March Madness {Lillybee University}

Hey y'all,

For those of y'all that don't live in the Tar Heel State, March doesn't just mean nice weather, but in fact means lots and lots of basketball with March Madness. March always kicks off with the Duke/Carolina game followed by the ACC Tournament and Selection Sunday determines the NCAA tournament members on March 15th. I've been so proud of the way my Tar Heels have been playing in the ACC Tournament, but since it's called March Madness we all know the NCAA tournament always has some very interesting games.

While a preppy dress code of sundresses, sandals, and boots are expected for Southern Football games, I find it very hard to determine what to wear for basketball games while maintaining a preppy style. It can be especially tough when your school colors are so specific, like UNC's Carolina Blue. Lots of students wear Carolina t-shirts and basketball jerseys but that isn't necessarily my style and now that I don't make it to the Dean Dome often I look for Carolina items and accessories that I can incorporate into my entire wardrobe. 

Enter Lillybee University who reached out about their College and University line and I knew I had to share them with y'all. Some of y'all might have seen the photo I posted already on Instagram but I was sent the University of North Carolina Flats and I am in love. They are so comfortable and will work perfectly for going to the game or supporting my Heels from afar. I wore my pair to a friend's house to watch the Duke/Carolina game this past Saturday and I was so comfortable and got so many compliments on these flats. I know I will be wearing them to other Carolina games whether baseball, football, or basketball.

For those of you with a similar preppy style I thought I would share a few different outfits from casual to professional to showcase how versatile these flats are and how you can continue to show support for your school no matter if you have to be in the office or are front row at the Dean Dome.

 Game Day.

Top/Sweater/Jeans/Flats/Bow Clips/Bag

Since the Dome can get pretty warm I try to go with a cami and sweater combination. I love this Vineyard Vines tote that can fit in everything while still showing my support. I also love that you can add on bow clips to the Lillybee U flats so at the game everyone knows you cheer for UNC.

 Dressed to Impress

Dress/Necklace/Flats

I would probably rock this outfit for work or even Carolina Football games but I had to include it for those that like to be a little more dressed up at the game. 

Fan from Afar

Top/Pants/Scarf/Flats

For those of you not in the area or who work and still want to show off their love of the Tar Heels, I love pairing this Carolina Blue top with the flats for a subtle support look.

Casual Friday
T-shirt/Jeans/Scarf/Flats/Bow Clips

I am currently rocking this look for casual Friday since the ACC Tournament is going on and it's Spring Break on Campus.

Lillybee University has so many color options and styles so no matter if your school is listed I am sure you can find a style to fit your gameday look. I personally am eyeing the UNC wedges for the spring game and for early fall football games. I mean, how cute would they be with a little white sundress?

What do you wear to basketball games?

What do you find difficult in dressing to showcase your school spirit?

 (Mine is always finding Carolina Blue items)
Who are you rooting for in the upcoming NCAA tournament?

*This is not a sponsored post. I did receive the UNC flats for review but as always I only post items I am passionate about and will always share my opinions completely.*

5 on Friday

Hey y'all,

Sorry for the extended absence, between Snowmagedon, Valentine's Day, the Olympics, and catching up at work after 2.5 snow days it has been a busy week.Here are some things I have been loving this week:

one. UNC's win over #5 DUKE. 
WHAT?? I know! I was so happy and proud of Roy's Boys last night as they topped our rivals. While I wish I could have been at the game, even on TV the Dean Dome looked energized and was loud. After a few years of not winning in the Dome including my Senior year I was so excited to see all the celebration. As always, It is a great day to be a Tar Heel, and GO TO HELL DUKE!

via The Daily Tar Heel

two. MY LITTLE IS HERE!
Ok, so my little (aka little #1 or kBb) is in town this weekend! I haven't seen her since she graduated back in May and headed back to FL but she will be here for a surprise visit before heading to South America for two years with the Peace Corp. Yep she is awesome. I can't wait for our YoPo date this afternoon!

three. My Valentine.
So this year my small group did a Valentine's exchange this week. So similar to Secret Santa we all drew names and then there was a survey of things we liked, favorite chocolate, etc. It was a lot of fun picking out the best items (and our exchange was Monday so clearance was a great advantage.) I received M&M minis, bubble gum tape and this baking mold:

Wilton 12 Cavity Silicone Baking Mold, Lips

four. the weather. 
Yep. I said it. Last Thursday the Triangle area was covered in snow and ice and yesterday we were in the 70s. Right now it is 67 degrees outside and it is not even March! I think North Carolina has some trouble deciding which season it wants sometimes but I am not going to complain about T-shirt and sandal weather!

