Kuntá Hora Part 3: Katedrála Nanebevzetí Panny Marie

Alrighties here is the last installment of my 3-part photo series on my trip to Kuntá Hora! (If you missed Part I and Part II, check them out here and here).

The last place we visited in Kuntá Hora was the Cathedral of Our Lady of Assumption. We have visited quite a few different cathedrals throughout my time here in the Czech Republic and I have to say that this one is one of the best!

The architecture was just breathtaking (and so was the climb up the staircase to get the view for the third photo!) and *nerd alert* but I just love visiting and learning all about different historical sites. Although we opted out of visiting it for time, this cathedral is actually across the street from the former Jesuit college.

Doesn't this cathedral look like a palace?!

This. Ceiling.

I wouldn't mind views like these.

I love doors, and I am in love with this one. It's literally a Princess door. I need this in my castle.

xx

Catch you next time.

P.S. Want 10% off the cutest bows at Sugar Spice and Sparkle?! Use the code "SWPREP" at checkout!

Kuntá Hora Part 2: Chrám sv. Barbory

Alrighty here's part two of my trip to Kuntá Hora! (If you missed Part One, click here). This is the beautiful Church of St. Barbara. Fun Fact: About three-quarters(ish) of this church was built over a couple of centuries before it was finished!

The architecture of all of the different cathedrals we have been to are all so unique, ornamented, and beautiful. Each place has its own history and this cathedral is especially special because it holds the remains of two canonized Catholic saints - I know, kind of creepy, but sort of really cool!

Photo credit to Amanda

This is just part of the beautiful spiral staircase we had to climb in order to get to the top of the Cathedral!

Photo credit to Amanda

While I really liked all of the places we visited, this one wasn't exactly my favorite - when you see the pictures of the third (and last) post I think you'll understand. There's just too much beauty here in the Czech Republic!

xx

Catch you next time.

P.S. Want 10% off the cutest bows at Sugar Spice and Sparkle?! Use the code "SWPREP" at checkout!

Happy Memorial Day!

The traveling and learning I have experienced so far has already begun to change the way I think and view the world. It has also made me appreciate the beautiful country I call "Home", that much more. I am forever grateful for all of the opportunities I have been able to take because of the many men and women who have fought for our country and our freedoms. Thank you all so much for your service, you are our country's truest heroes ❤️

xx

Catch you next time.

Kuntá Hora Part 1: Kostnice Ossuary

If you saw my Instagram post a few days ago, you may have been one of the few people creeped out by my picture of a crest made of human bones.

So one of my awesome new friends, Amanda (who happens to have started a blog just for her study abroad adventures - she's adorable, go check her out!), has a friend who lives right here in Prague! Her friend was kind enough to show us around one of the lesser known cities of the Czech Republic, and boy did we see a lot!

This is the first of a series of three posts - it may have only been a day trip but I didn't want to overload y'all with all of my pictures!

First up, was the Kostnice Ossuary, a church filled with ornaments and structures constructed of human bones. I know what you may be wondering: "What in the world was she thinking?!" Well, to be honest, I was actually grossed out a bit (I may be a doctor's daughter, but I am studying business, after all!) and jumped in because it's a historical site and I had promised myself that I wouldn't miss anything.

Anyways, here are some pictures from my visit to the City of Bones (any TMI/Shadowhunter fans out there catch my Instagram reference?)!

This trip has been filled with so many new experiences, but I promise I'm getting my schoolwork done - I am studying abroad, after all! I better get back to reviewing my notes for a potential pop quiz! And don't forget to check out Amanda's blog!

xx

Catch you next time.

P.S. Want 10% off the cutest bows at Sugar Spice and Sparkle?! Use the code "SWPREP" at checkout!

Throwback Thursday?

Exactly one year ago from this very moment, I was rushing over to the event center after having my hair and nails done for my high school graduation.

This quickie post is completely unplanned - a friend of mine had posted a very sentimental Facebook status about how our graduation was only a year ago and it put me into a slight shock! I can't believe that was already so long ago, it feels like I was in high school just yesterday.

