signe's closet staples

Hello lovely Preppy Diaries readers!

I'm Signe, and I'm so excited to have the honor of guest posting for Chloe today! I think we can all agree her blog is hilarious and fabulous! You may know me from my previous blog, Significantly Styled, or my current blog, a Classy State of Grace.

Today I'd thought I'd share my most-worn items in my closet / closet staples. I thought this would be an interesting topic because it's different for everyone, although we all have that favorite pair of jeans or sweater we throw on again and again.


Number 1...

This bright red cable knit from J. Crew. I find myself putting it on so often because it's easy to create a simple yet cute outfit with. It's also warm and cozy and the bright red really stands out.

Number 2...

The Stara boot by Ralph Lauren. Riding boots are a classic closet staple. Depending on the color scheme of your wardrobe, you should either have brown or black. In my case, the black matches most of my outfits. These have lasted me a while now and are still in pretty good shape. 

Number 3...

My leggings by Vera Wang. I usually wear leggings about once or twice a week. They're great for when I need my outfit to be simple and comfy but still cute. These are my favorite pair because they're soft.

Number 4...

My peter pan collared shirt from Francesca's Collections. This isn't the actual shirt that I have- mine is a button down and is a bit lighter- but it looks similar. I love this top because it's so versatile. It can be dressed up with a skirt or add an instant effect of chic to a cardigan and leggings. Something that I've also found I love about this top is that it can be layered under any other top. All you have to do is pull the collar over the neckline, and you can add a peter pan collar to any shirt! So cute! 

Number 5...

The Dwyer flat from Coach. Like my riding boots, they match basically anything in my closet. They are also SO comfortable and great for walking in. 

Number 6...

This tweed skirt from J. Crew. I found this on the sale rack about a year ago for a great price and fell in love! This is the most comfortable skirt I own because you don't have to be constantly pulling it down and it isn't tight. (That's the quality of J. Crew for you. :) ) It's incredibly easy to make a great outfit with this when I want to look cute but don't have a lot of time to create a masterpiece. I usually add my chambray shirt or navy sweater, some flats, a watch and a necklace and I'm good to go!

Thanks for reading my post and I hope you check out my blog sometime soon. :)

What are your favorite items in your closet?

xx Signe

diy camera strap

how adorable is this camera strap?

to learn how to make it : 

READ MORE

thanks for reading

liebster award

hey everyone! 

dorothy from prep in your step nominated me for the liebster award! 

you should definitely go check out her blog! 

i love that this award entails you to answer questions about yourself / share some weird facts about yourself.

What the Liebster Award is: "Liebster" is a German word meaning kind, sweet, or generous.

• Once nominated by another blogger, the blogger has to answer a set of questions asked to them by the person who nominated them, and then pass it on to other blogs they think would deserve the award if they chose to do so!
• List 11 facts about yourself, answer the 11 questions asked to you, write your own 11 questions, and nominate 11 other up and coming blogs.
• Also in the post, you should thank whoever nominated you and attach a link of their blog, out of courtesy.
• It is a great way to acknowledge other awesome blogs and bloggers and to get to know fellow bloggers better!

even though i just posted a 25 facts about me vlog i will try super hard to come up with 11 more creative facts  

1. i've been really liking the color yellow lately 

2. i literally can't wait for it to be warm outside so i can wear all of my summer dresses again

3. i check the weather channel app on my phone a ridiculous amount of times a day

4. i really love Eminem

5. i'm a self proclaimed pinterest addict - like get me off of it (but not really)

6. i love to read memoirs about people who have had rough lives. i don't know why but their stories just intrigue me. if you like these kinds of books then you should read Three Little Words i've re-read it and that says a lot about the book! 

7. my friends mom makes the worlds best shepards pie and i could eat 95762 pounds of it 

8. i had a goldfish once that lived for five years. and it wasn't some exotic, expensive goldfish either. it was the kind that you win at the fair. the kind that is only supposed to last five hours. this fish even had some personality - call me crazy but it really did! 

9. i'm a sucker for cute packaging. even if i don't need a certain product, i will buy it if it has cute packaging. i'm a  consumerist

10. i try to be crafty but if i can't get something to look the way i want it to then i give up and storm off. i think  i like digital art so much, because i CAN get things to look the way i want them to! 

