Monday, November 6, 2017

Life is About Learning

One thing my mom has always instilled in me is that everything happens for a reason. There are lessons we have to learn through out life, and we can learn them in many different ways. We do not always know right away what the lesson is, but overtime our eyes and heart open and we understand. Some of these lessons are enlightening and joyful, but most of these lessons are painful and feel like the world is crumbling down around you. Even though there is pain, a lesson is still learned. Whether it be that you should not walk in the snow barefoot, or that you should have studied more for that exam. 

Often times we learn lessons from the people we spend time with. My mom also taught me that some people come into our lives solely because we are supposed to learn something from them. For me this is a hard thing to realize. I have met many amazing people in my life who I enjoy dearly, and I have lost a lot of those people. The people I have lost are the people who I have learned the most from. They have taught me things about life, things I value and find importance in, how I see the world, have I see others, and so many things about myself and what I want for my future. The painful fact, however, is they were just there to teach me a lesson whether they knew it or not. I am changed because of them. I have to accept the fact that things are not like they were, and thats okay, because it has to be okay. 

We do not enjoy the pains we experience, but we do learn from it. We have to take that pain, accept the facts, swallow our pride, take a step forward, and let it go, knowing we have learned something and have been changed because of it. 


Be Positive, Be Preppy
-Miranda Sue

Thursday, November 2, 2017

Positive Living = Productive Living

One thing I have realized over the past few months is that I lack purpose. Last year I learned I am very productive when I have a very busy schedule. Right now, my life revolves around my school work. I have assignment due in each of my classes everyday. I have been pouring myself into my schooling and not into anything else that I enjoy doing. I am constantly doing work and reading, and I am not spending enough time doing things for myself. Life can become very overwhelming if you are not making yourself a priority. It is important to take a step back and look at how life is going:

Are you happy? Are you stressed? What are you thankful for? Who are you thankful for? What have you learned? How have you changed? Are you content with your current situation?

These types of questions are important to think about because it helps us realize our strengths and our weaknesses, and what is preventing you from becoming who you want to be. Goals are not met overnight, and success is not given out for Christmas. There needs to be a desire to strive and be productive. Many people have great ambitions, but lack motivation to take the extra step or any step at all. It all begins with the mind. Confidence is the first step to motivation. If you believe you will do well and be prosperous, then you most likely will do so, because it is imbedded into your thought process and you are focused on it.

Being truly confident in yourself is proven one of the most attractive human traits. If you love yourself, others will love you too. This does not mean be cocky and only talk about yourself, but have the outward glow of inner self confidence. Surround yourself with people who encourage you in positive ways and want to see you succeed.

If there are stressors and distractions in your life, you need to eliminate them. Taking one out at a time. Try not to worry about the small details of everyday life, and instead think about the ways that you have been blessed. Our brains are wired to look at the negative things in front of us, but when we stop, take a breath, and think about our situations, there is always things to be positive about. We cannot choose our situations, but we can choose how we think about them.

Thank you for all the love and support from my family and friends. 


Be Positive, Be Preppy
-Miranda Sue

Wednesday, August 23, 2017

Not Lackin While Kayaking

Everyone has different passions, and it is important to figure out what those are. While working this summer at Main Channel Marina I had the opportunity to learn more about boats, lake culture, and water sports. My love for the lake grew bigger everyday. Growing up I remember visiting my Aunt Kellie, Uncle Wilby, and my cousin Cassie at Dewart Lake, and I had the amazing opportunity to live on Dewart this summer thanks to them. This gave me the chance to explore the lake everyday and pick up on water sports.


I moved to Dewart in early May; there was not much activity on the lake yet. I wanted to get out on the water so I purchased a 10 foot Sun Dolphin kayak from Dunham's. (TIP: Dunham's gives a 10% student discount and a 10% military discount.) It was a spectacle watching me put this kayak on my car. After 20 minutes of me looking like a fool, a very nice man and his wife offered to help me.


Taylor Parker (T-Park) came and visited me for a weekend in July. Bless Taylor's heart, but she does not like the water. However, she was a trooper and kayaked to the island and back. By the end of her visit, she ended up loving kayaking.


