Holiday Decor to Gift and Keep

Every year after Thanksgiving my family starts decorating for the holidays.  The following Friday we always pick out our tree, and slowly start bringing up boxes of ornaments, garland, and fun festive trinkets.    I've rounded up some adorable little holiday decor pieces perfect for yourself or as a gift (to a friend, hostess, ect.)  I especially love all the candle scents and ornaments.  I think they make great, simple gifts around the holidays.  I recently purchased the skyline candle (first row, farthest on the right) at Anthropologie, and they all smell amazing! Fun garland or twinkle lights are perfect to hang up in a room (including college dorms) to brighten up your space.   These picks all happen to be from Anthropologie because honestly whenever I walk in their store I fall in love with everything.  

What are your favorite holiday decor pieces?  I love finding new fun pieces! 

Invaluable

I was challenged by Invaluable to create my jewelry box, a collection of jewelry pieces that carry special meaning with me.  

Invaluable is the largest online auction marketplace where you can find antique jewelry (among many other items).  They have some pretty cool and unique finds so I recommend checking out their website.  

While I haven't yet inherited any of my family's antiques I do have some pieces that are special to me. 

I became obsessed with this bracelet in fifth grade after seeing Lizzy McGuire wearing the necklace version in the Lizzie McGuire movie (major throwback), and when I was in 8th grade my parents decided I was old enough to have my first piece of nice jewelry and surprised me with it.  This is my favorite bracelet I own to this day, and I love wearing it.  Fun fact about silver: if your jewelry is authentic sterling silver it will have "925" printed somewhere on it.  

The second piece, this necklace, was my graduation gift from High School.  Growing up (and still to this day) Tiffany's has been one of my favorite jewelry stores.  

The next necklace I received as a gift from my friends in high school for my 18th birthday.  My friend group in high school went through a phase where we would all pitch in $20 and as a group get our friend something really special. 

Next is my monogram necklace.  This one I purchased myself with money I saved up from babysitting.  This necklace is my most worn necklace (I'm typically wearing it almost everyday).  It's special to me mostly because I saved up to purchase it, and it is my monogram, so even though I know there are other girls with my initials out there it feels unique to me.   

This is my state necklace I picked out from Baublebar.  This necklace represents my home state and I love wearing it.  Even during cold winters in Boston I would put on this necklace and think of sunny California weather.  

This piece is a pendant I purchased during my time studying abroad.  Even though I studied in London I actually purchased this during a weekend trip to Venice, Italy.  Venice is famous for Murano glass, and I wanted something special to remember my trip to Italy.  I actually never purchased any jewelry in London, so this is the only piece of jewelry from my entire trip abroad.  

These are my most worn earrings, my pearl studs.  I reach for these almost every day.  These were also a gift from my parents at the start of my second year of college, and they were purchased in Boston.  Fun Fact about pearls:  To test if pearls are real rub them together and they should create a thin dust between the two of them.  If they do

10 Fun Facts About Me!

Hi Y'all,

I can't believe that it has almost been a year since I started this blog on a whim one day (less than a month until my blogs anniversary)!  I've decided that since my blog has grown a bit since I started it that it might be a nice idea to do a more personal post today telling all of you a little bit about who I am!  I hope y'all like this, and if you guys want more content like this let me know in the comments below.  

My first ever blogpost had ten fun facts about myself, and while a few of these have changed (I'm no longer a college student, no longer living in D.C., and my Tumblr url has changed)

So here are another ten fun facts about me! 

1. I LOVE to cook!  I'm always looking for new recipes and recently I have become obsessed with making my own almond milk. 

2. I love watching baseball and football (go Giants and '49ers)

3. I'm currently in the San Francisco Bay Area, trying to figure out what I'm interested in doing now that I have graduated college.

4. I'm not an early riser, but I force myself to wake up at 6:45 every morning so I can get my day started early. First thing I do after waking up?  Make a GIANT cup of iced coffee and turn on Good Morning America. 

