10 Dresses for Formal (or Homecoming)

Happy Tuesday! I took off for Labor Day and am back today with a requested post - formal and homecoming dress ideas! I seriously miss the days of having to find a homecoming dress in the beginning of September. After 4 years of hunting for the perfect dress every fall, I think I've finally found some awesome websites that always have great options for whatever occasion you might have. I always make sure that the dresses are a) perfect for the dance, b) able to be worn for other events and c) at a reasonable price point. My two favorite places to find pieces that work with those three ideas at the moment are Tobi and ASOS (I bought most of my homecoming dresses from ASOS in the past!). Check out the guide I've put together of 10 dresses I love from these two places below. Shop any of the dresses by clicking on the links or using the scrolling widget. 

one / two / three / four / five 

six / seven / eight / nine / ten 

Have you been having good luck with dresses anywhere in particular?

Happy shopping!

xoxo

High School Graduation Party Recap

On Saturday afternoon we threw a party at my house for my graduation and it was seriously so much fun. While it was a steamy 90 degrees and there were definitely some minor mishaps (like the giant 2 balloon nearly popping before the party even started), it was still such a memorable time with 100 of my friends and family. When I designed the invitation, I had a citrusy theme in mind, so we decided to carry that theme throughout the entire party. Everything from balloons to desserts to flowers to beverages were citrus in one way or another (and obviously I loved every minute of it :). Some of my favorite little details that were fun to include were these mason jar glasses, these striped straws and this tassel garland (which I'll be hanging in my dorm room this fall!). It was so amazing to have everyone in one place and to catch up with people I haven't seen in so long! The party ended up turning into a bonfire with a bunch of my friends and it was the perfect way to officially kick off summer with my favorite people.

Thank you to my family and friends for making my senior year and graduation absolutely unforgettable! 

xoxo

High School Graduation Recap

What a weekend! On Sunday I graduated from high school, which I still can't really believe. Graduation and the senior dinner were absolutely incredible and I can't imagine a better way to have ended high school. While the weather wasn't very cooperative (it poured during senior dinner and was freezing graduation day so everything had to be moved inside), it was still perfect in every way. It's so surreal to think I'm completely done with it all and honestly I'm not really sure how I feel about it. I don't know if it has totally hit me yet, but so far I'm not too sad that everything is over and am instead super excited for the summer and college! 

{I was so happy Fran and 2 of my best friends since kindergarten, Hannah and Molly, could come to the ceremony!} 

{My family and I went to dinner at the most delicious restaurant on the lake before I headed off to a party with friends.}

{My school is tiny so our advising groups that we've been in since we were freshman all got really close over the four years. 

S/O to Mr. Ritchie for being the greatest advisor and c&s supporter!!}

{Love my advising to death! #NotShane}

{It's tradition that all the girls wear white dresses and carry yellow bouquets while the boys wear navy blazers with our school patch. I ended up wearing this Lauren James beauty and I'm obsessed - you have to look at the back!!}

I'm so grateful for everyone that helped me get to where I am today and I can't wait to enjoy every minute of summer before I'm officially a college freshman! 

xoxo

Graduation Gift Guide

monogrammed duffel / Fitbit Alta / Large Longchamp / "C" pendant necklace / "B" business card holder / Daniel Wellington watch / Swell water bottle / Monogrammed pencil cup / #Goals journal

With graduation season upon us, it's time to stock up on gifts for all the graduates in your life! I have more graduation parties coming up than I can keep track of, so I've been brainstorming a lot of different gift ideas at all sorts of price points. Above I compiled a few of my favorites ranging from a great quality monogrammed duffel (which I had a giveaway for last week!) to the prettiest business card holder to an adorable pencil cup for a dorm desk. All of these items are gifts I would love to receive, and are cute (aka fun to open!) but also very useful in the future.


Let me know if there are any other graduation related posts you want to see on the blog soon. A recap of my graduation will be up early next week (I graduate this Sunday!) and I'm thinking it would be fun to do a graduation party inspiration sort of post too!

Happy shopping!
xoxo

How to Prepare for AP Exams

Oh AP season... One of the most dreaded weeks of the school year! As much as I dislike Advanced Placement tests, I'm lucky to be going to a college where you can get credit for certain AP scores, so I'm more motivated to do well on them. Since multiple choice and standardized tests in general are definitely not my strong suits I really have to study a lot to do well on them. I've come to find what does and doesn't work for me when it comes to studying, so I wrote up a little guide on how I prepare for AP exams below! 

+ Invest in a study book
These don't always make sense to use for every AP, but in general, buying the AP study book for your class can give you a great outline of all the material you have to know. AP US History, for example, had so many decades of events you have to be familiar with, so having summaries of everything in one book is very helpful! Take a chapter a day and read through it, highlight it, and make flashcards with the important terms.

