photography update

hey y'all! 

way back in november i posted about a free three week camp that I was auditioning for, for my photography (see that post here)

i mentioned in that post that 150-200 people were auditioning for the New Media group - the one I was trying to get into - and only 10 people can get it. 

in order to audition you had to have a portfolio of ten pieces. 

the hardest part of the whole process for applying was probably picking out my ten best pictures.

that being said i wanted to let you all know that i was selected as an alternate

i basically started crying tears of happiness when i read the letter that said i was an alternate

i know it might not sound like a big deal, but only 10 people can go to the camp and there are only two alternates selected. 

only sophomores and juniors can apply so juniors usually have the better chance. 

anyway i'm SO ecstatic that i maybe possible have the chance of attending such a prestigious camp.

i find out in mid-april if i get to go! 

fingers and toes and eyes crossed 

here are a few of my portfolio pieces if you're interested 

**i love critiques/comments**

please leave critiques/feedback on my pictures

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 

i put the pro in procrastination

i put the pro in procrastination

i used to be the kind of girl that did my homework on friday nights, so i could have the rest of the weekend free without worrying

now i'm the kind of girl that just completely puts off school work 

guess what?

i'm putting off school work right now

and right now

i really need to write a two page essay on a non-narrative movie 

(it's called Baraka -- it was surprisingly pretty good.. )

(for a 1 hour and 36 minute documentary with no words) 

i also really need to record a three minute spanish paper 

(somehow i'm taking AP spanish.. not sure how that happened)

I also have to do a chem lab.

the instructions are pretty much as vague as it gets, 

so we'll see if i can manage it without exploding my house

last but not least i have to do a butt load large amount of history work

yes, i know i'm complaining 

i also know that i don't care;)

i have been putting off my work for so long that i know i just need to buckle down and do it.

unfortunately, with virtual school, it's all to easy to get distracted.

especially when the internet is involved.

am i the only one that finds pinterest even more interesting when i should be doing something productive?

it's gotten so bad that even my outfits have reflected how i feel

yes, i did go out in public with this outfit.

(i did put shoes on though, in case you were wondering)

i have no shame

but right after i post this i'm making myself get done with as much work as possible! 

as much as i am whining though, i have gotten a good amount of work done these past few days! 

here's proof 

(the highlighted stuff is what i have accomplished!)

what do you do when you want to do

 anything and everything except what you are supposed to?

has the train ever dropped you off at procrastination station? 

thanks for reading this very whiny post! 

xox

PHOTOgraphy

hey there! 

in march I am going to be "auditioning" to try to be accepted into this thing called Governors School for the Arts. It's basically a free three week summer camp that deals with your individual arts group. For example, there's Creative Writing, Musical Theatre, Vocals, New Media (the one I'm auditioning for), and many many more. The entire state of Kentucky is eligible for entry, which is awesome, but 150-200 people are potentially going to try out for New Media and only 10 people get in. The chances of me actually getting in are very very slim, but it can't hurt to at least try! 

today there was a free workshop for the individual groups for my city. It was really helpful, because I get to meet the instructor who will be interviewing me for the audition. Also, I got to see what the other kid's art work was. basically i got to scope out the competition;)

everyone in my group was super super talented! 

but i am going to start regularly posting my photography for y'all to see, in hopes that maybe i can receive some feedback and critiques! i love hearing what people think of my work, even if they don't like it, because it really in truly helps my become a better photographer. as cheesy as that sounds! 

so today i'm going to show you a series of pictures that i took of a friend! 

i hope y'all like them, and even if you don't i'd love to hear your feedback! 

1. 

 2.

 3.

 4. 

