Update: Lush Obsessed

    I'm probably the only person that took this long to actually bring myself to visit Lush, but I visited about two weeks ago, right after my trip to Rehoboth (which I will be blogging soon) and I have to say I'm so impressed. 

     The workers are so sweet and knowledgable about the products; they're so hands-on in the store that they do bath bomb/bubble bar demos for everyone present!!! I've been there twice in two weeks and bought a total of six products so far, and I figured I'd blog about them since I documented each use (don't judge me, I was so excited that I had to!) and each picture was VSCO worthy. 

     The first thing I got from Lush was a bath bomb, appropriately named "Pink".

     When dropped in the water, it turns the water bright pink and pink paper hearts pour out, it's the cutest thing in the world!

     Along with Pink I also got the bath bombs Dragon's Egg, which was too cute for words. 

     Although I didn't get pictures of it, the Dragon's Egg turns the water sparkly yellow and it's one of the best smells I've ever experienced.

     I also made a trip over to Lush yesterday to pick up some more bath bombs and to look at stuff for my face/hair, both of which for me are pretty disastrous since I have acne and frizzy Italian curls. I saw a pot of face stuff on their site called Dark Angel, a mixture that is made to help oily, acne-prone skin, and it must work really well since they were sold out!

    My favorite worker there told me about the Sea Salt scrub she uses for her skin since we have similar issues and said that it was the only other thing she would recommend for my skin type. She explained that it removed dead skin from your face which would help my face wash get into my pores and clean them more easily and I was sold. 

     The scrub contains lime and vodka, which helps to open up and cleanse pores and, needless to say, smells amazing!

     I also got a shampoo especially for curly hair, it's made from coconuts and helps moisten up dead ends. I've only used it once and love the results.

     I also bought two more bath bombs, Twilight and Sakura. I don't have a picture of Twilight yet but I used Sakura today! 

     Sakura is used only for soothing so it doesn't do anything fancy, but it smells great.

     Though lush is a bit pricey, I find them worth it. Everything they use is organic, they don't test on animals, and their products work wonders. I highly recommend shopping at their stores.

     Have a Lush-ly day!

xoxo, Nikki

SECOND Ivory Ella Order!

     As you all know, I ordered yet another Ivory Ella shirt a few weeks ago. The shirt came 3 days later but was sadly way too big so I had to return it.

    First, let me just say the customer service at Ivory Ella is wonderful. When we returned the shirt, they apologized about the size of it and said they'd get a new, smaller size shipped back as quickly as possible. And they did!

    Secondly, I want to talk about the sizing. I first ordered the large because that's the size I have in their short sleeve and it fit perfectly. The large in their long sleeve, however was huge on me. So of course, I exchanged it for a medium.

     The medium is actually a lot smaller than the large, but fits perfectly. The cotton is breathe-able and light, but not light enough for me to wear in the summer time, which is what I find most people doing for whatever reason. A beach coverup, maybe.

     The shirt itself is really adorable. I ordered the pocketed sky-blue Hamsa print, and the coloring, once again, is beautiful and bright.

     The elephant is outlined on the back in a bright magenta and is decorated in cute little Hamsas. 

     On the pocket, which is located on the left side, is just a cute little magenta outlined elephant identical to the one on the back with the exception of the Hamsas.

     I love the product and I'm so excited for the company to come out with more styles and designs! Do any of you own an Ivory Ella shirt? In which design?! Let me know!

       xoxo Nikki

Lokai

     I'm sure we can come to a conclusion here: everyone loves pretty, unique things that are also wearable, right?

     And that's just what Lokai bracelets are!

     Lokai bracelets came out last year and became a huge Twitter sensation and I must say I wanted one as soon as they came out, but thought it was a bit ridiculous to pay $19 for a rubber bracelet (and that's not even including shipping) and knew that I couldn't even think about asking my mom for one. So I waited. And waited. And waited. Finally, I just plain forgot about wanting one.

     That is, until I stumbled upon a bunch of them at Hallmark. I was, of course, disappointed that they had only the original ones because I really wanted the limited edition blue, but I still wanted one so bad that I didn't even really care.