11. i hate getting pedicures. like why would i pay people to touch and tickle my feet? 

now for dorothy's questions for me : 

(1) What is your ideal Spring Break vacation spot?

Anywhere near the beach! 
(2) What is your favorite online boutique?

i don't typically do a lot of online shopping, because i'm super picky about the way things fit me
(3) If you could have any type of dog what type would it be?

 a german shepard
(4) Hot coffee or cold coffee?

hot during the cold months and cold during the hot months
(5) Jeans or dresses?

dresses fo' sho
(6) Would you rather wear your hair straight or curly?

in the past i've always worn it straight, but i'm learning to go my natural curly! 
(7) If you were a boy what was your name going to be?

my parents said that they only imagined me being a girl so they never came up with a boy name 
(8) Favorite color combination?

this is a difficult question, but probably tiffany blue and white 
(9) What is your favorite part of blogging?

being able to meet some awesome people, and being able to have a creative outlet
(10) If you were heading to college, what color would your comforter be? (I need y'alls help!)

gosh this is a hard question - i would probably get something lilly so it could cheer me up if i'm ever feeling homesick
(11) Favorite Blog Post you've written?

the post about my awkward target experience 

if you've made it this far then i nominate you! 

leave a comment below letting me know if you answer these following questions on your blog :

1. how old were you when you got your ears pierced?

2. favorite work out song?

3. your favorite color as of today?

4. favorite quote? 

5. how many siblings do you have?

6. if you could go out to dinner tonight, then where would you choose to go and why?

7. favorite drink (non-alchoholic) 

8. what's your favorite childhood memory?

9. who is your favorite person that you follow on instagram (besides me ;)) 

10. what do you think is your all-time best tweet?

11. what is your dream job?

vlog #3

i was home alone supposed to be doing school work, so what do i do?

school work VLOG! 

here's 25 facts about me plus some pretty series bloopers at the end

thanks for watching! 

{anatomy of a thank-you note}

Hi everyone, I’m Julia from the blog Newport Jules guest posting for Chloe today!

Inspired by my birthplace of Newport Beach, California, and my current location in sunny Florida, I created Newport Jules for real girls who love all things monogrammed, organized, and adorable! I'm a senior in high school this year and a total prepster!

I always love getting a handwritten thank you note, especially after spending time and money choosing the perfect gift. I hope I’m not the only one who hates those generic “Thank you for the nice gift. I hope you had fun at my birthday party.” thank you notes! 

Even though it takes more time to write an individualized letter for every gift received, I try my best to write a personal note for significant gifts I receive (birthday, holidays, graduation, etc.). Plus, it’s an excuse to buy adorable stationary---monogrammed, please! 

So if you’re daunted by how to write that perfect thank-you note to your lovely grandma, here’s your guide---just keep it short, sweet, and specific. 

Here are my absolute favorite stationary sets that make writing thank-you’s fun.

Monogrammed---the one in my note! 

More monogrammed

Full name

Patterned 

Thanks for reading! Hope you stop by my blog, Newport Jules, for more!

love, Newport Jules

monogrammed emi jays

a short while ago I was contacted by Katherine of The Crafting Patch on etsy to see if I would be interested in sharing her monogram emi jays with y'all.

i JUMPED on the opportunity, because let's be honest, monograms and hair ties are two really practical things, but if you put them together it's a magical combination

like rainbows and unicorns kind of magic

as you can probably tell, i am quite obsessed with the idea! katherine sent me two monogrammed emi jays - one sparkly white (even more magical) and another bright pink. she also sent me three plain ones in purple, tan, and green which I think are the perfect colors for a brunette - me! 

not only are emi jays great because they don't crease your hair, but they also don't look ugly when they are being stored on your wrist. my mom always gets on me when I keep my hair ties on my wrists because she just doesn't like the way they look so emi jays are the best way to keep both of us happy! 

(please excuse the nose spray in the background)

 my new emi jays even match my school supplies! 

what's your favorite color emi jay?

do you have a monogram emi jay?

don't forget to check out katherines store!

thanks for reading! 

born in the wrong generation

have you ever wondered what it would be like to live in the 50s, 60s, or 70s?

what it would be like to live in a world of poodle skirts, bell bottoms, or just plain retro vibes?

i have.

countless times. 