Whether it is painting sunsets or shaving lamas, find your passion and do what you love.

Be Positive, Be Preppy
-Miranda Sue

Tuesday, August 22, 2017

What a day!

Hello everyone! As most of you know, I did not blog at all this summer, so here are some updates. I had an amazing summer working at Main Channel Marina, and living at the lake. I have developed a passion for wakeboard and wakesurf. The big news is that I am now attending Indiana University.

This is my roommate Marisa! She is from Connecticut.

Today was rather eventful. I woke up and started getting ready for class and my roommate, Marisa, woke up so I went to give her a hug. When I hugged her I accidentally smashed my head into her face and gave her a bloody nose. We ran out of toilet paper, so I ran down to the front desk and then realized no one was there, so I went into the public restroom and took a bunch of paper towels. When I got back up to our room Marisa was on the ground and her nose was still bleeding. She stopped the bleeding and I had to go to class.

On the way to class I was just minding my own business crossing the street and a biker turned the corner and hit me. After class I went to pick up my books at the store and realized I went to the wrong bookstore so I started walking to the right one when I noticed my bag was open. I took it off to zip it and realized my laptop was missing. This means I was wearing my backpack and someone unzipped my bag and stole my laptop out of my bag, while I was wearing it! I started crying and went back to the bookstore and told them. They called the police who then came and talked to me about the situation so they could file a report. After this I had to go to class and it was pouring, I was also lost. All of this happened before noon.

After all my classes were done, I was hanging out in my dorm room working on some homework and the fire alarm went off, we live on the tenth floor so you can imagine our walk. We got settled back in our room and finished the homework, then decided to go to dinner and when we got there the fire alarms went off there too, so I did not get to order food and I ate some chips and kiwi in my dorm.

However, even after this eventful day, I am still happy. It feels good to be in a place that feels like home and where I am free to be myself.

Be Positive, Be Preppy
-Miranda Sue

Tuesday, June 27, 2017

Summer Blogging


Greetings my fellow preppies. I wanted to touch base with you on a few things. In the beginning of the summer I had said I would be posting Monday-Thursday. I have failed to do so and I apologize for that. Let's take things as they come and we will figure this out. As of now, I will officially be posting once a week on Wednesdays. Keep your eyes open for the new post tomorrow!

Be Positive, Be Preppy
-Miranda Sue

Thursday, May 25, 2017

Thank your Marina

As Memorial Day weekend approaches, If you are a laker, boater, ocean lover, or have friends or family, odds are you are running to the store to prepare for your weekend long cookout. If you do not have your boats, Seadoos, Jetskis, Wave runners, ect, I encourage you stay calm. Do not make an angry call to your marina and demand your watercrafts. Your marina has their hands full and is working their hardest to make you happy along with all their other customers. Stay calm, enjoy your weekend, and wait for the call. Keep things safe out there on the water this weekend.

Remember to thank your Marina.


Be Positive, Be Preppy
-Miranda Sue

Monday, May 15, 2017

Clog Squad

After work Sarah, Bethany, and I took a nice bike ride around Syracuse Lake. We stopped at Joe's and got ice cream. It was a great way to start the week, and a great way to get summer started.

Wednesday, May 3, 2017

What is a "Preppy"?

Those who are not preppie may often times wonder, "what is a preppy?" The term preppy is a creation off of the word prep. Prep was the name given to the children who attended a preparatory school. Preppy is both a noun and an adjective, but mostly used as an adjective. An example of an adjective is, "Martha looks so preppy today."

 

Wikipedia describe preppy in this way, "Preppy (also spelled preppie) or prep (all abbreviations of the word preparatory) refer to a subculture in the United States associated with the old private Northeastern university-preparatory schools. The terms are used to denote a person seen as characteristic of a student or alumnus of these schools. Prep has become a colloquialism in the United States and has largely replaced preppy in modern usage. Characteristics of preps in the past, include a particular subcultural speech, vocabulary, dress, mannerisms, etiquette, reflective of an upper-class upbringing."