Anyways, moral of the quickie post: sometimes, even if it's not planned, choose to do something because it brings a smile of pure joy to your face (in case you can't tell, this post is one of mine!). 

xx

Catch you next time.

P.S. Want 10% off the cutest bows at Sugar Spice and Sparkle?! Use the code "SWPREP" at checkout!

A Little Fun at the John Lennon Wall

Oh the places you can find when you're just wandering around the city...

How awesome is this? This Czech guy stands by the wall and sings basically every song on my playlist plus the amazing Beatles' songs, of course!

Here's an extra funny one because I sadly do not have any posed photos with it, my friend just took it when I wasn't looking and I found it on my Camera Roll!

SADFACE: When I visited the wall again two days later, this was completely spray painted over!

xx

Catch you next time.

P.S. Want 10% off the cutest bows at Sugar Spice and Sparkle?! Use the code "SWPREP" at checkout!

Get Ahold of Your Sails! {A Guest Post by Ariadna}

Well, I am moved into my dorm for the next week (we're going to be moved into our "real" dorms for the rest of the program after this first week) and the program has officially started!

Unfortunately, our dormitory is almost half an hour away from campus so I guess we have the opportunity to learn what it's like to commute since I believe most of us have been on-campus students.

Here we go, another guest post! When I was looking for bloggers to guest post on here during my trip in Prague, Araidna was one of the sweetest and most helpful!

Ariadna is the founder of The Always Believer, with her main goal being to spread the love as far and wide as possible, so throughout her website she writes and shares inspirational stories that are real, honest and helpful for anyone, anywhere. Adding on to these posts, you can find all sorts of other goodies and designs that will bright up your day, any day of the week. Be sure to join in on the fun and spread the love too! 

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Get Ahold of Your Sails!

Guest Post by Ariadna

Hi there!

I wanted to share with you this quote by Jimmy Dean: “I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.” It is a quote I hold dear to my heart because for me, this is what life is all about. As far as I can quickly tell you, my life hasn't been all sunshines and rainbows. As a child, I had an life full of travels and worries. Moving out by the age of 17 and making the world my own, I've started my life journey young. And moving forward, I have learned through trial and errors the walk of life.

Moving onward to this quote, as I continued to grow by myself in any kind of situation, this sentenced helped mold me to who I am. I've ofter learned the hard way that I needed to adjust my own sails in life. You see, most of the time I would just sit down on any boat that came along thinking that was the best I could do. Yet, nope, time and time again the boat became rocky and took to big waves and endless thunderstorms.

I've been traveling the best way I could since 10, so this patterned seemed like old news to me. And then, I was about 24 or 25 years old, pretty late in my game for all I know, I took this sentence again and opened my eyes even more. Every single moment that I've been in trouble or in a rainstorm, it had depended on me sail into smoother seas. A few years down the road and tons of other turns and twist, I am now settled into a new port. This one is still pretty new to me, new place, new faces and most of all, new life goals. I didn't let my past refine me or go where the sea took me, I opened my eyes and listened to myself.

And back to this quote: “I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.” That is how I live my life, I adjust the sails, I make them my own and I make sure I reach my destination. No matter big steps or small, no matter what part of my destination I am getting to, I make sure I make it the one I want.

What is your intake on this quote by Jimmy Dean? Is there a quote that you identify with?

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It's hard for a meticulous and organized person to learn how to adapt to their surroundings, but sometimes it's more than worth it!

xx

Catch you next time.

P.S. Want 10% off the cutest bows at Sugar Spice and Sparkle?! Use the code "SWPREP" at checkout!

Prague Castle, St. Vitus Cathedral, and St. Charles Bridge

Hey lovelies!

Here are some more pictures from my first day exploring in Prague with Alysa (my Community Advisor from this past year) and her friend/my new friend Dan (fun fact: Dan has worked at the last FOUR SuperBowls - how cool is that?!).

After checking out Old Town Square, we sort of decided to aimlessly walk around a little bit, soak in the city and decide what to do next. We ended up crossing the St. Charles Bridge and heading on a slight hike to visit Prague Castle.

As you can tell from the first picture, Prague is a pretty breathtaking city!

