To Outlet? Or Not to Outlet?

The Practical Prep here! I have gone on quite a few post-Christmas shopping trips. Recently Drew and I headed down to Williamsburg to the Williamsburg Prime Outlets to do some shopping. While I was there I was thinking to myself.. Are outlets really worth all the hubub?

My Answer. Kinda

I usually find one or two things when I go down there, I usually take a trip after thanksgiving to look at possible Christmas gifts. Last year, I bought all of my friends Kate Spade socks and bangles from the Kate Spade Outlet. However, When I ventured to Marshalls I found the same socks for about 4 dollars less. And Kate Spade Bangles, you can find for the same price at your local Nordstrom Rack. This is the same for Ralph  Lauren shirts.

Now I did buy one Ralph Lauren Pink V-neck tee when I went on the most current trip. And Drew racked up on sweaters, long-sleeve tees- and v-necks. But I honestly think you can find most of those things at Marshalls and Tjmaxx..

However, My best find was at.... Jcrew Factory Outlet. I do believe that Jcrew has one of the best outlet stores. On top of most of their sales I can add my 20% student discount by showing my ID so that makes it even more fantastic of a deal. When I went to Jcrew Factory Outlet this time they were having a 50% off clearance for the entire store. can someone say HALLELUJAH!!! I found two awesome basic shirts for 5 dollars.... did you catch that... 5 dollars.. I could have spent hours in the store but Drew and I had limited time so I just bought a couple basic tees and departed.

Jcrew's clothes are not the easiest to find other than at consignment stores, so I think this outlet store is worth the travel, especially when they are having a store sale or clearance event.

Another advantage I personally have at these outlet stores are the GAP brands. With my employee discount I get an additional 30% off at  GAP, Old Navy, or Banana Republic. So when things are already marked down 80% off I feel like I'm stealing it!!! I bought a really cute sweater for around 10 bucks and its already become my new favorite.

All in all I say outlet stores are only sometimes worth the trek. I am an avid shopper at stores such as Marshalls and TJ Maxx who usually carry many of the brands I like to wear at cheaper prices than the outlets. The only downfall is that they do not have as large of a variety nor do they have as many size options. So my advice...Look at the stores before hand and see if they have a additional promotion going on then take the trek and HAPPY SHOPPING!!!

 This is my new fav sweater! styled with my Jcrew Bangle, Jcrew Scarf, black jeans, and new Boots!

And these were the 5 dollar basic tees, originally 30 dollars! I got one in white and one in a tan color.

New Year...... New Me! ...........Well The Same Me.. Just Improved

all jokes aside! Happy NEW YEAR! Okay well I'm five days late but whatever:) As I reflect on my passing year I look at some of the great things that have come from it.
                                                        
                                                                        1. The Practical Prep

I never thought blogging would be so soothing.. but it is and its such a creative outlet. Starting The Practical Prep was just gonna be a fun way to share my thrifting finds,but I found it to be a outlet for emotions and an intro to the blogging networking universe.. Trust me its such a big world and I didn't realize what I was getting myself into. 

2. Drew

Not to get all mushy gushy on everyone but my four plus years with this guy have been pretty awesome and 2014 was probably our best year. He has helped me through so much and has been my rock and support system through a lot of bumpy roads. I am looking forward to 2015 and hope that our relationship only strengthens over this next year.

3. Friends

This year I was lucky enough to gain two really great friends in my life. Going through hardships really separates your real friends from those who just surround themselves around you. I am very fortunate enough to have met some amazing people. Real friends are treasures and ones that should not be taken for granted. EVER. 

4. Dance

I am always grateful for this wonderful art form I am a part of. 2014 was an awesome year. I got to work under Robert Battle and Mark Morris and perform on GMU's main-stage. This was a special blessing I will never forget.

5. Clothes

Where to begin... well 2014 has allowed me to take a step back and value the awesome staples in my wardrobe and help me to identify my true style. I've realized that its not about how many you have but more what they say about you. I have good strong staples in my closet and I've come to appreciate them more than ever. 2015 will surely bring some awesome finds, and you better believe you guys will be the first to know!

---2015----  

My new years resolution is to be better about blogging. In the last  month I got overwhelmed and lazy and this year I want to have a scheduled day where I blog and post to The Practical Prep in a routine manner. 

What are yall's new years resolutions?

My Christmas Haul

I would first like to start off with expressing how extremely blessed I am. 2014 was an extremely hard year for my family, so the fact that I had a great Christmas full of joyous family and filled with special memories, is remarkable. I also got alot of awesome staples in my preppy wardrobe.

Also Not pictured: Some great activewear and etc !!

Red top

This is not the exact shirt I got, mine is a tartan or scotch plaid. It took me years and I actually mean years to find one that I loved as much as this one from L.L. Bean. I've already belted it, worn it with my new vest and also tucked it into a skirt to make it festive. Its a Fall/Winter Essential! Plus its super warm!