5. Speaking of coffee I am addicted, but only ever drink Iced Coffee.  I'll drink hot tea, but I rarely drink hot coffee (even in Boston winters). I was originally just going to post the first picture, but after looking trough my camera roll I realized just how many iced coffee pics I have.  Here are three highlights from winters past.

6. Foods you will always find in my kitchen?  Avocado and chocolate (I'm currently in love with Chuao's Maple Bacon Chocolate bar!) 

7. I love HGTV.  Every show on HGTV.  I watch them all and constantly give unsolicited advice to my parents about fun home improvement projects.   

8. My spirit animal?  Every Buzzfeed quiz I've taken says sloth or elephant, but I personally believe it's either Olivia Pope or Kimmy Schmidt (depending on my mood)

9. I love binge watching Youtube videos.  My favorites are clothing hauls, "What's in my bag" videos, and make-up product reviews.  

10.  I'm incredibly friendly and love meeting new people!  I'd love to get to know more about all my followers and readers!  If you ever want to reach out you can email me at claireelise5@gmail.com or send me a message on Tumblr at prepinthesun.tumblr.com

Now share a fun fact about yourself!  I'd love to learn more about my readers!  

Favorite Summer iPhone 6 Cases

I've been looking for new phone cases recently and stumbled upon these cute options.  I have an iPhone 5 unfortunately so these wont fit my phone, but if you have a 6 these are all great options for summer.  I'm especially lusting after the Gray Malin prints from Shopbop.  So cute!  Hopefully these will all be around once I get a chance to update my iPhone.  You can shop by clicking on the images above and below!

Summer Bucket List

Now that Memorial Day is over it is officially summertime!   Summer has always been one of my favorite seasons.  I love warm weather and spending time outside (especially if it is by the pool, with a cocktail in hand).  Here is a short list of fun things I want to get done this summer:

1. Take trips to the beach

2. Clean and redecorate my room

3. Clean out my closet (will be posting old clothes on Poshmark!)

4. Read at least 4 new books

5. Try 10 new recipes (I've already made this new one that is delicious!)

What is on your summer bucket list?

Memorial Day Weekend

Happy Memorial Day!  Who doesn't love a nice long and relaxing weekend? I know I do.  Last Memorial Day I was lucky enough to spend it in Washington D.C., where I took a tour of our nation's monuments and war memorials.  With all the excitement of a long weekend, barbecuing and wayy to much shopping sometimes we forget what this day is really about, remembering and honoring our nation's heroes.  

Graduation

I seriously can't believe that I graduated college last weekend!  I graduated from Boston University, with Bachelor or Arts degrees in Political Science and International Relations.  This whole week (and let's be honest the past 4 years) have been a total blur.  I feel like I was just a freshman, and now I'm looking for a real job and back in California.  My graduation weekend was everything I could have imagined and more.  The weather was perfect, and I was able to spend time with my friends and family.  

Had so much fun decorating my cap!  I chose one of my favorite Dr. Suess Quotes (and the very necessary shout-out to Starbucks).  

Of course I wore Lilly Pulitzer and Jack Rogers at all my ceremonies.  I picked out a teal dress (similar here) initially to wear for the all school ceremony, however in the morning I spilled water all down the dress and had to make a quick change into this old Lilly Pulitzer dress (similar here and here).  The other dress is from this season Lilly Pulitzer.  

  

Congrats to everyone graduating this month (high school, college, and post-grad).

Spring Break Essentials

I can't believe spring break is only a week away.  Of course I'm spending my Spring Break in the frozen tundra that is Boston, but for those luckier than I to be heading somewhere more exciting these are my essentials.  My two favorite trips are either Beach trips or service trips.  Both my high school and University offer service trip options for spring break, so I figured I would include these in my essentials.  