Inside Prague Castle is the St. Vitus Cathedral, which was absolutely stunning - I was really glad I was able to take a few good pictures of some of the stain glass windows. Can you imagine what it would have been like creating them piece by piece?

One of the awesome things is that we ha an opportunity to climb up one of the spires in the Cathedral! It was really cheap and well worth going up the 65 meters!

Just take a look at the view of the St. Charles Bridge from one of the parallel bridges!

While crossing the St. Charles Bridge, we noticed that a heritage dance performance was being put on. It was really nice to watch the performance - dance is a universal language, and those performers spoke it beautifully.

A few of the statues on the St. Charles Bridge were removed for restoration, but here's one that wasn't!

Have you just discovered my trip? Be sure to follow along on Instagram and check out #TheSWPrepTravels to see all kinds of things from my adventures!

xx

Catch you next time.

P.S. Want 10% off the cutest bows at Sugar Spice and Sparkle?! Use the code "SWPREP" at checkout!

Old Town Square

I. Am. Exhausted.

I really thought twelve hours of sleep right after my flight would have gotten rid of my jet lag but I guess not! Well, that actually may be the result of me overdoing it just a little bit.

I flew into Prague Wednesday night, slept in Thursday morning until around 10am, and then proceeded to walk around Prague - about 15 miles of walking! I have already seen so much and I am honestly already in love with this beautiful city, I am so glad I made the decision to come early!

I have taken quite a few pictures, but unfortunately, not very many of them are of the first place I wanted to share with y'all. Oopsies! Old Town Square is a place buzzing with life, it's always full with people! I had the chance to visit the cathedral pictured below, and like every cathedral in this country, it is absolutely stunning.

I can't wait to share more of my adventures with y'all! More to come, I promise!

xx

Catch you next time.

P.S. Want 10% off the cutest bows at Sugar Spice and Sparkle?! Use the code "SWPREP" at checkout!

Feeling the Liebster Love

A few months ago, I was really excited to have been nominated for the Liebster Award, which is essentially a fun way of recognizing younger/newer bloggers and bringing more attention to the blogger community overall. {Here is the link to my first one!} 

Imagine my surprise when I learned over a week ago that I was not only nominated again, but by FOUR people for the Liebster Award! 

I had thought about doing separate posts for each one because it really is an honor to have been thought of by these lovely ladies, but with everything I have going on, I hope y'all can forgive me for putting them all together - though I promise I tried to keep some of my answers shorter than usual!

{The Rules}

Each of my nominators had slightly different rules so I'll just collapse them a bit.

-Thank and link the blogger(s) that have nominated you.

-Nominate at least 10 bloggers (with less than 200 followers) who you think deserve the award. 

-Answer the questions posted by the blogger(s) who nominated you.

-Write 10 new questions for the people you are nominating.

-Notify your nominees.

Questions from My Life as Alyson

1.) If you could have lunch with one person who is deceased who would it be and why?
I would love to eat and have a chat with Audrey Hepburn! I feel like she would be a really interesting person to talk with about a variety of subjects!

2.) What are your favorite baby names at the moment? Boy and girl!
Boy: Ryder and Colton   Girl: Brynn and Arielle

3.) Why do you love blogging and do you have any blogging tips?
I love blogging because it allows me to get away from the hustle and bustle that is my life! A blogging tip I would offer would definitely be that you shouldn't force yourself to blog. Not just the regular quality over quantity argument, but more about you and why you're doing it. I love blogging whether or not someone is reading what I write, and I write because it's something I like to do.

4.) If you could only read/ watch one T.V. show for the rest of your life what would it be and why?
Ahhhhhh this is so hard. Definitely Arrow. Oliver Queen is life and Felicity Smoak is one of the greatest heroines to grace the screen.

5.) If you could trade places with someone for a week who would it be and why?
I would love to see what the Harries twins' lives are like. I know they are male, but I mean more along the lines of how they began and ran their YouTube channel to all of their amazing adventures around the world to essentially becoming international social change icons.

6.) How would you describe your personal style?
I like to think my style is preppy with a few twists for comfort, occasion, and whatever current trends I'm into. That's actually part of the reason behind the name for my blog! (Answered in the next set of questions!)

