Lilly Pulitzer Binder Covers

      Happy Saturday! Today was pretty great, mostly because I made some Lilly Pulitzer binder covers for school and it was so easy. In fact, it was so easy that I thought I could post about how to make them! I used Picasa, which is Google's version of Photoshop, which is so expensive. Picasa is super easy to use and it's free! Seriously, just download it. You won't regret it.

1. Download Picasa.

2. Search for the Lilly prints that you want (it's easier if they're vertical) and drag the images over to your desktop.

3. Open Picasa and there is a category called 'Desktop' where all of your images should be.

4. Click on one of the images, then right click "View and Edit." You should see your Lilly print and the editing tools on the left.

5. Click on the picture icon that says "Text" under it.

6. You can add your text and add color to it to match your Lilly print, adjust the size, the outline, the font, etc.

7. Print! Make sure you have plenty of ink!

In love!

      I hope my steps make sense, but if you don't understand something then please don't hesitate to leave a question in a comment! I'd be happy to help you :)

Keep it classy,
Brooke

Me Time

      Happy Thursday! I'm sorry I haven't been posting as frequently, but I've been so busy working! And when I finally get off work, I'm so tired that all I can do is watch TV on Netflix.
      Not gonna lie, this week has been rough at work. So far this summer I've been (for the most part) enjoying my job, but this week has simply been miserable. Each day seems longer than the last, and sometimes I've been so frustrated I've been on the verge of tears because I'm that pathetic and exhausted from taking care of pre-schoolers all day. I decided that I needed to devote special time to myself where I can just worry about me instead of taking care of someone else.
      I've gone on several runs and gotten some gelato (chocolate hazelnut and mango!) and just spent some time alone reading, and these have become my favorite parts of my days. Although I typically consider myself a people person, lately that hasn't been the case. I just love getting to take off my nice person "mask" and do whatever I want to do and work on improving myself. Here are my five favorite ways to spend "me time":

1. Running -- I have a love/hate relationship with running. Sometimes, I want nothing more than to slip on my sneakers and tune out the rest of world. Running can be the perfect therapy and it can make you happier! But other times, running can be the last thing I want to do. It can be really hard to motivate myself to run sometimes, so I look to some of my other "me time" options...

2. Gelato -- the much less healthy option, but so delicious. I love any dessert, but recently I've been going to this gelato place by my house and I'm in love. It's the perfect summer treat and so much better than regular ol' ice cream.

3. Reading -- sometimes I just don't want to think about what's going on in my life, so I turn to a fictional person's life. I get to have that quiet alone time without getting overwhelmed or stressed out from my chaotic life.

4. Homemade Mani/Pedi -- since I don't have the money to get my nails done, I give myself a mani/pedi about once a week. It's the perfect amount of time to stop what you're doing and just focus on pampering yourself. Plus, your end result is pretty nails!

5. Crafting -- whether it's an actual craft or a new dish, I love investing my me time on working on something special. I've been painting canvases with quotes recently (I'll have to post about them tomorrow!) and I also plan on making a carrot cake soon. The crafts have been super fun because I'm definitely not an artistic person but I've been pretty satisfied with my painting abilities!

      I fear that "me time" has become highly undervalued since people tend to be in such a rush to get things done that they forget to actually live. It can be hard to balance work and me time, but I like to spend at least 30 minutes a day focusing on just myself (TV and the internet don't count!). I hope my favorite me times have inspired you to create your own list of me times!

Keep it classy,
Brooke

Parisian Chic

      Happy Monday! I've recently been obsessing over everything related to Paris. I don't know why, but I want to go there, eat their food, wear their clothes, and be just as stylish as the famous Parisian women.

from adiaryoflovely.blogspot.com

      I just searched "Parisian outfit" on Google, and this lovely little ensemble popped up! I love the chambray and the skirt, very Parisian chic. Oh, how I'd love to stroll down the Champs Ellyses while eating a croissant and wearing this. A girl can dream!

Keep it classy,
Brooke

Lilly Pulitzer Agenda!

