Email theblondeprep@gmail.com with questions, comments, or concerns. Powered by Blogger.

Graduation Recap

This weekend was all a blur... Celebrating graduation with so many of my family members in town and celebrating for four days in a row with seemingly infinite amounts of parties and festivities was a little overwhelming! My family all left yesterday morning so I enjoyed a leisurely afternoon with my mom and tried to recover a little bit from all of the events prior. Tonight is the senior white dinner dance, the final "high school" event I will ever attend, where we all wear our white graduation dresses again. It's basically like a very, very formal prom, but it's apparently the most fun dance and I am so beyond excited!

Today I wanted to share a few photos from the actual graduation ceremony on Friday night. The ceremony is held every year at the Milwaukee Theatre and I honestly think they could not have done a better job of making it a beautiful commencement. My class of 158 girls had four valedictorians, and every speech was incredible. Last year I went to graduation for some friends, and I felt that the valedictorian speeches were so boring, but my classmates this year really killed it. We also elect one "spirit of the class" speaker to give a final speech after we walk across the stage, and she also did a wonderful job... her speech was hilarious!







My little cousins came in from Long Island and Boston! How cute are they?!


The only time this whole weekend my brother wasn't sporting a man-bun... Smh.



After graduation I went to dinner with my grandparents, parents, aunt, and my brother to the best restaurant in MKE. If you know me at all you know how much I love good seafood, and I'm still dreaming about those scallops, crab legs and lobster!




Overall, it was an incredible night and one that truly made me so grateful for the last four years. I loved my high school experience and I can't quite believe it's over. I'm not sure when it'll really hit me that I'm totally done, but I love that at least it finished off in a fabulous way.
xoxo

Memorial Day Sales

Happy Saturday! Today is my graduation party, meaning this afternoon will be spent with friends, family, and festivities. I can't wait to celebrate with the people I love most, but in the meantime, there are also some really great sales to take advantage of this weekend...

everything is on sale!

***

ANTHROPOLOGIE // Additional 30% off all sale items, in stores and online

ASOS // 20% Off with code HISUMMER

BANANA REPUBLIC // 40% Off with code BRTAKE40

BLOOMINGDALES // Additional 20% off select sale & clearance items with code BROWNBAG

FREE PEOPLE // Additional 25% off all sale items

FURBISH STUDIO // 20% Off with code ALLTHETHING

GAP // 35% Off with code EVENT

J. CREW // 30% Off with code WEEKEND

J. CREW FACTORY // 50% Off and extra 40% off sale styles with code EXTRA40.

LOFT // 60% Off summer faves & all sale styles + 40% off new arrivals

LORD AND TAYLOR // 20% Off almost everything with code MEMORIAL

NORDSTROM // Up to 40% Off with the Half-Yearly sale!

OLD NAVY // Extra 50% all tees, tanks, swim, shorts

SAM EDELMAN // 30% Off site-wide with code VIPSUMMER

TUCKERNUCK // 20% Off with code HELLOSUMMER

URBAN OUTFITTERS // 25% Off shorts + 25% off graphic tees

Happy shopping and happy Memorial Day weekend!
xoxo

Graduation

It's hard to wrap my head around the fact that I'm graduating today. A part of me feels like it was yesterday that I went to my first football game, failed my first English paper, played my first field hockey game... the list goes on and on. I think what makes high school graduations so particularly special is the fact that you go in one person, and you come out completely evolved. Compared to college, high school is a time of actual growth; high school is the time where you develop and discover who you truly are, and over the last four years, I don't think I could have done any better job of that.

When I remember how my life used to be graduating eighth grade, it's incredible to notice the changes. There are the big differences, like the fact that I've lived in three houses over these four years, my parents are now divorced, and like, maybe the fact that I never thought I'd ever have a boyfriend (if we are being totally honest I'm just putting that out there...). There are little things that have changed too. As a freshman, I never would have had the confidence to say half the things that I proudly do now, or I never wanted anyone to find out I had a blog. That one is actually pretty funny for me because I used to be so embarrassed of TBP and just last week at our all-school assembly I won an award for "most likely to become a famous blogger".

Tonight when I put on my white dress and gloves and I look like I'm getting married, I'll probably cry, but I will definitely also look back on these four years as the best of my life (so far!). The happiness and joyful moments that have come from all of the friends and people who have made me the person I am, with whom I created the most wonderful memories, will never be forgotten and will always hold a special place in my heart. Going to an all girls Catholic high school was the best decision I could have made for myself and although sometimes the lows felt that they overwhelmed the highs (I'm looking at you, sophomore year), I wouldn't trade this ride overall for anything in the world.

