New Words to Live By

The beginning of a new year is an exciting time. The introduction of a new year brings a lot of hope to people: the idea of starting fresh and making positive changes gives people something amazing to look forward to. I love celebrating New Years Eve and day. There's so much excitement in the air, people all around you are happy, and being able to dance and spend time with your loved ones into a whole new year is amazing! In honor of the graceful ending of 2013 and the beginning of 2014, here are a few quotes I deemed appropriate as "New Words to Live By" for this year.

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Cheers to the new year and a great ending to 2013! I wish you all a happy and safe New Year!

New Twitter Account!

Let it be known that I am a Twitter addict: I love reading tweets, following people, tweeting (often), and talking about Twitter. I've had a personal account for a couple of years now, but decided that it's time I made a blog account! You can follow me at prepnorthwest! Let me know what your favorite Twitter (and Instagram! You can check mine here) accounts are, and what yours is, so I can follow some more people!

Cheers!

Leather and Leopard

Leather Jacket - Alley Cat (old)  ||  Maroon Shirt - Love Culture  ||  Scarf - Macy's  ||  Leggings - Garage  ||  Flats - Steve Madden (similar)

Cheers!

Friday Fives

I'm in love with my Hunter boots! I bought them late August and for once, anticipated the rain so I could wear them! Now I've gotten in the habit of wearing them even when it's not raining (or snowing). They're just so cute and so comfy!

These Ghirardelli chocolates were a gift to me from my boyfriend's brother and his girlfriend. I used to hate dark chocolate, but over the past six months, I've really began to love it! Dark chocolate (and all chocolate) is absolutely wonderful with caramel - the Dark and Sea Salt Caramel is perfect!

I had to include my cat, right? On Christmas Eve I put this little Christmas collar of hers I've had for years on her, and she didn't fight it! Everywhere she went for two days, the little bells jingled. It was too cute! The collar really shows emphasizes how much weight she's gained... Haha!

I know Christmas is over, but I love Christmas trees. I love trees in general, and noble firs are no exception. Living in the PNW and loving trees is really a blessing. They're everywhere! And when they're decorated, it's beautiful. I'm lucky I live in a place where these are so abundant.

I apologize for the low quality of this selfie - it's the only photo of my robe I have! Ulta was having a special promotion where you received a "free" robe from them if you spent so much money. Luckily for me, I was shopping for cologne to give to my boyfriend, and that earned me a free robe! I chose the pink polka dot one. It's incredibly soft and comfortable. I can't wait to wear it back in the dorms!

I hope you've all had a great week!

Cheers!

1095 Days

There a lot of things people have said about love: that your legs will go soft when you hear their voice, that you'll stay up at night just thinking about them and their beautiful face, that you'll grow into each other and develop together, and that there will be nothing quite the same as hugging them or holding their hand. That person for me is Chris.

December is an exciting month. I have the pleasure of celebrating multiple occasions, including one of my favorites: my anniversary with Chris! I know that anniversaries are silly to some people, especially to think about an 18 year old celebrating their anniversary, but it means a lot to me. It really shows our commitment to each other, how important this is to us, and how much we love each other. Love at a young age can be tricky but I'm lucky enough to have spent the past three years worry free and filled with many laughs, smiles, and amazing memories. Here's to another three!

I thought I'd share some favorite photos of us over the years - they bring back great memories and make me even more excited to create more.

Cheers to sharing the love, with ourselves and to others!

Santa's Favorites

My very first Christmas! December 1995

My bangs are so ridiculous, c'mon mom. December 1999

Most recent photo taken this year! Santa had my brother sit right in the middle.... December 2013

I thought I'd share some of my favorite Santa photos today! Every year my mom displays each Santa photo around our house so everyone can "admire" them. Fun little fact: the Ralph Lauren cardigan my older brother is wearing in the first photo, I now own and I'm currently wearing it! 

I hope everyone has a wonderful, safe, and loving Christmas this year. Merry Christmas to you all!

Cheers!

A Sunny Tartan Eve

Skirt - J.Crew  ||  Top - Old Navy  ||  Necklace - Baublebar  ||  Boots - Target

I hope you all had a very Merry (and safe) Christmas Eve! There's nothing better than a sunny Christmas Eve spent with your loved ones.

I finally bought this J.Crew tartan skirt from my local factory store. Everything was 50% off when I went shopping and knew I had to snag this for only $40! I'm so happy I grabbed it! I'm excited to find more ways to style it.

Cheers to the holiday season!

DIY Skin Care!