     My mom saw the price and refused so I gave up until she got a coupon in the mail. She combined it with another coupon and combined them when purchasing my bracelet, making the total price of it only $5!

  Of course I had to start looking at all their Instagram pictures...needless to say, they're all so wonderful and make me want to travel to pretty places (I highly recommend going to their page and checking them out, @livelokai). Naturally, I had to take my own picture and post it on my VSCO...you know, for artsy purposes.

     If you guys don't know what's so special about Lokai, then allow me to enlighten you.

     The bracelet itself looks like this:

     The white bead contains water from Mount Everest, while the black contains mud from the Dead Sea. Why, you ask? it's all explained in the cute little tag that comes attached.

     My mom is extremely financially-aware, so to her, $19 is pricey, but I think it's reasonably priced for something that contains things that are so hard to obtain. I really do recommend them to everyone reading, go get yourself one of these adorable things, take an artsy picture, and post away!

       xoxo Nikki

   

Whaley Excited

     So happy to tell you all that I finally got my Vineyard Vines t-shirt!

     After my fiasco with Nordstrom, I decided that ordering my shirt from the actual online VV store was inevitable. I chose the navy blue one instead of the white, and ordered it in a small instead of a medium, and bit the bullet with paying the additional (and slightly ridiculous) $8.50 for shipping. After $46.50 gone and my debit card crying, I'm happy to say my shirt came today, just a day after I ordered it. 

     Though I was hoping for an original pink whale as the complimentary sticker, I, unfortunately, received the same red, white, and blue one I'd gotten with my cap. I was a little disappointed but it was still useful; whenever I have doubles of stickers I just stick them on my laptop!

     I tried on the shirt and it fit the way all of my t-shirts do; roomy but not so big that I look like a beanbag chair whenever I wear it. The material is so soft and I adore it! 

     In other news, I've been trying to convince my grandma to take me to Rehoboth down in Delaware to go to the outlets. I love road trips and outlets so I feel like going would be so much fun, mostly because I've heard that most of Vineyard Vines' products are sold in their stores, not online, which just makes trips to the store more exciting to think about for me!

     Have you ever been to a VV outlet? Are the prices reasonable, did you like it? Let me know! Thanks for reading everyone! 

       xoxo Nikki

Southern Marsh + Patagonia Stickers!

     After falling asleep at 5 am and waking up at noon, my initial thought in my half-asleep mind was to check the mailbox and I'm so glad I did!

     As you all know, I'm still [im]patiently waiting for my other stickers to come in the mail; primarily Jadelynn Brooke and Anchored Style. I was also really anxious for Southern Marsh's stickers because they're so generous (they give you 3!) and beautifully colored.

     Good news for me, they arrived today!

     I got the blue and lime green stickers (they give you 5 choices of colors) and I love them! 

     My boyfriend just filled out the free sticker form so he could give them to me once they come in. How sweet is he? 

     I also put in a request for stickers from Patagonia and they're seriously far more adorable than I expected. One is a black square with yellow lettering and the other reminds me of a white ink tattoo (if you don't know what I'm talking about, looking them up. They're gorgeous) and is a little hard to make out on the vinyl and I kind of wish they'd made the background black so it was easier seen.

     Overall I'm really impressed with the stickers, especially Southern Marsh's because they're so large. I already used one on my Chromebook and it looks great! 

     I strongly recommend getting stickers from Southern Marsh, they're amazing quality and a great size, perfect for water bottles, laptops, and agendas!

        xoxo Nikki

Lilly Pulitzer Agenda + Monogram Stickers!

       Hi everyone!

       I haven't posted in a little bit because nothing new has really happened. I received both my Ivory Ella and Vineyard Vines shirt and both were huge, so I sent them back in exchange for smaller sizes. Nordstrom e-mailed me to say that my Vineyard Vines order for my shirt was cancelled because they didn't have the size I needed in stock. Im going to try to order it from the VV site, but I'm not reviewing either of the shirts until I get them back in the mail.