1/ 2 / 3 / 4

i was about 8 when i saw Grease for the first time, and since then i've probably watched it 30 times. 

no joke. 

i love the songs, the characters, but most importantly i love the idea of the 50s. 

i like the idea of drive in movie theaters, cute little diners where the waitresses know all the high school students by name, and the idea of waiting by the home phone for a boy to call & no texting. 

it seems like such a magical time. although i do believe in women being strong and independent, i do believe that boys and men should hold a door open. i believe that they should pay for the meal (at least on the first few dates), and I think the 50s is the time where chivalry was at it's peak. 

sometimes when i can't sleep at night i just imagine what it would be like if i was living in the 50s right now. what i would be doing and what my friends would be like. 

weird i know, but the 50s just sound fabulous. 

what time period do you imagine yourself in?

are you a 50s girl like me?

thanks for reading

self portrait project

if you follow me on instagram you may or may not have seen the picture that I posted with the caption "i am having way too much fun with this self portrait project.."

i am taking a photography class with some local girls. the teacher is a local wedding photographer, and i literally can't tell you how much i love this class. my mom even told me that my photography has gotten better since i've been taking the class, and the class is only held once a week. 

pretty impressive ;) 

so anyways, this weeks project is to take self portraits. today, selfies are very popular in the world of teenagers. the twist to this project is that we had to use our "real" cameras and we couldn't just sit in front of the mirror. 

so i discovered the self timer feature on my camera and sat down in my room and shoot 400 pictures of myself. 

yes, 400. 

that's a lot if i do say so myself. 

here are the top five that i'm going to be showing my class. 

i like them together so much, because they kind of show all different perspectives of my personality! 

have you ever taken/painted/drawn your self portrait?

i'd love to hear your thoughts! 

thanks for reading

p.s. if you would like to view some of the other photos I have taken, check out my flickr account 

blog swap partner reveal!

the day has finally arrived to view your partners for the blog swap! 

here they go...

partner set one 

Frannie of The Blonde Prep (theblondeprep@gmail.com) &

  Grace of Polkadots&Polos (willoughbygrace@gmail.com)

partner set two

Rebecca of Preppy Life Blog (rebecca.e.martin95@gmail.com) &

Grace of Preppy On The West Coast (preppyonthewestcoast@gmail.com)

and lastly partner set three 

Me ;) (preppydiaries@gmail.com) & 

 Shannon of Prep Ave.  ( prepavenue@gmail.com)

It's just a small bunch of us, but I can't wait to read everyone's reveal posts on March 8th! 

Get to e-mailing, girls! 

thanks for reading!

JOIN THE BLOG SWAP!

If you would still like to join my blog swap you may do so! 

Please click the link below and follow the instructions so I can include you in the swap! 

Tell your friends, tell your mom, tell your moms friends, and tell your friends friends.

It's going to be super fun so please join! 

{LINK}

thanks for reading 

-purse necessities-

for some of us, our purses are our lifelines 

without them we would be completely lost - even though we might not use half the things inside of them

for others our purses are just wallet and mint carriers 

we often times tell ourselves to add "this or that" to the contents of our purse, but constantly forget to follow through with our own request

here is what i think every girl should keep in their purse and why :

1. Chapstick : if you're a girl who doesn't like to wear lipstick all the time (like me) then chapstick is great so you can keep your lips nice and smooth - not to mention healthy - without making your lips the center of attention

2. pearl earrings : i almost always have pearls in my ears and when I forget to put them in i just feel simply "off" for the rest of the day. keep a cheap pair in your purse so you will always feel primped and proper

3. bandaids : from uncomfortable shoes to paper cuts, you never seem to have a bandaid when you need them! always keep one or two in your purse so you can help yourself out or help a friend out when in need! *remember to re-fuel your stock when you use them*

4. money - obviously you don't want to go anywhere without money - disaster waiting to happen - whether you carry $5 or $100 keep it safe and secure in your purse or wallet

5. pen and paper - whether you need to remember someone's name or inspiration strikes, make sure you have something and somewhere to write it down! 

