CPTS

If there is one reality television show that has a point, it would be What Not To Wear.

I don't know who else loves What Not To Wear, but I adore everything about it. 

Stacy and Clinton both are always able to give me a good giggle, and they are successful in making over people's lives. Fashion isn't just about the way you dress, it's a lifestyle. Changing the way you dress can really change your life. 

I idolize Stacy and Clinton, they change lives for the better and create a better, trendier world. 

The most valuable lesson I've learned from Stacy and Clinton was CPTS. 

Eleanor, what does CPTS mean you say.

Well...

C- Color

P- Pattern

T- Texture

S- Shine

Those are the four keys to completing any outfit. 

Next time before you walk the door, take a quick look and see, would Stacy and Clinton approve of this outfit? Just give it a check, does it have CPTS?

If the answer is yes then chances are you're in good shape!

Keep it classy,

~E

Staples, Part Two.

Yesterday we talked about important jewelry staples, so it's fitting that today we're going to talk about my favorite/most important clothing articles in my closet. 

5.  Brown Braided Skinny Belt-

I got this last winter from the Gap, and it was one of the best purchases I've made in the last six months. I wear it every time I put on a pair of mid waisted denim shorts, or my high waisted khaki shorts. I love how the braiding detail adds great texture!

4. Black Lace Scarf-

I got this while out shopping one day with one of my best girlfriends, Julie. It adds class to almost anything you could think to pair it with. And because it's lacy you can wear it in the summer when it's hot or in the "cold" Texas winters. Also, it does look really good with my trench coat.

3. Mid Waisted denim shorts- 

Truth: I liked these so much I went out and bought a second pair.

There from Urban Outfitters and I love them. The waist is higher than normal, and they look really good with a fun colored polo tucked in, and #5, the brown braided skinny belt! 

Side Note: I'm really sad that I'll have to be putting them away in a few months.

2. White Eyelet Skirt- 

This really is my best online shopping score, I got it for $15 from the J. Crew Factory outlet last October. It pairs well with a fitted polo or t-shirt for a sophisticated and fun yet comfy look. I'm planning on wearing it this weekend before Labor Day. 

1. Black Cardigan-

Mom actually got this for me at the J. Crew outlet while shopping with her friend. I wear it all the time. Like, at least once a week. The buttons are cut like diamonds and there black and shiny and it really makes me happy. Remember kids, CPTS. (If you don't remember what that means don't worry, we're having a refresher course tomorrow.)

What are your staple pieces? How often do you wear them?

Keep it classy,

~E

Standardized.

Getting to be a Junior in high school can be some really bad news for bad testers. Being a junior means you have to begin to seriously prepare for standardized testing for entering college. The PSAT mandated at most schools is a great starting point. The only major difference between the SAT and the PSAT is the "P" before it. The whole point of the exam is practice. To learn how to manage time and prepare to take the SAT and other standardized tests.

A common misconception is that the SAT and ACT measure what you know, in fact, nothing could be further than the truth. Both tests measure how you think, not what you think. Colleges don't want someone who already knows everything, they want someone that they can teach. Someone who will be ready and able to learn.

In preparation to take the SAT I'm taking a "Boot Camp" class offered through my school. It reviews no material, it only goes over test taking strategies and how to take the test. And if you're testing and don't know the answer, all you have left are your strategies.

I'm not excited to spend a few of my Saturday mornings taking a standardized rigorous test, but knowing how it will affect my future is scary. One test could be the reason I do or don't get into the school of my dreams.

So study hard this year. New year, new you.

Good luck out there, and as always...

Keep it classy,

~E

New year, new changes.

Well, it's about to be that day... The first day of school.

The one day where everyone worries about their outfit, will the teachers like me, who am I going to sit with at lunch?

The key to success is to dress for it. Everyone experiences first day jitters, why not calm them with a healthy dose of fashion?

At my school, we're on an "Alternating Block" schedule, basically we have the same classes every other day. And while academically it's good, alternating block does pose a few fashion problems.

First of all, two first day outfits for the first "red day" and the first "green day". Can you say ugh? Oh well. Well, my mom made me a spread sheet that I can log what I'm wearing each day so I can avoid the slightly awkward situation of wearing the same outfit to the same day. 

Unfortunately for my stress level I still haven't picked out my 5 "first week" outfits. 

But I'm sure it will end up okay. I have a video conference date set up with my sister so she is going to help me out. Plus I miss her lots.