       However, my other two orders came in Friday and yesterday and I'm so excited about them! 

       My Lilly Pulitzer agenda finally arrived yesterday and I'm so impressed with the quality. Other than being beautifully colored, the cover of the agenda is durable, hard cardboard. It's nicely organized as well; there are so many different pages to use up and they all seem so useful. 

      I'm thoroughly in love with my agenda and it almost makes me excited to go back to school in September. 

       The second order that came in were my monogram stickers (finally)! 

       They're great quality vinyl and I already used up 2 of them, which is why only 8 are visible in the photo. I used one on this cute $3 tumbler from Target and the other on, of course, my Lilly agenda.

       I feel like I'm finally getting close to having all of the "preppy essentials" I need to really kickstart this style and I'm ecstatic about it!

       Did any of you buy a Lilly agenda? What pattern? I'd love to know!!!

          xoxo Nikki

The Beginning of a Beautiful Collection

       Hi guys!

       I'm so excited to tell you all that my preppy sticker collection has finally been started!!! 

       After I came back from New England Wednesday, I checked the mail and to my surprise, my Southern Tide stickers came in! 

       I filled out a sticker request form sometime at the end of June and they sent me two stickers, one of their logo and one just of the fish!

       I was so excited to add my 4th of July Vineyard Vines whale to the pile! These Southern Tide stickers are vinyl so they're great for water bottles, laptops, and agendas!

       I also e-mailed Sperrys customer service on Monday, telling them how much I liked their products and wanted to show support. The guy I spoke with was totally sweet and replied right away, saying he'd send some immediately.

       I received the stickers today and they're too adorable!

       They came all on one sheet, but I put my stickers in a round tin so I cut them all down to size. These are also vinyl but the top layer of the stickers with the lettering seems papery, so I wouldn't recommend putting them into water bottles or anything that needs to be washed! 

       If you want free stickers from your favorite preppy stores, search for their free sticker request forms! Places like Jadelynn Brooke, Southern Marsh, and Southern Shirt Co. have these forms on their sites, while others just need an e-mail and they'll send you some!

       Happy sticker hunting!

Small Online Order Haul!

       Good morning!

       Even though most of the things I've ordered haven't even shipped yet I honestly couldn't wait to post and tell you all what I ordered! I'm so excited I can barely contain it.

       As you all know, I'm a huge fan of the preppy style, particularly so when it comes to the preppy t-shirts. I figured I'd start buying just the t-shirts and other comfy stuff now and then work on actual fashion once I get a job ( I had a phone interview the other day!) or get money for my birthday or Christmas, because J. Crew and Nautica are pretty pricey when you're a jobless 17 year old. 

       Yesterday I convinced my grandmother to take me to the one of the nicer local malls purely to go to Nordstrom because I know that particular one sells Vineyard Vines men's clothing.

       In all honesty, I wasn't too concerned with the fact that there weren't any women's clothes from VV being sold there; women's t-shirts aren't as durable as men's and they're about $10-12 pricier. So, of course, I made a beeline to the men's section and quickly found the t-shirts. To my dismay, there were none in my size. I checked on Notdstrom's site and saw they had my size online, but only in white. I broke down and bought it. After all, what's a preppy wardrobe without a Vineyard Vines t-shirt?! It's just the classic logo tee but I'm in love and can't wait for it to be delivered!

       Next up, of course, would be another Ivory Ella shirt! I'm so impressed with the short-sleeve that I couldn't resist buying a long-sleeve for the fall and winter. I decided on the pocketed sky blue hamsa print.

      Sadly, purchases are back ordered and won't ship for 4 weeks after your order is placed. I get so excited about them, though, so it's so worth the wait!

       Lastly was my back to school essential: a Lilly agenda! 

       This was the most exciting order for me to place. I love the look of Lilly agendas and I've heard from so many that the quality and size of the book is worth the price of it. And besides, the covers are so colored and gorgeous it's hard to not get your hands on one. 

       I ordered the Lilly's Lagoon pattern in large and I couldn't be more happy with my choice. I mean how pretty is it?!

