MSHS Footloose (TBT)

April 30, 2015


My absolute favorite thing I've ever done, was to perform in my high school musicals. Tonight was the opening night for my high school's musical (this year they are doing Mary Poppins) so I thought it was fitting to post a throwback. My senior year our musical was Footloose and I played the lead, Ariel Moore. I devoted the second half of my senior year entirely to musical, and I put everything I had into it. I can never explain the thrill of performing live in front of a sold out audience. Having the lead in the high school musical was a dream of mine for as long as I can remember, and it is what I am the most proud of from high school. I made so many friends throughout my time on the MSHS stage and I am so grateful for the memories I made. 







Rowan Oak (William Faulkner's Home)

April 29, 2015

Rowan Oak Anchors and Pearls

Today I finally made the trip to William Faulkner's home, Rowan Oak (an Oxford MUST). I love history so I have always loved touring old houses when I have had the opportunity! It was so cool to be able to see his home, and property and the space where he wrote! Faulkner is something of an Oxford hero and Rowan Oak is on the Freshman Bucket List so I'm so glad I finally got the chance to go. There were also some really nice nature trails connected to his property so we spent a while exploring. It was the perfect day, sunny and not too hot, and it made for a great break from studying for finals. Little things like this are what make Oxford such a special town and I'm really thankful to have the opportunity to get to live here for 3 (ahhhh) more years!

Rowan Oak Anchors and Pearls

Rowan Oak Anchors and Pearls
{William Faulkner's Study where he wrote!}
Rowan Oak Anchors and Pearls

Rowan Oak Anchors and Pearls

Rowan Oak Anchors and Pearls

Rowan Oak Anchors and Pearls

Rowan Oak Anchors and Pearls

Rowan Oak Anchors and Pearls

Breakfast at Bottletree

April 28, 2015

Bottletree Bakery Oxford Mississippi Anchors and Pearls

Every Tuesday morning, my sorority big sister and I go to Oxford's Bottletree Bakery, famous for its "saucer sized" cinnamon rolls. However that is a major understatement as these cinnamon rolls are probably closer to the size of your head. Once they heat up the cinnamon roll they use a ladle to cover the whole thing with icing. Its absolutely delicious and probably the furthest thing from healthy. Most people can't even finish a whole one on their own (though for a cinnamon roll lover like me it is no challenge). Usually we split one though just to avoid the temptation of finishing a whole one. I look forward to these "big-little breakfasts" every week and it is the perfect excuse for us to hang out and catch up with school being so busy. 

Bottletree Bakery cinnamon roll Oxford Mississippi Anchors and Pearls
{A Bottletree cinnamon roll in all its glory}
Bottletree Bakery Oxford Mississippi Anchors and Pearls

Bottletree Bakery Oxford Mississippi Anchors and Pearls

Finals Tips!

April 27, 2015

Anchors and Pearls Finals Study Tips

With finals coming up next week, I figured I would post some final exam study tips!

Personally I have a lot of trouble studying for finals, I get distracted and I have trouble staying motivated at the end of the semester. But it is so important to stick to finish the semester strong and here are the best tips I have found:


  • Avoid Distractions. I cannot stress this enough. Turn your phone on "do not disturb" and disable text messages from your computer. Don't give yourself the temptation to sit on your phone instead of studying... trust me, a 5 minute instagram scroll can turn into 30 minutes of checking every form social media you have. 
  • If you're going to study with friends, make sure its with friends you can actually get stuff done with. If you spend the majority of the time you're supposed to be studying, talking and messing around, then you will be stressed out later when you actually have to study.
  • Allow yourself breaks, go outside and take a walk (exercise puts you in a good mood, and clears your head), stretch, do whatever you need to, but be careful not to go overboard. 
  • Create study guides or notecards well in advance, you will be much less overwhelmed when you go to start studying. One thing that always helps me is Quizlet you make flashcards online (or you can sometimes find flashcards pre-made from your text book!) and its really helpful for memorizing!
  • Take care of yourself, drink water, and make sure you allow yourself time to sleep, nothing is worth than being sick during finals. 
  • Start Studying two weeks before your final. Spend a little bit of time each day, studying each subject so that you don't find yourself cramming for each subject right before the exam.
  • Have a study plan! Set goals and plan out how much studying you want to get done each day and you will feel less overwhelmed and stressed each day and you will feel accomplished as you get things done! I made this template, and I print it out and use it to plan out what I'm going to do each day. 
Good Luck!

Do you have any other tips that really help you study for finals?

