she was away skiing in the mountains so she didn't pick up. I like left a message but she never called me back so we're fighting. Then I went home and changed so I could like go to Timmy's house. I put on the CUTEST jean skirt (duuuuhhh its a mini) and this pink polo but it was short so you could see like a little of my belly haha! Then Timmy wasn't home because he was at lax oops! So I went back home, grabbed my Chanel bag and walked Harry, my lap dog. It was such a busy day but now I have to go texxxxxxt the girls and get my like beauty sleep! TTFN, TTYL, LYLAS, LYLAB!

AHHHH! That was too painful (and too easy to write). Ok let's start from the beginning. This girl is not smart. She most likely doesn't know her left from her right. Preps go to school, they are usually smart, therefore they usually know a few things. Next, this girl only talked about "daddy's credit card". Preps may not always have jobs but they don't flaunt their money by talking about daddy's credit card 24/7. She then talked about the Cape. Well this could be true, Preps do vacation in New England. Then she talked about "mummy needing a stiff one", because Preps are notoriously known for drinking (there is an entire book on mixing drinks) but if you've ever seen in TPH you'll know that Preps do not drink to get drunk.

Then this girl goes to the mall. Prep inaccuracies abound. The whole starbucks thing-not true. Its a known stereotype and I've never understood. As I was looking up stuff online today, a YouTube video popped up today called "Preppylicious" (click to watch) and made fun of Preps to no end. (that's really where I got the inspiration for this entry) They mocked shopping, attitude, and polo popping but we're really wrong because Preps don't really buy polos at American Eagle or A+F. Most of my own are from Lilly or Polo and I have 1 from Lacoste but I don't think I have any from Hollister, AE, A+F, Aeropostale, or places like that.

Then this girl pulls a "MY SUPER SWEET SIXTEEN" moment: buying a car. She has a hissy fit in the dealership (which she calls the "place") and doesn't like her THIRD car. Then we also find out that she has a driver. I don't know anyone (prep or not) who has a DRIVER! Another stereotypical inaccuracy. PHEW, then this girl decides to go home and change her clothes to a jean skirt and short polo. AHH! This is not right again because Preps wear conservative clothing and show just about nothing. No tight jeans, no skimpy shirt, and maybe once in awhile a jean skirt (but from the likes of this girl, hers was probably more like a jean belt...) Then she decides to visit Timmy, her lax playing BF! OMG! No one says LAX, its lacrosse (as I learned when a lacrosse player repremanded me...I'll never make that mistake again).

Then this girl mentions the lap dog. If Preps have dogs they're typically big golder retrievers or chocolate labs (I don't have a dog...). NOT LAP DOGS (not now, not ever, not even in a polo). Poodles and lap dogs are some of the most un-preppy creatures. Then she used IM-speak (TTFN, TTYL, LYLAS, LYLAB, etc.)in regular language. I can't stand it when people do that. Not only did she use IM-speak but also the "xxxxxxx" in text. That makes me a little crazy too.

xx Katie

The FUN with FUNdamentals

So who knew that there are "Fashion Fundamentals" of being Preppy? Ok, so most of us did. We all know that Preps don't dress trashy, or wear black (a lot. there is definitely room for black PIECES in a preppy closet.) The Official Preppy Handbook says that there are 10 fundamentals for both men and women. Thanks to a very preppy aunt of mine, I got my hand on a copy!! So the list reads:

• Conservatism- No low cut tops, revealing skirts, things of the like


• Neatness- a given


• Attention to Detail- Put on all the jewelery you want, then take something off


• Practicality- Do you really need those plaid shoelaces?


• Quality- Things should be built to last, preppy will always be in style


• Natural Fibers- Wools, Cotton, Silk/Cashmere- NO POLYESTER. NO EXCEPTIONS


• Anglophilia- Yea, I didn't know what this meant to begin with either- it means liking British stuff- Shetland Sweaters, Fair Isle knits, Burberry


• Specific Color Blindness- Bright Pink and Green (enough said)


• The Sporting Look- Tennis, Hunting, Fisherman wear


• Androgyny- Men and women CAN dress alike. What other style advocates that?!

Now, let's review. So conservatism, not really a problem thanks to high cut Lilly, and Ralph Lauren Oxfords. Check! Next is neatness, honestly, do you really see slob, frumpy preps? Dubious. Then, attention to detail: snag the pearl earrings, they are a classic, have been a classic, and will always be a classic. Next is practicality...I have a slight problem with this one. I really want these Chooka whale boots but it doesn't rain that often in MD, do I go with the boots or not? We'll figure that out later. Quality, well for the price tag that preppy clothes drag along, they better be GREAT quality. This is one to really consider, when really, preppy clothes don't ever go out of style.

