Je T'aime Maman

My mother is coming in town tomorrow to pick me up and take me back to school! Technically we don't leave until early Friday morning but she has work to do while she's here so she came a little early. I can't wait to see her (although I am dreading the drive back to school)

aRl

Kiting

Love you and can't wait to see you!

xoxo,

lRn

Weekend Recap!

This weekend was so busy so instead of writing a lot I figured I would just let the pictures speak for themselves!

Took my duffle bag to the monogrammers...

Got Panera with the girls!

Pretty Pretty

Give Me All Of It

Homemade Lemonade

Went to a tea party that my friends put together! It was so cute and the food was to die for! We had petit  fours, quiche and much more...

Monogrammed Silver

We even used my friend jKm's silver! She has been getting a new piece every year since she was born. The set is beautiful and is monogrammed, what could be better!

Chit Chatting

The sunflowers were fresh and so beautiful!

The two lovely hosts

How cute are they!

Giggles And Aprons

Cleaning Up

We had to wash all of that nice china and silver the old fashioned way. It was a lot of fun actually!

My OOTD (Lilly/Jcrew)

Lounging By The Pool

Pool Times Are The Best Times

Best Friends

How we end every night, being goofy! Hope you all had a fabulous weekend!

xoxo,

lRn

Chivalry

Happy Friday you guys! Like I say every week, I have no idea where the time went! It seems as though it's Monday one minute and Friday the next! As you all probably noticed the title of my post this afternoon is a little different. Today I wanted to talk about chivalry and some neat things that I saw happen this week! So without further ado, let's get started with my stories!


Story Number 1: So a couple of days ago I went to the post office to mail a letter. Now I don't usually go to the post office (since we have stamps at home) but we were all out, so a run to the post office was needed. I forgot that they tend to close a little early, so I ended up missing the actual teller by 3 minutes. Since I missed the teller, my only other option was to buy stamps from the machine. Now I am a pretty savvy person if I do say so myself, but for some reason or another I was flustered and I somehow ended up buying the wrong stamps for the letter I was going to mail. I felt really dumb and frustrated because by that time the line had grown substantially and I wasn't exactly thrilled with the idea of waiting for another 20 minutes because of my stupid mistake. Well, right as I was about to get back in line an older man stopped me and proceeded to hand me two stamps that he had just bought for himself. I was so taken aback because it was one of the nicest things a complete stranger has ever done for me. It was such a sweet gesture and I was really touched. It seems to me like a lot of young men don't go out of their way like older men seem to do. It honestly made my day.

Story Number 2: It seemed that all of the wonderful gentlemen of the world had gathered in the mailroom that day because I witnessed something else that just melted my heart. Back when I was still standing in line another gentleman came in. He had wanted the actually teller too but like me had missed them by 3 minutes. After realising that they were closed he proceeded to get in line like the rest of us. Well a few minutes later an older woman that had been in front of me started to make her way to the door. But before she could even get there the young man behind me had already removed himself from the line and had opened both of the exit doors for her. It was the cutest thing. After she left he calmly walked back to the line and waited like nothing special had happened. The funny thing is, I watched him do this many times until all of the ladies in the line had exited the building. I was literally blown away, first because guys just don't do that anymore and second because he did it without expecting to be recognized. For him he wasn't going out of his way, it just seemed like this sort of thing came naturally to him.

Story Number 3: The last neat thing that I encountered this week was when a guy my age went out of his way to hold open the door for my friend and I at the gym. We had just arrived and were walking from the parking lot to the front door. In front of us, probably a good 15 steps away was your typical college guy. He had the athlete/douche bag (pardon my french) look about him and so neither Fi or I figured he would even stop to let us catch the tail end of the door. Well to our astonishment not only did he stop and wait for us to get to the door, but he also held it open. Not only that but he did it for the next door too, and he made sure we were in front of him so we could swipe our cards first.

Now these 3 men probably have no idea how much those little gestures meant to me or the other ladies they helped, but personally they really touched me. I learned two important lessons this weekend 1) don't judge a book by its cover and 2) if a guy does go out of his way to do nice things for you, make sure you thank him. As much as girls complain that guys don't do chivalrous things anymore I also noticed that a lot of women don't thank them when they are being chivalrous. I honestly think that if more girls started acting like ladies, more boys would stand up to be gentlemen. I just really liked what I saw and thought I would share. Do you guys agree? I hope you guys have a wonderful weekend!
xoxo,
lRn

Monogrammed Towels

Ah! I just ordered my monogrammed towels for this school year (navy w/ white writing). I can't wait for them to come in, they will look something like this:

I will upload pictures as soon as they arrive! Have you guys bought any fun stuff for your room/dorm yet?
xoxo,
lRn

It's Raining, It's Pouring...