I'll keep you updated on my wardrobe choices for the next week!

Keep it classy,

~E

I love my job!

Working is, well, not bad.

It's called work for a reason. Honestly I don't mind it. 

But my favorite part is pay day. I love reaping the fruits of my labor. 

Subtract $50 for the gas tank, then divide by two, put half into savings, the rest goes to fun. That's my life. After my first few paychecks I've got it down. 

And thanks to some wonderful end of summer sales I've gotten a few great things!!! 

Thanks to Urban Decay I've gotten the Midnight Emergency Kit, complete with a full size lip gloss.

On sale for $22! 

Granted it's called the Midnight Emergency kit, however, I plan on keeping it in my tote at school for a quick touch up of my eyeshadow or lip gloss. Not to mention the kit has a zipper that keeps glitter fallout form becoming a problem and getting all over everything. HUZZAH!

And courtesy of Kate Spade's 75% off sale I picked up the Cork idiom bangle that I've had my eye on all summer. 

As much as my mother hates cork (trust me she has a personal vendetta against cork accessories) and as strange as this is, I really do love cork. I really want a pair of pointy toed cork flats! No one ever said you had to approve of all your mother's fashion choices.

I can't believe that I'm saying this, but I'm really excited to get back to school, and be there in style.

What are you kids wearing to school? Who's excited??

Keep it classy,

~E

A whole new level.

Traditionally seersucker is worn as only clothing, but I'm out to change that today. 

Lately I've been building ground on a bangle obsession. And I've been looking for a seersucker bangle. Sadly, it was a fruitless search. As a notorious craft-o-holic I decided that when in craft world, create as the inspired do. 

So I set out to create a seersucker bangle. And with some inspiration and basic supplies, you can too. 

What you'll need:

scissors

seersucker fabric

an old bangle

hot glue

How to do it:

Use your scissors to cut a length of your fabric about double the bangle's circumference.

Take your hot glue gun and place a line of glue on the top of the bangle.

Quickly, before the glue dries, place the fabric centered on the glue. 

Press down and hold it for a few seconds until the glue gets tacky.

Place another line of glue on the bottom and put one side of the fabric in it and hold it down.

Repeat this for the second side and and let it dry fully. 

Continue to do this around the bangle until it is fully covered.

CONGRATULATIONS! You now have a super spiffy new bangle! 

Wear it with pride!

Keep it classy,

~E

SeerSUCKER

My name is Eleanor and I'm a seersucker freak.

I love stripes on any day and when it comes to a good seersucker I simply swoon.

I've got skirts, I've got bathing suit bags, I've got pencil bags and I'm working on pajama shorts.

See what I mean? 

It's seersucker celebration time, celebrating with fun facts!

The word Seersucker is originated from the Persian word "shir o shekar" meaning milk and sugar, probably named for the texture and color of the white "milk" and the rough loose weave.

In World War II nurse's uniforms were commonly made of seersucker.

In June, the United States senate holds Seersucker Thursday where all participants dress in traditional southern clothing.

Yay for fun facts! 

And get ready for a special seersucker 10 Minute Trend tomorrow!

Keep it classy,

~E

The Scholar Shop!

As almost any tall girl knows, finding jeans is a complete pain in the the rear end. 

So finding any sort of pants is cause for celebration. 

At the scholar shop I was able to find THREE pairs of pants that fit properly!

AG Adriano Goldschmidt Chocolate Brown Cords with a flair, $24

Citizens Of Humanity Jeans with a flair, $28

Joe's Jeans with a flair hem, $25

I also wrangled a great pink and white J. Crew Skirt for $8

a tan BCBGMaxazaria dress with wonderful sleeves for $38

And two long sleeve shirts,

a Lauren Ralph Lauren camel colored shirt for $15

and a J. Crew white cable knit turtle neck sweater for $15

I love brands and I love good prices!
Yay for looking good without breaking the bank!

Keep it Classy,

~E

A New Meaning.

Well, It's that time of year again... back to school time, and that means a few things in my book.

1. Catching up on that "Summer" reading that you never actually did (Who's going to remember it if they read it in May anyway?)

2. The air is getting colder (well, sort of)

3. Back to school shopping.

Some of my favorite places to go shopping are having some great sales, Lilly Pulitzer, Vineyard Vines, Jack Rogers, and even the ever coveted Urban Decay.