 5.

please leave your thoughts in the comments section! 

i will love you forever 

thanks for reading! 

xox

quotable

hey y'all! 

first of all I want to let you know that i've decided to do virtual school. it was a super tough decision because i have been in "traditional" school since kindergarten! as most of y'all know, i have been pretty sick and missed a ton of school at my previous high school. 

about a week ago parent teacher conferences were held, and my teacher and my mom came to the very right conclusion that missing so much school wasn't working for me or for my teachers. 

i promise i'll do a more in depth post about what school i'm "going to", how virtual school works, and what i do all day! if you have any specific questions about virtual school then leave me a comment! 

any who, i have to pick a quote for my english class and i want to to be a great one because this is basically my first impression to the teacher and to the other kids in my class!

will you pretty please vote which quote is your favorite? 

if you don't like any of them, then leave your favorite quote below!! 

1. 

"Why fit in when you were born to stand out?" - Dr. Seuss

2. 

"Do what you feel in your heart to be right -- for you'll be criticized anyway" - Eleanor Roosevelt 

3. 

"No one looks stupid when they're having fun" - Amy Poehler 

Do you have any specific questions for me about virtual school?

What's your favorite quote?

Thanks for reading! 

xox

how to stay fresh during school

when i'm at school, i want to be focused on what i'm learning in class (and the latest gossip, but that's not as important) without having to worry if my breath smells bad, if i smell bad, or if i have enough money to buy a snack at the store during break. i have come up with a fool proof process that will guarantee that i never have to worry about anything beside acing my next test! 

first of all, i have the super cute ItzyRitzy snack pack in Whale Watching Pink

(umm, can you say adorable?)

obviously they're not my pictures, but you get the idea!


i put all of my important stuff into my bag, so that I can easily find everything in my very unorganized backpack!

and here is what i keep in it:

1. an extra pair of earrings. for some reason when i'm not wearing earrings thats all i can focus on. i hate not wearing earrings, but if i forget i always have a backup pair! make sure that the pair you keep in your emergency pack aren't expensive though! 

2. a pencil or pen. don't ever be the person that has to ask to borrow a pen or pencil, especially before you take a test! 

3. tampons. these are essential if you're a girl! it's always bad enough when you start your period at school, so make sure you have something to help you out when it happens! 

4. mints. oh my gosh mints are literally my life saver (hehe get it?) at school, because i hate having bad breath! also, mints are said to help improve your thinking skills which is always a good thing in my book! 

5. extra money. if you ever get hungry throughout the day or need to pay for something random its good to always have a little bit of cash! make sure you only have about five dollars and not your life savings incase your emergency pack is stollen! 

6. and of course perfume. i can't stand that feeling when i'm not sure if i smell bad or not, so i carry around a roller ball perfume. its easy to apply without screaming "HEY EVERYONE I'M PUTTING ON PERFUME DURING SCHOOL" because the bottle just looks like a little pen or something! 

hope this helped!! 

what do you make sure you always have at school? 

thanks for reading! 

xox

p.s. let me know what topic you like reading about the most or would like to see more of in the future! (fashion, beauty, personal, lifestyle) i've been feeling a little un-inspired lately and need your help! 

my planner = my bible

last year i didn't use a planner, and i am honestly appalled by myself. i just don't understand how i managed not to forget important due dates and which classes i had homework in! 

this year, i don't know what i would do without my planner and i literally take it everywhere with me. it's like my baby, and if you touch it mama bear will get you. 

because i'm an organized person, i find it weird how organized i'm keeping my planner so i want to share with y'all what i do. it might be boring for some of you because you might be pro planner organizers, but if you are like me last year then i really want to make sure you listen to me and use a planner! last year i thought it was a pain to have to write everything down and keep up with a planner, but honestly its one of the easiest things, and when school starts getting really hectic it'll be important! 

so here's how i'm using my planner...

i'm using the time.mine planner. i absolutely love the lilly pulitzer ones, but can't justify paying $30 for the larger one. i think the time.mine is just as cute and it's only $14! win win situation in my book. 