Rain rain go away  .....no wait stay! It is raining here today and as much as I would love for it to stop, I love any excuse to bring out my rain gear! I love rain coats, rain boots, fun umbrella's (you get the picture.) So here are a few rain essentials I think every girl should have:

The North Face

Let's start with The North Face rain jacket. I have this in black and I am obsessed with it. I think every girl should have a lightweight jacket like this one, especially college gals. It has definitely been a lifesaver! They are super lightweight, easy to carry and come in all sorts of fun colours! Also if love The North Face, but aren't so keen on spending 90 dollars try looking in your local North Face outlet! You won't find all of the colour options that they have online but they will usually have this jacket in black and white and for a fraction of the price!

Burberry Trench

Okay so the Burberry Trench is classic. My mother has one and I love it! This is on my lust list for after college because I don't really have a need for it right now. My parents always told me to save some purchases so that I have something to look forward to, and I am definitely looking forward to this being in my closet one day! I see myself wearing this when I graduate and am entering the corporate world! Now enough about jackets, let's move on to shoes....

Hunter Rain Boots

Hunter boots are all the rage right now so it would be silly for me not to include them. Like the North Face jacket, these boots come in a variety of colours! Mine are black and I chose the matte look. The glossy ones are SUPER shiny so if you choose those make sure you have seen them in person! I love my Hunter boots but I guess the only issue that I have with them is how heavy they can be! Other than that they are perfect!

Jcrew Jelly Flats

Another option for those ladies who do not like the look of rain boots would be to get some sort of jelly flat! I personally have never owned a pair but I just might have to! I know that brands like Jcrew and Tory Burch offer them! So if you are interested, browse around and see what you like!

Burberry Rain boots

What can I say I am a Burberry lover. I actually put these rain boots on here as another option to the Hunter ones above. I personally have two pairs of rain boots, a Hunter and Burberry pair. The Burberry ones were my first rain boots (I got them for Christmas my junior year) and have been wearing them ever since. They are very durable, super light weight and go with everything. They even come with a cute box (which I kept and used to store my horse show ribbons in.) If you like Burberry but want something of theirs that is on the cheaper side this would be a great option! Finally umbrellas....

Vera Bradley

On my university's campus I saw a lot of girls carrying around Vera Bradley umbrellas! They aren't too expensive and if you like Vera Bradley patterns these fun umbrellas are sure to spice up your gloomy day!

Lilly Pulitzer

Who doesn't love Lilly?! These are super super SUPER cute! I have seen them in person and definitely wouldn't mind having one! Although I am not sure if I want my umbrella to be this "loud" just yet if you know what I mean. If you like Lilly umbrellas Rue La La will sometimes have them in their Lilly accessories sale! I saw this one there the last time for only 19 dollars. I currently have a Jcrew Polka dot umbrella (not pictured) and I love it!

I think the main thing to remember on rainy days is this: wear what you are comfortable in! It's already yucky outside, don't wear something just to look cute! Whatever you like wear it, and I guarantee your rainy day will be that much better :)
xoxo,
lRn

Weekend Recap!

Happy Monday everyone! How was your weekend? Busy, relaxing, stressful? My weekend was super super busy (as usual!) I think in the summer weekend's are particularly busy just because everyone's home and you are always making plans with one person or another. Would you guys agree? That being said, here is a little recap of what mine looked like! I will be jumping all over the place so I hope you guys are ready!


Friday was nothing special! I had work and after that I came home and promptly went to bed but on Saturday...

Rocking Her Ray Bans

"Vroom Vroom"

Smile

I went shopping with aFk in the morning! We took her mini as you can see, which she hates but I love. I must say it has started to grow on me so I guess that means you can add me to the Mini fan club! We as in she snagged up some pretty good purchases. I was along more for moral support. She picked up some fun items from Jcrew, a new watch, and a rain jacket! I on the other hand, trying to be a good little girl and save my money opted for a discounted athletic jacket from Ralph Lauren. Wah I am so sad, it was our last shopping trip for the whole summer because she left for North Carolina the next day. I am literally crushed. I don't know what I am going to do without her. Love you! Can't wait to see you on break!