And don't forget about great sits like Rue La La and Guilt with boutiques, a bit dicier but keep an eye out for your favorite brand and you're bound to find something. 

We all must go back to school, but why not go in style. Almost all yearbooks have a best dressed category, why not go for that? 

Now go and achieve something. Inspire the world. But as always,

Keep it classy,

~E

Happy Supprise

Well, my neighbor has two kids, both girls. Nora is 3 and Ella is 2. Basically, there the cutest things ever.

I got asked to babysit them for a few hours yesterday. Needless to say, I jumped at the chance. When I got there this morning I was greeted by Nora who informed me that she was going to be a clown today. As any same babysitter would do, I asked her what her clown name was. She responded with what I thought was Lola. I double checked and I was wrong. She corrected me with Yoda. She then ran into the toy room and emerged with a green lightsaber.

I don't think that I've had as much hope for the next generation as I gained today.

Keep it classy,

~E

Hey, guess what?

It's SHARK WEEK!!! 

I'm having a ball just watching the Discovery Channel and enjoying the awe inspiring footage of one of the ocean's top predators! 

I'm celebrating by wearing blue and eating plenty of seafood. 

Don't forget your Jack Rogers Palm Beach Platnium Navajos in aqua/Platnium. 

Your J. Crew Strapless Anchor Tank (it's on sale!) 

Your Ralph Lauren Blue Label Crochet Texture Tunic (it's also on sale!)

and this fabulous tote from Pink Baken Boutique on Etsy!

I hope you all are having as much fun with Shark Week as I am!

I hope I never need a bigger boat.
Keep it classy,
~E

I'm bringing ______ back.

Words have power. Speech gives power to actions. And I think speech is incredible. Really think about it, putting syllables together into words, phrases, and sentences is awesome.

Lots of regions have words that are exclusive to the area. The west has bro, dude, and cool. The east coast has things like sick and wicked. Not to mention English phrases like bloody, blimey, or pansy.

Don't they all sound fun? I've decided to attempt to bring some "unusual" words not native to Texas into my everyday life. Every month i'll chose a word to introduce to the Texans and I'll keep you updated on how it goes! Basically, I'm quite excited.

This month I'm going to try "wicked". I'm sure that there are going to be some strange looks but nothing can dampen my spirit!

Wish me luck!

Keep it classy,

~E

Chanel... Or Not.

It's time for another eddition of 10 Minute Trend! 

Today we've been inspired by Chanel's Spring 2012 collection. Because any classy or preppy girl loves pearls. 

Pearls were all the rage on the runway for noted French fashion house. They were everywhere, pinned in hair, stuck on the back in an ascending way, and around necks and wrists. 

Inspired by this DIY from Honestly... WTF I set out to create my own pearl pins. 

What you need:

12 pearl beads

12 bobby pins

108 inches of thin gauge jewelry wire (9 inches per pin)

Scissors

Super glue

What to do:

Start by threading the wire through the pearl bead and twisting the end of it so the bead is closed off.

Next twist the wire around the pin until you are satisfied with the stability, if there's extra wire then use the scissors to take off the excess. Just make sure that it's hidden and tucked away so it won't poke you. 

 Lastly, for some extra insurance put a small drop of super glue on the area where the wire meets the bobby pin. Let it dry and wear your new "designer" pins with pride! 

Keep it classy,

~E

Crazy Awesome!

So... I've been away from you kids for a few days. Sorry about that. I've been in Missouri at my Grandparent's and getting my sister settled in in her new apartment for a new school year. 

HOWEVER, I' have plenty to post about in the next few days! I got so much inspiration from being in a new environment! 

I also got to go to one of my favorite stores in the world. It's called The Scholar Shop and it's only in St. Louis. It's less than 5 minutes from my grandparent's house and has the best consignment I've ever seen, and I do lots of resale shopping. The best part of The Scholar Shop? It's a 501 (c)  (3) not for profit organization. AKA it's a not for profit organization, any and all profits that are not used to keep the store open are used for scholarships for young underprivileged women attempting to better themselves by going to college! Is that not great? Shopping for a cause! 

I'll post something about my MASSIVE haul sometime sometime this week with pictures. But for now, let's just say that I' pretty much ready for school...

Until then,

Keep it classy,

~E

Coloring Outside The Lines

 There are some things I love that are, well, less than preppy. But that's okay. We don't have to stay within parameters defined by a specific style. It's good to color outside the lines sometimes.