The idea of who a prep is has changed over the years. Preppiness is not just achieved by attending a prep school or dressing a certain way. Preppinesss is a lifestyle that is chosen by the individual. However, most preps were raised by preps. A preppy person enjoys the finer things in life. Preppy people gather over activities that include golf outings, sailing, tennis, brunch, tea parties, dinner parties, house parties, yacht parties, really any type of party, preppies love to party, horse races, and of course shopping.

We all know Urban Dictionary is a reliable source so let us see how they describe preppy.
Preppy-
A true preppy is someone who:
Wears, but is not limited to, Polo, Lilly, Brooks Brothers, Lacoste, LL Bean (ie duck boots), ribbon belts, prints (ie cords with embroidered whales, palm trees, etc), sweaters tied around the neck, collar always popped, looks neat and put together. Hair ribbons or ribbon headbands, pearls, and other classic jewelry pull the look together. Preppies are partial to monogrammed and engraved items (ie tote bags, oxford shirts, jewelry, money clips, etc). Colors are always brite (favorites include pink and lime green). Preppies may not always match EXACTLY but they are always coordinated. Hats are worn (ie polo player, Lacoste, Brooks Brothers), but they are unique- not designs you would see in the mainstream and the "mall". Preppies often attend prep schools (ie Middlesex School, Governor Dummer Academy, and Belmont Hill) followed by New England private colleges. They are confident and unafraid to express their own styles and be daring in their fashions. Preppies vacation on Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard, Delray Beach, and on the coast of Maine. These vacation locales are places their families have been going to for years, and have histories there. It is a common misconception that preppies are snobs. Many people view them as unapproachable, and as a result mislabel them. Preppies are not as rich as people may think they are, but they are often well off. They buy into classics rather than trends, and don't change their lifestyles with fads.
Preppies tend to have bizarre connections with other preppies they meet, always finding mutual friends/ family and people that run in the same circle."
Well there you go. 

Be Positive, Be Preppy
-Miranda Sue

Tuesday, May 2, 2017

I'll Be There for You

These are some pictures from the photo shoot we did on Wednesday. We dragged Emily's couch out to the helm to reenact pictures that looked like the tv show Friends opening. The whole shoot was such a blast and a great way to end the school year and finals!

Photo Credits to Miranda Terry.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mirandaterry
Instagram: @oh_my_randa

 Tahya Bruce, Claire Piper, Becca Schermerhorn, Emily Sefcheck, yours truly, Andi Aeschliman


 

Photo Credits to Miranda Terry.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mirandaterry
Instagram: @oh_my_randa

Be Positive, Be Preppy
-Miranda Sue

Monday, May 1, 2017

Announcement!

Hello preppies! I would like to give you some details about what this summer looks like for the blog and some changes that are happening.


First, the name has changed from "Outfit of the Day w/ Miranda Sue" to "Be Positive, Be Preppy." I have decided to go a different direction with the blog. There will still be outfit posts and details about where I purchased the items, but the soul focus of the blog and it's posts will not be clothing. I want to share life with you and keep you informed about preppy life. Fashion is a big part of preppy life so do not worry, there will not be lack of outfit posts.

Second, I love interacting with you guys. I enjoy hearing your thoughts and your feedback. I want to write posts that are interesting to you, so if you would like to, feel free to sent me any ideas you would love to see on the blog. Some ideas I have for posts are: outfits, shopping and saving, activities/events, preppy history/information, reviews, and crafts. If you have any questions, comments, or just want to chat click the "Contact Me" tab at the top of the page.

I posted a Twitter poll about what days were preferred for new posts, and the results were rather close. I have decided new posts will be Monday-Thursday. I will post in the evening. If you feel very strong that if should be different, contact me.


Photographer Wanted!
I am looking for a photographer that would like to partner with me this summer. Contact me if you are interested or if you know someone who might be.

Be Positive, Be Preppy
-Miranda Sue

Friday, April 28, 2017

Twitter

Hello preppies! Follow the blog on Twitter to get daily updates, post links, and preppy tweets. This is a great way to stay updated on preppy fashion, events, and so much more! Join me this summer!