Soho

Making Vegetables

Fried Rice

Later that night I headed to Soho with the girls! The whole spring break group was together again, with the newest addition being gSm's boyfriend M (they are the two on the right). He is seriously so sweet, and is the definition of a true southern gentleman. I mean he ordered sweet tea at dinner, and let me tell you no one up here orders sweet tea. I guess I should have expected that she would pick up a boy like that since she does go to school in South Carolina. Afterwards we split up. The girls and I went to go see The Dark Knight Rises, and the two lovebirds headed home. It was M's last night here before going home to Nashville!

Movie Time

Sunday was filled with errands for me and the Rascal Flatts concert for the others. I love love love Rascal and went last year, I just wasn't really interested in going this time. I can only handle so many intoxicated people at once...

Thumbs Up If You Love Rascal

So Country

Don't they look adorable! So that was my weekend. What did you guys do?
xoxo,
lRn

Statement Necklaces

Happy Friday everyone! It feels so weird to say, this week just flew by! It's scary because like always I am happy that the week is over but then I am also sad because that means that school is that much closer! Where did the time go! All this talk about summer almost being over brings me to my topic. Statement necklaces. At the start of the summer my friend aFk tried to convince me to add a statement necklace to my collection. Now anyone who knows me can tell you that I am a minimalist when it comes to jewelry. Now statement necklaces at the time were just starting to become really popular around where I live, but I still wasn't all that convinced that I needed one. I think one I was scared that I couldn't pull it off and two I wasn't sure that I could find one that I liked. Well that all changed when I found this gem in turquoise:

Jcrew Bubble Necklace

I am now the proud owner of the Jcrew bubble necklace. I am in LOVE with it. It goes with absolutely everything! I really like the turquoise colour because it is versatile. It looks great with a yellow shirt like this but I also think that it would pop when put with darker colours like black! *Side note: aFk showed me this necklace at the beginning of the summer and I was not a fan. I didn't like it at all and definitely couldn't see myself wearing it. Well I have converted over and here is my most sincere apology for not seeing how cute this necklace was from the beginning*  Here are some other cute necklaces that I found! They are to die for!

Monogrammed necklace

No explanation needed. I monogram everything as it is, so this necklace would fit in perfectly with my lifestyle. Also very versatile, you could wear this with just about anything.

This necklace could be fun for a glitzy night out. If you paired this with your favourite black dress you would be good to go!

This Kate Spade is sure to please. I could also be partial to this necklace because of the bow! I like anything with a bow. Seriously....anything

aFk

Look at aFk rocking her statement necklace! How cute is she! Do you guys have a statement necklace? What do you wear them with?
xoxo,
lRn

Movie Day!

Forrest Gump

It's raining here. So my plan of action is to watch Forrest Gump and drink lots of yummy hot chocolate on this dreary Thursday! What are your plans?
xoxo,
lRn

Liebster Award

First of all I just wanted to say thank you to Bailey over at Prep Headquarters for nominating me for the Liebster Award. That was so sweet and it literally made my day when I saw your comment! Since this post is going to be so long I promise not to ramble on! So without further ado, here are 11 facts about me!

1. I like my fruit to be plain. Seriously PLAIN. So like chocolate covered strawberries, bananas with whipped cream, apples with peanut butter (you get the picture)....yes those are all a no go for me. Sometimes I will be adventurous and add Splenda or sugar but that's rare. For example, my grandmother sent me an edible arrangements bouquet earlier this year while I was at school and it contained chocolate covered strawberries. Now if I was a normal person this would have made me super excited but sadly I am not. The end result was me handing out those babies left and right.

2. I get so so nervous when I meet new people. Shy doesn't even begin to cover it. I am super goofy once I get to know you, but most likely when you first meet me you'll think I am mute.


3. I have a minature poodle/bichon mix named Sherman and he is the love of my life. On paper it seems as though he is technically the "family" dog but everyone knows that he is mine mine mine. I trained him to do everything, from sit to how to play dead. Sherman is my best pal!

Sherman

4. I used to be absolutely terrified of horses. My mother sent me to the south of France one summer for horse camp to try something new(back then I wasn't really into horses like I am now.) Anyways I came back from camp thinking I was Stevie from the Saddle Club. So I convinced her to sign me up for real lessons! Long story short on the first day I got bitten and I refused to go back. I cried and cried but alas to no avail. She made me complete the lessons that she paid for which is funny because now I bet she wishes that she let me live in fear. It seems this sport racks up quite a hefty bill (sorry mum!)