6. tic tacs & gum - sometimes you need to freshen up but gum lasts to long or tic tacs wont do the trick. make sure to carry both - just in case, you never know when you will need one or the other

7. last but not least - pony tail holders - most of the time i have a pony tail holder on my wrist, but the days i forget i just don't know what to do with myself. always make sure you have at least one of these safely tucked away! 

what's your purse necessity?

thanks for reading! 

Ann Taylor : not just your mothers store

i'm going to fill you in with the secret of a lifetime

ann taylor is my new j.crew 

contrary to popular belief, ann taylor is not just a "mom & grandma" store, they actually have some super cute things for really great prices! 

i happened to stroll in to an ann taylor the other day and i found two shirts right off the bat that i fell in love with. not only were they both really cute and great quality, but they were on super sale 

i got both shirts for under $75, and they were originally about $100 each! 

wowza

also, the people working in the stores aren't stuck up college kids they are sweet little ladies that will help you decide which size shirt looks best on you ;)

even though you might perceive a store a certain way, don't knock it 'till you try it! 

you can find very stylish and cute things in stores that you may not exactly love at first sight! 

so next time you're at the mall or doing some online shopping, be sure to check out ann taylor, because it really isn't just for your mother! 

new arrivals : 

super sale section : 

have you ever shopped at ann taylor?

what's your favorite misperceived store?

don't forget about my blog swap! 

BLOG SWAP

a few months ago I mentioned how when I have 200 followers I will host a blog swap. 

i have participated in three swaps and they were all super fun! 

not only is it a great way to meet new people and create new friendships, but you also get to receive a package in the mail - doesn't get much better than that! 

before i get started talking about this swap, I want to get cheesy 

i absolutely love writing my blog

it's a great creative outlet and it's also super fun to look back at my old posts

but the best part about my blog is you! 

so thank you for reading about my not-so-interesting life and leaving your sweet comments behind

i haven't dealt with one negative person through my blog and i really appreciate that! 

I've met/emailed/tweeted with some amazing girls 

so thank you! 

now into the swap! 

the "theme" of this swap is going to be "search the sales"

meaning everything that you buy has to be from the clearance or sale section! 

the rules :

if you don't think you can follow through with this swap then please don't participate
not party poopers allowed 
1. you must sign up (comment below with your email address, your name, and your blog address) by February 19th

2.  check back here on february 22nd to see who your partner is
3. you must e-mail your partner by february 26th, and if you don't email your partner by then, they will be reassigned to a new partner
4. you may only spend up to $25 - not including shipping

 5. the items you purchase may only be from the sale section
6. blog about your package on march 8th (if you don't have a blog, it's ok, you can still participate just let me know in the comments that you don't have a blog)

 have fun with it! remember the quality over quantity rule girls! 

if you're interested in participating, leave your e-mail address, your name, and your blog link (or stating if you don't have a blog) in the comments section and I will pair you up with a super awesome partner! 

check back next friday, february 22nd to see who your partner is! 

thanks for reading! 

inside scoop : online school

as you might know I "attend" online school! 

you can read some of the story behind it here

i still don't know officially what is wrong with me health wise, but i have an appointment with Mayo clinic in March so fingers SUPER crossed that i discover something then - either way, you'll hear the story;)

any way, the point of this post is to show you how my online school works 

people constantly ask me how i actually learn and what online school means, and i completely understand! online school is a little alternative, but it is totally working for me with my health problems 

hello 10am alarm hehe 

but trust me it's not all fun and games, 

i do have to motivate myself to work

and

i work alone - biggest downside

but it's working for me so that's all that matters! 

here's the video

 if you have any questions comment below or email me! 

thanks for reading and watching 

monogram clutch review & giveaway

hey y'all

unless you've been living under a rock, you've probably seen these beyond adorable monogrammed envelope clutches. 

they are the cutest things since humans first discovered cat videos on the internet 

Mandy, from Capital Letters  was sweet enough to send me my very own clutch! 

i literally can't say enough good things about this clutch!

it can fit a very large amount of things inside of it for it's size! 

