Cause We Never Go Out of Style!

"You got that James Dean daydream look in your eye. And I got that red lip classic thing that you like...cause we never go out of style." Those are some of the lyrics from Taylor Swift's song Style in her album "1989" and not only is the entire album beyond catchy and amazingly produced but I do think its true that we never go out of style. We all have our own personal styles that we love to express so I thought I would share some key favorites from my closet so you guys can get a feel for what my style is. If no one noticed from the peonies all over my blog or my blog name, I absolutely L O V E preppy styled...EVERYTHING!! There is something about preppy style that makes people presentable and approachable, not to mention everything is absolutely fabulous and perfect! I just love a good clean cut look and honestly who could disagree?! Here are just a few must have looks (not in a particular order) for a preppy lifestyle!

1) School Prep

School is when you get to display more of your casual fashion sense. For school I make a note to always keep myself looking presentable (because you never know if you will meet someone important or need to take an important picture). Here is a more casual outfit that I just adore! Everything from the clothes all the way to the tiny accessories make me love this outfit so much!

• J Crew short sleeve black top
• American Eagle dark wash jeans 
• Nordstrom B.P. statement necklace
• Tory Burch wrap logo bracelet in peach
• BCBG multicolor gladiator sandales 
  

2) Professional Prep

Whenever I think of professional prep I think of Blair Waldorf!! Am I the only one? Seriously her outfits on Gossip Girl were killer! I've always used Blair as fashion inspiration and this next outfit is definitely inspired by Blair!
Here is what this outfit consist of:

• Diane Von Furstenberg tweed dress from Neiman Marcus
• Black New York and Company blazer
• Nude Steve Madden heels from Macys
• Single strand pearl necklace
• J Crew Factory paved link bracelet
• Two single strand faux pearl bracelets
• Tory Burch Mini Robinson purse in ivory

3) A Preppy Night Out!

Here is a fun outfit that I love for a night out with the girls or even for a date night! (but who I am kidding I never get asked out to go on dates LOL) Anyways here is an outfit I paired up together that I believe really gives a bold statement and will be turning heads!

Here is what this outfit consists of:

• Black ruffle skirt from INC
• Beige long sleeve tee from Target
• Statement necklace from Banana Republic
• J Crew Factory paved link bracelet
• Rebecca Minkoff mini quilted affair purse in blue
• Christian Louboutin Disqueen in black patent leather 

Hope you all enjoyed a few of my favorite preppy outfits!!

XOXO,
The Californian Belle

Daily Routine-How to Become More Productive!

First off let me start by pointing out the irony in me writing this post when I should be doing some of my homework...but oh well this idea popped into my head so I decided why not write about it? I think after winter vacation one of the worst things for me was trying to figure out how in the world I am supposed to be productive after a nice relaxing vacation! I don't think I'm alone in this situation either. It makes sense that after having a break you realize how you don't want to go back to the daily routine of work, school, responsibilities, etc. I've tried many ways to be more productive for this semester like I was in the previous and I guess it is always up to personal preference but here it was I found works for me:

1) Keep a planner

I absolutely L O V E having a planner where I can write all my tasks I need to get done for the day and what time frame I can schedule my work in. I guess you can say it keeps me more on point and aware of the time. 

2) Reward yourself

Being on a tight schedule can be very difficult to maintain and requires a lot of self-discipline. Which is why I believe in rewarding yourself for doing such a good job on staying on schedule! (obviously by me writing this blog post I am not going to be rewarding myself anytime soon lol) But anyways you should reward yourself in what makes you happy whether it ranges from shopping, food, hobbies such as crafting, or spending time with loved ones. I personally reward myself with either or these choices except I try to make the food healthy because rewarding yourself with unhealthy food is a bad habit I don't ever recommend.

3) Make a to-do list that is separate from your planner

Our planners are designed to keep our days productive, but to-do lists are designed to keep ourselves motivated to reach goals in life. Having goals are very important because without a goal then what is the purpose of life? To keep a to-do list is your mini goal list for the day/week/month/year that keeps your eye on the prize (accomplishing the goal). 

4) Surround yourself with positive and productive people

This is probably the most important step in being productive because if the people around you are not having similar productivity goals that you are then it is really discouraging to continue your own. If your friends are generally productive it doesn't mean you have to throw them away, but maybe you should get them involved as well! The more productivity we have flowing throughout society the better! Remember no one ever said "oh you are too productive it is bad and needs to stop".

Anyways here are just some tips I thought I would share with you guys and even though they are very basic it doesn't change how important they are. January is always known as the "New Years resolution month" where we all pretend to be productive for the entire year but it typically starts to die out in February. Just because it can die out for some people doesn't mean you have to be one of them! Be different and make a change, even if it wasn't part of your New Years resolution to be more productive it doesn't mean you can't start now!

If I motivated at least one person today then I know that this blog post was indeed productive, but in order for me to know if I was successful in my attempt comment down below and let me know! Do you guys already use these techniques? Do they work for you? Any suggestions for other readers what else they can do? I would love to hear all your thoughts!

XOXO,

The Californian Belle 

Who is this "California Belle Chick"?!

Hello everyone! My name is California Belle and I am new to blogging! I thought a lot about what my first blog post would be and decided its best that I start with introducing myself (kinda best if you know about the person who is writing this blog, right?). Anyone else find it difficult to describe yourself when meeting someone new? Well thats me right now trying to figure out how in the world I will start all of this off!

One thing that I always ask people when we first meet (if they aren't weirded out by me) is what their Zodiac sign is. Growing up my mom was very big on the Zodiac signs and animals that coincided with the Chinese calendar. I've always believed that people's behavior reflect their signs and years they were born (I guess it has something to do with how I was raised). I am a Sagittarius  (for those of you that don't know the Sagittarius is a fire sign, which explains my crazy personality that you will see in my later blogs) and I was born in the year of the pig. I absoluetly L O V E my Zodiac combination I think my parents planned out when having my perfectly. Those who are born in the year of the pig tend to be honest and quick tempered (which is why I think it fits that I am a Sagittarius as well). Fun Fact: Ronald Reagan was also born in the pigs year so there is some hints about what my political affliation is. 

Wow so much on a freaking Zodiac signs I guess you can see how much I like to look into those. Anyways here are some quick things about me so you get to know more about me. I love Gossip Girl, J Crew, the color pink, preppy outfits, the tusk in sun Lilly Pulitzer print, my dog, and my friends and family of course! (how could I leave them out and put them last? Well they know how much I love and appreciate them!!). I am vegetarian, Russian Jewish, Republican, as well as a health and fitness "freak". I can't stand liars, cheaters, rude people, and fast food places. OH and I ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS have my nails painted!

There are more things about me that you will read over time but here are the basics for now. I am really curious to know more about my readers! Comment below what your Zodiac sign is, the animal of the year you were born in the Chinese calendar, and one thing you can't go a day without.

Till Next Time My New Friends,

The Californian Belle