5. Well this fact is somewhat personal but I figured I would just be brave and share so here goes. I still haven't had my first kiss. Yes I know everybody is always like "no way" or "I don't believe you" but it's true. I am saving it for someone special. Who they are exactly I still have yet to figure out. But kissing to me is something I consider to be special so I want to save it for someone who means something. Silly I know but I am weird like that!

6.  I have a serious shopping addiction. I blame my mother. We don't always see eye to eye on certain items but we definitely both love quality pieces, and quality is not cheap!

7. My favourite movie of all time is Under The Tuscan Sun. I want to will  live in Italy someday and have beautiful children with a very nice looking Italian man (a girl can dream can't she!)

8. People never hear my name correctly whenever I say it. I will literally say "Hi I am Lisette" and they will respond with "Hi Lisa." It is so frustrating so instead of constantly correcting people I just go with it now. Eventually my real name will come up somehow and I will tell them but until then I respond to whatever name they think I said.

9. I love to read. I have been reading ever since Montessori school. I also have this weird thing where once I start reading a book (even if I hate it I have to finish it.) No exceptions.

10. I am grumpy when I don't get enough sleep. And when I say grumpy I mean I practically walk around with a "approach with caution sign" tattooed on my face.

11. I am a people pleaser. I will go to the moon and back to make the people that I love happy. It literally only takes me a second to like you once I meet you so that basically means I will do anything for anyone!

Here are the questions that Bailey asked:

1.Where do you usually shop?
- I shop all over the place. I will usually shop at Nordstrom or Saks for my staples like jeans/shoes (things like that!) I also love Jcrew, Lilly Pulitzer, Ralph Lauren, Lacoste and Ann Taylor to name a few!

2. Have you ever traveled anywhere that interests you?
-I have traveled everywhere! All of the places that I have traveled hold a special place in my heart! I must say some of my favourites places have been Prague, Nice and the Czech Republic!

3. Why did you start blogging?
-I started blogging because I had been reading other people's daily and thought it might be nice to make my own. Everyone looked so friendly and I definitely wanted to be a part of it!

4.What is the most fun thing you have ever done?
-Hm that's a tough one! I rode camels in Morocco! Camels are definitely characters so that was something that I will always remember!

5.Who do you want to meet before you die?
-I would love to meet Katherine Middleton someday! I love everything about her and have always wanted to meet someone from the royal family! I would also love to meet George Morris. He is the coach of the USA's olympic riding team! A lot of my friends have done clinics with him but I just never got around to signing up! He is definitely someone that I want to meet in the near future!

6.Which social network are you more addicted to or use more?
-I definitely like Facebook a lot. I know that it isn't as fun/cool as it used to be but I can't bring myself to delete it because of all of the pictures I have on there. I mean you can literally see me go from ugly duckling to normal person with the click of a button. I can't get rid of that just yet!

7. What song gives you goosebumps when you hear it?
-Kissing You by Desiree or Truly Madly Deeply by Savage Garden

8. What's your favourite restaurant?
-My favourite restaurant here would have to be the Thai restaurant by my house called Banana Leaf. One of my friends from the barn owns it and the food is DELICIOUS!

9.Who inspires you and why?
-I know this is cliche but my mum. She is everything that I hope to be and more. She is the strongest woman that I know and she has set such a wonderful example for my siblings and I. I wouldn't be who I am today without her guidance and patience so for that I will always be grateful!

10. Which college team to you pull for?
-I don't really watch sports! So I have no idea! I mean UK won March Madness last year so let's go with them!

11. What's your favourite song?
-I have so many that it is impossible to name them all! But I love Right Here Waiting For You by Richard Marx!

Now I know that I am supposed to tag readers and make up my own questions, but since this post is so long I will attach them to tomorrow's! Hope you guys enjoyed getting to know a little bit more about me!

xoxo,
lRn

Agendas!

First of all happy Tuesday everyone! Sorry about not posting yesterday! It was one of those instances where I thought I hit publish but apparently I didn't... whoops! Anyways, today's post is all about agendas! Agendas are super important to me! I have been writing down my daily assignments for as long as I can remember, so to me having a good planner has always been a must! Not only do I insist on them being functional, I also think it is super important for them to be cute! I mean practically half of my life will be spent writing things down on a "pad of paper," it might as well be cute don't you think? With that being said here are some cute planners that I have used in the past and ones that I am lusting over for this year!