here's an overview of my first week. as you can see on tuesday and wednesday i was still figuring out how i wanted to organized things, but i figured out a great system for me!
my schedule changes each day, so at the beginning of the week i'm going to write down my classes in order in my planner. that way when i pull it out to write something down it's the next one on my list! then i write my home work in a different color, so there is some order on the page.
then when i get home and have completed my homework i highlight it to know that i'm finished.
the reason i highlight instead of crossing it off is in case i need to look back and see what i did (and because it looks cute) !
oh, and i definitely recommend sticky noting the page you're on so that you can easily turn to the week, without having to flip through the whole planner! 

here is a close up of how the system works!
p.s. on thursday i left the "study for quiz" un-highlited so that when i would glance back i would know to keep reviewing for the math quiz i had the next day! 

on the left is a close up on how i write my subjects! sorry if that seems condescending ..
on the right is how i organize my quizzes and tests. i write when i have a test/quiz on the side of planner next to the day it is. i also write "study for quiz/test" the nights leading up to the actual due date.
i have been babysitting a ton lately, so i also write who i'm babysitting and what time in the margin of the actual date!



time.mine has a few other cover options if you are interested! definitely go check their website out here!! i totally recommend their planners, especially if you want the cuteness of lilly without the price tag!



what planner do you use?
how do you organize your planner?


thanks for reading!
xox

1st week of school recap

wwheeeewww

i am so relieved that my first week of school is over! it was probably the longest week ever, and it was super hard to wake up in the mornings. i honestly don't think it's natural  to wake up before the sun rises, but i guess the school board doesn't understand;)

i've had a lot ore homework than i expected, but my planner is literally my best friend. last year i didn't use one, and i just don't understand how i got through the year without using it! i might write a post about how i organize it (would you be interested in seeing that??)

as most of y'all know i'm repeating sophomore year, and even though the first day was kind of hard i feel like i belong with my new classmates. it might sound cheesy, but it's true! i feel like the girls are much nicer, and we have a lot more in common so it has all worked out for the best! 

also, i'm in college now! well technically i'm not, but i'm going to be taking an online class for digital art. i'm soo excited, because digital art really comes easily to me but i just don't have the knowledge of all the possibilities that are out there. i can't wait to share with y'all what i learn, and i know that it'll be awesome! 

my acceptance letter!
go cards!!

oh funny story -- my mom told me that i should go to the football games and sit in the student section. alone. with shirt that said "virtual school" on it. hahah

anyways...

i want to let y'all know that i am in love with giving people advice. whether it be something generic like   what books i recommend, or more personal like how i would deal with "mean girls", or advice on what to wear to a certain event please don't hesitate to ask me! you can always email me at  

preppydiaries@gmail.com , or if you want to stay anonymous then you can hop on over to my tumblr and go to the "message" section and click anonymous! 

seriously, i'd love to help y'all out with whatever you need! 

also, tonight my mom and i went out for a celebratory end of the first week of school dinner at california pizza kitchen. the reason we went there is because they have a gluten free menu. 

well at least i thought they did.

it turns out they don't have that menu any more. 

so anyways, i ordered a caesar salad with no croutons, and my mom ordered a thai salad with the dressing on the side. 

when the waiter brought our food out the first thing he said was "i see some mistakes here, let me take these back to the kitchen"

long story short, we got our dinner for free! 

how exciting is that?

do y'all have any post requests? 

how was your week at school?

thanks for reading! 

xox 

sophomore year 2.0

as some of y'all know, i am repeating my sophomore year of high school. last year (sophomore year round one) i had two different strands of mono, which is as rare as being hit by lightning, and i also was just diagnosed with a bacterial infection that was undiagnosed for over a year. because the bacterial infection wasn't diagnosed, i was going through extreme extreme stomach pain. but now i have medicine to help the bacterial infection and my fatigue from the two monos is starting to get better. 