My must haves for the beach: A bathing suit, coverup, towel, hat, sunscreen, and sandals.  Plus bring nicer clothing for wearing to dinner or out at night.  For beach wear I love having comfortable clothes.  While traditional coverups are always nice, I also love bringing shorts or a loose fitting shirt (like a spirit jersey or frat collection shirt).    Here are some great places to shop beach attire:

If you are spending spring break doing a little good in the world make sure to pack comfortable and weather appropriate clothes.   Look up the weather a week in advance, but always bring a rain coat just to be sure.  Make sure to bring loose-fitting, easy to work in clothing that you wouldn't mind getting a little dirty.   

Life Lately

Hello!  If you read my blog earlier in January, you may remember that I had a mysterious knee injury, well yesterday I had ACL surgery, so my next few days are gonna be me + a bed+ my laptop. So I'm not sure how exciting my posts will be, so I may not be posting as often, but once I can walk again I'm going to try more outfit posts!  

But today here's a recap on my Instagram Posts lately (incase you don't follow me on insta, which you should @claireelise5) 

Can it be summer already so I can wear shorts again?  Just got these two from J.Crew on sale and I can not wait to style them! 

Purchased my first Kendra Scotts from the Nordstroms Sale and now I am OBSESSED!  

Had the most delicious Breakfast Quesadilla the other day.  Made with eggs, feta, and chicken.  

Coffee, need I say more?

Rocking bean boots a lot this season, especially with all the snow and slipper ice at my school

Studying and more coffee...Is anyone surprised by this?

My new favorite necklace combo, monogram + coordinates bar (both from Baubebar).  The coordinates are for SF, my true home!  

Sorority Recruitment: Tips from a sister

This post is full of tips that I wish I had know before going through recruitment.  This will be my last recruitment, and after this year I will have seen recruitment from 3 different perspectives: Potential New Member (or PNM), sister, and recruitment team (Panhellenic).  I have recruited 2 times for my chapter, and have learned so much throughout the process.  So here are my tips:

To maximize your options as a PNM you want to make sure at every party you put your best self forward!  You will be talking with many sorority women, often for five minutes.  They will be making snap impressions of you so you want that impression to be positive.  To do so make sure you:

• Get sleep and stay energized!  You don't want to burnout at the end of the day and the women you meet at the last party think you are bored talking to them.
• Keep the conversation light and fun!  Talk about your family, philanthropy/causes that matter to you, friends, travel, organizations you have participated in in High School or gotten involved in at college, what you did over winter break, future goals and why they matter.  These all are great topics to discuss!
• Don't be afraid to drive the conversation a bit.  Honestly (especially at the end of the day) the sister will be happy to have a break from talking.  Plus recruitment is all about learning about YOU! The sister you are meeting wants to hear about your life.  Though make sure to not have a Paris Geller Harvard interview moment (if you've never seen Gilmore Girls Paris wouldn't let her interviewer say a single word- Don't do that!).
• Avoid talking about controversial topics like politics and religion (unless it feels right), but remember that you will be talking with a variety of women from different backgrounds.  You do not want to say something that could potentially offend her (thus making that her impression of you).  Further avoid talking about fraternity men and alcohol.  Recruitment is about learning about you, not how hard you party.  
• Show interest in the chapters and the women!  Don't be afraid to ask questions.  My favorite questions to get as a sister are "What makes your chapter unique on campus?", "what is your favorite part about being a sister in XXX?" and "What convinced you to join XXX?".  Make sure you have enough information about all the chapters to make the most informed decision.
• Take Notes.  All the chapters will blend together after awhile (especially if like my school there are 10+ chapters on campus).  

Keep your mind open!!  I cannot stress this enough.  You are making this decision for yourself.  Not a family member, a friend, or society.  Most girls go into recruitment with somewhat of an idea of the reputations of various chapters on campus.  Forget those and focus on the conversations and the women you meet!  

