Christmas 2019

Merry Christmas!

I cannot believe that Christmas is over, and this year is almost over.

This Christmas was probably the most relaxing one I’ve ever had.

ASOS tweed dress in tall | J.Crew white turtleneck | black tights | Jack Rogers black suede boots (use the code: JRELIZ102415 for 15% off at jackrogersusa.com) | Tory Burch double pearl studs | Tory Burch gold logo bangle

I worked the morning of Christmas Eve. After work, I met my family at mass before my parents hosted our annual 7 fish dinner, an Italian tradition.

My sister and her family joined us, as well as my aunt and grandparents.

Christmas Day, we slept in and then opened presents from Santa. I then returned to bed for a relaxing afternoon of watching Netflix and YouTube before a Christmas ham dinner.

We went over to my sister’s house for dessert and gift exchange.

I had a really nice Christmas and I hope you all did too!

Annual NYC Christmas Dinner: Eataly

 

Last night was our 6th annual Christmas dinner!

My two best friends, Michelle and Giorgia and I met up in the Big Apple for our annual tradition.

We passed by the Christmas windows at Macy’s, through Bryant Park and went to see the famous tree at Rockefeller Plaza.

We then walked downtown to the Flat Iron building for dinner at Eataly!

If you’re looking for somewhere to escape to and get away from the cold go to Eataly! It is so cool! It is an Italian market with fresh produce, fish, pasta, bread, meat, deserts, everything you could need for a big Italian feast! In between the market shops are little restaurants.

Giorgia, Michele and I found La Piazza. We had a little antipasto with meats and cheeses before dinner. Michelle and I also ordered our favorite beverage: Aperol Spritz!

Lord & Taylor cashmere sweater (similar) | Zara tweed blazer | Tory Burch double pearl earrings

A couple of weeks ago I made a reservation at La Pizza & La Pasta inside Eataly! Good thing I did! The wait time was so long for those not on the list!

A bottle of wine and pasta made me a happy lady.

I ordered the spaghetti alla pomodoro. Delicious!

On the walk out of Eataly, we found the desert section of the market and treated ourselves to some gelato!

We had the nicest evening. I love Michelle and Giorgia so much!
I feel so blessed to have them in my life. They are such amazing friends and I can’t wait for many many more Christmas dinners!

Senior Year Fall Highs and Lows

Fall of senior year is over!

I cannot believe it! Where has the time gone? I have one more semester and then I graduate!

Wild!

This semester was tough.

No one tells you that senior year is stressful and hard.

There are a lot of changes and fears that come with your last year of college.

The biggest fear: what are you doing after graduation?

But it was also so much fun!

I definitely had more highs than lows this semester!

Lows:

·       My friends were and still are trying to figure out what they are going to do after graduation. It is hard to see some friends get jobs and have a plan, when you and other friends don’t!

·       I have no set plans for after graduation yet. I am still studying for the LSAT. I was supposed to take it in November, but I had a bump in the road with studying and hopefully we are moving over the bump now.

·      This semester was especially hard being away from home. I was really homesick.

·      I took the worst class I have ever taken. If you have been following me along on T&P Thursday’s, then you know what I am talking about!

Highs:

·      For the first time, I was able to go downtown to bars and drink with friends. 21 club! Winston-Salem has some fun night life!

·      I cheered on the DEACS every weekend at our football games. I stayed for the whole last game and made it down to the field after the game was over.

·       We had some fun date functions this semester! Giorgia even came to visit!

·      The DEACS made it to the semi-finals in men’s soccer. I was there cheering them on on the hill!

·      I have the absolute sweetest suite mates. Our little apartment feels like a home. I am so lucky to have such great roommates.

·      Every two years is President’s Ball, and this year was the ball! I love getting dressed up. It was so fun!

·      I worked with some really cool brands this semester. I also became the Campus Brand Ambassador for Jack Rogers! One of my favorite shoe brands!

·      For Fall Break my friends and I went to the Outerbanks! It was so pretty there. It was a really nice weekend even though we almost got trapped.

·       I went to a llama vineyard with my KD senior pledge class!

·      I became the President of Phi Alpha Delta, Law Fraternity on campus!

·      I went to the APO formal with Kate! I got to wear a cheetah dress to match the jungle theme.

·      My parents came for Parents Weekend.

·       I went home for Thanksgiving. I got to see my whole family and hang out with them!