7.) Who is your main style icon?
I absolutely adore Reese Witherspoon, Taylor Swift, and Lauren Conrad. These three women have in common the ability to maintain cute, classic, and comfy (the 3 C's!) looks that I cannot help but fall in love with every time.

8.) Where do you see yourself in five years?
In law school. And hopefully still blogging.

9.) What are you currently watching/reading and what is your favorite genre to read/watch?
Currently Watching: Arrow & The Flash   Currently Reading: Among the Janeites (My Jane Austen professors were actually written about for a chapter of this book!)   Favorite Genre to Read: I'm a sucker for YA Fiction.   Favorite Genre to Watch: That's super hard, right now I'd have to say almost anything that's sort of intense without horror (Arrow, The Flash, Beauty and the Beast, Vampire Diaries).

10.) What is one place you want to travel?
I really want to visit New England - Cape Cod, Newport, all of the staple East Coast cities! 

Questions from Breakfast at Lilly's

1. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?
I would love to visit all around the UK, especially London!
2. What are some of your spring and summer wardrobe staples? 
Lightweight cardigans, my Jack Rogers, and high-waisted shorts.

3. What's the reason behind your blog name? (If any..)
I absolutely love preppy style, and I understand that it is partially defined by its Southern roots, but I don't think that means that it can only mean that! I started this blog, in part, to try to help redefine how we think of "prep". Preppy should be more synonymous with classy - it's not where you're from, but how you do it.

4. What are your Top 5 Favorite Songs?
Currently, my Top 5 are Hallelujah by Panic!, Laura Palmer by Bastille, Be Impressive by The Griswolds, Different Colors by Walk the Moon, and Fight Song by Rachel Platten.
5. What's your proudest accomplishment? 
Currently my proudest accomplishment is graduating Valedictorian from my high school.

6. What does your perfect day look like?
That's so hard! A perfect day for me is fun-filled and slightly busy - spending time with myself (and Netflix) but also with friends and family. I know that's not too much of an answer but I have just had so many different types of days it's so hard to piece a "perfect" one together.

7. Which social media site is your favorite? 
Instagram. I love Instagram!

8. If you had to change your first name, what would you change it to? 
Not too sure, most people would say their middle name but I don't respond to mine! Definitely something that starts with an M...maybe Melanie?

9. If you could pick any career, what would it be?
I would love to work my way up really high in a company, and then spend my time overseeing projects and potentially planning charity and public awareness events.

10. What's your greatest fear? 
Heights. Dying. The usual.

11. What makes you smile?
My best friends have this weird ability to say just about anything and it can make me smile like an idiot. It's kind of weird.

Questions from Mallory at the Plaza
1. If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life what would it be and why?
Chicken parmigiana, sauce on the side, from Olive Garden. It is the best.
2. What's your favorite way to spend a day off?
Lately with everything I've been up to, just sleep and Netflix. And then maybe venturing out into the world to play some sand volleyball.
3. What is your favorite place you've ever traveled to?
Right now, Hawaii. But hopefully during this study abroad trip I'll have a new one!
4. What's your favorite thing about blogging?
How it allows me to express myself, but also how it has taught me more about people, how to interact with them and how to network better!
5. Who is your celebrity girl crush? (If you're like me, you'll have 10!)
Scarlett Johansson. Cara Delevigne. Karlie Kloss. Taylor Swift. Reese Witherspoon. Emily Bett Rickards.
6. Would you rather spend a day on the beach or on a lake?
Definitely on a lake.
7. If you were an animal, what animal would you be and why?
A wallaby! I did a report on them in junior high and fell in love with them - they're basically mini kangaroos.
8. If you could swap closets with anyone, who would it be?
Carly of The College Prepster, Mackenzie of Design Darling, and Julia of Girl Meets Glam, hands down.
9. What's the number one thing on your bucket list?
Live life.
10. If you had a million dollars what would you do with it?
Set aside the amount I need for college and law school, then split it between various investments to hopefully grow it!
11. What is your favorite form of social media and why?!
Instagram because it's amazing.

Questions from Lauren Elizabeth

1. How and why did you get into blogging?
A few years ago, I met a wonderful girl who was really into reading blogs - she introduced me to the actual world of blogs and I was intrigued. Two years later, I decided to start one.