Clothing

In terms of outfits I'll say this: make sure the outfits you chose are appropriate for both your age and the occasion.  You are not dressing for boys so leave the short skirt and low cut dresses at home.   Further pick outfits you feel confident and comfortable in! Some basic ideas for each day:

Casual: Keep it simple, a sweater or button-up, jeans or nice pants, and boots.  If you feel inclined maybe add a blazer to amp up the outfit!
Business Casual: LBD, Skirt, nice shirt (not low cut), blazer, if you go the pants route make sure they are very nice slacks, heels or nice flats
Preference: Nice cocktail style dress.  Something young yet classy.  Add jewelry for added bling and heels or nice flats

Final Thoughts: DO NOT take recruitment to seriously.  Yes I did just say that.  Getting let go from chapters is not the end of the world.  It does not say anything about your character or personality.  From the sister side selection is complicated and often not the most fair.  We talk with you ladies for such a short period of time that often it can be hard to get the best impression.  This is why it is important to make these impressions count!

If you have any questions feel free to ask me on either tumblr or over email, I'm always here to help!  If you need someone to vent to during recruitment feel free to reach out for an unbiased audience!

Best of luck to all, and just know it all works out in the end!  Going Greek was the best decision I ever made!   

2014 Favorites

Now that 2014 is over I'm going to share with you all some of my favorite items from the past year!

Beauty

My favorite beauty products from 2014 were Argan Hair Oil and shampoo products (via Sephora or CVS), L'Occitane Hand Cream (my favorites are the Verbena and Amande),  Tarte BB Cream, Bare Minerals Powder Foundation, and Korres Pomegranate face Cream.  I've always had dry skin and hair and these products have helped kept my hair and face hydrated and happy! Plus the Argan hair oil has done wonders on taming frizz!    

Blanket Scarves
I have become slightly obsessed with blanket scarves. You can check out some of my outfit posts on tumblr but I have been incorporating them into all of my outfits recently!  They are great for the colder months because they are so warm.  I have 3 all purchased off of ASOS here, here, and here. Similar styles here, here, here,

Zella Leggings

I've probably mentioned Zella running leggings half a dozen times on my blog, and feature them in many of my outfits on Tumblr so it's only fitting for me to put them in my favorites of 2014.  This year since discovering them I have purchased 7 pairs, and easy favorite for the past year.  Check out my review of them here, and a link to Nordstroms where you can shop more styles! 

Boutiques 

If you know me then you know that I am a loyalist when it comes to stores.  I rarely venture from my usual shops, but this past year I have gotten into more boutiquey/smaller stores.  Here are a few of my favorites

-Red Dress Boutique 

-Lulu's

-Shop Sosie

Prosecco 

Since turning 21 last year I have come to love proseco! It's a fun, bubbly drink that I personally think tastes better than Champagne.

NYE Outfits

I've always done a really low-key New Years.  Typically I get dressed up, me and a few friends go out for dinner, then go back to someone's house to watch the ball drop.  This year is going to be no different.  I'm out doing a little last minute shopping with my mom (before my resolution to "shop my closet" begins) and then I'll be having a fun and relaxing evening.  Here is the outfit I'm planning on wearing (not wearing yet because I'm trying to save it for tonight)

Shirt (old) and Skirt from JCrew factory. 

For the day running errands I'm wearing this (sorry for the mirror pic!):

Sweater and Pants: JCrew

Jacket: Burberry 

Shoes: Cole Haan (old but similar here and here) 

Plus my fun and festive arm party

Watch: Fossil

Bracelet: Kate Spade (no longer available) 

Bracelet: JCrew Factory 

2014

I'm still slightly in disbelief that tomorrow is the last day of the year.  Pretty soon I'll be returning to school, running recruitment, and (eek still in denial) getting ready to graduate college.  The past year has flown by but I am ready for 2015.  Here is a quick recap of 2014, from Boston to Washington DC, to Cape Cod ( my first of hopefully many trips) to California it has been a great year!  Enjoy some photos from the past year (plus a blurry photo documenting the Jack Rogers tan I managed to get by the end of Summer).