Mani Mondays | Essie's "Lovie Dovie"

I love nail polish.

There is nothing I love more than to buy a new bottle of cute polish and have a fun spa day at home.  I stick to more traditional colors like pinks, reds and nudes - though sometimes I'll get a little crazy and buy a color like orange to throw in the mix.

Pink is always a good color for summer.  One of my mottos is "When in doubt, go pink" and for a good reason - pink, pearls and a preppy style are like two peas in a pod.  This color is the perfect pink - think of a cross between a flamingo and bubble gum.  For some reason, I cannot help but think of Barbie when I see this!

You can purchase Essie's "Lovie Dovie" for $8 at any Essie retailer.  Essie always has top notch formulas for its polishes.  They paint on so smoothly and the colors are so vibrant!  This one is definitely on my favorites list!

Happy Mani Monday y'all!!

-xx, Beccy

How to be Preppy on a Budget

You are magnetically drawn to the color combination of pink and green and cannot help but stare in longing at all the gorgeous Lilly dresses online.  Your closet is a disheveled mess of chinos and seersucker during the summer.  Polos and oxfords make up about 90% of what you wear.  Every sweater you own is either cabled or argyle.  If it has a bow on it, you probably need it.  Pearls are your best friend.  Somewhere on your person there is a monogram.

If the sentences above describe you, you are probably a preppy.

If you google the word "preppy", your life will appear on your computer screen.  Google images will be filled with Brooks Brothers clothing, those cute male models wearing colored pants and tailored suits.  And lots and lots of perfectly tailored Oxfords.  (Let us all take a moment to thank Ralph Lauren for creating those suits our favorite preppy men wear).  However, another term for the preppy lifestyle is "old money", which is practically what you have to be to afford a lot of our favorite clothing.

I do not have $400 laying around to buy myself a brand new Lilly Pulitzer dress.  As someone who owns a small business, those expenses come first before any splurge items.  However, I can't help but love the look of vineyard vines, J. Crew and others.

After a year of digging I have found a lot of great places to find affordable preppy clothing.  here are a few!

1. Ruelala

Ruelala may just be my favorite place on the internet to online shop.  This company works with name brands to sell their clothing at dramatically reduced prices for a certain period of time.  Lilly Pulitzer, Jack Rogers, Louis Vuitton, Kate Spade and vineyard vines are all regulars on the site, as well as many new brands that I have discovered and fallen in love with.  I recently bought a pair of Jack Rogers Navajo sandals online for $70, MUCH more affordable than the $140 price tag they originally carry in stores.

The site is not open to the public - you have to be a member to access the deals online.  However it is insanely easy to become a member.  You can sign up with your e-mail address, Facebook, or Twitter, whichever you prefer!  The link to this website is here:

I STRONGLY suggest that you sign up for Ruelala.  I have yet to find a deal just like this anywhere else, and it is such a great idea!

2.  Re-Lilly

The Re-Lilly group on Facebook is your place to go if you are looking for cheaper Lilly.  The objective of this group on Facebook is to provide an online forum for people to buy, sell, and trade Lilly products.  I have drooled multiple times over the posts of a brand new Lilly Pulitzer dress (with tags!) posted as for sale with the original price slashed in half.  All sizes and types of clothing can be found on the page - the awesome admins monitor the posts and collect all the postings into albums organized by size to improve overall browsing.  There are also albums dedicated to Lilly clothing for mini preppies and accessories.

The payment method is predominantly Paypal.  I haven't seen any complaints or reports of sellers or traders not following through with their agreements.  It is by all accounts a safe place to do business with others across the internet, plus it is a great way to stock up your closet with all of your favorite prints.

You can like their page here:

3. Consignment Stores - Clothes Mentor

Cue Macklemore's "Thrift Shop".

In all seriousness, consignment stores are a great place to look for name brand clothing for a lot cheaper.  However, my favorite consignment store (that actually happens to be a chain!) is Clothes Mentor.  Clothes Mentor is like Plato Closet's older, classier cousin.  They only accept clothing that is in practically like new condition, and it is a haven for brands such as J. Crew, Kate Spade, Coach and vineyard vines.  I got two different Lilly dresses I wear all the time, plenty of Oxfords from J. Crew and a skirt and pool cover up from vineyard vines.