+ Utilize Quizlet
I cannot even begin to describe how much I love Quizlet. If you haven't heard of it (I really don't know how you've survived high school), it's basically an online collection of flashcards that you can make and then practice. You can also play games and take practice tests with all of your terms which can actually make studying sort of fun!

+ Chunk out your studying
There's no way I could ever sit the day before an exam and crank out all the terms I need to know. Instead, I find studying in one or two hour long chunks is much more beneficial. Not only do I pay more attention but it also helps me remember things better so I come back later and re-review them again.

+ Have yummy + healthy snacks
Snacking is one of the few things that makes studying tolerable, so I like to stock up on some different things. My all-time favorite snack is Skinny Pop popcorn because it's light, salty and guilt free - aka the perfect thing to indulge in while reviewing. They just launched two new delicious flavors (dusted dark chocolate and jalapeño) and I'm already addicted. Sometimes it's nice to try something a little more special than the original plain flavor, and the dusted dark chocolate is especially amazing because it is like a much healthier version of a chocolate dessert! True story: I keep a bag of popcorn next to my desk at all times in case I get hungry :)

+ Switch up your study location
I don't know about you, but I need to mix up where I study so I don't get bored. Try studying with a friend at a coffee shop, then in your bedroom at your desk, then at your kitchen table, the library, etc. A change of both pace and scenery is always nice when you have a lot to do!

Thanks to Skinny Pop for sponsoring this post! 

What do you do to prepare for AP exams? Share your tips below!
xoxo

Senior Prom Recap

I had such an amazing time at my Senior Prom on Saturday night! Since senior girls wear short dresses, instead of buying a new one, I decided to wear my all time favorite Lilly Pulitzer floral navy fit and flare. The weather was absolutely gorgeous, and taking our pictures on the river downtown was such a fun change for our last dance of high school. Shoutout to my date for the most gorgeous flowers that matched my dress absolutely perfectly - aren't they stunning?! The theme was Midnight in Paris and the venue was the coolest old ballroom downtown that was covered in stringed lights. My friends and I had a blast taking pictures (thanks to my bffs Hannah and Molly for coming too!) and dancing the night away. And to top it all off, I even won a Beats Pill speaker in the raffle! It was an awesome end to our high school dances and as sad as I am to see it go, it makes me even more excited for graduation :) 

Have you guys had prom yet? I think ours might have been earlier than other people's!

xoxo

Graduation Dress Guide

Whether you are graduating high school or college, or you're attending someone's graduation, it's always great to stock up on a few dresses in advance so you have a few different options to wear. We have to wear white dresses at my school, but I want to keep mine a secret until the big day! No matter what graduation you are attending, I think the key is to look classy and put together. You don't want a dress that is too short or too revealing because you will be surrounded by lots of friends, family and teachers. Below I have gathered a bunch of my favorites from dressier to a bit more casual as well as more neutral to brighter patterns. I would honestly wear every one of them!

white / pink / navy / pink + green / striped 

Shop a few other options below: 

I really need to get shopping in preparation for all the parties! 

xoxo

A Letter to a Second Semester High School Senior

I came across the best article written by a girl I know via the Odyssey, and I had to share it with you guys. For all the high school seniors out there, this letter is so meaningful and will really inspire you to live your last few weeks as high schoolers to the fullest!

*via

Dear Second Semester Senior,

By now you are probably so over high school. You've started skipping classes, not doing your homework and "Forgetting" your uniform at home. I know this because I was you only 365 days ago. If I had a dollar for every time I wished second-semester senior year would pass quicker, I think I'd be a millionaire. After applying and being accepted into college, it seemed as though our plans for the future were the only things anyone could focus on. At the time, I didn't realize what an unhealthy obsession was developing so here are a few of my wishes for you:

Consciously make an effort to not talk about college with your friends.
College seems like it's the most important thing, and every second needs to be occupied with talk of roommates, majors, orientation and graduation. Enjoy your time at lunch or in classes with your friends focused on the present.

Focus on maintaining relationships with the people that will matter during and after college. 
You are going to miss your high school friends so much, so spend every second you can with them. Some of them have known you since you were in diapers. That type of bond is hard to come by, so cherish it and enjoy your few months left together.

Strive to leave a legacy.
Do something great with your classmates that future classes with never forget. Remember that time the class of 2016 did...?

Thank all the teachers that impacted your high school experience.
Reflect on your time in high school and the incredible personal transformation that took place between freshman and senior year. Take the time to spread thanks to those that impacted your journey and made you a better person.