       I'm thinking about putting a white monogram sticker onto the cover and I'm so excited to see how it looks!

       As the title said, it was an extremely small haul but I couldn't be more happy with the things I got! Let me know how you guys use your Lilly agendas and how you decorate the cover! 

          xoxo, Nikki

 

       

Long Time No Post! (Up Next: Small Haul)

       Hello everyone!

       I haven't posted in a while because this past week has been crazy! I visited my mom and sisters in New England this past Monday and just returned yesterday. I met my nephew and it's safe to say he's the absolute cutest. 

       My friend and I went to a concert Tuesday and it wasn't exactly what I'd call 'in my comfort zone', I was way out of my element and we didn't have too much of a good time so we left relatively early and went to the outlets. 

       I didn't really buy anything because the only real money I have is on my debit card, which I don't trust myself with in stores such as Sperrys, Nautica, and Kate Spade, so needless to say my visit was unexciting.

       I did go a little online-shopping crazy when I got back to New Jersey though, so I'll be making a post about the things I bought very soon! I'm so excited about my purchases I'm practically bubbling over (I'm pathetic, I know). I don't even know if I can wait to post about them!

       xoxo, Nikki

hint for my next post: 

A Whale of a Purchase (Not Really)

       Today was a very exciting day for a newbie to the preppy world like myself! 

       On the 4th I finally broke down and bought myself my very own Vineyard Vines hat. After looking on eBay for a navy blue one (I love navy blue with a passion) and finding there were only ones with the Velcro-strap back, I called Nordstrom and asked if they carried the navy blue with the gliding clasp. They were back ordered until August!

       Finally, I decided the navy blue wasn't an option if I wanted one before my whale watch. After a lot of disputing (I'm indecisive) I decided on the aqua blue! 

       I ordered it on a Saturday and they only ship on weekdays, so in total it only took one day to get here! The package arrived today and the box was so adorable I couldn't help but save it.

       The hat is made nicely, it seems durable and the color is so bright and pretty. Needless to say, I'm already obsessed with Vineyard Vines! 

       Also, because I ordered on the 4th of July, it came with the cutest American flag-decorated whale sticker, which starts off my collection since I've requested some from Southern Marsh and Jadelynn Brooke but they haven't arrived yet.

       So, so excited about my purchase and even more excited to order more from Vineyard Vines!

           xoxo Nikki

Opinions?! (If Anyone's Actually Reading)

     

        Happy Independence Day! I hope you all are grilling yummy burgers and drinking from your adorable coozie-covered drinks. 😊

       Here in South Jersey nobody does much for the 4th; usually just a few family bbq's and some fireworks, but today it's extremely overcast and supposed to rain so it seems like even less people have events planned for today. 

       However, I'm not only talking about the 4th today, I'm actually here to get your opinions from anyone reading!

       My grandmother loves whales and has been dying to go on a watch and my boyfriend and I are all for it! We've set the date for sometime in August because by then my boyfriends travel team will be finished with all of their tournaments.

       I told my grandmother that I really wanted to get a Vineyard Vines baseball cap before the trip because I think it would be a perfect time to wear such an adorable little logo. She agreed and now I'm looking at all of them online (the store nearest me is in Pennsylvania) and can't decide on one! 

       First off, there are a lot more men's caps than women's, and the men's department is the only place I can find a navy blue cap. I would go right ahead and get that one because I LOVE baby but I'm afraid that it will fit differently than a woman's cap would. Have any girls out there purchased a men's cap? Do they fit the same?

       Secondly, when it comes to the women's caps, I can't decide on a color! I want one that will match anything I wear, so I was looking at the white cap. Then I realized that with a white cap I'd have to be incredibly careful because every piece of dirt would show up. I'm completely in love with the aqua blue but that won't go with much of my wardrobe.  I have that problem with the pink and slate too. 

       I decided to look them up on Pinterest and came across even more colors, including my favorite one, mint! I also saw neon caps and decorated logos. I'm new to this so forgive me for asking, but why aren't these on the site?! 