today was my first day of sophomore year 2.0 and i'm not going to lie and say it was great. it was actually kind of hard for me. i was super nervous when i walked into school, and unfortunately the first thing that anyone said to me was this kid from my old grade who slurred "what's up sophomore" as i was walking down the hallway. it kind of upset me, but i wasn't going to let what some "weird" kid from my old grade hurt the rest of my day!! so the day went on and we went to each of our classes, and i happen to love all the people that are in my classes! i have pretty much all girls ( who are all really sweet) classes with four or five boys in the mix so that's always nice haha! i also really like my teachers this year, because there are a ton of new teachers i don't have to go through the same exact thing i did last year! 

all in all i hope its a good year, but i'm pretty sure it will be!

i'm still half asleep & am sporting some awkward fingers,  but this is a picture of my brother (who's 13 and in 7th grade) and me before school this morning!




do you have an embarrassing high school story?
would y'all like the see how i'm organizing my binders in a future post?

thanks for reading!
xox

pimped out binder

i posted this picture on instagram two days ago, and ever since then all i have been doing is making binder slips for my followers! 

i absolutely love designing these types of things, and i am actually enrolling in a graphic design course at the local college. i am so excited, and can't wait to share what i learn with y'all! but for now i'm just going to show y'all how to make this binder slips so head on over to popcosmo, and i'll teach you how!! if you just can't seem to master the look, then e-mail me at preppydiaries@gmail.com and i'll make some for you, cause i'm just that nice!! 

thanks for reading 

xox

back to school basics

with school right around the corner, everyone is out shopping for back to school clothes! i think when people go back to school shopping, they get caught up in the moment and forget to think about what new shirts go with what shorts you already have or the new ones you're buying! its important that you buy a ton of basics that go with everything (and don't go out of style), so you can wear them throughout the year paired with tons and tons of different things! here's what i think is a must buy for back to school!

back to school basics by popcosmo featuring short shorts


what's on your shopping list right now?

thanks for reading!
xox

bucket list : school edition

i've been seeing tons of back to school related posts (i've even posted my own), and i decided to put a little spin on the traditional post! i feel like when most of us teenage girls go back to school we get it in our head that it's going to "be the best year ever" or that something great and exciting is going to happen, but most of the time we forget that we have to make it fun. i always tell myself at the beginning of the school year that i'm going to be less shy around the people that i know, but always find myself talking to the same people! i've put together a little bucket list that will guarantee that i have a few fun days throughout the year, and it will help push me outside of my comfort zone a little bit! 

if you want to see more editions then let me know in the comments! 

thanks for reading!

xox

personalization is the key to success

hey everyone! school starts in three weeks for me and i get my schedule tomorrow! i can' believe how fast this summer went by, and even though i say that every summer i truly mean it this time! with that being said i think its definitely time to do a little back to school must have haul type thing! i absolutely LOVE going back to school shopping (but then again who doesn't), but i always seem to forget the fun stuff when i'm at staples. i get my notebooks, cute binders, pens, pencils all the typical stuff, but who wants to be typical. i go to a school with a strict uniform (picture plaid green kilts and collared shirts) so i'll do anything to change up the usual. so i guess i'll do the list by category, and see how this post works from there!
*i'll post pictures later, but i'm too lazy to get out of bed now;)*

numba uno -- backpack

i was a new kid freshman year (as in new in the state), and i knew absolutely nobody. since i didn't know anybody, i didn't know what kind of backpacks were the "standard". i just happened to get an ll.bean backpack, and it turns out pretty much everyone in the school uses the same backpack! luckily there are a ton of different colors of ll.bean backpacks so there weren't too many mix-ups, but a couple girls in my grade did have the same color. at my school we have an honor code so we are allowed to leave our backpacks laying in the hallways without worrying that someone will steal something. that being said i may have picked up the wrong backpack. i only did it once and realized that it wasn't mine the second i picked it up, but it was enough to show me that i needed something special on my backpack! i decided to tie a really cute hot pink bow onto the strap of mine, and this summer i picked up an iron-on decal with a C on it (my first initial). so if you want to make your backpack a little more personalized the here's the list