·       This semester I created great relationships with my professors. I feel like I really became friends with them!

·       T&P Thursday’s is a big hit! Thanks for all the love and support!

Can’t wait to be back on campus in two weeks for my last semester of college!

J.Crew cashmere sweater | J.Crew Factory black belt | flare jeans from France (similar) | polka dot neck scarf from France (similar) | J.Crew Factory hoop earrings (similar)

Holiday Style with Jack Rogers and Jack Rogers Promo Code

Thanksgiving has passed and now it is officially the Holiday SEASON!
Who is excited?

I am!
I will be even more excited after my finals are done next week.

I wanted to share with all of you this festive winter outfit!

This is an old dress from Zaful that I paired with black tights and my black suede boots from Jack Rogers.

I am partnering with Jack Rogers this year as their Campus Brand Ambassador.

You guys know I LOVE Jack Rogers and I am over the moon excited to be working with them this year.

This collaboration means that you guys can use my promo-code for 15% off your entire purchase at jackrogersusa.com!

Ah! So exciting!

Promo-code: JRELIZ102415

Happy shopping and happy holidays!

Thanksgiving 2019

 

Last Thanksgiving was hard. I was abroad and I was so far away from my home and my family. I was really sad.

In France, we had a dinner celebration and then spent the weekend in Strasbourg at the Christmas markets.

This year, I was home in New York for Thanksgiving. 

It was a long-awaited time at home. I have been very homesick all semester. It was so nice to be home in my big bed with my family all around me. 

Home will always be home.

I flew home Monday night and then slept all day Tuesday.

Wednesday, I got my nails done and ate some New York pizza with Michelle. Wednesday night, my high school class of 2016 all met up at a local bar in our town. It was so good to see classmates I haven’t seen since high school graduation. Everyone looked so grown up! It was so fun, and we laughed the whole night!

(You can shop this outfit on my LiketoKnow.it page @tallandpreppy!)

Thursday morning, turkey day, I woke up early for my annual tradition of watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving day parade!

I curled up on the couch in my pjs, shared my plans for the day with T&P Thursday’s on my Instagram stories and watched the parade.

For breakfast, my twin brother and I headed over to my sister’s house for our annual Thanksgiving day breakfast while my mom and dad prepped my house and the food for the feast!

My siblings, their kids, my grandparents and my aunt arrived at my house at 2 pm to start the festivities.

We had h'ordeuvres in the family room, with the fire blazing and the football game on. Cheese, crackers, mini weenies, dips and roasted nuts were consumed.

The first course in the dining room was mozzarella, tomatoes, and all the cured meats. My favorite is the prosciutto bread. Yummy!

After a petite pause, we had butternut squash ravioli.

Am I making you hungry yet?

And then finally the main course: TURKEY!

My dad carved the turkey. Mashed sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, stuffing, homemade gravy, homemade cranberry sauce, and salad were placed on the table for the main course.

We clinked glasses and dug in.

The turkey is my least favorite part! I love all the sides much more.

For dessert we had apple pie, my favorite, and chocolate pecan pie, pumpkin pie, cookies, chocolates and fruit!

After I was completely stuffed, I had to put my loose waisted pjs on. All the eating made me so tired, I passed out.

Friday morning, I woke up still full and ran over to my doctor’s appointment. I then went to work at J.Crew! Black Friday was absolutely nuts! Thankfully, I only worked from 3:15-8pm, because I was pooped! It was such a crazy and stressful day, but I had some fun with it!

So clearly, I did not go shopping on Friday... nor had any desire to after work.

Saturday, my family and I took the train into Manhattan to see Dear Evan Hansen. New York was so crowded. The music of this Tony Award winning musical was amazing. Such a sad story, I cried, but beautiful at the same time.

Sunday morning, I headed back to North Carolina, not without some difficulty. Our plane had to get de-iced, which delayed us. It was a really rough, bumpy flight. The good thing was that I bumped into some sorority sisters at the airport and we Ubered home together!

I also made it back to Wake just in time for the men’s soccer game! We played University of Michigan, creamed them and bumped them out of the running for the championship. Wake is now headed to the quarter finals next Saturday!

This week is going to be crazy because it is my last week of class. I have a lot of assignments and finals due this week and early next week. Love Feast is this Sunday, concert choir is performing there, and we also have our choir concert this week.

