Perfect Outfits: School (Casual)

I think I'm going to start a "series" as you could call it, for outfits that I might wear to whatever event I'm writing about. Clearly today I'm going to be showing you all what I would wear to school on a more casual day by the the title.

This sweater by Urban Outfitter is my go-to when I need something warm and comfortable. It's amazing.

The leggings... Oh my goodness... They are a dream, definitely worth every penny.

I don't have these boots, but if I did I would definitely wear them everyday. (Tory Burch- I couldn't find them on the website unfortunately)

I hope you enjoyed this quick little post!

Until later,

xx, Madison

What is your go-to comfy outfit for school?

Some Light Reading

I've been reading a lot more recently and I've got some great books to share with you!

1. The Fault in Our Stars: Oh my goodness, this book. It made me cry, laugh, and think - it has great quotes that someone can really be inspired by. If you are only going to read one book on this list, read this one.

2. The Mysterious Benedict Society: This book is so clever, once you've finished reading it, you can't stop thinking of the little details around you. I love it.

3. The Perks of Being a Wallflower: Its so beautifully written. Words cannot even describe. It shows true friendship and love. And thats what everyone needs.

4. Pretty Little Liars series: Of course this is on here. Yes, its getting dragged on a little too long in my opinion, but its amazingly haunting. Its so unrealistic, its realistic and thats what makes it scary.

5. Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants: This whole plot line is so cute and the four stories are all so different that it never gets boring.

Please read these if you are looking for something to read! They are all worth it!

Until later,

xx, Madison.

What is your favorite book?

Organization Tips and Tricks

Being high school, I've learned how to organize my work, yes, I am still working some nights until ten, but thats just because of the ridiculous amount of work my teachers decided to give me that night.  Anyways, here are a few tips and tricks that I've picked up:

1) Do not procrastinate. We've all done it. We all know not to do it, but its key to not having hours and hours of work to do. Do everything as soon as possible.

2) Write down what you have to do. If you write down what you have to do (like homework, schedules, random things, etc.) you'll either a) remember it anyways or b) be reminded. Writing it down will insure that you never forget anything. Don't just write it down anywhere though! Write it on post it notes, in agendas, somewhere you won't loose it.

3) Plan everything out. Plan what you're going to do that day. Don't just sit on the couch doing nothing (procrastinating). Example: "Okay, I'm gonna go to the gym, shower, eat, do my homework, and then go to bed." This way you always have something to do and stick with the plan!

4) Color code. This might be the left brain in me speaking, but I find color coding notebooks, subject, jobs, etc. makes organization so much easier.

5) Keep clean. My room is a disaster, its disgusting. I'm an absolute hypocrite when it comes to this, but I find when my room is clean, its also organized and makes doing work so much easier.

I hope these helped!

Until later,

xx, Madison.

What are your tips for getting organized?

Spring Haul 2014

With Spring right around the corner, I was in dire need of some lighter clothing. I had the itch to shop. So thats what I did. I bought clothes I thought would be very interchangeable with other clothes. Which I love for any season. Anyways here what I got!

J.Crew Chinos- I fell in love with these as soon as a saw them. I'm definitely trying to lean towards more patterns this year instead of just solids. I couldn't find these online :( if you do, leave a link in the comments!

J.Crew tee- I love tshirts in the Summer/Spring and this one is no exception. It has cute painted polka dots and I know I will get a lot of wear out of it! I bought it in the next size up because I like it better when tee's are baggy, I find them more comfortable and versatile! 

If you clicked on the link, it was the closest thing I could find on the J.Crew website, sorry, but its very similar!

J.Crew earrings- Fell in love with the color instantly, I also fell in love with the price... They were $20 in the sale section then an extra 40% off (which is great compared to the original $35). I can tell I'm going to get a lot of wear out of these all year round and I'm so excited.

Gap infinity scarf- Because I need more scarves *extreme sarcasm* I thought this would be the perfect one. The material is so light and soft that it will be perfect for Spring and Summer nights.

Gap essential tee- More orange, I'm definitely leaning towards the brighter colors this year, I am done with Winter! Again, I bought this in the next size up.

I bought these all separately, but this outfit is too adorable not to share!

Button down- Gap denim shirts are great, and this one is no exception. I needed a light washed denim shirt and I'm so glad I finally have it!

Skirt- Madewell, you've done it again. I'm in love. There's nothing more to really say.

Necklace- I've been eyeing a similar necklace from the Bauble Bar, but I saw it at Nordstrom's and needed it! I've been obsessed with statement necklaces lately.

Until later,

xx, Madison

Have you bought anything for Spring? If so, what?

ps. I was going to upload this earlier, but it all got deleted when my phone died! I'm certainly going to stick with typing on the laptop!