--cute ribbon

--iron on decal (there are thousands of choices at hobby lobby and joanne's. i got mine for potter barn kids)

--sharpies! (some girls at my school write their favorite quotes or lyrics on the armhole/handle or back of their backpacks)

numero dos -- computer

i don't know if it's just my school, but we are allowed to take our laptops to some classes and take notes, if we are working on a paper in the class then we can take it, or if we are in a study hall we are allowed to have our own computers. since a ton of people have the silver macs, its really important to make sure you (and other people) know that your computer is yours. i personally have a spec case shell, and its great especially since i put my laptop in my backpack! i also recommend getting a soft case with a zipper to put your computer in! 

here's the list

--spec case

--soft case

--stickers (you might want to use stickers to put your name/initials on your spec case, it's cute and you can scrape them off if you need to in the future)

last but not least numero tres -- pencil pouch

i'm a pouch/case collector. whether it be makeup cases, coin purses, or really any small pouch i'm obsessed! my freshman year i went through probably five different pencil pouches! i love them so much, but get bored of the same one too fast! the one i'm using now though has lasted me over a year so i'm sticking with it! i use pencil pouches because i always get nervous that i won't have a "good" pen to write with during a test, and will therefor fail miserably. call me weird but it works! i'm always the girl that has a pencil or pen ready for borrowing!  right now i'm using a victoria's secret cosmetic case and i love it! it has lasted a really long time, and it's adorable! 

here's the list

--cute cosmetic pouch (you can find cute ones at local boutiques, victoria's secret/pink, department stores, and sephora)

i hope this helped! let me know if you have any great personalized staples for back to school! 

thanks for reading! 

xox

p.s. don't forget to enter my giveaway below!!
p.p.s  the portuguese prepster is having an adorable iPhone case giveaway so be sure to check it out!

to do lists galore

as some of you know, i have been going through a lot of heath issues lately. that's a pretty weird way to start a post about to do lists, but i just want to let you know that today (which will be yesterday) i went to a pelvic pain doctor, because i have been having extreme extreme stomach pain (which is also called pelvic pain i guess?). anyway i had to get this super intense muscle massage thing on my stomach, and because it was so intense i was given a prescription for muscle relaxers. i took one pill tonight, and although my mom continuously told me that i was acting "loopy" i felt fine. i'm writing this as i'm on muscle relaxers late at night, and with the combination of those two things i just wanted to explain myself if the writing on this post makes (a. no sense and (b. can be described as "loopy" 

i'm not going to post this until the morning, so i can go back and make sure i didn't add in any weird stuff, so i'm not 100% sure that this post will actually be posted.

ok anyway..

as summer winds down and school is about to start back up i feel like i have been seeing a ton of peoples to-do lists on twitter, tumblr, instagram, pinterest, and other social media websites. most people's to-do lists are super boring, and just jotted down on a random boring sticky note, so i decided that i'm going to help y'all out and give you some fun sticky note writing material to write on (was that a confusing sentence?). here are a few that i've already made, and feel free to save these to your computer and print them out! if you want a monogramed one, just leave a comment telling me which lilly background or what type of pattern you want, and i'll totally make you a cute to-do list for the great price of free! also, in the comments tell me whether you want the arrow bullet points or the box bullet points. 

bee-tee-dubs, if you want one of the ones below with a different print just holler at me (leave a comment)! 

oh, and i realize that the "sh*t to get done" to-do lists aren't that classy, but they're funny so deal with it. 

1.

2. 

3. 

4. 

5. 

if you want me to make you a personalized one

leave a comment like this:

"omg you're the best blogger i know, i'd love a to-do list with the clam jam lilly print, i want mine to have my monogram on it which is cGs, and i'd like the arrow bullet points with the days of the week underneath my monogram! thanks so much!"

also make sure you leave your e-mail address!!  

thanks for reading!! 

xox