Finals start Monday, and then I am home in New York again on Thursday! CRAZY!

There are also lots of holiday events this week on campus. Hopefully these events will start to put me in the holiday spirit. You can follow me along at all of the events on my Instagram stories because I am doing 25 days of T&P! I will be vlogging everyday until Christmas on my stories! J

Kappa Delta Winter Formal 2019

We had our winter formal this past Friday at Millennium! Such a beautiful venue.

We always have formal here. Even when I was Date Function chair, I always booked Millennium as our event space.

I love to dance and get dressed up.

I danced all night and had a blast.

I wore my H&M blue lace dress. I wore it for Christmas a couple of years ago with flats. This time, I popped on a pair of nude pumps. These shoes are so comfortable because they have a huge platform. I kept them on all night! 
I even curled my hair.

Look how pretty all my friends look!

It was a really fun night and a nice way to tie up the end of the semester.
:)

Homesickness as a College Senior

I’m a senior in college and I’m homesick.

Yep, I said it.

I was homesick before I even left New York in August.

I was terrified of leaving because I knew once I left my house, it would mean I would be one step closer to graduation. I don’t want to graduate. I also hate to leave my house and family because I get homesick. I have a very close, tight-knit family, so it is so hard to stay in contact and be present in everyone’s lives when I am so far away. I struggle with this every year.

I was so homesick before seeing my parents for Parent’s Weekend. But I still miss them and the rest of my family.

I haven’t been home since August 23rd. It has been a long time and I miss my home.

This semester has been particularly rough because I have had some sad things happen at home to my loved ones.

  

J.Crew cable knit mock turtleneck ON SALE | Madewell 10 inch skinny jeans in taller | Tory Burch double pearl studs | Tory Burch gold logo bangle | Tory Burch black riding boots

I am so looking forward to going home next Monday night. I feel like I have been waiting to go home since I got here.

So, there you have it, I’m a college senior and I’m homesick.

My Jeans Sob Story: Madewell Jeans

I have been wearing American Eagle jeans religiously since middle school.

My favorite pair of American Eagle jeans, you’ve all seen them before, are from freshman year of college.

They are so stretchy and comfy. Soft. The perfect blue color. The perfect length, all thanks to size “tall.”

But, unfortunately, like all good things, they must come to an end. My favorite pants are reaching their end of life.

I’m sure this is very relatable for all of you and you know how I feel.

I have tried to replace them from American Eagle, but this pair no longer exists. I found out over the summer, and I was devastated. I ordered another similar pair, but the color was off.

Okay, enough of the dramatics about my favorite pants.

When I told my friends at J.Crew my sob story about my favorite jeans, they recommended I try Madewell jeans.

You all know, I eat, sleep and breathe J.Crew. Madewell is J.Crew’s sister brand. 

I was a bit skeptical and nervous to leave the comfort of American Eagle and branch out to a new brand, leaving American Eagle behind, but I was ready.

I went to the store and found two pairs I really liked. I loved the colors. Madewell has high waisted jeans that come in “tall” and “taller!” The “tall” was too short for me, so I ordered the “taller” in store. And then the “taller” arrived and it was a bit too long for me, but because I have a J.Crew credit card, I was able to get them hemmed for free!

I am wearing one pair in these photos. They are super form fitting and suck me in. They are a little too tight right now, but I have only worn them for two days now and feel them stretching a bit more every second I wear them. I was also recommended to buy a size smaller than normal so they can stretch a bit and mold to my body. They are also super high waisted, aka, past my belly button! AMAZING! Actual high waisted pants for tall girls!

I am not saying that these are my new favorite pants. It is going to take me some time before I can fully let go of my beloved American Eagle pair, but for right now, they are moving their way up in the ranks.

Thanks for reading my DRAMATIC story about my jeans.

J.Crew camel cashmere sweater | Madewell 10" high-rise skinny jeans | J.Crew silk cheetah neck scarf | Vince Camuto brown riding boots | Tory Burch double pearl earrings | J.Crew bracelet | Ray-Ban cat-eye Wayfarers 

Xoxo

-E

Bar Style

Check out me and my lovely ladies, and Alex from their birthday party this past weekend.

Kate, Victoria and I are rocking the perfect bar outfits!

I am wearing an ASOS navy blue with black lace tank ON SALE with my American Eagle black high-waisted jeggings, H&M black velour jacket and black booties that I bought in France!