      Happy Sunday! My new Lilly planner recently arrived, and I LOVE IT. SO MUCH. It's just so pretty! I do wish the planners were 12 months instead of 18 because I didn't get to use all of my last one, so it kind of felt like a waste of money to get a new one, but I just wanted it so badly! Plus, my old one was kind of falling apart from getting beaten up in the black hole that is my backpack.

I can't wait for school to start so I can use it!

       Isn't it so pretty?! I got the large agenda in "Let's Cha Cha" and I'm obsessed. It has a handy strap to keep it closed, a pocket to keep notes in, the most precious stickers you've ever seen, a list of holidays, a section for notes, and the prettiest pages for each month. I absolutely love it!

Keep it classy,
Brooke

Color Run Fun

      Happy Monday! I hope everyone had a great weekend! On Saturday morning I woke up at 6 (yikes!) to participate with a friend in the Color Run! For those of you who don't know, the Color Run is a 5k non-competitive race that supports children's hospitals. Oh yeah, and you get covered in colored powder from head to toe!

Before...

And after!

The Color Storm!

Up close -- my arms looked ridiculous!

      After the run my friend and our parents and I ate breakfast then went to the city market where we got peaches, okra, and tomatoes!

Keep it classy,
Brooke

Book Club: The Language of Flowers

      Happy Monday! So I just recently finished an amazing book called The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh (this is her first novel). It's about an 18-year-old girl named Victoria who grew up in the foster care system, and she temporarily lived happily with a woman named Elizabeth. But before Elizabeth could adopt Victoria, Victoria did something to mess it up, but the reader doesn't discover what her mistake was until the last quarter of the book.

      The book shifts with each chapter from 10-year-old to 18-year-old Victoria. The grown-up Victoria struggles with finding a job in a flower shop, a love interest who is connected to Elizabeth, and having enough food to eat, all while devoting every second of free time to her beloved flowers. This book has thrilling plot twists and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

Keep it classy,
Brooke

Learning Italian

      Happy Sunday! Recently, I've been trying to learn Italian and it's so much fun! I got this CD set from the library and it comes with a booklet for each of the three levels so you can follow along while listening, which really helps for me since I'm a visual learner. I copied the College Prepster (my favorite blog) at the beginning of the year and made a goal for each month of the year, and I made my goal for July to improve my skills (in general). So I decided that learning a new language would be a great way to do it.
      I highly recommend that you hit up your local library to see if there are any language-learning programs, because it's free (Rosetta Stone is hundreds of dollars!!), educational, and fun! I've also been reading and writing more, I'm doing the Color Run on Saturday, doing more crafts, and I'm even considering a fitness class! July has been pretty great so far; I hope it continues on this path!

What are you up to this month?

Keep it classy,
Brooke

Recipe of the Month: Southern Peach Cobbler

      Happy Saturday! I hope y'all had a great week and Fourth of July! Yesterday at work (I'm a camp assistant at my school's summer program) the kids had peaches in their sack lunches, and since there were extra lunches that no one ate and they would have been thrown away, I took all of the peaches home to make some peach cobbler!
      This was the second time that I made this recipe, and it was so delicious I just had to share it with you! It's just on allrecipes.com, but here it is:

Southern Peach Cobbler

8 fresh peaches - peeled, pitted, and sliced into thin wedges

1/4 cup white sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

2 tsp cornstarch

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup white sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

6 T unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces

1/4 cup boiling water

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mix Together:

3 T white sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, combine peaches, 1/4 cup white sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice, and cornstarch. Toss to coat evenly, and pour into a 2 quart baking dish. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine flour, 1/4 cup white sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. Blend in butter with your fingertips, or a pastry blender, until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in water until just combined.
4. Remove peaches from oven, and drop spoonfuls of topping over them. Sprinkle entire cobbler with the sugar and cinnamon mixture. Bake until topping is golden, about 30 minutes.

I added some vanilla ice cream, and voila! It was perfect.

Keep it classy,
Brooke
 

4th of July Haul!