Right Now

Today

Tonight

66°F

FEELS LIKE 66°

67°

HIGH

36°

LOW

Cloudy

T-Storms

Mostly Clear

Past 24-hr Precip:

0 in

Chance of Rain

five. Y'all!

When I signed in to blogger today I saw that I had a whopping 200 followers here and 131 followers on Bloglovin! I think I will try to gather a few of my favorite things for a giveaway but for now I just want to say THANK YOU!

What are you loving this Friday?

Link-Up Here

SNOW DAY!

Hey y'all,

I hope you are all safe and sound. If you live in the Carolinas I hope that you are safe at home rather than out in the storm. Yesterday, I left work when the office closed (it never happens) around 2pm and did not reach home until almost 5pm. I live 5 miles from UNC and it was very slow going with lots of cars abandoned. It was a long drive but when I got home, my roommate and I were able to have a bit of fun in the snow before making dinner and watching the Olympics. 

One mile in and one hour down.

 SNOW!

 SNOW DAY SELFIES!

 I am spending this unexpected snow day cleaning my apartment, finishing my laundry, watching the olympics and maybe some yoga later. It has started snowing again! I love the snow but I am much happier that I am home rather than out there.

Do you have a snow day? What is your favorite thing to do on an unexpected snow day?

Fit Friday Giveaway!

Hey y'all,

So now that I am back on the health kick I wanted to share the fitness bug. With the holidays approaching, I know some of you might have felt like you overindulged on Thanksgiving. Well, I was recently contacted my Orangetheory Fitness and what better way to kick start that new years resolution than by winning a free week at a gym!

Enter Orangetheory Fitness which uses Interval Training, Indoor Rowing and Weight Training Blocks to create a whole workout!

  Orangetheory Fitness, the energizing group interval fitness concept that’s sweeping the nation, is making its first introduction in North Carolina with a studio in Morrisville opening in January. The new studio will be in the popular Park West Village Shopping Center, where a pre-sale location is already open to help introduce people to the new concept and, most importantly, allow members to lock in founders' rates. The pre-sale location is located right next to PetSmart in the Park West Village Shopping Center. To learn more, visit Facebook.com/OrangeTheoryMorrisville or call (919) 883-9469.

Now for all my Triangle readers, Orangetheory has been very generous and has offered one reader a whole week free at their new location in Morrisville and I'm sorry for my readers outside the area check out all of the other locations of Orangetheory here!

Good Luck to Everyone!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*While I have not personally tried Orangetheory Fitness I was contacted through Bolt PR and was given this prize for my readers. All opinions are my own.

Off to the Fair, North Carolina's Homecoming.

Hey y'all,

So a few months back, the concert tickets for the State Fair went online and I knew a few people after the Florida/Georgia Line tickets (I mean $10 for them is an amazing deal) but my sorority sister lSc ended up tweeting that she had bought two of the Scotty McCreery tickets and wanted to know if anyone was interested. I said of course since I am a huge country music fan and who doesn't love the Fair. Really though, I had not been to the fair since my senior year in college and it used to be a yearly event with my sorority sisters so I was glad to go again. Although the concert was a Monday night it meant the fair was not terribly crowded which I loved. 

So here are some tips for attending the state fair as well as some random photos! ENJOY!

OOTD for the Fair. 

Boots: Belk/Jeans: Target/ Top: OLD NAVY/Scarf: Gift/Bag: Vera Bradley

I think simple as far as fair clothing goes. Jeans, boots and flannel is the way to go for chilly fair evenings. 

Always take a photo of the section you park in. It seems crazy but after a few hours at the fair the worst is forgetting where you parked in the middle of the football stadium.

THE FAIR!

We had great seats for the concert and it was great going with a friend who also didn't know more than Scotty's big hits. With Scotty doing some covers and some new stuff I would say we knew a little more than half of the concert which is fine with me.