Shopping Preppy... Cheaply

Its no secret that shopping in "preppy" stores can get expensive. I don't know what it is, but shopping for preppy clothes is budget busting. Nevertheless, there are some stores that sell very, very similar clothing styles for a lot cheaper. Here are some of my favorite stores that don't break the bank:

1. Old Navy- I love Old Navy, its inexpensive, but is still great quality. Their jeans are to die for. Seriously. Being 5'1 it gets pretty hard to find jeans that fit well, but Old Navy jeans are just amazing and fit me extremely well. Everything about the store just ticks all the boxes for me.

2. Gap- The Gap is the most expensive store on this list. I'm not saying it's expensive, but compared to the other stores in the list, it is. Gap and Old Navy are run by the same company, you know that just by going on the website. So they have similar quality and style, perfectly preppy in my opinion, but people who don't normally dress that way can still enjoy shopping here. My personal favorite here are there denim button ups, they're amazing. I also love the sweater collection they have.

3. H&M- H&M is perfect for buying the basics and staples every girl needs like t-shirts and tights and things like that. I have the best cable knit sweater from here in a lavender/perriwinkle sort of color. Although it isn't the most "preppy" place, I find it perfect for looking for the staples at an inexpensive price.

4. Francesca's- This store isn't as preppy as it used to be, but I still love the jewelry collection they carry. They have the best statement necklaces at cheap prices and you can still get some good clothing in there even though they've sort of changed there style.

5. J.Crew Factory- The regular J.Crew can get expensive, that's no secret. But the Factory is perfect for shopping the same style on a budget... I tend to go here to buy J.Crew shorts as they don't really tend to change season to season and they offer the same bright colors that I love.

I hope this helped some of you on a budget while shopping for the warmer months coming ahead of us. I know I will definitely be going to these stores to prepare for Summer!

Until later,
xx Madison.

What are some of your favorite stores to shop at when on a budget?

Surviving the Weather

It's no hidden secret if you live in the Northeast, or pretty much anywhere else in the United States for that matter, that this winter has been hard. Like mega-ultra hard. Like record breaking hard. Six snow days and counting hard. It's also no secret that most people are done with this weather. I myself, a winter lover, just cannot wait until the snow melts and I'm sitting on the beach in 80 degree air. But with the melting comes puddles. And I mean a lot of puddles. If you're not prepared you will get wet. My favorite way to keep my feet dry in all the puddles are most definitely my Hunters. They are durable, comfortable, and adorable, they are the three "ables" a perfect rain boot must have and 

Hunter has done it. I also feel that a key clothing item to survive the wet is not only the perfect shoe, but the perfect coat as well. Even though I do love my sweatshirts and windbreakers, I find that the perfect fashion choice has to be my J.Crew Downtown Field Jacket. Its light and a great quality fabric. Similarly, I love my Old Navy Lightweight Tie-waist Jacket. Again, a very similar durable quality fabric and lightweight. )Remember, I picked these jackets because I'm hoping the weather won't drop back down to 20 degrees! You'd freeze if you tried to wear these jackets in that kind of weather!) I took Charlie for a walk today and it smelled like the beach, hopefully that means that spring is on its way!

Hunters are a necessity for this type of weather!

Accurate picture of today's beautiful yet wet weather.

He doesn't really know what to do with all this snow!

Olympics

The Olympics are easily the greatest showing of sports in the world, and that is clear and obvious this year in Sochi. In my humble opinion, I much prefer the Winter games to the Summer. It's all opinion though, if you like the Summer, you like the Summer. If you do, you have to admit the games in Sochi have been intense, and I mean intense. From the figure skating stars Gracie Gold and Yulia Lipnitskaya to the emotional skiing half pipe, you have to admit its been intense. There have been heartaches - both men and women's USA hockey team lost to Canada - to triumphs - the US sweeping the podium in men's freestyle skiing (Can you tell I'm a USA fan?). It all makes me want the 2018  Winter Olympics in South Korea to come even sooner. My personal favorite event is definitely the figure skating, its so graceful yet extremely difficult at the same time. I also love the half pipe competitions, Kelly Clark has to be my favorite. I do enjoy watching most sports, but one I will never understand is curling, I mean have you noticed how odd the scoring is? Maybe one day I will, but I do not see that day coming anytime soon. Anyways, I hope the Summer Olympics in Rio in two years will be just as intense as these have!

I just thought this would be a nice filler post for you all!

Until later,

xx Madison

What are your favorite events at the Olympics?

All About Me

If you read my blog, or thinking of doing so, you probably want to know that I am an actual person and not just a computer hahaha. Since I can't just write a paragraph about myself, I mean where does one start? I've decided it would be a lot easier to simply list 50 facts about myself.

Here we go!

1. I am terrified of spiders, even the tiniest ones.

2. Snakes too.

3. I've lived in three different places, Bermuda, New York, and currently New Jersey.

4. I am not Bermudian however, my parents moved there for work purposes before I was born.

5. I am in high school (It's 2014 now, so you might be reading this in the future and I may no longer be in high school!)