We're about halfway through. Everyone still have all 10 fingers and toes? Great! Next we have Natural Fibers. This one is kinda if-y. Cotton is always good to have. Its versatile enough to wear in the winter as well as the summer. Leather makes great boat shoes. Silk and Cashmere, too rich for my blood like 90% of the time. Then there's Anglophilia, which I don't really understand. The English do make a nice muffin, and yea, we'll give you your teas but tons of American companies make nice stuff too (given its all actually made in Cambodia or China). Lilly, Ralph Lauren and Vineyard Vines all make quality products here in the states. Then we have specific color blindness. I think this can be taken 2 ways: blindness to some colors (like purple) and then blindness of wearing colors together (like cardinal colors like pink and green). Take this one however you want!

Finally we have the sporting look. Thank LL Bean for this one. This can range from sporting the "just back from tennis" to "just back from duck hunting". This can be whites to rustic, warm, Bean fleeces and puppies. Last of all there is androgyny. Why not dress like a man? The blue blazer, khaki pants, boat shoes look is easily versatile enough to be for a guy or girl.

See, how fun are these FUNdamentals? Most of them are easy to abide by and FUN too! Try following just a few or follow them all!

xx Katie

Preps for a Cause

These days it seems like every celebrity is signing on with some sort of cause. Some want to end global warming, so they drive priuses. Others want to help the effort in Ghana, so they adopt kids or fund commercials. Others want to spread the knowledge of HIV/AIDS, so they join knowledge campaigns. Not only are celebrities getting in on this action, but designers are as well. Both preppy brands Lilly Pulitzer and Vera Bradley are designing items for the Susan G. Komen Foundation to end breast cancer.

Since October is national breast cancer month, companies play up this effort. On Vera Bradley's "What's New" page, the main picture shows the items that give proceeds from their profit to foundations. There is a limited edition "candle of hope" with the VB elephant on the front that donates money. The "Ella Wristlet in Pink Elephant" also gives portions of the profit to breast cancer foundations. 50% of the proceeds of each of these items are given to the Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer.



The "candle of hope" is $35 for a 9.25oz candle. It is a combination of "lotus blossom, cyclamen and sheer musk". The elephant emblem on the candle has its trunk raised "for good luck". The wristlet is a combination of several pink/green/black prints and runs about $28. Just remember half of both of the profits for these items are going towards ending breast cancer!!



Secondly, Lilly Pulitzer is designing the "Tied to the Cause" breast cancer awareness scarf called the "Komen Scarf". Both LP and Ford sponsor the scarf. 85% (or 30 of 35 dollars) of the profits go directly from LP to Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. (They are the same people who put on the national and state Races for the Cure!!) The scarf was also endorsed by Hollywood star, Sarah Michelle Gellar and really put onto the scene. These scarves sell out quickly so talk to your Lilly Pulitzer representative as soon as possible or go onto fordcares.com.





In 2005 alone, 2.5 million dollars were raised in the Lilly Pulitzer-Ford campaign. In 2005, TV morning show, The Early Show, gave away 150 scarves during their morning broadcast.



The Early Show features a photo essay on other companies designing items for breast cancer. The include:

1. Everlast (a fitness company)- Pink Boxing Gloves

2. New Balance- "Lace Up For The Cure" messenger bag

3. Red Envelope- Photo Collage Tote

4. Red Envelope- Chenille Pink House Coat

5. Sleepyhead.com- Pink "Shop Pink" PJ's

6. KitchenAid- Light Pink "Cook for a Cure" Appliances (food processors, their trademark mixing bowls, etc.)

7. Beanie Babies- "SpongeBob PinkPants" Doll

When you support any of these preppy designers you're supporting finding an end to breast cancer!!

xx Katie

Annapolis Casual?

So, the other day I was talking to a co-worker at The Pink Crab in Annapolis about a wedding that she'd been invited to you. It was not a "Black-Tie- Affair" but the dress was termed "Annapolis Casual". Think about it, Annapolis Casual. Now what comes to mind?

Now anyone who has even been to Annapolis would appreciate the term "Annapolis Casual". As my co-worker explained to me, "Annapolis Casual" is defined as navy blue blazers, blue or white oxford shirts, preppy ties, khakis or the washed-out light-colored pants, and SOCKLESS boat shoes. Living in Annapolis myself, the sockless idea is not new to me. This look is seen throughout the catalogs of Vineyard Vines, showing the weddings where the groomsmen all picked the same tie to wear.