I especially love how the chain is detachable so you can wear it as a regular purse or if your going out on the town you can wear it as a cross body! the chain attaches on the inside so if you're super indecisive then you can keep the chain on and just tuck it in when the feeling strikes. 

I received the berry colored purse with tan stitching for my monogram. i think these two colors go really nicely together.

I find myself wearing a ton of navy so the berry color is adds a nice POC (pop of color) to my usually bland outfits. 

see how I styled the purse below : 

top : madewell (old) 

closest sweater from madewell

jeans : gap

shoes : courtesy of hush puppies 

purse : capitol letters 

watch : michael kors 

luckily, i have an awesome giveaway for y'all! 

you have the chance to win your color choice of a monogrammed envelope clutch 

all you have to do is enter in the rafflecopter below 

and cross your fingers and toes 

good luck! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

embarrassing confession

what are the symptoms of bieber fever, because if the symptoms include "spending your time watching justing bieber on chelsea lately videos on youtube" then I think i have officially caught the fever 

i also just officially learned that the i comes before the e in bieber 

so go me! 

let's be honest. I have never been a really "fan girl" when it comes to music stars.

yes i like 1direction, but no i don't think it's possible that they will lock eyes with me while singing on stage in front of 976847 other girls and want to marry me. so i don't think i am a one direction fan girl.

i love mumford and sons but i missed my chance for them to fall in love with me when my grandma failed to tell me that she had a conversation with them inside her hotel until after i was driving her away. 

i've been to two justin bieber concerts too, so that makes me pretty cool right?

i also bought a $30 concert t-shirt so that makes me even cooler 

buut i sometimes get lost in the world of youtube and find myself watching justien bieber interview after interview. i also find myself wishing that i knew him in real life - well actually wishing that he knew me in real life. 

i mean i kind of look like selena gomez. we both have brown hair and brown eyes - so i have that going for me. 

he really is such a cutie 

i mean just watch these videos and see for yourself.

if you still don't like him after these videos then i'm sorry, but we can't be friends

i mean you can still read my blog, but we're not besties. 

sorry 'bout it.

if you disrespect the biebs then i disrespect you. 

i went there. 

that should be enough to keep you procrastinating for a little while ;) 

please feel free to admit that you have been diagnosed with bieber fever too! 

Thanks for reading!

p.s. don't forget to enter my giveaway! it ends tonight!

my life lately

hey everyone! 

i just wanted to update y'all on my life and what's been happening. 

1.

 i apologize for the severe lack of posts lately! i've actually been doing a lot of school 

work - which is crazy;) - but it means that i've been more focused on school and the boring writing it brings than with the fun writing that comes with my blog! 

i don't schedule my blog posts in advance so if i'm busy with school then my blog is put on the back burner, so i apologize for that!! 

2. 

i just recently started a photography class & i'm having such a blast in it! last week's project was to take pictures using the fundamental rules of art, rule of thirds, negative space, etc.
this weeks project is to take a picture that has a story. we have complete freedom with this project so i have to really figure out what i want my photograph to show.
here's a compilation of last week's photos :

3. next week i'm going to denver and i'm super excited! my dad commutes from colorado to kentucky but next week i'm going to make the commute! I'm super excited, and since his apartment is right across the street from the mall - i'm even more excited ;) 

that's pretty much it for today!

what's been happening with your life lately?

thanks for reading! 

monogram lilly pillow giveaway!

pillows.

everybody uses them.

everybody needs them.

so why not completely prep-ify your room! 

today I have super awesome giveaway today courtesy of irene from my pink and green garden

not only is it a monogrammed pillow, but it's a monogrammed lilly pulitzer pillow! 

the winner gets to chose either a monogrammed square pillow or a single initial square pillow 

how awesome is that?

these pillows are perfect to throw on your bed to add instant "wow factor" 

and not to mention "cute factor"

so enter below and cross your fingers and toes that you're the future owner of this adorable pillow!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

check out irene's etsy shop because she also has some adorable lilly pulitzer memo boards that would be the perfect addition to any room or office space! 

there is a special promo code for my lovely readers this week!
enter the code PREPPYDIARIES and you'll automatically receive 15% off your entire purchase.

good luck!

thanks for reading!