Thomas Rhett Concert

April 26, 2015

Thomas Rhett Concert in the Grove Ole Miss Anchors and Pearls

Thomas Rhett performed a free concert tonight in The Grove! Every year SAA (the student activities association) put on a free concert and I was so excited to hear that it would be Thomas Rhett. I only knew a few of his songs but he ended up being a phenomenal performer! He sang a bunch of covers including the classic, "Friends in Low Places," and even "Uptown Funk", and brought the Egg Bowl trophy up on the stage. He even wore an Ole Miss T-shirt! He was a MAJOR crowd pleaser so it made for a fun concert. It was the perfect way to top off a crazy busy but exciting weekend! 

Thomas Rhett Concert in the Grove Ole Miss Anchors and Pearls
{Thomas Rhett wearing an Ole Miss Shirt!}
Thomas Rhett Concert in the Grove Ole Miss Anchors and Pearls

Thomas Rhett Concert in the Grove Ole Miss Anchors and Pearls

Oxford Double Decker Arts Festival

Double Decker Arts Festival Oxford MS Anchors and Pearls

Every year Oxford has a double decker arts festival, that has double decker bus tours (Oxford is famous for them) and lots of food, vendors, and live music in the town square. I went yesterday and it just reaffirmed my love for this perfect little city. It was so quaint and really captured the essence of Oxford. We spent the day roaming around eating fair food and looking at art that we couldn't afford to buy anyway. The weather was perfect for late spring, warm but with a lovely breeze and it was a great way to spend one of our last weekends before we all head our separate ways for the summer. 

Fashion Friday: Pink Striped Skirt (Two Ways!)

April 24, 2015


Lilly Pulitzer Tate Striped Skirt by Anchors and Pearls


Happy Friday! Today I want to share this super cute pink skirt! It's so versatile cause you can dress it up for church or wear it out in the summer! I styled it two ways. Pairing it with a v-neck shirt, keeps it fairly casual, and draws the attention to the skirt itself. This is how I would wear it to go to church or a family reunion. I also paired it with the Lilly crop top I posted a few weeks ago. This gives it a more fun, sassy vibe for summer. It would be so cute for going out with friends or to wear on vacation, it's very casual but can certainly be dressed up. 

Outfit Details:
Shoes: Jack Rodgers

Lilly Pulitzer Tate Striped Skirt and Lux Lace Crop Top by Anchors and Pearls

Lilly Pulitzer Tate Striped Skirt by Anchors and Pearls

Lilly Pulitzer Tate Striped Skirt by Anchors and Pearls

Lilly Pulitzer Tate Striped Skirt and Lux Lace Crop Top by Anchors and Pearls

Lilly Pulitzer Tate Striped Skirt and Lux Lace Crop Top by Anchors and Pearls


CROM {Croft Prom}

April 23, 2015


Anchors and Pearls
{Typical freshman dorm hallway pic before the dance} 

Throughout my whole freshman year, I've been trying to push myself out of my comfort zone and expand my horizons. I've been really working on being spontaneous and going with the flow rather than having every second of every day planned out and never deviating from that plan. Yesterday night, at 10 o'clock when I was starting to get ready for bed, a friend who is also in the Croft Institute for International Studies (my major), asked if I wanted to go to "Crom" aka "Croft Prom." It's basically just a formal for our major and there was a big group of other freshman girls who were going. The catch, was that they were leaving in 10 minutes. Normally, I would have said no way. I had no makeup on, my hair was a mess and I had no idea what I would wear. I also normally take at least 45 minutes to get ready for something like that! But then I remembered something, "20 years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do" (thanks Mark Twain). So in the spirit of spontaneousness, I got ready in record time and went! I ended up having a blast and I'm definitely glad I decided to go!

Outfit Details:
Necklace from The Limited (c. Fall 2014)


Anchors and Pearls


How I got this look in 10 minutes (this is helpful for ANY last minute invite or plan):
  • I put dry shampoo in my hair to give it a little bit of body for a sassy-messy high pony tail. It can be super classy, but can be done in no time and doesn't require any heat products.
  • I put on a minimum amount of makeup, foundation, blush, eyeshadow, mascara, lipstick. I used my go-to colors for eye shadow, because I can't mess it up.
  • I always have a few easy-to-throw-on dresses at the ready that can be used for any occasion and can be dressed up or down. They're reliable and comfortable and I know I can't go wrong if I wear one. I've seriously worn this one like a million times, but it never lets me down! 

