Strawberry Cream Cake

by Sophia

For some reason this last year all my baking attempts have been complete failures. I forgot to add the sugar to my Thanksgiving cherry pie, ruining the $30 canned French cherries. My Passover meringues did not stiffen in time and I settled for chewy sugar balls so I would not be latter to the Seder than I already was. There are many more pathetic incidents. Sunday's brunch gave me the perfect chance to redeem my baking reputation. We will be celebrating by sister's birthday and I said I would bring the cake. Instead of buying the cake I decided to make one. As it is the first weeks of spring and I am still in my spring mood I opted for a light, fruity choice. Where better to go for an easy baking recipe than Martha Stewart. I found the perfect layered strawberry cream cake. I baked it today and it is cooling in the fridge as I write so it will be ready for tomorrow. It looks delicious and my occasional finger samples were delicious. Hopefully everything will taste okay, but knowing me it won't. I'll post how it turned out.

Spring Awakening

by Sophia

Unfortunitly I have been stuck in a rut of studs, dark leathers and wool blazers that were oh so enjoyable in winter. Spring is here and even the best antiperspirants can no longer prevent me from sweating through my black wool. Lucky for me and you there are plenty of light weight blazers that I am sure look adorable with a khaki skirt. These are just a few.

1. Armand Basi $328 My Wardrobe

2. DKNY $375 Net-A-Porter.com

3. Cynthia Steffe $195 Chichdowntown

4. 3.1 Phillip Lim $425 La Garconne

5. Women's Twill Three-Button Blazers $30 Old Navy

6. Forever 21 $30 Forever 21

7. Shawl Collar Blazer $135 Topshop

8. Rope Oxford Blazer £550 Mulberry

9. Henrikka Blue White Stripe Blazer £90 Fashion-Conscience.com

Long Time No Blog

by Sophia

I realize I have taken a bit of a break from the blog, which I was so excited about starting in February. If you read the post below, which I did not publish until now because I was too scared, you will understand why. I tried dressing more "blah" this last month. It would be hypocritical to tell other people how to spice up their uniform when I was busy conforming to the norm. Anyways I am back and determined to dress as un-blah as possible.

"Dress More Blah"

by Sophia

As you probably know school deans can do things that we do not, and probably never will understand. Yesterday, a cold rainy Friday, I was joyfully walking back to class energized after a surprise school rally. I know it's dorky but school spirit always puts me in a great mood. On my way back to class I was stopped by the Dean of Women, who take note is also my teacher for Personal Fitness. As she carefully inspects my outfit- a black boyfriend blazer with the cuffs rolled just above the wrist, the school's white polo, a khaki skirt (three inches above the knee), black tights, tan oxfords, topped with a heavy red wool scarf folded around my neck and a tortoise headband- she was looking to bust me for something. She grabbed me by the shoulder and pulled me to the side, just as a cop would stop a speeding car on the freeway. I knew I was not speeding but I also knew she would not let me go until she got me for something. Then she proceeded to ask me my year and my name, obviously she had no idea who I was, though I have been in her class for the last month. She told me that "we are not really a blazer kind of school" and that "we do not use scarfs as accessories." When I said I thought we were aloud to wear jackets and scarfs when it is cold she said technically we were and repeated "we are not really a blazer place." Then she said that I might want to rethink what I wear on cold days and that I should work on dressing more "blah" but I could keep the outfit on for the rest of the day. Hopefully this is not the end of my crazy outfits but I might have to tone it down for a while.

Printsess

by Sophia

It is usually very hard to follow trends while following the uniform dress code. This season prints are appearing everywhere. While prints can be tricky to mix and match if you keep them in the same color range you will walk out of the house feeling fashion forward and put-together, instead of like a clown who woke up late and threw on all the clown cloths that were not already taken. Do beware, wearing prints with your uniform may cause some extra attention so be prepared to turn heads in the halls. I personally aspire to sport more trendy prints this season and take a break from all my solids.

Anthropologie- Fuchsia Fence Scarf: $78

Urban Outfitters- Dorothy Printed Maryjane: $16

Barneys- Liberty Print Headband: $65

ASOS- Etched Colored Disc Earrings: $5.95

John Lewis- Cath Kidston Spot Print Packable Rain Coat: $30 GBP

Anthropologie- Spingrose Weekender: $200

Anthropologie- Golden Festoon Necklace: $48

Rachel Leigh- Cleo Snake Bracelets: $66

Kate Spade- A penny for your Thoughts Idiom Bangle: $58

Kate Spade- Know the Ropes Idiom Bangle: $78

Dolce & Gabbana- Leopard Canvas Sneakers: $350

Nail It

by Sophia

There is no better activity for Monday nights than at home mani.-pedis. The hardest part of painting my nails is picking the color. If I gave myself an hour to paint my nails I guarantee that half of that hour will be spent staring at the three bottles of O.P.I. on my counter trying to figure out which one expresses my mood that week. Since there are no rules on nails in the handbook this is my opportunity to add a pop of color to every uniform ensemble. Today was especially hard to pick a color because though we are technically still in winter it is starting to feel more like spring. I didn't know if I should be wearing my deep winter reds or flirty spring pinks. Neutrals are supposed to the new nail trend for spring, but then again I have all of spring to be nude. After hours of deliberation I decided to go with O.P.I.'s Big Apple Red. This cheery shade of red is perfect for any season and is sure to attract some attention. It can be hard to pull off a bright red without looking like a hooker so I keep the nail extra short for a more edgy look. I am going to stop typing before I smudge something!

Fancy Feet

by Sophia

As you may have noticed the majority of Catholic school girls stick to Vans, Keds, and Converse to cover their perfectly manicured toes. While sometimes there is nothing like your favorite worn in sneakers to cushion your every step, for ladies with shoe fetishes that are half as sinful as mine Vans in every shade of navy don't cut it. I have found as long as you remain within solid neutrals you can almost get away with anything on your feet. Check your school handbook to see how far you can push the rules- if you can get away with studs and stripes snaps for you. I usually stick with the traditional oxford. I recommend investing in a tan pair and a black pair to wear with tights. Though your standard leather oxford is a bit more pricy then a tennis shoe the way your heart beats in time with every clank your shoe makes down the long hallway on the way to your locker the extra forty bucks is worth it.

Joie- Louie Louie Oxfords: $198
Missoni- Women Sneaker: $225
Anthropologie- Chantilly Oxfords: $218
KG by Kurt Geiger- Florio: £95
Tod's- Todgy Loaffer: $402
Anthropologie- Air-Conditioned Oxfords: $140
Belle By Sigerson Morrison- Cut Out Oxford: $220
Boutique 9- Ronnie 2: $99
J. Crew- Penny Loafers: $120
Brooks Brothers- Tassel Loafer: $244
Urban Outfitters- Candela NYC Duel-Tone Oxford: $188