The pricing is my favorite part - it usually ranges between $5 to $10, depending on your purchase.  Some things can get up to $20, but these are usually brand new.  I really, REALLY suggest checking out your local Clothes Mentor if you are in need of an update.  I absolutely love mine!

I hope this post helps all those who are budget preppies like me.  It is amazing how many deals there are for your favorite brands if you just take a little time to dig!

Happy bargain hunting!
-xx, Beccy

Contest!

So recently I bought a ton of gorgeous fabric to make the bows for my business.  I have already thought of a few names for the bows, but I need more!

 

If you would like a bow to be named after you, do the following:

 

Like my Facebook page here:

 

Follow my Instagram

 

It really is that easy!

 

Here's a close-up of the fabric.

 







My personal favorite - a clover leaf pattern with carnation pink, blue and white.  Perfect for your inner girly girl!

 

 

 

 



Gorgeous flower bursts in an arrangement of summer hues - perfect for a party!





 



Soft lavender, robin's egg blue, cream, and tangy orange make this lacy pattern ladylike and demure. 



 

 

 





Bright orange damask is perfect for hot weather and sunny skies! 



 

If you would like to have YOUR name as the name of one of these bows, follow the instructions posted above!  When the bow line is launched in July, your name will be the name of the bow! 

 

Decisions will be announced ONE WEEK from now! 

 

Have fun y'all!

-xx, Beccy

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

DIY | Mason Jar Candle Holders

I love Mason jars so much.  There are really too many things you can do with them - store food, supplies, use them in crafts, or use them as cups.  I have a Mason jar holding all of my makeup brushes and always put my Arnold Palmer in a Mason jar.  Chances are if you like to craft or if you grew up south of the Mason-Dixon, you have a few Mason jars around your home.

I am currrently involved in planning a party for my youth group and we were in need of an idea for table centerpieces.  After a few hours online we decided to make spray painted Mason jar candle holders, which looked cool in photos and were very cheap and easy to make.  

What we bought:

14 Mason jars

Stencils in various designs

Spray Paint

We bought our Mason jars in bulk from Rural King, and the stencils and paint from Hobby Lobby.  It was very cheap for the number of jars - the project in total was about $20 (not an exact figure, but close!).

The first thing we did was attach the stencils we wanted to the Mason jars - the party's theme is Starry Night, so we wanted stencils with a whimsical, swirly pattern to echo celestial movements.  We cut the stencils apart and taped them on with Scotch tape.

The Mason jar before we put on the stencils....

And the Mason jar after!

Once we had the stencils on in the pattern we wanted fixed onto the jar, we sprayed the jar down with a heavy, metallic silver paint.  We went slowly, rotating it as each side dried so that the paint didn't run and mess up the delicate patterns.

The covered jar - yes, I was spray-painting in my Jacks.  Not advisable!

We let the pattern and the paint dry before removing the stencils.  The final effect was something gorgeous - the silver paint with the swirling designs looked so chic on the jar.  I knew instantly that it would be amazing when we lit a candle inside it.

The finished product!

We stuck a small tea candle inside and lit it.

And.....

Voila!  A gorgeous candle holder made entirely in the design you like!

Here's a photo of another jar.

How gorgeous for a warm summer night?  

These would be perfect for parties, weddings, even just around your home or on your patio.  The spray-painted designs cast soft shadows that flicker from the candle, and truly make any space feel magical.  I love these so much, I will have to make more just for myself!

What's your favorite craft involving Mason jars?

-xx, Beccy

DIY Dry Hair Shampoo!

Hello friends!

I'm sure it is safe to say that the dry hair shampoo trend has turned into a craze in the last few years.  I have seen countless articles on beauty websites and in tabloid magazines about the wonders of not having to get in the shower to have clean-looking hair.  Many of them comment on how it is great for hair health, and it is.  Washing your hair every day makes it dry and brittle, so having a working alternative to greasy hair will make your life easier and your hair healther.

Even though there are benefits to using dry shampoo, there is no way I will pay the prices for a bottle.  The general price range I have seen run from $10 to $30 for a bottle.  I am a budget freak - I hate buying full price ANYTHING, so there is absolutely no way I am paying that much.  Plus, a lot of dry shampoos have drying ingredients like alchohol, which make your hair brittle.  And if you are spraying the shampoo at the roots, that means you are making your hair breakable at the root.

That sounds like a bad hair day.