 

Be Positive, Be Preppy
-Miranda Sue

Thursday, April 27, 2017

Bless Up!

I finished my freshmen year of college yesterday. My wonderful friends Emily, Claire Piper, and Andi gave me this notebook as my continue my journey in this world. This year has been very rough, especially these past few months. They supported me and the path that lies before me. They took me to McDonald's when I needed nugs at 2 am. The days with them have been good.

  

I want to give a huge thank you to my roombuddy Kama. She has truly seen all of my sides. I could not have been blessed with  better person to live with this year. Everyday I see more of myself in her. The lack of sleep, the fires, the Netflix, and so much more has been a joy to share with you. You have been such a blessing to me.


Thank you to all of my teammates on the Bethel College Cheer Team. We are an actual family and I love each of you. I will cherish the memories we have made together. Thank you Coach, you have helped my remain calm and keep my eyes on the Lord. I see Christ shine through you everyday.


Thank you to everyone who has dealt with my stress, my attitude, and my lack of communication.

#BePositive #BePreppy
-Miranda Sue

Dear Jesus,
Please help me to be strong this summer. Help me look to you when in every situation. Let people see you in and through me. Help me to keep a real and genuine smile on my face, and look to you when I need help finding it. Lord thank you for all the people you have placed in my life. Thank you for the situations I have experienced. Thank you for the opportunity to continue my college education. I want to follow you Jesus. You know the desires of my heart and where I want to be at. Show me where I am supported to be walking. You lead and I will follow Lord. I love you and thank you for loving me and saving me. Amen.

Wednesday, March 22, 2017

Life is Happening

I have been overwhelmed this whole semester. I have a very heavy work load in all of my classes and feel like I have no free time, or time to just sit and breath. I never understood what my friends meant by "college will change you," but I do now. I do not feel like I am the same person I was at the beginning of the year, or even the beginning of this semester. We all encounter lows in our lives, and I am stuck in a pretty low hole. I have not been blogging because of a few reasons: I cannot find time to sit down and write a post, I am physically and mentally drained, and I do not feel I am in a place to be spreading positive words and thoughts. I wake up everyday with an open heart, but by the end of the day I am weighed down by everything around me. Once God shows me the way, I will be posting again. Till then,
Be Positive, Be Preppy,
-Miranda Sue

Monday, February 27, 2017

Ciao Amici Miei

Hello everyone! I was very busy the past few weeks, but it is now spring break and I am in Italy visiting my dad! I left Friday from O'hare and landed in Naples Saturday night. On Sunday, we went to a local spa. The spa is build into the side of an active volcano which heats all of the pools. The pools are natural mineral water. We went and had lunch, went back to the spa for a little bit, then went home. We watched the sun set and my dad made steaks for dinner. After our dinner, my dad's landlords invited us down for "cake." Which meant, we will have cake after we eat dinner. The food was amazing and they are such nice people.


Today, Monday, we got on the train and went to Rome. In Italy, Roma is pronounced and spelt "Roma." We ate McDonald's for breakfast at the train station, then worked our way to the Vatican. The first time I came to Italy, three years ago, we went to the Vatican. The first time I came to Italy, three years ago, we went to the Vatican but I wanted to go back as a follower of Jesus this time. 

The dome in the back left corner is St. Peter's Basilica. 

We tried chestnut roasted on an open fire, and we don't need to try them again. 


 The coolest thing that happened today was when we were walking through the rooms that Raphael did frescoes in and I turned around and saw The School of Athens. I had no idea that this fresco was here. The first time we came, we missed all of the rooms that Raphael created. I am in love with this fresco and the deep philosophy in every scene. I am beyond grateful that I got the chance to see amazing creation with my own eyes. The thing about these frescoes is that you just stand in awh and you do not want to stop looking at them.

 Pictures are not forbidden in the Sistine Chapel. I am amazed by every detail in that room and what it stands for. While we were they, I talked to the priest about my faith and where I am at, and he gave me a blessing.