2. What was the last picture you took and why?
For my Instagram, I had my Dad take a picture of me at the airport before I went through security, does that count?

3. What's your perfect pizza?
Thin crust - Italian sausage, pineapple, mushrooms, and bacon.

4. What cheers you up?
The cheesiest jokes in the world. Including ones I already know the punchline.

5. What is your favorite and least favorite word?
Ooo this is an interesting one. Favorite: Interesting. Least: Moist. I think?

6. What accomplishment are you must proud of?
I did speech and debate in high school and rocked it quite a bit.

7. If you had $7 dollars, what would you do with it and why?
Save $4 and use $3 to go buy myself a cookie at Starbucks.

8. If you could visit any country, where would you go?
Italy or Greece sounds nice.

9. If you could wake up tomorrow in the body in someone else, who would you pick and what would you do?
I think it would be really fun to be Ellen or Oprah for a day, wouldn't you? I'd like to just see what their day is like and try to spice it up with my own fun.

10. What are some of your major life goals?
Get my law degree, figure out what area of law I actually want to work in (Sports, Corporate, etc), find a way to incorporate philanthropy and event planning into my regular life, get married and have kids, etc.

Okay we're almost to the end! You still with me?

My Questions:

1. The last thing that made you smile?

2. Favorite type of shoes and why?

3. Name three of your celebrity husbands/wives.

4. What are you doing right now?

5. Best concert you've ever been to?

6. Blog post you're most proud of?

7. Favorite mode of transportation?

8. Weirdest fun fact you can think of?

9. Top 3 Blog Crushes?

10. Something you have a lot of trouble with?

My Nominees:

The Chicago Prep

The Audacious Queen

To Infinity and Read On

The Ambitious Life of a City Girl

Sincerely Kenz

Lovely Lyfestyle

The Caitlin Diaries

I Believe In Pink

Pearls Off Duty

A Journey to Loving Yourself

Hope you enjoyed getting to know *more than* a little bit more about me and I hope you guys go check out any of these fabulous bloggers who nominated me and who I have nominated as well - go give them some love!

xx

Catch you next time.

P.S. Want 10% off the cutest bows at Sugar Spice and Sparkle?! Use the code "SWPREP" at checkout!

Apologies from Abroad

I know, I know, I know. I'm really awful. I super awful. I fell more behind on blogging than I have in months, and my posting has been really weird - I had been doing so good! Well, here is my huge apology (and my shy reasoning as to why y'all shouldn't be too mad).

Cardigan: H&M    Jumpsuit: Lilly for Target    Shoes: Jack Rogers

For those of you who don't follow me on Instagram, I have been accepted into a program to study abroad in Prague for a few weeks this summer! I, along with thirty(ish) other students from ASU will be traveling to take an International Business Management course at the University of Economics in Prague - and I am currently flying over the U.S./Atlantic Ocean to get there!

I had huge plans to do a cute surprise post and many other things leading up to the trip, but Finals decided to hit me harder than I expected and then I only had 5 days to pack up my dorm, move back home, do Mother's Day, wrap up loose ends at home, and then pack up for Prague. I applaud parents who travel for their work and find a way to make this work.

Anyways, I have been told I will have reliable internet while I'm over there, but just in case, I've talked to a few of my blogger friends and some of them will be guest posting over the next few weeks! I am so excited to introduce them to y'all, they are all amazing people!

Hopefully on this *very, very, very* long plane ride I can catch up on my blogging (and my sanity sleep!). Be sure to follow along here on my blog and my Instagram (@MikkSalamatin) - I'll be tagging my pictures with #TheSWPrepTravels!

If any of you have traveled in the area before, what are some recommendations on things to see, do, where to stay, and how to get there? I've already got a weekend trip planned to visit Auschwitz and I'm also hoping to visit Budapest and Amsterdam at some point!

xx

Catch you next time.

P.S. Want 10% off the cutest bows at Sugar Spice and Sparkle?! Use the code "SWPREP" at checkout!

Happy *Belated* Mother's Day

Hey y'all! I know this is late, but to me, this is too important to just skip over!

