T-14 Hours!

      Happy Sunday! In about 14 hours, I'll be walking into the airport to jet off to Hawaii! It's a school trip, but it's not exactly educational. It's 16 kids and two teachers just having fun doing touristy stuff in Hawaii for five days! I've been packing (probably too much stuff) all day and I just hope it will be as magical a trip as I'm expecting it to be.

Literally drooling. I can't wait to share everything about it when I get back!




Keep it classy,
Brooke

I'm Back!

      Happy Saturday! I cannot believe how long it's been since I've posted on this little blog. I certainly intended to maintain it much longer than just the summer, but I guess life got in the way when senior year started. I have so many ideas for this blog and I really hope it will become something more than what it has been. I'm going to Hawaii for a few days on Monday (so pumped omg), but I promise to devote more time to Bowties & Ballet Flats!

Keep it classy,
Brooke

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