      Happy Fourth, everyone! Today the J. Crew Factory store was having a 50% off everything sale, so obviously I had to go! J. Crew is my favorite store, but since it's so ridiculously expensive, I can usually only buy stuff during the sales. Even when everything's half off it's still pretty far out of my price range, so I save most of my money particularly for these sales at this amazing store.

Seersucker Blazer: J. Crew Factory, White Shorts: Gap

 

 I had planned on purchasing white shorts from J. Crew, but when I tried them on they were completely see-through! I was wearing white underwear and you could see them perfectly. Luckily these shorts from the Gap were on sale for $9.99 and you can't see my underwear!

Chambray Perfect Shirt and Toothpick skinny jeans from J. Crew Factory

Seersucker Pencil Skirt and Polka-Dotted Sleeveless Top from J. Crew Factory, Rugby Shirt from Polo Ralph Lauren Factory

We've just eaten supper and now we're about to go see some fireworks! I hope everyone had a safe and fun Fourth of July!

Keep it classy,
Brooke

Favorite Art

      Happy Saturday! Art is one of my favorite things, and although I'm terrible at creating my own artwork, I thoroughly enjoy looking at it! Here are some of my favorite pieces of artwork (see more on my Pinterest):

1. Claude Monet, The Bridge Over the Water-Lily Pond

 

2. Jan Vermeer, The Girl With the Pearl Earring

                                                              

3. Yangyang Pan, Lucky Me

4. Edgar Degas, Blue Dancers

5. Michelangelo, The Pietà

This is just a taste of my favorites; these are just five that I love! Let me know if you know of any artists you think I should check out!

Keep it classy,
Brooke

      

Obsession: Kate Spade

      Happy Monday! So I've been obsessed with Kate Spade for a long time now, and I still feel myself falling in love whenever I look at the website. Kate Spade is classy and sophisticated yet young and girly. It's absolutely perfect. Here are some of my most intense obsessions:

1. Grove Court Stripe Cora, $198

 

2. Nance Heel, $345

3. Bungalow Bouquet Short Statement Necklace, $228

4. Leora Dress, $288

 

5. Ariella Skirt, $348

      Aren't they all so cute?! I strongly encourage everyone to look at all of their new arrivals! Of course, I can't afford anything on this list, but a girl can dream, right?

Keep it classy,

Brooke

Summer Days

      Happy Sunday! This weekend has been so much fun; I went to Worlds of Fun (an amusement park) yesterday, and today I had lunch, saw a movie, and went to the pool with friends. And the best part? I don't have to worry about homework or tests! It's taken about a month, but the feeling has finally sunken in: it's summer. I love not having to wake up at 6 every morning to go to school. I love being able to sit in a lawn chair at the pool and just let the Vitamin D soak in. I love getting to watch movies every night. I love reading the books that I want to read. I love having enough time to go on runs, watch Gossip Girl, paint my nails, go shopping, and host parties. It just shows me how little time I have during the school year to work on my most important project: myself. Hooray for summer days!

Keep it classy,
Brooke

Favorite Bowties

      Happy Wednesday! Today was pretty uneventful: I had a doctor's appointment, I went to work (and ended up working much later than I expected), then went for a run. Nothing special. I've really been struggling to come up with blog post ideas, so if anyone has any ideas for me, I would really appreciate it! Also, before I forget, I have another blog (mostly just a diary...) called My Life as a Wallflower. Okay, I'm going to share my favorite bowties with you; enjoy!

1. Vineyard Vines, $45

 

2. Southern Tide, $59.50

3. Lilly Pulitzer, $84

 4. Kiel James Patrick, $65

5. Ralph Lauren, $59.99

 

Keep it classy,

Brooke

Downton Abbey Dinner Party!

      Happy Sunday! Last night I achieved one of my goals: host a formal dinner party! A few weeks ago I was shopping at Joann's and I saw an unofficial Downton Abbey Cookbook. I'm obsessed with Downton Abbey, so I knew I had to have it. I took the initiative and asked my friend to host it with me, and after a ton of planning, organizing, decorating, and cooking (plus $100 spent on food), I'm able to say that my dinner party was a huge success. Everyone had a great time and the food was amazing! Here are some pictures I took from last night:

The pre-dinner.