       I'd really love for you guys' opinions on the caps! Do you feel men's and women's caps are different? What's your favorite color cap? Which color do you think goes with most other colors?

           xoxo Nikki

Ivory Ella

       Good morning!

       If you have a Twitter I'm sure you've heard of the adorable, brightly colored t-shirts that portray the cutest cartoon elephant known to mankind: Ivory Ella! 

       Not only does the company produce the most precious products but they also donate to savetheelephants.org! $3 of every purchase goes to the organization, which may not seem like a lot, but Ivory Ella has already donated over $30,000 to savetheelephants.org!

       I ordered mine about three weeks ago and at the time they put a notice up that stated all orders would be backed up for 3-4 weeks. I paid a total of $28 dollars for a short-sleeve, neon orange t-shirt complete with a purple tribal elephant and it was well worth it!

       Sometime this week my mom decided to e-mail the company because she was curious about where my shirt was and when it would ship, etc. The company replied about an hour later and was extremely kind, giving an answer to every question we asked. They gave a tracking number and sent an e-mail to us whenever it arrived at a different place.

       My shirt actually came today and I'm extremely happy with it!

       The tag is almost as cute as the actual shirt:

       I bought it in a size large and it fits perfectly although I'm a bit chesty. For short sleeves I would recommend purchasing a size larger than what your normal size is because they are a bit short and made to fit your body. The long sleeves they offer are very large and wouldn't be an issue with length or width!

       In all, I would most definitely recommend buying at least one item from this adorable shop!

           xoxo Nikki 

First (I Guess You Could Call It) Monogram Haul!

       Hey guys!

       I'm extremely proud to say that I've made my first Etsy purchase using my debit card for the first time to buy my first ever monograms!

       Okay, okay, they were only stickers. But so what? A haul is a haul, right?! 

       Etsy user FCDVinyl is having a super great sale at the moment: ten 2" monograms for only $10, free of shipping charge! I've searched for monogram stickers in the past and some of them I just couldn't bring myself to buy. FCDVinyl was extremely affordable and seems to actually care about whether or not you're happy with the end product. You can pick the color and font for every individual little sticker, which I think is great, and your order ships in 1-2 weeks! I couldn't be more excited.

       As you all can probably tell by my username, I'm monogram obsessed and I've already made wish lists for The Pinky Girl once I get a job (currently filling out my applications) and I have high hopes for their products. 

       That's all for now lovelies!

                xoxo, Nikki

-Insert Cute Witty Intro-

    Hey guys! I've never actually used a blogging site like this one, so forgive me if I make any faux-pas. I've only really used tumblr in the past and it's hardly an actual blog; mostly pictures. Anyway, I decided to make this blog because I recently became aware of what most call "preppy" stores. Needless to say, I'm in love. It isn't the first time I've seen these adorable garments around; in the beginning of the school year I transferred to a school in a neighborhood with much more money than what I was used to. I was very unhappy in the school itself so I never paid complete attention to what brands everyone was wearing. I transferred back to my old school in late January and finally found the brands and instantly needed them. Who could resist the cute little Vineyard Vines whale and the craziness of Lilly Pulitzer patterns? Don't even get me started on The Pinky Girl's monograms and Southern Proper shirts.
      Anyway, when I find new things that I feel I can't live without, these things become an obsession. Sadly, I'm a jobless 17-year-old girl in south Jersey and don't have the money to drop everything and buy everything from my favorite brands. I know, I know, it's quite painful. I decided maybe a blog would help, even if no one reads it, and if anyone does, all of you can follow me on my way to total prep heaven. So welcome!
       I've decided that tonight I'm going to put in my first application in months to my local movie theatre. I'm a complete movie nerd and going to the cinema is almost like therapy to me. Sounds great, working in a place you love! Hopefully I get this job because my wallet is practically coughing up dust bunnies and I'm 99.99999% sure my boyfriend is tired of me crying over Lilly Pulitzer agendas and Vineyard Vine caps.
       Wish me luck!
                 - xoxo, Nikki