A Guide To Life

Today a book I have been waiting for for months arrived on my doorstep, Cupcakes and Cashmere by Emily Schuman. Emily has been writing her blog Cupcakes and Cashmere since 2008 and since learning about it a few years ago, I must say, I have been hooked. She combines cooking, fashion, home decor, and entertaining seamlessly on her blog, and her book is no different. 

As soon as I got home from work today I was completely sucked in by the book. I can honestly say Emily Schuman's book is a guide to life. From her advice on how to dress for any occasion to how to conquer a flea market this book is all you need. If you want to buy the book it is available at Barnes and Noble and on Amazon. There are links to buy the book on her blog (www.cupcakesandcashmere.com)

picture from:

 http://www.amazon.com/Cupcakes-Cashmere-Defining-Reinventing-Entertaining/dp/1419702106#

A Bit of An Addiction

I just recently made a tumblr after discovering how amazing it can be. However, since then I've become more than a little bit addicted. I have used Pinterest for a long time but so often I feel I'm just seeing a lot of random stuff I don't care about. Tumblr is the perfect way to find more beautiful things to love because of the set up of people's blogs and how the pictures are presented. 

Especially during the summer I find myself losing far too much time on blogs, Pinterest, etc and with this newfound addiction I don't expect anything to change. Here are some of my favorite pictures on my tumblr (http://peachykeencaroline.tumblr.com/). 

(All pictures are from my tumblr and original sources are listed there) 

Happy Summer

My finals are done! I am officially done with my junior year of high school and in Summer mode. The parts of my brain that understand pre-calc and memorize hundreds of chemistry words are under repair at the moment. 

This year has been probably the busiest of any year of high school so far. 

SATs, school work, and my job seemed to take over my life these last few months. However, until Labor Day my worries are gone (somewhat). 

I do have a few goals for myself this summer. A few are practical (such as finishing college applications and getting organized), but most are things that I have always wanted to do, but haven't. 

I've never caught fireflies (mostly because I can never find them...).  Before I have to become an adult I need to check catching fireflies of my best childhood moments list. 

The Great Gatsby movie is coming out in just a few months and I will read the book again before I see the movie so. I read the novel in school once, but honestly who really remembers everything they read in school...

Of course I also have a few style goals for myself this summer. 

I am always pulled towards whites, blacks, and pastels when shopping, but bright colors are everywhere right now and I want to find a few bright pieces to work into my closet. I also want to find the perfect pair of sunglasses. I have never found a pair that I really love, but being outside so much in the summer I really need a pair. So the hunt begins!

Happy Summer Everyone! 

~ Caroline

p.s. I love watermelon, so stuffing myself with it is necessary in the summer. 

Summer...Almost

These past few weeks have been crazy! 

As a junior in high school everyone I know is wondering where I'm thinking about going to college, how my grades are, etc.

It is definitely exciting to be thinking about the future and knowing a year from now my days in high school will be over and I will be preparing to leave home, but for now my life is centered around finals. Wish me luck!

One can only attempt to memorize math formulas for so long though. So, on those short (actually somewhat long) breaks Pinterest has been oh so addicting.

Here is some inspiration that has gotten me through the last few weeks! 

(I've been pretty obsessed with florals and other bright summery patterns)

~ Caroline

A Nautical Start to the Summer

Jacket & Skirt: Forever 21

Shirt & Belt: JCrew

Here are just a few pictures from Memorial Day this past weekend. It was so nice having an extra day to recover from the week's activities and relax, but now I'm back in school, with only two weeks left before summer!

 In my closet there are easily multiple shirts, skirts, dresses, etc that are striped but until recently the idea of a striped jacket seemed odd. 

Then one day while I was searching through Forever 21 I laid my eyes on this pretty motorcycle jacket gone nautical. I instantly fell in love and bought right away. Since that day this jacket has become almost a weekly staple. 

Hope you're all having a great week! 

~ Caroline 

My Grandmother's House

My grandmother, who I have called Nana my entire life, will be celebrating a very important birthday this week, and I had the pleasure of being with her to celebrate early this past weekend. While we have always been close I haven't been to her house in years, and for some reason this time felt different. When we arrived I looked around and realized her home is filled with hundreds of pieces from her travels around the globe. Almost any place you can name off the top of your head (and many you have never heard of), she has visited at some point. With all of these trips come many stories that have made my family laugh and cry over the years. Everything she does inspires me and I hope when I am her age I have as many stories to tell. 

 Below are just of the few of the things that inspired me from her home. 

 1: an old address book found when organizing

2: a vase from one of her many trips

3: me, top & scarf forever 21, skirt JCrew, sandals ralph lauren

4: travel magazines

5: my sister 

6: snail collection from around the globe (there are many many more!)

7: old clock pendant

Twirl Worthy

Skirt tobi, shirt forever 21. belt forever 21, shoes Vince Camuto 

I have a few colors that I wear all the time, and as my outfit posts continue you will probably notice which colors they are. However, this spring with all the colors that are popular this spring, such as neons of all different shades and mint, I have been trying to branch out a bit. To push myself I bought this flowy pleated mint skirt from tobi. I loved the color on line which tempted me to buy it, but I fell in love with everything about the skirt when it arrived on my front porch. It is perfect for spring and has already become a key piece in my wardrobe. What do you think?

~ Caroline