I am so incredibly blessed and thankful for every wonderful person who has supported me and I could not be more grateful for the opportunity to have had such a wonderful education, and four more years of it to come. As anyone would be, I am sad to leave my high school, my 157 sisters, and my home as I move 12 hours away, but I am excited for Lehigh and cannot wait to see what the next four years have in store.

I also just want to share this poem, because it feels fitting for today, and I find it so beautiful.


xoxo

(If you'd like to see peeks of my graduation behind the scenes, add me on Snapchat @franacciardo. I posted a ton for baccalaureate mass last night, I will definitely be posting today, and tomorrow is my graduation party!)

Graduation Gift Ideas



I may have missed the prime time to post on this particular topic given that many of my friends have already celebrated their graduations, but with the spirit of this post and all of the graduation parties to come, it can't hurt to think a little more thoughtfully about what gifts to pick out for your friends to celebrate their hard work!

The Shirtdress




After yesterday's Chicago recap I received a ton of questions about my shirtdress and shirt dresses in general for summer. I was never really a fan of the look until I found the one I wore in Chicago once I was actually already there, and since I was hot in my jeans I made the spontaneous decision to purchase the dress and wear it for the remainder of the day. I used to think shirt dresses were too "stuffy" or work-attire-esque, but since they are so popular right now there really are a ton of styles to suit almost anyone!

whites: 1 // 2 // 3 // 4
other: 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5
denim: 1 // 2 // 3 // 4

What are your thoughts on the shirtdress? I think these would all be so cute with sneakers or lace-up espadrilles or sandals to complete the look!
xoxo

Chicago Recap

This Saturday I went down to Chicago with Caroline and two of our other friends for a fun impromptu day trip. Our motivation to go was Carly's event at Vineyard Vines, which ended up being such a blast, and a really great excuse to explore Chicago and enjoy the perfect weather the windy city was having this weekend!


Our day started when we almost missed our 8:15 train from MKE to Union Station in Chicago, but just barely made it buying our tickets 30 seconds before the gates closed. 


When we arrived, we walked to the bean, and then continued to Firecakes. Firecakes Donuts were ah-mazing, and considering we were all starving by this point, they couldn't have hit the spot any more. (I had the coconut cream, but we all tried each other's and my favorite was definitely the vanilla iced with pearls!)



Following our donuts, we walked off a few of those carbs by heading to Michigan Avenue where we all had some shopping success (if you're curious about the leggings on my snapchat story, this pair is identical) and tried on far too many things!

We had lunch at Neiman Marcus, where Elizabeth and I introduced Caroline and Karlie, the popover virgins, to the heavenly world of Neiman's popovers and raspberry butter. Ugh, seriously nothing better! I also enjoyed the lemon shrimp salad.



At Neiman's I also couldn't resist trying on this dress. Seriously, have you ever seen anything better than an all-striped-everything maxi?!



We left and took a shortcut on our way to Carly's event through Bloomingdale's and Club Monaco (tell me that gingham bikini isn't to die for)


Once we arrived at Vineyard Vines, it was so exciting to see Carly again! There were quite a few people in line to chat with her, so we explored Oak Street a little more, popping into Kate Spade and Tory Burch, and then eventually Elizabeth and Karlie had to head on their train home.



Caroline and I went back to see Carly again at VV and wound up spending a little more time with her just hanging out and catching up before we took the 5 o'clock train home for dinner and Netflix (my first time seeing Sixteen Candles!)

Overall it was such a fun day, and I'm so glad we went! Days like Saturday make me realize how lucky I am to be able to just hop on a train to such a fun city. I would say I should go more often, but then it wouldn't be as special. I may, however, be back this coming Monday if I tag along to take my brother back to school after my graduation this weekend.

How was your weekend?
xoxo

What to Wear: Graduation Party Outfit Guide

I can't really believe this is it. The last four years of high school are all wrapping up for me this week.... tomorrow is my last day of school, followed by my last exams, and then Friday is my graduation! My graduation party will be on Saturday since all of my family is going to be in town, but I can't even wrap my head around how many Facebook event invites keep popping up in my notifications for invites to even more graduation parties! I seriously feel like I need to start writing everything out on a calendar. I swear my weekends feel booked until July! I'm not complaining though, there really is no better way to celebrate four years of hard work and accomplishments not only for yourself, but for your friends too, than by dressing up and having fun.

