Score!!

Check out my two new ADORABLE J Crew dresses!! You'll never believe where I got them!!

Keep reading....... Cotton Cady Daisy dress in light pink
Cotton Cady Claudine dress in navy

So, did any of you happen to know that TJ Maxx is now carrying J Crew? The associates didn't know if this would continue or not, but when I went yesterday afternoon, it was a very pleasant surprise!! I picked up two of their cotton cady dresses for $19.99 each- SUCH A DEAL!!!!!!!!!!! If you have an opportunity, get thee to a TJ's this weekend to check it out. They were going fast. The Chicago TJ's on Fullerton even had two of their wedding gowns, one a size 6 and one a size 8. They looked to be in perfect condition and were also selling for $19.99. You just can't beat that!!!!!!! They also had some cute, silk tank tops (unfortunately none in my size) as well as multiple dresses, a few jackets, and a random assortment of men's khakis (for $14!).

I'm so excited to wear both of these dresses. I'll take the pink one with me on our honeymoon in May and then the navy I'm going to wear to one of the weddings we have this summer. I'm going to add a hot pink ribbon right wear the pleats start to brighten it up a bit.

Please let me know if any of you happen upon any other great deals there this weekend! I also ended up getting a VV belt for $3.99 (it's all in pinks) and a few Vera Bradley stationary items on clearance as well. It was a GREAT shopping trip!!

Vineyard Vines - Free Shipping!!

I just got an email from VV stating that they are offering free shipping this weekend on orders over $75. It's a great time to stock up on a few items for spring/summer!!

For all you pink and green lovers with great legs!

Too cute. It would look great with a pink or kelly green top. I have navy and white monogrammed Bonannos that would be perfect with this!!

This would be much more appropriate for us northern midwest girls who need sleeves in the spring and even some summer nights. I could see this with a monogram on the left chest in light blue or white and a pair of white pants for the perfect casual June night out.

Is anyone going to shop this weekend? Does your husband need a new summer tie for weddings?

A little disappointed....

So, my boys in blue lost last night :( But I do have to give so much credit to Wake Forest- those boys played their hearts out!! They totally shut down Duke's 3 pt shooting (which is definitely one of their strong points). It'll be interesting to see how the next game against the Demon Deacons goes. It'll also make the conference tournament interesting when UNC gets added in!!

On a better note, I have tomorrow off!!!!!!! I have lots of errands to run, I finally get to go to the gym for a workout, and I have homework to accomplish for the week. I am back to work on Saturday and then my next day off is the next Sat (2/7). Between clinical for school and regular work, my hours have been crazy since September. I'll be SO glad when it's April and my life gets back to normal. Though graduation isn't until May, I'll be done with all my required clinical hours at the end of March. What I'm most looking forward to is working out regularly, baking more, and seeing my friends on a much more regular basis. I've really had to give up some of my favorite things in order to get through school, and it'll be nice to be "back to normal".

BTW, seriously jealous of GRITS today. 80 degrees and sunny in FL? I wish!! Tomorrow, I'll show you some pics of last weekend and why it was so wonderful (and worth working a lot of weekends!!) I can't wait to read about all your weekend plans! It'll keep me busy during my down times at work on Sat!

VS.I'm SO excited for tonight!! This is a HUGE game- #1 vs #4 in the same conference!! I have been a Duke basketball fan since I was 12 and will be for the rest of my life. There have been definite moments of sadness (like the day that Shane Battier graduated) and days of sheer joy (winning national championships), and I love every minute of it!!

I don't get home from work until 8 p.m., so the game will be recording while I'm gone. I'll just catch up once I'm home and dinner is made. I'll be rooting for the Blue Devils, will you?

Great Giveaway!!

Whitney Caroline Designs is having a fantastic giveaway on her adorable floral totes. Go and check it out here:

http://whitneycarolinedesigns.blogspot.com/

I love the new spring line- especially the aqua and yellow. It's so fresh and different from any of my current totes. Has anyone used the Scout bags before?? If they make great gifts, I'd love to hear about it!!

A little about me.......

Why "up north preppy" you ask? Well, if you're from the Midwest, going "up north" usually means that you're leaving for the weekend, the week, or the summer to go to a great vacation town, usually on one of the Great Lakes. I spent all my summers up north in Michigan until I graduated from college and had to work during the summers (definitely a very hard adjustment!). I now spend holidays, long weekends, and summer vacations up in the same small lake town with my wonderful husband, B, our families, and our friends. It's a town with lots of cottages, lots of color, and lots of fantastically preppy summer parties. I just adore it and can't wait to share more details with you throughout my postings!!

My husband, B, and I currently live in Chicago and have now been here since we graduated. We met here through mutual friends (that's a story for another day) and have been together for six years now. We were just married in August and are loving married life! We are both in graduate school while also working full time, so life is busy most of the time!! B will graduate in March with his MBA, and I'll be done in May with my master's in nursing (I'll be a pediatric nurse practitioner). We're really looking forward to graduating, going on our (delayed) honeymoon, and starting the next chapter in our lives together. School, work, and wedding planning have occupied so much of our lives in the last 3 years, so I can't imagine what we'll do with all our free time come June, but I can't wait!!

I can't believe I'm really doing this!!

I discovered blogging while planning my wedding last year and have since become obsessed with my google reader. I love reading about others lives and learning about great design techniques, great sales at my favorite stores, fun new stationary, and adorable stories about kids/babies!! So, I'm taking the plunge into this fascinating world to see if I can keep up with blogging while working full time and finishing up my master's degree. Hopefully one or two of you will follow me along in the process (I'll try not to be too boring!)