Go to school dances, sporting events and other activities. 
Have fun! Get dressed up, hang out with your friends and show your school spirit.

I promise you, it all goes way too quickly so just enjoy your last few months at your high school before you and your classmates all go your separate ways. You will miss high school, so it's essential to make the most of the time you have left!

I only have 20 days of school yet before AP exams, and this article makes me excited to live up my last few months before college! 

xoxo

Tips for Avoiding Senioritis

I always said I would never be the person to suffer from Senioritis. Throughout high school, I've always been motivated and too "Type-A" to want to slack on anything school related, whether it be homework, tests, research papers or all year projects. I never worried about losing this strong desire to put a lot of work into school... until now. I have no idea where it came from or why I suddenly I don't prioritize school, but it's gotten bad (for me at least!). It sounds awful, but lately I've been so lazy and literally have zero motivation to get things done. Of course I mean to do them, but actually getting up and completing homework, projects, etc. requires so much more work than I'm wanting to put in. No matter how much sleep I get, I always feel sort of groggy and unfocused when it comes to getting a lot of tasks checked off my to-do list. I've never really been like this so I feel as though I'm stuck in a weird funk that I can't get out of. I've known where I'm going to college since November, so luckily (or unfortunately in this case!) I don't have that pushing me to work hard like other seniors.

However, I will occasionally get random spurts of energy when I'm super driven to get a ton of things accomplished. I am currently writing this post on one of those spurts and thought I would share my tips for avoiding and dealing with Senioritis since I would definitely classify it under the"wellness" category that has been really applicable for me lately!

+ Figure out when you're most motivated
For me, I will suddenly be really driven to work, and I'll crank out a ton of things in my agenda. This often happens during my free periods at school or late at night. Sometimes, if I know I only have a few things to do for the night, I'll go home right after school and get everything done so I can relax and go to bed early. It varies on the week for me, but figure out what time you are most motivated and optimize on that part of the day.

+ Workout everyday
I know it may seem like I say this repetitively, but I truly believe that working out everyday forces you to be more productive. After I workout, I feel so much more awake and inspired to go home, shower, make a healthy dinner and get everything I need to done. For some of my friends, working out at night is more appealing because it's a great break from homework. Personally, I have to do it right after school otherwise I will push it off until it's too late to go to the gym. Either way, prioritize making time for getting in a little sweat sesh as many days per week as you can.

+ Take advantage of nights with little work
If I have a night with little or no homework (very rarely, but it happens on occasion), I'll do a long workout, eat a healthy dinner, take a bubble bath and go to bed as early as possible. This way, I can catch up on sleep and am well rested for upcoming days that will most likely be a lot busier.

+ Work ahead
Last year when I was a junior, one of my best friends was a senior and seemed to have so much free time second semester. I was always in awe of how early she went to bed and finally asked her how she was able to relax by 8:30 and watch Netflix nearly every night. She told me that she would work ahead on weekends or nights when she didn't have much to do - pretty smart, right? I've started doing this for larger projects and assignments so things are spread out and I am less stressed. It creates a nice cushion in case one night I am not motivated to do anything but binge on shows!

Using these tips, I'm ready to tackle the rest of my senior year (it sounds absolutely crazy to say that). Today I'm using my last tip and working ahead so I can have a relaxing 18th birthday tomorrow!

To all the seniors out there - how are you handling senioritis?

xoxo

Outfit: Black Bow Dress + Sadies Recap

dress // heels (similar) // earrings // bow ring 

What. A. Weekend. I truly had the most fun at this last Sadie Hawkins than I've had at any other dance throughout high school. My friends and I had a blast dancing the night away for what seemed like a streak of 9+ really fun songs - I can't even tell you how sore I still am! Sadies is usually known as the "lame" dance that no one goes to, but since there is not much pressure like with Homecoming or Prom, we had an amazing time. Maybe it was the fact that it was the last dance at school or something, but it will be a night I'll look back to with great memories. We took pictures at my house, had dinner at a fun pizza place on the East Side, grabbed custard at Kopps (highly recommend if you ever visit Wisconsin!), headed to the dance and then my date and I stopped by two after parties to conclude the night. 

Now... onto the dress! I was a bit apprehensive about this little black dress when it arrived in the mail because it was a bit more open than I was used to. However, with the right classic accessories like these earrings and a big gold bow ring, it was so me. And can we talk about the bow and open back?! Other than the fact that I sort of froze while walking outside (somehow I forgot to bring along a coat), it was seriously my favorite part of the outfit. If you create an account on Tobi, you get 50% off your order (aka you get the dress for under $50!!). 

I hope you all had a great weekend!

Do you have any memorable dances from high school?

xoxo