After a considerable amount of research - I consider myself a bit of a hair snob - I found an easy DIY dry shampoo for both light and dark hair.  And even better, the ingredients are cheap and non-drying!

Here's the recipes below:

For light hair:
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon baking soda.

No really, thats it.

Mix these two things together and you have dry shampoo.  If you want it to be perfumed, no problem.    Just put in a few drops of essential oils and mix.   The cornstarch will absorb the oil drops, but the smell will be left behind.  In my mix, I dropped two drops of peppermint and one of basil.  Its smells so fresh and heavenly.  Not to mention that peppermint essential oil is also great for stimulating hair growth!  The more you know.

However, if you do not have blonde hair like me, here's a recipe for dark hair:
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon baking soda
2 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder

It is insane how easy this is.  I've used it and it works great, at least for my hair type.  I store my dry shampoo in a salt shaker, shake a little of it on to my roots, massage it in and style my hair.  Its great!

Happy hair days to all y'all!
-xx, Beccy

The Microwave Cookie

If you are like me, you will crave a bit of chocolate at least three times a day.  I have a massive sweet tooth and love to have a little bit of a tasty treat when it is possible for me to.  Its something I really need to rein in.

However after I discovered how to make chocolate chip cookies in a mug, I knew there was no going back.  My sweet tooth will forever be indulged - I lost that battle.

The reason why this recipe is so deadly to plans of healthy eating is because it is so easy.    It only took me five minutes to make the first time I tried it.  And do NOT get me started on the smell of a fresh, warm cookie.

Here's how to make one:

1 tablespoon butter (I melted this, as it was easier to stir)
1 tablespoon white sugar - granulated
1 tablespoon firmly packed brown sugar
3-4 drops of vanilla extract - depending on how you want the dough to taste.
A good pinch of kosher salt
1 egg yolk
1/4 cup of white flour
2 BIG tablespoons of chocolate chips

Start by mixing together your sugars, butter and salt in a mug - this will be what your cookie will "bake" in.  Melt your butter before stirring as it makes it much quicker.  Stir in vanilla drops.  Stir in the egg yolk (make sure it has been seperated from the egg white and that discarded).   Once all this is combined, mix in slowly the flour.  Make sure all flour clumps are stirred in before you microwave it.  If you don't those will burn!  Once that is done, dump in your tablespoons of chocolate chips and mix those in!

Cook your cookie-in-a-cup for 40-60 seconds in your microwave.  I would check, depending on how powerful your microwave is, for a baked cookie around 40 seconds.  Mine was done around 50.

Enjoy your new little guilty pleasure!

Happy eating!
-xx, Beccy

Budget Preppy | DIY Lilly Pulitzer Decor

So I am always looking for something new to spruce up the decorations in my room.  I am someone who gets bored very easily - I'm always looking to change it up every once in a while.  I have managed to temper myself to small changes - since I figured a major room remodeling every six months would neither be affordable or practical (though I can assure you, I'd play interior designer all day if I could).

When I last remodeled my room, I bought a bunch of super cute photo frames from Hobby Lobby.  They were silver photo frames with pearls all around the edges - PERFECT for a girl who loves her pearls!  While I proceeded to fill many of them with photos of family and close friends, one sat empty for a while, as I had no photo that would fit well in it.

It's been a year since I bought the frame, but FINALLY I figured out the perfect use for it!  I went online and searched for pretty, preppy printables (all that alliteration...) on Google.  I then found one I completely loved.  It was a Lilly Pulitzer print of beach balls with a quote written on it.

I printed it out, cut it to size and stuck it in the frame, and voila!

Such an easy way to add a bit of color to your room!  It certainly brightens up my workspace! 

What do you like to do to decorate your room?

-xx, Beccy

As I Lament Summer Bugs

Words cannot express just how much I love summer.  You can roll the car windows down , the sun is hot, Arnold Palmers are cold, your skin gets tanner and the music gets louder.  It's my favorite season.

Until all the bugs come out.

Do not get me wrong, I love nature.  I like trees and flowers and green grass.  I love to hike and bike and I can tolerate camping,   What I don't like is the buzzing, creeping, slithering little six-legged creatures that live in nature. 

And do not get me started on the eight-legged ones.

Yet no matter how much I rage against our creepy-crawly neighbors, I do love the sounds of cicadas in the summer.  And butterflies - I like those too.

Hope y'all are having a good summer so far!
-Beccy, xx