YES THERE WERE GIANT BEACH BALLS THAT CAME TO THE CROWD DURING THE CONCERT. 

I can't make this stuff up.

After the concert we were starving since it was 9pm and it was time to indulge in the fair food. Tip, always go with someone who will not judge you when you want fried things.

Yes we did stop for fried food after grabbing some BBQ.

Fried PB&J and Fried Oreos. 

I had the Oreos since they are one of my top fair foods.

If you are able grab a funnel cake to share and head to watch the fireworks!

Other Tips:

If you are not a rides person, THAT IS OK! There is so much going on with the petting zoo, animal and other exhibits as well as concerts too.

Never look at the carnies in the eye when walking past game booths, I can't tell you how much I hate being catcalled like that.

Limit your fried foods. The fair is expensive so go in knowing what you want to spend and enjoy but don't go overboard. 

People watching is probably one of my favorite fair activities and it is free so enjoy seeing all the people who come out.

Go on a week night if possible, it is less crowded and you will have more fun walking around than getting stuck playing real life bumper cars.

Plan where you will park ahead of time and expect lots of traffic. If you go in with that mindset you will be less likely to have road rage and just enjoy your time.

Have fun!

The entire evening was a great chance to catch up with LC. She is one of the most hysterical, sweet people, crafty(she can seriously paint anything even Toms you can check out some of her work here), supportive and I love that we can vent and share similar experiences. While I am sad I will be missing her birthday celebration next weekend I am sure we will celebrate again with Catching Fire. 

Now I am off to detox this week and no more fried food like that until the next fair.

What are your favorite things to do at the Fair? Any other tips? Favorite fried treat?

Summer To Do List

Hey y'all,


Every summer I begin a list of things to do to break me from my normal routine. This is my first summer without a large break (postgrad life) and I am taking a week off in August in order to move so in the mean time I am trying to put a list together of activities that are not terribly expensive to accomplish this summer. Here we go:

Visit the Duke Gardens

Watch Percy Jackson Sea of Monsters
Visit the NC Botanical Gardens

Attend a Durham Bulls baseball game

Visit the Duke Lemur Center

Watch Monsters University

Eat ice cream from Mapleview Farms

Spend a day at Jordan Lake

Watch Man of Steel

Read and watch The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones

Go to the Carolina Tiger Rescue with kDi (baby sis)

Go to the Morehead Planetarium

Watch Planes

Go berry picking at Jean's Berry Patch

Go to the Carolina Inn for Fridays on the Front Porch

Get a biscuit at Sunrise Biscuit Kitchen

Watch the Heat

Go to Ikea

Go see Despicable Me 2

Go to Wrightsville Beach for a weekend

Go to the new Lilly Pulitzer store in Durham

Watch Wolverine

& 

the adventure of today: 

a road trip to the J.Crew Clearance Center with friends

What does your summer hold? Am I missing any important events?

The correct shade of blue...

Hey y'all,

I know that I have disappeared off the blog-o-sphere the past few weeks but work was crazy busy and I know that I needed to get my head in the right place. However, all is well, work has died down and now I am excited to get back to blogging since I seriously missed interacting with y'all. Now tonight is an important night for those of us from North Carolina. It is March Madness, the sky is Carolina blue and tonight the Tobacco Road rivalry continues as UNC takes on Duke at the Dean Dome. While I am no longer a student, living in Chapel Hill you cannot escape the fever of this rivalry and as an alum we all wait for these match ups.

So here are a few things about Carolina

via

If I still had some, this would be my breakfast of champions...

via

And if I had tickets to the game I would love to be sporting this beauty...

via

But instead I will be at home, watching from my television and shouting "Go To Hell Duke!!"

via

Peace and Blessings,

jDl

Hark the sound of Tar Heel voices

Ringing clear and true.

Singing Carolina's praises.

Shouting N-C-U.

N-C-U !

Hail to the brightest star of all

Clear its radiance shine

Carolina priceless gem.

Receive all praises thine

I'm a Tar Heel born, I'm a Tar Heel bred.

And when I die, I'm a Tar Heel dead.

So it's rah-rah, Car'lina-'lina!

Rah-rah, Car'lina-'lina!

Rah-rah, Car'lina-'lina!

GO TO HELL DUKE