6. Spellcheck, for many, is my "frenemy."

7. Kinda obsessed with music, not gonna lie. I like all types!

8. I love reading in my free time, although I never get enough time to do so.

9. My favorite subjects in school are English and History.

10. I hate math with a passion.

11. The Summer and the beach are the best things to ever happen.

12. I used to figure skate and watching the Olympics now, I regret quitting.

13. My favorite sport is lacrosse.

14. I play tennis too.

15. I am so emotional, I will cry for literally any remotely sad reason.

16. I'm not sure if this is a good or bad thing.

17. Even though I love English, analytical and thesis papers are a nightmare for me.

18. I've only been really into makeup since the Summer (of 2013) and its been a steep downhill journey ever since.

19. I get very bad anxiety before going through security and boarding a plane. Its getting better though.

20. I overpack for long trips.
21. I underpack for short trips.
22. I'm not really sure how that works though.
23. I always manage to overdress somehow.
24. French is the most boring class for me, but it's not the worse. (Math is).
25. I'm slowly realizing I am horrible at making lists.
26. My favorite movie is Les Miserables and I recommend it 100%.
27. I love the scent vanilla, anything with that scent is an automatic favorite.
28. Blondies are better than brownies.
29. Slutty brownies beat all though. (Blondie, oreo, brownie layers of greatness).
30. My favorite Ben and Jerry's flavor is the Americone Dream and Half Baked.
31. Phish Food is ah-mazing too.
32. I laugh hysterically at things that may not be funny at all.
33. I desperately want to got to Greece. Preferably Santorini and Mykonos.
34. I get so annoyed when people snap their gum, it is easily my biggest pet peeve.
35. I have a puppy-well not really a puppy anymore-named Charlie! He is mini Golden Doodle.
36. I procrastinate. A lot.
37. I'm shy at first, but then I can be the loudest person when I get to know you.
38. My favorite shops are J.Crew, the Gap, and H&M.
39. Obviously I do love the higher end stores like Lilly Pulitzer, Kate Spade, and Ted Baker, but let's all face it together, they're a tad expensive.
40. I love art. Everything about it, museums like the MoMA, the history, everything.
41. I love to ski.
42. I really want to try snowboarding.
43. I have a best friend who I've known since I've lived in Bermuda, she live in NY now!
44. It has taken me two days to write this because as I said before, I procrastinate.
45. My favorite song at the moment is Pompeii by Bastille.
46. I'm listening to it right now!
47. Sleep. Is. Life.
48. I easily watch 10+ hours of Youtube a day.
49. I got the idea to begin this blog by Zoe (Zoella), Louise (Sprinkle of Glitter), Tanya (TanyaBurr), and Fleur (Fleur DeForce).
50. I am incredibly happy that I finished this!

Tell me about yourself in the comments! 

Until later!
xx, Madison.

Monogrammed Madness

Monograms have been around awhile, that's a given, jewelry, as stickers, on clothing, anything can be monogrammed. I did I bit of research online to see if I could get a downloadable (??) monogram. You would think on the whole world wide web there would have to be a website that could make them and alas! There is! Mark and Graham, although on the website you can also purchase various items, has a personal monogram maker. I made one (obviously) and they sent the monogram via email moments later. To make one, simply enter your initials, pick a design and color and voila! Your own monogram... On the computer.

My monogram. 

(It's also my profile picture but I thought you'd want to see a larger image)

Until later!

xx, Madison

*Please note that this is not endorsed at all, I simply found the website and thought you all should know about it!

Welcome!

Hello everyone! Today, February 19th, 2014, I have officially started what will hopefully be a fashion/beauty/lifestyle (A nice mixed salad one could say) blog. Ta da! It's here. The idea of starting a blog where I can pretty much share my life with anyone who is willing to read has been in my mind for quite sometime. I never got around to doing it earlier is because believe it or not, a lot can go in to making one! You have to pick out a name, theme, and maybe I was just scared. That sounds silly doesn't it? Maybe there was some embarrassment to it. I guess I just don't know what my family and friends would think and maybe I was scared of what they would think. I've decided that it shouldn't, and doesn't, matter what they think and here it is... The City's Prep. 

If you're confused, which you might be, I'm referring to New York City a.k.a the greatest city in the world. A world in its own as some may say. And if you haven't guessed already by my name, my fashion sense tends to go on the preppier side. *Disclaimer* I do tend to go out of that preppy zone of times so if you're not preppy, this won't be boring all the time, and if you are, don't get frazzled when I'm not in that what may be for you, the comfort of preppiness. (Is that a word??)

Now enough about my screen name and more about the girl behind the screen. (Me). Wow that made me sound self-centered. I'm not I promise! So I guess I'll start at the beginning. My name is Madison, easy enough. I was born in Bermuda, then moved to a temporary home in the Upper West Side until my parents found a nice little house in New Jersey. Although I live in NJ--which is a great state, don't believe the bad rep it gets--I believe I was born to live in the City. (Hence my name). I think I'm gonna do a full blog post on everything about me as if I try to stuff it all in here, it'll get quite lengthly.

Until then!

xx Madison.