Some of my favorite things are...

1. Athletic Shorts- I have lots. There technically for Rugby practice and working out. I'm not going to lie, I love lounging in them. If they were in school dress code (there specifically banned) I might be tempted to wear them to class every day. I really can't wait to be in college and wear what I want.

2. Teal Toes- We all know that I love nail polish. And my favorite color IS blue. I have a teal that I use frequently (OPI's Fly from the Nicki Minaj collection). Basically it makes me happy to have a colorful pop of color on my toes. Open toed summer sandals are lots more fun.`

3. Star Wars- I was raised as a tomboy. I loved big clothes, and the Power Rangers. Not to mention Star Wars. George Lucas is basically my favorite director. Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, and Carrie Fisher are masters of the screen, even with Mark and Carrie's limited experience at the time, the original 3 movies are perfection, episode six being my favorite. The Ewoks are just so cute! (Fun Fact: when I write on the family calender that I have work I write E work. With my hand writing it ends up like Ework, close to Ewok.)

4. Slouchy Sweatshirts- You know, the big ones with no hood, 80's inspired, tight band at the bottom? Yeah, those. They're super comfy and make me feel lazy. Lounging around with a cup of hot chocolate, big sweat pants, and a slouchy sweatshirt watching Star Wars is high on my winter priorities. And it should be on yours too. (I'm loving this Jane Austen inspired slouchy sweatshirt by Bookish)

5. Rugby- As the majority of you know, I play Rugby. "A hooligan's sport played by gentlemen." Or in my case, classy girls. I began playing in the spring of Freshman year and in November I'll be entering my 3rd season. Basically, I love it. The rush of a properly executed tackle. Getting excited over your first try (and becoming a Zulu Warrior). Tournaments are such fun, getting to know girls from other teams, and getting to know your team better. Last year the two highlights of the season were the Under 19's Texas All Star Tournament and winning the State Championship for the second straight year. At the All Star Tournament all the players from around Texas got together and stayed in the same hotel. We had a great late night hot tub session (I got dumped in in my clothes) and getting to know younger college players and fellow high school athletes was amazing. And winning was, well, winning. It was bittersweet, our season ended with a bang but our seniors left. Saying goodbye was heart wrenching. 

Keep it classy,
~E

And So It Begins

School is starting in a matter of mere weeks for me, and that means many things. But one thing is on my mind more than others. 

Homecoming. 

Granted, ours is crazy late, November 10th to be exact, but I'm already thinking and planning for it. 

Groups, dinners, dates, clothing, and appointments. There all important. 

It's probably because I hate doing things at the last minute for fear of forgetting something. But it might be because I really like planning things. 

The point is, I'm already looking at dresses. 

I know I'm going for gold, blue, or sequined. And I would prefer one shouldered for dancing reasons (no one wants a wardrobe malfunction) but that is flexible (I've managed strapless for the past two years). 

My ideal dress is this Terani Couture creation in gold. It's gold and shiny and I feel like an Oscar award in it. However, It's almost $500 at the local boutique. And that's just ridiculous. It's a dress for Junior year homecoming, not even prom. So I'm still looking.

(Side note, I look decent in it too!)

I also ADORE this amazing Terani. I feel like with a late homecoming date the colors would be wonderful for November. I haven't ever really seen anything like it. However, again with Terani, the price of the dress is CRAZY. Almost $600. So this is shot down too. However, I haven't been able to find it in stores here so it's even more not an option.

I'm still looking, but those are my current favorites and I just felt like sharing. If you happen to see anything like that go ahead and share!

Keep it classy,

~E

Random Holiday Fun!

Happy National agenda day from my neuroses to yours!

In celebration here are some of the prettiest planners I  can find!

From May Books....

From Lilly Pulitzer...

From Sarah Pinto...

From Kate Spade...

I just love planners and agendas. I love being organized and knowing what's coming, as well as what I've already done. I feel so accomplished when I turn a page signifying that the week is over, I have survived however hectic and crazy the week was, it's over now. 

Finding a pretty planner that works for you is an accomplishment. Picking out a new planner is some of the most fun I have at the office supply store (or online). 

I can't wait until my current agenda runs out so I can get a new one. Quite frankly if it was beneficial for me to have multiple agendas, I would. But sadly that confuses me more than anything. So everything just goes in the same. 

Keep it classy and organized,

~E