Friday Fives

1. Today was the first snowfall of the year! Washington is known for its rainy weather, but oddly enough we don't get that much snow! Sylvester experienced snow for the first time this morning - she was so confused at first but later I caught her jumping around and playing in it!
2. I took a nice visit to the local outlet mall this evening - there were so many amazing sales! Ralph Lauren, Kate Spade, Tommy Hilfiger... But I couldn't pass up J.Crew Factory's 50% off everything sale! I bought three items, including this beautiful tartan skirt I've been eyeing! An outfit post is surely to come soon.
3.  Saving Mr. Banks - My family and I went to see this movie for my mom's birthday. Even though my siblings didn't like it, my mom and I loved it! It was unexpectedly emotional but also fun! It's one I'll definitely watch again once it's on Netflix. 
4. I've recently rediscovered my love for Skins UK. For anyone who has Netflix and is comfortable with tv shows that involve swearing, sexuality, and drug use, I definitely recommend it! The American version is rubbish (this show is rubbing off on me!) but the original UK version is the perfect balance of real and exciting. 
5. My mom turned 50 today! Birthdays are always so exciting, but 50th birthdays are truly special. I'm lucky to have such a loving and caring mom, and to be able to spend this day with her. Moms truly deserve the best!

My mom and I at prom last June!

Cheers to Friday - have a great weekend everyone!

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year: A Holiday Update

It feels as though I haven't truly blogged in awhile. With the busyness from finals week, catching up with my family and friends, working, and holiday shopping (plus two birthdays!), I haven't had a chance to be with myself and sit down on Blogger. The past two-ish weeks have been so crazy! I came home to a beautiful Christmas tree and Christmas decorations all around the house. It was so welcoming and made me truly feel like it was Christmas time!

My family's Christmas tree (very unoriginal bokeh picture, I know) 

A special December tradition of mine is celebrating my best friend Paul's birthday in Seattle with his family! We have gone every year for the past four years. We always have dinner and dessert at the Cheesecake Factory, visit the Sheraton Hotel where they have amazing gingerbread house displays (this year's theme was "Nursery Rhymes"!), and walk around the malls. It's always so much fun and a special trip we all look forward to each year. Plus, who doesn't love a city, especially Seattle, during the holidays?

Gingerbread houses at the Sheraton Hotel in Seattle!

Seattle's Christmas tree and the well known Macy's star.

Thanks to break, I had the chance to catch up with one of my close friends Shosh. She goes to school less than two hours away, but because of our busy schedules we rarely saw each other this quarter! We spent yesterday morning baking cookies (yes, the pre-prepared ones) and these cute little pretzel-Hershey's Kisses treats! It was so nice to "bake" and catch up, sharing stories from our first quarter of college.

I've also gotten to spend quality time with my boyfriend, Chris. It's been awhile since the last time I saw his parents, so we've spent a lot of time at his house, watching movies and Bob's Burgers. His family uses these adorable colorful lights for their tree and decorate their house in the cutest way for the holidays! For the second year, I helped Chris and his parents put up the ornaments since his brother lives across the state and won't be on the west side for another couple of days. It's really humbling to be able to share the special experience of decorating the tree with Chris and his family.

My boyfriend's Christmas tree - so pretty with all the colors!

So far, this break has been great! I'm really lucky to spend quality time with my loved ones and be home, and get to be so close to Seattle (the most wonderful place in Washington).

Cheers to being home for the holidays!

Finishing Fall Quarter

Well, I did it! I finished my first quarter at a university. It was a wild ride, but I'm beyond thankful for the opportunity to be attending a four year right after high school. My first quarter wasn't really a "smooth" one, but I can't imagine that many people who have an amazing first quarter, or semester, of college. There were a lot of mental breakdowns due to stress, too many nights staying up late when I had an 8 am lecture, and a good handful of problems related to my finances. But, I worked through it and successfully passed my first quarter.

This quarter was definitely a learning experience. I learned that going to class every day is important and you can never really get back what you missed. I learned how to (somewhat) effectively study and how to prioritize my time. Balancing a social life, an academic life, and finding time for yourself can be tricky, but it's also necessary. I'm lucky to have so many supportive people in my life to help me through!

 

During finals week, even though we were all stressing, one of the friends I had made who I've grown incredibly close to invited me and my roommate to watch the sunset with him and our other close friend. It was so nice to take a break and stand on a beautiful Washington beach. Sometimes you just need to say "yes" even when you haven't had enough sleep and still have two finals to go.