Walks at Lamar Park

April 22, 2015

Lamar Park Oxford Mississippi Anchors and Pearls

Happy Earth Day! I thought it was only fitting to talk about mother nature (sorta) today! In the beginning of the year, my friends and I discovered this adorable park called Lamar Park. It's beautiful with a 2 mile walking path and it's usually pretty quiet. In the beginning of the year we would get up at 6 in the morning just to go for a leisurely walk and watch the sun come up, before it got too hot. Our walks at Lamar quickly became one of the highlights of my day and it was sad when the weather got too cold and we quit. But this spring weather is perfect (not too hot yet!) and we've been walking again almost every day. It's so relaxing and it serves as a de-stressor for me, where I can just walk and talk (and usually vent) with my friends. Having a place like this where I can just go to get away from campus for a little while has been so beneficial to me throughout my freshman year and the walking is an easy form of exercise that always puts me in a good mood.

Lamar Park Oxford Mississippi Anchors and Pearls
{Lamar Park on this beautiful earth day}

Graceland (Memphis, TN)

April 21, 2015

Graceland Memphis TN Anchors and Pearls

Over the weekend, my parents were in town and we decided to take a trip to Graceland, the home of the King of Rock n' Roll, Elvis Presley. Graceland is located Memphis, TN which is only an hour from Oxford, so it made for the perfect day trip. The house was stuck in the 70's in the very best way, and it was clear that it was decorated with the upmost style of the day. We took an iPad tour (with John Stamos--aka Uncle Jessie from Full House--narrating our walk through the house). It was so cool to see Graceland as it was when Elvis was alive, and to learn about all his accomplishments and all the good he did in his life as we walked through the house and the grounds. If you are in the area or just passing through I would definitely recommend stopping by. We did the most basic tour, and it provided plenty of stuff to see and do! 

Graceland Memphis TN Anchors and Pearls

Graceland Memphis TN Anchors and Pearls

Graceland Memphis TN Anchors and Pearls


Graceland Memphis TN Anchors and Pearls

Graceland Memphis TN Anchors and Pearls

Graceland Memphis TN Anchors and Pearls


Graceland Memphis TN Anchors and Pearls


Eyeshadow Favorites

April 20, 2015

Urban Decay Naked Eye Shadow Favorites Anchors and Pearls


I'm obsessed with everything Urban Decay Naked. It really fits with my style because its very natural, but you can still create a more dramatic look. If I'm going for a more casual, everyday look, I always use the Naked 2 Basics or the original Naked Palette. My favorite palette for summer is the original Naked because it has lots of gold tones, that look really good with a tan. My go-to for going out, or dressing up is the Naked 2 because it has really good colors for creating a smokey eye. The Naked 3 is my least favorite, as it has a lot of pinkish tones that don't always look good on my skin tone, but it has a lot of really pretty colors and I find that I use it the most in the winter. Before applying eye shadow, I always apply the Original Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion, which makes it stay all day. The Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion-Sin is new to me but I love it (sin is one of my favorite urban decay colors) and it looks really good with the Naked 2 if you're going for a darker more dramatic look. If you're thinking of investing, I would definitely go to Sephora or Ulta and play around to figure out which one has the colors you're looking for, and the colors that would look best with your complexion!

What are your eyeshadow favorites?

My Lilly For Target Experience

April 19, 2015

Lilly for Target Haul Anchors and Pearls

After staying up until midnight central time to see if Lilly for Target went live, I set an alarm for 12:57, 1:57, and 2:57 and had my computer at the ready to check every hour on the hour. A little after 2, during my second check I was about to give up and go back to sleep until 3 but a friend who was also up waiting for the sale said she saw it go up real quick and then go back down so I clicked refresh until it finally came up. For the longest time it wouldn't let me add ANYTHING to my cart, so I missed out on a lot of the stuff I wanted which sold out very quickly. The website had a ton of glitches and kept kicking me off but by almost 4 I had managed to order a few things, but I had to order a bunch of stuff separately. I also accidentally ordered more than one of a few items that I didn't think went through (oops). My parents were in town for a visit this weekend so they went by a few targets on the way home (Oxford doesn't have a target) and found almost nothing! All in all, my experience with Lilly for Target was exhausting and a little disappointing but I'm still happy that I managed to get quite a few things!

What was your Lilly for Target experience like? 

Fashion Friday: *First Impressions* with Lilly

April 17, 2015


I absolutely love this new take on Lilly's "First Impressions" print! It's so bright and colorful and fun! This dress is the perfect spring & summer staple, because its not too dressy or too casual. Its perfect for church, a wedding, a nice dinner or going to a show! It's the perfect take on Lilly's typical shift dress.

Which Lilly shift dress is your favorite?

Outfit Details:
Shoes: Jack Rodgers