With all of the invites of course comes that (not-so) little pressure to wear a cute new outfit to every single party. This definitely won't be the case for me as I have my fair share of summer dresses and Lilly skirts that I'm planning to re-wear this season, but there's no harm in finding a few new pieces to don as well. I've shopped around for the cutest summer skirts and casual dresses, as well as tops and sandals to form the official graduation party guest outfit guide! Whether your attending your boyfriend's backyard barbecue, your best friend's open house, or a country club soiree, you'll definitely find something below that you'll want to wear.

More white dresses:


More party dresses:


More flat sandals:



More wedges and heeled sandals: 



xoxo

This Week's Top 10


1. I am obsessed with these sandals.

2. This tassel statement necklace comes in two colors and is only $25!


4. This post of Amy and her husband is just goals. The outfit, the relationship, the beauty!

5. So... I made this cake after school this week. And it was amazing.

6. The upside-down braided bun is really cool.

7. Jacey is a style genius. How does she make simple look so chic?!

8. Kate Spade is giving away a little gift with any swim purchase right now (and all of the swim is fabulous)

9. Speaking of swim, this reversible bandeau striped option is only $50.

10. T-1 week until graduation! I can't believe it's already here!

xoxo

Winding Down

Last night I fell asleep at 7:15. I woke up at 4:45 this morning snuggled up on top of my covers and realized I had just a little over two hours to finish my French paper, Physics presentation, and study for the huge French test that I feel incredibly unprepared for this morning. Of course, right now as I write this, it's 6:15 and I've finished both my paper and project, but that test just doesn't sound that appealing at the moment. 

With senior year have come a plethora of changes in my life, mostly educational, and some emotionally. It's crazy to me that my last day of real high school is on Tuesday, and in just one week I'll be celebrating my Baccalaureate mass before graduation Friday evening. This year has flown by, but every time I think about football games this fall or field hockey season, all of those events simultaneously feel like a lifetime ago.

Heading into summer, I know I want to read more, spend time with friends, relax and work on my tan, and just enjoy my last summer truly here with the people I've spent the four years with, because come August, all of those changes that I've been anticipating will finally be hitting me, and there won't be too much time to spend with my best friends when I'm on a plane to Pennsylvania. In a way, I feel like I have so much to do, both this last week of school and this summer to prepare for college, but I also feel like some of things I have to "do" are just be present, live in the moment, and really take in every minute of the time I have left.

xoxo

Styling a Denim Skirt: Part 2



When I was in New York a few weeks ago, I wore the denim skirt that I styled here for the first time. Sloane and I snapped this pictures after brunch while exploring Soho, and I loved that this skirt was so comfy and made me feel like I really nailed the street style vibes. Paired with a messy half bun and the softest sweater, this look shows the fun, effortless jean skirt ensemble, still tied together with classic pieces like tortoise sunnies and versatile sandals, and of course, my trusty monogrammed Mark and Graham.

Weekend Recap

This weekend was so much fun. Because yesterday was senior skip day too, that made my weekend into a 3-day weekend, and nothing is better than spending a sunny Monday in May with all of your best friends instead of in a classroom.


Friday was a wonderful way to kick off the weekend. I didn't go to school until noon because I went to breakfast with Carin after my dentist appointment, and then we went to the cutest new boutique (The Navy Knot, seriously how cute is that name?!) where I got Jack a bowtie in his school colors for his birthday. Carin and I also coincidentally, as per usual, were twinning in our college shirts and had to snap a pic.


Friday I meant to go to my friend's boyfriend's birthday party, but by the time I got home on Friday all I really wanted to do was sleep! So, leave it to my mom and I to make ourselves mac and cheese and fall asleep at 8:45. I'm not complaining though, I definitely needed those twelve hours to recuperate.


On Saturday I spent the majority of my afternoon at work making the cutest little cupcake flags for an  event we were donating to, but doing all 350 of those took forever! I left work and picked up EJ (you might recognize her from this post) and we had such a fun night on Saturday. We went to the grocery store together and then went back to my house where we made ourselves the yummiest dinner ever (recipe coming soon!). Next year she is going to be rooming with one of my close friend's from school, so she came over too and the three of us hung out!


Sunday morning was spent sipping tea and nibbling on croissants with Elizabeth before I went to church and met back up with her to head to Carin's graduation! It was such an exciting celebration, and of course, Carin looked fabulous!