While waiting for everyone to arrive, we had tea, chocolate covered strawberries, and cucumber sandwiches.

First course: salad, bread, and fruit salad.

Dessert: chocolate truffles and gelato.

      Not pictured, for our main course we had chicken and fancy potatoes. Everything was delicious, and I'm rather proud of myself. :)

Carpe Diem,
Brooke

Birchbox

      Happy Thursday! I'm so ready for this week to be over; on Saturday my friend and I are hosting a "Downton Abbey" themed dinner party, and I'm so excited. Party planning is my favorite thing ever. Work was extremely long, but my day significantly improved when I got home because I got my third Birchbox! For those of you who don't know what a Birchbox is, it's this adorable little box that arrives on your step once a month, and it's packed full with beauty products. I got the three-month subscription for my birthday, but I'm thinking I'm going to have to get a full subscription. I've never been disappointed by what's in the box; it always goes above my expectations. It's great for me because I don't really like to go out and buy beauty products because they're usually pretty pricey and I don't want to spend a bunch of money on something that irritates my sensitive skin. Here's what I got in today's Birchbox:

The adorable little box.

This month's theme: Wanderlust

Everything in the box!

This month's box came with the cutest postcards!

In the box:

1. Antica Farmacista: body moisturizer in grapefruit from Italy

2. Birchbox + Color Club: Neon pastel nail polish. Mine is called "Pardon My French"

3. Mirinesse: Glossy Kiss Lipstick

5. suki: Exfoliate Foaming Cleanser

6. Glee Gum

      I can't wait to try everything!

Keep it classy,

Brooke

A Day in the Life

      Happy Wednesday! I hope you all have had a fabulous week so far! I definitely like my work schedule for this week better than last week; this week I'm doing 7:15 to 12:45, which is super early but I like having pretty much to whole day to myself!
      Maybe I'm really nosy, but I always love reading posts about "a day in the life" of the blogger; it's like a glimpse into how someone else lives, and you can compare it to your own life. Similarly, I like "what's in my bag" posts and "my home/apartment" posts. I thought I'd give you a little glimpse into my life during the summer, even though it's not nearly as interesting as most. This is just an example for today, because obviously each day is different during the summer (which is what I like most about it!).

6:00 a.m. Wake up, take out my retainer, wash my face

6:15 a.m. Eat breakfast (usually cereal and yogurt with green tea)

6:30 a.m. Do hair/make up (very minimal during the summer)

6:45 Get dressed

6:50 Leave for work

7:15 Arrive at work

12:45 Go home

1:15 Eat lunch (today was an egg salad sandwich and a yogurt)

1:30 Watch Friends (BEST. SHOW. EVER.)

3:00 Go to the pool -- today didn't involve a work out; instead I worked on my tan :)

5:30 Babysit

9:30 Blog post!

10:15 Sleep

      What do you think about today's schedule? What's your average day like? Let me know!

Keep it classy,
Brooke

OOTD: Sunday Funday

      Happy Sunday! I really don't want this weekend to end because tomorrow I have to wake up at 6 in order to be at work at 7:15. So I'm not really looking forward to that. This weekend has been full of family fun; yesterday we went to Topeka for my cousin's surprise birthday party then we had family pictures done with my dad's side of the family. Today my mom and I went to another cousin's birthday party and we found out my aunt is expecting another daughter!
      I'm the kind of girl who loves routine, and sometimes that applies to my attire. Sometimes I like to have a "uniform" for particular events. For the weekend, I've found that the formula for the best summer weekend outfit goes like this: button down, chinos, belt, sunnies, and flip flops. It's so simple yet so perfect. Here's an example of the uniform, which I'm wearing today:

Okay so it's definitely not the most flattering picture of me...

sunnies: francesca's

oxford: old navy

belt: vineyard vines (it was on sale!)

chinos: j. crew (also on sale)

flip-flops: rainbows

Do you have a weekend "uniform"? Have a great week!