J Crew lightweight down vest

Okay, so everyone has these.... but that's because they are amazing, I think I've worn it like 5 times already...oops! I currently own a black vest already so this off-white color is perfect for all of the things that I cant wear with the black vest. PLUS, its about to get cold so its the perfect weather for these things! I give this a 5 star rating.

Sam Edelman brown riding boots

I am probably the pickiest person when it comes to riding boots. I've been surviving on some not so great ones for the past year..can we just say ( I crazy glued the bottom to keep them together ) hahaha!  Well these Sam Edelman boots were a great buy, I got them for about 30% off at Nordstrom and used my Christmas cash to score these! I'm already loving them and I'm sure they will get great use out of them!

Longchamp tote

  FINALLY! my longchamp void in my closet has been filled. This bag is great! You can literally dump anything in it. It folds to travel or you can use it as a carry-on.  I've been using vintage Dooney and Burke bags for far too long, and its nice to have a new sturdy bag!

Monogram jewelry 
You cant go wrong with monograms! This year I  was blessed to receive a beautiful gold script "R" I don't know how I survived without it!

Ray-Ban ray ban sunglasses

You can honestly never have too many sunglasses! And I like the classic look of ray-bans!





What did you guys receive for Christmas?
-XOXO

Merry (late) Christmas!

Better Late than NEVER!!

I hope everyone had a great holiday! I had a wonderful day full of reminders of how blessed I am. I'm going to share my awesome gifts once I return from Pennsylvania. Currently... on a train up north to visit family and see my aunts beautiful big new house. I just want to take a second to thank everyone for their constant support and comments about my blog. In 2015, I plan on taking it a bit more seriously. I know I haven't posted in a while, but I had lots of performances and then dreaded finals.... 

I hope everyone continues to enjoy their time off and spend some quality time with their families

XOXOXOXO

-Rachel 

The most colorful of fridays.

Thanksgiving is a beautiful time to be with family and give thanks for the blessings one is given. However, Thanksgiving is then immediately followed by a day full of crowding, spending money, rushing and"in the moment"deals. This day is called ...black friday.... and I am one of the lucky few who gets to work in retail that day! YIPPEEE!!!! but actually...
 Unfortunately, due to the "high demand" of ignorant people and the immediacy of the American culture black Friday has now been merged into Thanksgiving Day!
This is something I cannot stand, while I love a good bargain, why do we now have to rush our meal times to make sure we can get in line and beat the crowds?
I usually always go black Friday shopping. While crazy and busy, I love the festiveness, I love to see big families out together, and the Christmas decorations just put me in the holiday cheer.
There are some stores which I would never dare to enter, aka best buy, Walmart, target.. but mall stores are usually not to bad because of the in-and-out nature that they provide.

I'm working at Old Navy on black Friday and that is one store that generally gets hit pretty bad,
Coming from someone who loves to shop, and works in retail here are some tips for Black Friday:

1. Now because of the openness into Thursday Night shopping around 6 in the morning is way less crowded that it used to be.

2. Check and see if your store allows you to buy the wrong size of something, return it and get the right size of the item with the same black Friday deal.

3. Be nice to your cashiers they are having a very rough day...........

4.Many black Friday deals are also available online before cyber Monday, so shop in your PJS!

5. 40% is basically the "good deal" in clothing, black Friday actually isn't the best time on average to shop for clothes so setting this measurement as a deal breaker will allow you to prioritize your shopping

6. I think Karma always follows you, don't be rude and push other people around, who knows how they may able to help you that day and in the future.

HAPPY SHOPPING!

Halloween Update!

Hey guys! I told you I would update you on my costume! 

 I Was a Gumball Machine

I already had the skirt and bandeau. I used pompoms and hot glue to make the top then duck tape for the silver!

In total my costume cost me 6 DOLLARS!!!>>>We were Skittles for Dance Class

Dont Fake it Till You Make It.

So recently I've had a lot of girl struggles in my life. Family drama, school drama, and really the hardest one..friend drama. The lesson I've learned most in college and really the dance scene is that some people are just plain       F-A-K-E. 

People use you to their advantage, one day you can be close but if they feel like they can't use you for something they see you as invaluable and break your trust.
 I am very lucky to have gotten extremely close with three girls that I can call my true friends in college. I recently had a self reflection on my life and realized that these 3 girls were the only ones who made me feel like a better person and that this was how true friends were supposed to act.
I wasn't being taken advantage of nor was I feeling belittled by harsh words and comments. Real friends listen. I am a very stubborn individual and a lot of the time I force myself into believing that fake people are actually my friends. Then I take a step back and realize that they are not offering advice and wisdom but yet tearing me down.
 This is such a harsh world full of many different individuals and its hard to place your trust in others. I've learned a hard lesson by having my trust continuously torn down and broken. But at the end of the day now I know who my real friends are and that they build me up, listen, and offer something that I don't encompass which in turn makes me a better person. 

“An acquaintance merely enjoys your company, a fair-weather companion flatters when all is well, a true friend has your best interests at heart and the pluck to tell you what you need to hear.” 
― E.A. Bucchianeri, Brushstrokes of a Gadfly