Not only is the "Annapolis Casual" look becoming more prevalent in weddings, but it is also seen more often at prom. Boys are wearing the cummerbund and bow tie set. This is much more formal than the "Annapolis Casual" look, but it is still very preppy! The casual look is becoming more popular these days. As I think about it, I myself have been to an "Annapolis Casual" wedding without even knowing it. It was held right in Annapolis, about six years ago. The men all had their blue blazers, maroon/gold/navy striped ties, pleated khakis and boat shoes. They looked very nice if I do say so myself.

Some weddings are even going as far as ditching the khaki pants for khaki SHORTS. The groomsmen still have the oxfords and ties and blazers but wear shorts instead of pants. These weddings are much more casual and most who choose this option will typically go for an outdoor wedding or a wedding on the beach.

But why "Annapolis Casual"? Annapolis does boast the title of "Sailing Capital of the World" but should it have the name "Preppy capital of the World" too?? Annapolis is on the water and full of photo opts, but is it becoming the preppy capital? There are kids here who were raised with a crabbing net in one hand and a lacrosse stick in the other and wore their first popped collar when they were two months old. Neighborhoods in the Annapolis area even have events where 98% of the girls wear Lilly dresses. So do you think it will be a new preppy capital?? In my eyes, probably not. (Things could change for the better...) Again, Annapolis can boast the Lilly Pulitzer Signature Store, and like 4 boating supply store within a half-mile, and a yacht club of its own but is it becoming the next Martha's Vineyard or sunny Florida? Vineyard Vines is HQ-ed there. Lilly Pulitzer is HQ-ed in King of Prussia, PA but began in Florida. Will Annapolis start a sockless boat shoe trend? Or a new casual wedding trend?? Well, we'll watch the Sailing Capital of the World, very closely for awhile and if anything shows a pattern, you'll hear it from the Annapolis native, here first!

xx Katie

Ropeknots, and Whales, and Buoys! Oh, TIE?

Vineyard Vines "Vineyard Whale Tie"

Vineyard Vines, an extremely preppy Martha's Vineyard brand makes clothing of all kinds but by far, the most popular item they make is their ties. Ranging from the simple VV Whale logo to surfers and golf clubs, these ties are far from ordinary. Their motto for the ties: "Ties for all guys" shows how easy-going these Martha's Vineyard guys really are.

These ties not only come in preppy logos but also come in prints made especially for colleges and universities. On my college trip out to University of Virgina, a small store carried the school-specific ties. The "College Collection" as named by creators, Shep and Ian, comes in a variety of colors with the logos of many colleges (if the college is considered preppy that helps too!). My favorite UVA tie was salmon in color with the UVA "V" and the cavalier swords beneath it. Let's just say that if I was a frat boy and went to UVA I'd have this tie in every color that it comes in.

These preppy prints are not only limited to ties! Sashes and D-Ring belts (all the true preps know what D-Ring Belts are, but for everyone who is new to the preppy thing, D-Ring belts are typically cotton or ribbon belts that have silver D-Rings used for fastening) come in many of the signature prints VV makes. "Sconset Sashes" are very popular and can be seen in the Summer catalog, being modeled by a recent Princeton grad (ahem, she is also wearing a sconset sash which is part of the college collection).

Vineyard Vines is also a clothing manufacturer. VV makes ladies polos, which run pricey but wash extremely well, skirts, dresses, pants, flipflops, sashes, and more for fall and winter. For women, the polos are probably the most popular, but you can always recognize a girl in a Vineyard Vines skirt. The New England themed prints come with lobsters, buoys, whales, and hermit crabs (and I'm only naming the items I have in my own closet!). One of my favorite things to see is a mom and her daughter wearing matching Vineyard Vines (dads and boys too especially with matching ties!!)

Another favorite item from Vineyard Vines of mine is their lacrosse tie! Since I live in Maryland, and lacrosse is extremely popular, I appreicate this tie more than most. At our school many boys have their fair share of Vineyard Vines ties, not to mention most of the lacrosse players have some version of the lacrosse tie. There are two versions of the lax tie, one with criss-cross sticks and one with actual little "laxers" on it. A classmate of mine even remarked that "They're the best ties ever!" Another classmate of mine admits to having 5 ties himself (which makes me very happy...there are preppy boys out there!) Vineyard Vines also makes many other sports ties like football, basketball, hockey, golf, and baseball but the lacrosse print tie is BY FAR the most prominent here.

xx Katie