We smashed ourselves into the subway and went to see the Fountain of Trevi. When at the Fountain of Trevi, you throw a coin over the opposite shoulder you are throwing with, and this means you will be back to Rome.

Looks like I'll be back Roma!
 
Today was amazing. We head out for Venice tomorrow!
Be Positive, Be Preppy
-Miranda Sue

Tuesday, February 14, 2017

Happy Valentine's Day

Here is some brief history about Valentine's day.
Valentine's day was originally established to celebrate Catholic Saint Valentine. February 14th is the day of his death. Saint Valentine was persecuted for his faith, which makes him a martyr. The holiday was meant to acknowledge those who have been martyred. People started giving cards that would say "your Valentine" representing that they would die for that person. The romantic part of Valentines day that our culture celebrates now did not exist until the 14th century. Geoffrey Chaucer is known for his poetry and English literature during the Mid-evil times. He started writing romantic poems to women. The card companies took over the whole day in the 18th century. 

Personally am not into the whole idea of Valentine's day. I think there is too many expectations and people just get hurt. You should show the person you are with that you love them everyday. 

Here is my outfit for today! I absolutely love this pink tank top, my mom got it for me for my birthday. This color is so in right now.
Outfit Details:
Maroon cardigan - Gap Factory
Tank Top - Goody's
Jeans - American Eagle
Shoes - Charlotte Russe 




Be Positive, Be Preppy
-Miranda Sue

Monday, February 13, 2017

Stop and Look Around

This past week was Babe Week at Bethel College. Babe Week's purpose is to remove distractions in your life so you can focus on improving yourself. A lot of girls gave up social media or Netflix. I had said that I was not going to give up my social media because of my blog, however I was extremely busy with homework and a lot of other things that I really had no time to write posts. This week has given me the chance to pause and look at my life.


My birthday was on Wednesday. I woke up to Taylor Parker's beautiful face beginning me a Rise and Roll doughnut and pineapple for breakfast. Logan, Taylor Parker, Brooke, and I went to Soho's for dinner. Soho is a Japanese sushi and hibachi grill. The food was amazing and the whole experience was great besides the fact that Taylor Parker is severely allergic to eggs and she almost died about twelve times, but its all good now. After dinner we went to Blaze Pizza so Taylor Parker could eat, then we went to the South Bend Chocolate Factory Cafe. Logan got me some truffles and they were delicious. It was a great day and I am blessed to have such great friends.


I think of my birthday as my personal new year. Every year I think about where I am in life and what I need to improve. I decided that I am going to focus on living in the situations that are currently happening. I get easily caught up in the next step of my life and I do not take time to enjoy where I am or who is around me. I want to stop worrying about the future so I can love and enjoy the people I am around now. I am blessed to know the amazing people I do and I need to recognize how thankful I should be for these people and situations.

Be Positive, Be Preppy
-Miranda Sue

Wednesday, February 1, 2017

Lilly Pulitzer Skirts for Sale

I wanted to buy some Lilly Pulitzer skirts for the spring, so I read all sorts of articles and researched what size I should wear. Everything I read said I should wear a 0. I bought these two skirts on Poshmark and when I tried them on they were too big, so I am trying to resell them. I might be getting the second one altered. If you are interested or know anyone who might be, contact me or send them my link. Thank you!



#BePositive #BePreppy
-Miranda Sue

Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Country Club Prep Ambassador

If you have been wondering about some links I have been posting on my Facebook, here is an explanation. I recently became an ambassador for the brand Country Club Prep! Their goal is to find the best preppy brands and supply them to preppies all over. They are a great source for mass and multi brand purchases. You can find top brands such as Vineyard Vines, Southern Tides, and Jack Rodgers, and also find a huge amount of underground preppy companies looking from new friends! Country Club Prep are generally cheaper than buying from the company directly, and they have great sales! I also have a 21% off code that works on selected brands and clearance! Explore Country Club Prep's website and contact me if you are interested in saving on your next preppy purchase!


 I received product from Country Club Prep today! I absolutely love the watermelon color!
Also today was another lazy day, VV and scrunchies save me!




#BePositive #BePreppy
-Miranda Sue