It's been a crazy first quarter, and I know I haven't really highlighted it in this post. Attending a university is a lot of hard work, and I'm glad I put in the effort I did to be where I am today.

Cheers to winter break!

December Inspiration

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Being home for the holidays is a wonderful feeling - my own bed, homemade food, seeing my pets. But cuddling in my bed or on the couch in December makes me want to wear nothing but yoga leggings! This is just a little December fashion inspiration I found from Pinterest - make sure to check out my 'Inspo' board for more!

If any of these photos belong to you, or you know who they belong to, please let me know! I want to give credit to those who deserve it

Cheers to dressing nice in December!

The Gift Guide for the Best Ladies in Your Life - Including You!

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Tonight I'm back with another gift guide! These are perfect for those ladies in your life you just can't seem to find anything for! Plus, they're all (remotely) affordable, so what are you waiting for? Let's get these gifts wrapped up!

Also, a fun fact about orchids (even though this one is fake!): orchids represent love, beauty, affection, luxury, and perfection. Let your best friend, sister, mother, aunt, or any other loved lady in your life know how beautiful you find her! Another plus: fake plants don't need care!

Cheers to gift giving!

What's an Americano? For the Non-Coffee Drinkers Out There!

I am not a coffee drinker - I never have been and I might never be. The only times I really only have coffee are when I need something to keep me awake in an emergency (like needing to study during dead week) or when there's nothing else to drink when it's cold out! Coffee also has a tendency to make me feel slightly ill after drinking it. If you're like me and love coffee alternatives, read below to find out my favorite non-coffee drinks!

Chai Tea Lattes
Chai tea lattes are hands down, my favorite hot drink out there! Starbucks does a really great chai tea latte, but I've also discovered some Seattle-local shops that make a great one as well! My favorite way to have one is by adding flavors; here are my favorite variations!
-Vanilla Chai Tea Latte + soymilk
-Vanilla Chai Tea Latte
-Hazelnut Chai Tea Latte
-Pumpkin Chai Tea Latte
-Peppermint Chai Tea Latte
When it comes to a good chai tea latte, adding flavors can't hurt! I tend to stick to a vanilla chai tea latte with soymilk, but recently discovered adding pumpkin creates a really amazing drink!

Hot Tea
I was raised drinking tea with every meal at home - breakfast, my after school snack (which was more of a meal than a snack), and dinner. My family drinks about 8-10 pots of tea every single day! You could say we're a little tea crazy. These are my favorite teas! Adding a little bit of half and half and honey is my go-to way of drinking it, but most teas are still delicious without adding anything!
-Green Tea + honey
-Lemongrass Tea + honey (the best lemongrass tea I've had was in Scotland from TeaPigs! Definitely recommend picking up some if you're ever in the UK)
-Orange Spice + honey + half and half
-Lemon and Ginger + honey (great for when you're a little sick!)
-Jasmine Dragon Pearls Green Tea + sugar (Teavana has a great one!)
-Peppermint Tea + sugar

Lemongrass Tea in a cute teashop in St. Andrews, Fife, Scotland! Fun fact - this shop is where William and Kate met!

Cold Drinks
Sometimes we all need a cool, refreshing drink. Whether we're running around doing errands, hanging out in the sun, or are just plain thirsty, you can never go wrong with a cold drink! Unless, of course, it's below freezing outside like it currently is at my university! Anyways, here are my favorite cold beverages!
-Fruit Infused Water (water is pretty necessary! My university provides numerous different fruit infused water in the dining halls on campus. My favorites are strawberry, lemon, pineapple, and apple!)
-Strawberry Honey Iced Tea + sugar (I brew my own strawberry honey tea hot, add sugar, then cool it!)
-Any and all iced tea, with or without sugar
-Starbucks Cool Lime Refresher
-Strawberry Lemonade
-Sherbet Punch (like the ones served at high school functions!)
-Homemade Strawberry Banana smoothies! (My classic recipe: handful of frozen strawberries, thawed with boiling water for 1 minute + half a cup or so of milk + 1 banana + some honey + blender = perfection!)

Miscellaneous Hot Drinks
-Caramel Apple Spice/Any Caramel Apple Cider
-Hot Chocolate
-Hot Chocolate + caramel
-Hot Chocolate + honey (discovered this delicious combo while in Scotland - it's a common drink in Edinburgh!)
-Steamed Milk + almond syrup (sometimes known as a Steamer with Almond)

Let me know what your favorite non-coffee drinks are!

Cheers to the cold weather and warm drinks!