The whole ceremony was so lovely, and it's so cute how all of the girls got yellow bouquets for their school colors.

On my way home from the graduation, naturally I had to stop at J. Crew, where the most exciting thing happened. Someone stopped me in the store and asked if I was the blonde prep. OMG, I was literally geeking! It was kind of funny because I was probably ten times more excited than she was, but it was such a cool experience to have that happen!


I got home, quick changed, and then my friend picked me up to head to our French teacher's house for our senior French dinner! We had some hors d'oeuvres and then drove downtown to the restaurant where I had delicious mussels. At this point we had pretty much just established that Monday was actually senior skip day, so an impromptu sleepover followed dinner. This worked out incredibly well because Jack's birthday was yesterday, so we woke up at 5 AM and drove all the way to his house (45 minutes away from my friend's house!) to bring him donuts before school for his birthday.

It was such a fun little surprise, and I think his mom thought I was crazy for how excited I was!

We then drove back to my house, took a little nap to recover from the early rise, and then five more of my friends came over so we could all hang out and spend skip day together. Yesterday was a beautiful day so we ended up going to the park near my house and walking around and exploring the trails.

Overall, it was such a fun weekend filled with all of my friends that I'm so lucky to have! Days like these make me realize how wonderful the past four years have truly been, and although it's all wrapping up, I will have so many memories to cherish and so many people to look forward to making even more memories with this summer and beyond.

xoxo

This Week's Top 10

How cute is that wallpaper?!

1. I shared my prom recap on the blog this week.

2. These are the cutest summer pajamas, and they're under $30!

3. I saw these shorts in the store this week and I'm obsessed with them.

4. At work on Wednesday we had a little "cupcakes and calligraphy" party, which was quite a success! Did you see my insta?

5. Speaking of Instagram, what are your thoughts on the update?

6. What's the food holiday on your birthday?! Mine is chocolate pecan pie day.... I guess I can work with that (I'll eat anything with the words "chocolate" or "pie" in the title, let's be real)


8. Highkey, I want this for my graduation party.


10. Carin's graduation is on Sunday and I'm so excited to attend! I can't believe the graduation season is already upon us... I don't think I'm 100% ready to be done with high school. It's so bittersweet, especially now that housing contracts are out, class registration is up, and things are really kicking into gear.

Have a great weekend!
xoxo

PS- Thanks for 5,000 on Insta! ILY all!!! And happy Friday the 13th ;)

How To Wear A Denim Skirt


One trend that I have been loving for a long time has been the denim skirt. I remember growing up, my mom had a few different colored (oh yes, colored) jean skirts that she dressed me in for my little outfits. I was never a huge fan at the time, but now I am so into the look! Denim mini skirts are so easy and versatile, and they add a chic, street style vibe to any outfit. I purchased this skirt just before my last trip to New York and I have already worn it a handful of times. It's one of those pieces that I can really wear with anything, and it works for surprisingly many occasions.


Prom Recap


Prom this weekend was so much fun. Usually I'm most excited for pictures and the after party, but I have to say that the dance this year did not disappoint! It was especially a special evening because it was the last high school dance for us, not including my school's post-graduation formal white dinner dance that we wear our long white graduation dresses to. I loved that I went to the first high school dance as a freshman (homecoming) with Jack, and then four years later we went to the last dance together too! It's crazy to me that it's been four years and not only has the dance situation come full circle, but we have also been dating for almost a year now!


Carin and our other BFF Elizabeth were so sweet to come to my pictures! They took charge of my camera and got some really good pics.


It's always kind of fun going to the boys' dances and getting to hang out in a different group of people! My friends took a lot of dates in a different friend group, so it was sort of fun to hang out with different people for a night but still all get to be together at the dance.

Finding a prom dress this year was a similar process as last year... just stressful! I ended up ordering seven dresses total, and I love the one I ended up wearing! I think it was a pretty unique choice, and I loved that it was a little different. My shoes arrived at my house Saturday morning, too, so typical. Thanks Fedex ;)


We took pictures downtown on the lakefront, had dinner at the actual prom, and then we went to a fairly small after party, but it was still so fun! Random note too, my bouquet was gorgeous... white calla lilies and peonies! My faves, so sweet.


How was your weekend? Did you do anything special for Mother's Day yesterday? We had brunch and then enjoyed the nice weather a little bit outside. It was fun to have my brother home this weekend to celebrate too.
xoxo