Here's a quick post to recognize and thank some (goodness I wish I had the ability to thank ALL of them) of the most amazing "Moms" I have!

My Wonderful, Amazing, Superwoman of a Mother

My Pledge Mom

My High School and Debate Mom

Moms can come in all different types and sorts. Maternal figures are important parts of our lives and should be constantly celebrated all that they do for us.

xx

Catch you next time.

P.S. Want 10% off the cutest bows at Sugar Spice and Sparkle?! Use the code "SWPREP" at checkout!

Sleepless in Seattle

Happy Hump Day, lovelies!

I am smack dab in the middle of Finals Week and it's kind of killing me. Monday was rough, Tuesday was okay, today is going to be one of the hardest days of my life because I have THREE FINALS TOMORROW.

To make it worse, it's not even like they're one after the other or at great times! My Jane Austen final is at 7:10am, Communications at 12pm, and Analytics (Math) at 7:10pm. Just the sounds of this is making my stomach roll as I type! I really don't want to pull another all-nighter but I may just have to. But enough about Finals, let's talk about films!

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Am I the only person who *until now* hasn't seen Sleepless in Seattle?!

I've heard references to it, I love both Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan (especially their older movies!), but for some reason I never watched it until last night when I decided to put a Netflix movie on while I started packing up my dorm (boo, school year is almost officially over). Actually, I can answer that: for some weird reason, I've thought Sandra Bullock and Bill Pullman's While You Were Sleeping was Sleepless in Seattle. I know, I know, and I try to call myself a film fanatic!

Anyways, this is for those of you who, like me from last night, had just never seen this classic! The little boy playing Tom Hanks' son is hilarious and this story is actually different from your typical love story so it's a bit refreshing.

Being the hopeless romantic that I am, the ending slightly killed me - I wish it could have gone on and on and on! Side Note: For anyone who's watched it, were you tripped out the slightest bit by the computers?! I knew coming into it that this film is older but I feel like the technology really dates it!

What other classic movies do you love? Let's see if I still haven't seen some of them!

xx

Catch you next time.

May the Fourth Be With You: 4 Steps to Being a Star Wars Pseudo-Expert

Happy Star Wars Day!

Most people *me included* love a good pun, and if the title of this little post didn't even make you tittle, well then I strongly question your taste in puns!

Not everybody loves Star Wars - I personally bonded over watching them with my Dad! - but here are just a few articles I rounded up for those of you who don't know them but have somebody in your lives you want to impress with your "insane knowledge" of Stars Wars on this unofficial national/international holiday!

Full explanation for the name of this day.

Lessons about money that this day can teach you.

The new cast is on the latest Vanity Fair cover.

The Millennium Falcon is cool, but Lego Millennium Falcon is kind of cooler.

Are you a visual learner? Here are some flow charts to break down the Star Wars world.

Going for the bonus points? Check out some info about the upcoming video games!

While these are some decent resources to help you bring up small pieces of trivia to convince your girlfriends or dad that you may be a slight Star Wars-aficionado, there truly is no substitute to watching the movies yourself!

I mean, come on, what better way to celebrate Star Wars Day than to enjoy the movies with your grandpa, dad, brother, uncle, boyfriend, girlfriends, fellow Star Wars lovers?!

Now if you're actually a Star Wars fan, how did you find/get into the movies? Have you been able to convert anybody? Are you excited for the upcoming movie?!

xx

Catch you next time.

BIG NEWS!

UPDATE: For 10% off all of the awesome stuff at the Sugar Spice and Sparkle store, use the code "SWPREP"!

Hello lovelies!

Sorry I have been MIA for a little bit, things have been quite busy: hello Finals Week! Anyways, I have some exciting stuff to put up on the blog during/after Finals, but for now I thought I'd share a piece of news I just received. *Drum roll, please*

I am beyond excited to announce that I was just selected as one of the new brand representatives for Sugar Spice & Sparkle! Working with Katie and hopefully the other brand reps to spread the love of Lilly, glitter, bows, and everything cute is going to be a blast and I am thrilled to see what happens next. Be sure to check out Katie's blog here and her Etsy store here!

xx

Catch you next time.