Kate is in all black with a green suede jacket.

Victoria is wearing a black skort with black tights and a purple tank!

All a little different but all really cute outfits! The one similarity is that we are all wearing black. I seem to only wear black when I go out on the town.

We hopped from Recreation Billiards to Tate’s, downtown on 4th Street. Two of our favorite bars.

Hope these outfits inspire you guys!

Family Weekend 2019

My last family weekend at Wake (until maybe I come back with my kids one day?! Hopefully!)

My parents landed Friday night after work. We grabbed a late dinner at Jeffrey Adams. Pro tip: book your reservations months in advance!

Dress I bought in Paris | Jack Rogers Gemma Tall Heeled black suede boots (use promo-code JRELIZ102415 for 15% off Jack Rogers) | Rebecca Minkoff blue crossbody bag | Tory Burch double pearl studs | Tory Burch gold logo bangle | Van Cleef & Arpels vintage Alhambra pendant

While they were in flight, I went to the Kappa Delta silent auction to raise money for Prevent Child Abuse North Carolina. I remember going to this event without my parents my sophomore year, because same thing, my parents took a late flight, and it was painful socializing with parents and KD’s that I was not best friends with yet. 

But, now that I am a senior, my confidence has grown drastically, and I feel like I can talk to anyone! I met a lot of my sorority sister’s parents. I met Mrs. Hampton, my friend Kate’s mom. Hi Mrs. Hampton, thanks for saying hi and thank you for reading my blog!

I also chatted with my friend’s parents that I already knew! It was a really nice event. We raised $7,000 for Prevent Child Abuse North Carolina.

I did not bid on anything, but there was a cute Hillflint sweater that I think I might scoop up one of these days. 

Saturday morning my parents and I bundled up and walked to the Kappa Delta lounge on the quad for a family weekend breakfast. Chick-fil-A chicken minis, fruit, juice and yogurt parfaits. We lounged in our new and beautiful designed lounge. My mom remembers when the lounge was redone my sophomore year when I lived in Davis above the lounge. It was just redone again and this time the new furniture is stunning.

We headed over to the tailgate via the shuttle, because why park for $20 when you can park on campus and take the shuttle for free?!

Kick off was at noon. The stadium was filled. The oldest rivalries in a North Carolina were to battle it out once more. The Demon Deacons crushed the Wolfpack, making the Deacs 7-1, in reach of a really nice bowl game. We were sitting in North Carolina State University territory. It was sunny yet chilly. I was in my turtleneck and layers. My scalp got sunburned. My voice was hoarse from screaming and rubbing our victory in NC State fans faces.

After we got back to campus, we went to the quad and watched as others rolled it. My mother treated me to a new Wake sweatshirt, my first new one since before freshman year.

We ate dinner at our favorite restaurant, Milners. I tell everyone I know to go here. The food is amazing. My mom and my favorite dish is the pecan and Moravian cookie crusted salmon. We also love the calamari. They also bring this delicious basket of warm bread with sweet butter.

Sunday brunch with Joe was at the Indigo hotel at Sir Winston Wine Loft downtown on 4th street. It was bad. My grits bowl was delicious, but the service was horrible. My mom and Joe’s omelets were cold. The toast only came out after asking three times, and it wasn’t the right kind of bread. My dad’s fried egg, requested sunny side up, was cooked through and flipped one too many times. It was a pretty restaurant but with a horrible chef.

I then took my parents to their first ever Wake Forest Catholic mass. I love going to mass every Sunday on campus. I used to go a lot to church when I was little, but then only went rarely in middle and high school. The reason I go here is because the priest we have on campus is so relatable and funny. He makes mass fun and relevant to college students. My parents laughed so hard yesterday at mass and now they really understand why I love going.

After mass we took a walk through the Reynolda trails to Reynolda Gardens. A beautiful spot, walking distance from campus. My dad had never been, so I wanted to show him the property of the Reynolds, who donated this land to Wake Forest University. On the wooded walk back, we stopped at Dough-Joes in Reynolda Village for delicious and fresh out of the oven apple cider donuts. Honestly, the best donut I have ever had. 

I said a sad goodbye to my parents in the parking lot. I will see them in three weeks for Thanksgiving and then hopefully a week after that for Love

Feast!

Thanks for the visit! I love you both!