Kate Spade

I used this planner back during my senior year! I didn't actually use it for school assignments, more for writing down doctors appointments, babysitting jobs etc! I really liked it, but I don't think it would have been good for college just because there wasn't a lot of space to write things down!

This is the planner that I used during my freshman year in college! I must say this planner was the best and cannot say enough good things about Lilly agendas! They are so fun! Each month is a different design as you guys know and the little quotes are too fun! I definitely got my use out of it, although even now I still have yet to remove any of the stickers in the front! I have a serious issue where I hate messing up the structure of something. I mean as soon as you remove one sticker you might as well remove the rest in my opinion and I could never seem to bring myself to do so. Are any of you guys weird like this?

Here's what mine looked like inside! That month was slightly stressful so I apologise for the messiness! But everything that was written down was accomplished so I guess the messiness can be overlooked!

Kate Spade

Monogrammed Planners

Here are some other cute planners that I came across! The Kate Spade one is definitely original and fresh and the monogrammed ones are definitely classic! Monograms make everything better and I definitely think this principal applies to the agendas above! So cute! As for what I am using this year, drum roll please.....

It's LILLY! This year I decided to stick with Lilly and here is the print I got! I received these two lovelies in the mail a couple of weeks ago and I couldn't be more excited! I am absolutely in love with the alligator print and the sticky notes are too precious! I couldn't be happier with my purchase and can't wait to use them!

So that's my planner choice for this year! What does yours look like? Any that you fell in love with?
xoxo,
lRn

The New Book Bag!

TGIF! Can you guys tell from the all caps that I am ready for the weekend! This week was hectic as you all know from my lame post yesterday! What's worse is this weekend, if you can believe it, will be just as busy! On Saturday I am picking up/dropping off more things at the tailor, grabbing brunch with my mum and a friend, shopping for some dorm things and getting ready for a party later that night! On Sunday I have my follow up appointment at the eye doctor and I have a couple of horses to ride at the barn while their owners are on "leurs vacances." PHEW! I think the reason that I feel so busy is because I leave for school in just a couple short weeks and I still have a lot to do! That being said, for this school year I am thinking of switching my totes/backup up and am on the lookout for a new bag! But first let's start with what I used this year!

VV Tote

Let's start with the ever so classic VV tote. Mine is navy blue and has little pink whales on it! I. love. it. It is so easy to carry around whether I am going to class or even out to lunch. I also really like how durable it is (let me tell you this school year it put up with a lot of abuse.) It is definitely a winner in my book and is a great option for when you don't feel like carrying your back pack.

LL Bean Tote

Another option that I used this year was my monogrammed LL Bean Tote. Mine is this exact colour, except I opted for the longer handles instead (which I would definitely recommend!) I would definitely go with the medium size as compared to the large because the large is WAY too big to tote around campus. I also have the larger one in navy but I use that to hold all of my riding goodies!

North Face Backpack

On days when I am feeling traditional, I opt to use my trusty backpack. I have been using North Face backpacks since my sophomore year of high school! I really really like them. They are sturdy and will definitely last you 4+ years. My one from high school is still in really good shape! I ended up buying a new one when I started college mainly because I needed one that could hold my 15 inch laptop comfortably! In addition, at the beginning of each school year I will usually go to Michael's or some sort of craft store and pick up some cute ribbon. I use it to tie a bow on my handle that way I always know which one is mine!

Vera Bradley Tote

Yet another option is my Vera Bradley Tote. I found this gem last year at my university book store. I saw it from afar and figured it couldn't hurt to have one more(sorry if you are reading this mum, I have an addiction.) I have this print and it is called Tea Garden I believe. These totes are so roomy and I definitely tend to carry this one on campus when I have a heavy class schedule!

Longchamp Le Pliage

What type of girl would I be if I didn't include the Longchamp Pliage in my post, a staple in my tote collection. I have the one above (I loved the eiffel tower on the front, I just could't pass it up) and a plain pink one. I like using these bags when I have a light class schedule because otherwise they hurt my shoulder. Carrying these bags around when you have a ton of books and a laptop is NOT fun!  I like having two because it gives me the flexibility to switch colours (I am thinking of getting a navy one as well, but we will see!)

Marc Jacobs

This is what I am thinking of getting this upcoming school year! I have heard such great things about this particular tote and I really think I would get a lot of use out of it. I also really like how it's made out of nylon! That way if I buy it and it gets dirty I won't feel so bad!

What are you guys using to carry around your books or work supplies? Any recommendations?
xoxo
lRn