What to Wear to: Graduation!

Hey, y'all! Summer is slowly creeping nearer and nearer, which means graduation month is almost upon us. Although I have not yet graduated, I've been to a zillion and one different graduation ceremonies for relatives and friends who are older then me. Whether you're the one walking down the aisle touting a cap and gown, or the one sitting in the audience filming the ceremony and tearing up a little, this outfit is a great choice! It's appropriate for the formal ceremony and all of its surrounding soirees, while also helping you stand out from the crowd with the flattering shape of the dress and bold statement earrings.

 Dress: Old Navy

Clutch: Marley Lilly

Wedges: Target (old!)

Watch: Michael Kors

Earrings: The Shiny Mix

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Graduations are such fun occasions, and I hope that this post gave you some inspiration to reflect that in your wardrobe choices as well. Let me know in the comments if any of you or someone you know are graduating this year! Thanks so much for taking the time to check out this P & P post! I hope each and every one of you has a fabulous day!

P.S. Check out this post where I style these earrings for a casual spring day! I love that such a bold accessory can be worn on such different occasions and still look like t  belongs!

P.P.S. Here are some promo codes for the P & P readers who made it to the very bottom of this post!

Benevolent Jewels: PPCODE20 for 20% off of your purchase

The Shiny Mix: PandP10 for 10% off of your fist purchase

in a spring daze!

Hey, you guys! I don't know about y'all, but here in NC, we've had fabulously hot weather for the past couple of weeks. I'm loving it! Even studying isn't so bad when you're outside in the balmy sun and surrounded by buzzing bees, chirping birds, and blooming flowers.

In case you can't tell, spring is one of my favorite seasons! Not only do I love being able to spend more time outdoors, but unsheathing my pale legs (don't judge; we all have them! ;) to wear shorts and skirts is pretty fun too. Besides dresses, I think shorts are my most frequently purchased item. I don't know about y'all, but during the summer, I am pretty much always trying to come up with reasons why I should be able to wear jean shorts and a t-shirt. However, rocking a pair of statement shorts in a funky pattern or neon hue is a great way to mix up your summer wardrobe.

So, let's talk about this little number.... again, I pretty much stick with my same old uniform on a day-to-day basis (navy and white stripes = my life!!), but today I have a unique twist, courtesy of The Shiny Mix. Now, don't be frightened about the immense size of these earrings in person (they are seriously ginormous!!) because you can totally pull them off by wearing your hair loosely to tone them down a little bit. The combination of tortoiseshell and turquoise makes these the perfect summer statement earrings!

 I mentioned The Shiny Mix in a previous post, and I'll say it again: their jewelry is amazing! For being a brand new company (they just started out in April!), the quality of the products and customer service is superb. I highly recommend for all of you to check out their trendy and affordable pieces here!

P.S. Sorry that I'm all over the place today; the birds' chirping is going to my head! ;)

Shirt: American Eagle (similar)

Shorts: J.Crew (now 25% off!)

Sandals: Old Navy

Purse: Kate Spade

Watch: Michael Kors

Earrings: The Shiny Mix

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So, what do you all think: are bold shorts a must-have necessity, or would you rather stick with your tried-and-true jean shorts? Let me know in the comments section! Also, check out my last post about my newest blog series, and leave me your suggestions of topics to discuss in the comments as well. Thanks so much for taking the time to read today's blog post, and I hope y'all have a wonderful day!

P.S. The Shiny Mix has been generous enough to provide the P & P readers with a coupon code (PandP10) for 10% off of your first purchase!!

poised & _________

Hello, everybody!! This blog post is going to kick off a new series on my blog called "poised and _______." In these posts, I want to give my thoughts, experiences, and advice about topics that you all are struggling with or simply have questions about. I want to provide a safe place for my readers to be able to question, debate, and form their own opinions about the trials and tribulations that life chucks our way. To me, one of the most admirable traits in a person is the ability to be assertive with his or her own opinions and explaining the reasoning behind them to a point where you can tell that they've put a lot of thought and effort in to formulate them. 

Growing up, I have always had a sort of internal dichotomy in my personality. In my head, I have strong opinions about most things. However, in public, I get shy and nervous about expressing my ideas to others for fear of them judging me. Because of this, I either don't say anything or let myself get bulldozed by (insert name of assertive person here) when I don't speak up fast enough and can't effectively articulate my point. It's something that I still struggle with to this day. 

Upon creating this blog, I not only had dreams to share adorably coordinated outfits with all of you, but also I wanted to provide a place where kids my own age could come and express themselves. I wasn't sure just how that was going to play out, but I knew it eventually become a part of my blog. I want you all to feel comfortable speaking your mind to others (in a respectful manner) without feeling like you've got to put on a suit of armor to face the criticism you're afraid you might encounter. So far, I have truly cherished the interaction I've had with my readers and followers on social media, and I can't wait to continue it here on the blog!

If you have any suggestions of topics or questions you'd like to discuss, please leave them in the comments section or e-mail me at poisedandpreppy{at}gmail{dot}com.

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Aaaannnnddd, that wraps up another post here at P & P!  Please let me know what y'all think in the comments because I love hearing with you have to say. Thanks so much for reading today's blog post, and have a fabulous day!