Keep it classy,

Brooke

Bowties and Ballet Flats Playlist #1

       Happy Thursday! I've had a pretty rough week due to work, family stuff, and trying to study for the ACT. Whenever I get stressed, I like to retreat into music because it temporarily takes me out of reality. I seem to be stressed most of the time, so I listen to music a lot. I don't think this playlist really has a theme, but I do think it's good to listen to if you're bumming out or stressing out. My music taste is definitely very different from your typical "preppy girl" preferences, so you may not like all of the songs. But I definitely encourage you to listen to the whole playlist to see if you like it!

1. "Sail" - AWOLNATION

2. "Homewrecker" - Marina and the Diamonds

3. "100$ Bill" - Jay-Z

4. "Back to Black" - Beyonce ft. Andre 3000

5. "The Age of Worry" - John Mayer

6. "How to Be a Heartbreaker" - Marina and the Diamonds

7. "Another Day" - Paul McCartney

8. "Youth" - Daughter

9. "Afraid" - The Neighbourhood

10. "Ring of Fire" - Johnny Cash

11. "Asleep" - The Smiths

12. "Eet" - Regina Spektor

13. "Starring Role" - Marina and the Diamonds

14. "Guaranteed" - Eddie Vedder

15. "Trouble" - Coldplay

16. "Hearts a Mess" - Gotye

17. "Time to Pretend" - MGMT

18. "Man Who Sold the World" - Nirvana

19. "Swisha" - Ratatat

20. "Look At Me"

They don't all go together, but they definitely help me and I hope they help you too!

Keep it classy,
Brooke

My Dream Home

      Happy Tuesday! Recently I've been thinking a lot about my future, and hopefully a house is involved. I've always loved looking through home magazines; I think your home says a lot about who you are. A house is more than just where you live, you make memories and live your life in your house. If I could live anywhere (in the U.S.) after college, I think it would be somewhere in the Carolinas. I've heard South Carolina has better beaches, so maybe I'd prefer to live there. I've never actually been to either of these states, but they seem very charming and Southern. Also, I would love to live by the ocean after spending my entire life in land-locked Kansas!

All of these pictures and more can be found on my Pinterest board.
Here are  my favorites! 

So bright and cheerful!

I love the combination of traditional furniture with modern art.

Pink and gold walls

Plaid.

So Scottish

Brick kitchens are so beautiful.

And finally...(drumroll, please)...my dream home! Perfection.

Flower Power

      Happy Sunday! Recently, I've been seeing a lot of one of my favorite things: flowers. People are taking pictures of them and posting them on Instagram, they're in full bloom everywhere I go, and they're in some of the new Lilly prints! I've never been much of a gardener, but these beautiful blossoms have inspired me to maybe try growing some in my front yard! I hope it's not too late in the year to plant flowers! We have some pretty roses and honeysuckle growing on our fence and they smell heavenly. I took some pictures of them:

Aren't they so lovely? I think flowers are some of nature's simple beauties. The roses and honeysuckle are gorgeous, but I think my absolute favorite flowers have to be peonies and hydrangeas.

Pink Peonies

White Hydrangeas

I don't know if I'd be able to grow these kinds of flowers, though. Maybe I ought to just stick with the basic petunias? What are your favorite flowers?

Keep it classy,
Brooke

What I Want Wednesday

    Happy Wednesday! Similarly to Splurge or Save Saturday, I think I'm going to do What I Want Wednesdays, when I make a list of all the things on my current wishlist! I always see things on Tumblr (follow me, my url is classyinkansas!) or Pinterest throughout the week that I really want/need! Here are some things I've been coveting recently:

1. Vineyard Vines Baseball Cap, $20

 2. Lilly Pulitzer Nina Dress, $188

3. Lilly Pulitzer 2014 Large Agenda, $28

4. Kate Spade Cobble Hill Little Minka, $378

5. Jack Rogers Navajo Sandals in Platinum, $110

What's on your wishlist?

Keep it classy,
Brooke