2017-2018 LILLY PULITZER AGENDA PRE-ORDER!

Shop all Lilly Pulitzer agendas HERE!

Happy Tuesday! I hope everyone enjoyed the long weekend! I had a much needed relaxing weekend after working 8 days in a row! I decided to focus more on spending time with family, friends, and my bf who I hadn't seen in two weeks (!!!) instead of being on my phone and taking pics! But no worries, I have another fun weekend coming up so my Around Town posts will be making a comeback next week!

Anyway, onto the interesting stuff...Lilly Pulitzer agendas are B A C K!! They are available for pre-order today and honestly, I couldn't be more excited! I used these agendas all through high school and my first year of college, but I strayed away for a few years to test out every other planner out there. However, as I was looking through my collection of planners, I realized how much I missed my Lilly ones! They were the only ones that I actually used for the whole year! There's really no reason to not love them...beautiful covers, easy layout, functional, and cheerful all year long! (bonus, none of my pens ever bleed through...FYI!)

Also, once I saw this beautiful flamingo cover on the classic planner I knew I had to have it! I think I'm going back to my roots this year with my Lilly agenda!

What one is your favorite this year?? They're all so pretty!

XOXO

Angela & Amy

DAY DESIGNER FOR BLUESKY PLANNERS

*Shop Day Designer for Bluesky HERE!

About two weeks ago I walked into Target to find the new Day Designer planners! I was so excited about the new cover designs this year- they go perfectly with the covers that Day Designer released earlier this year! I immediately fell in love with the palm print cover and the wall calender as well as the blue and white printed cover!

I'm also super excited about the adorable list and sticky note set and the washi tape set! I can't wait for the full collection to hit my local Target so I can stock up on the necessities before heading back to school!

What is your favorite cover design that Day Designer released this year?

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO,

Angela & Amy

BULLET JOURNALING // THOUGHTS AND INSPIRATION

*via

Lately I've been hearing a lot about bullet journaling everywhere! Youtube videos, instagram, and especially pinterest! Bullet journaling seems like a cool concept, especially because you can customize it to be however you want!

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I love the idea of being able to sit down and curate a planner to exactly what you need- you can make a spot for assignments, to-do lists, dinner plans, exercise log, tv shows.... literally anything! Especially during my summer break when I don't have much of a structured week I feel like this would be something interesting to try in place of a planner!

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I love the layout of this one- having all the days of the week on one side of the page and a spot for notes on the other side is a great way to stay organized without your system being too hectic!

What do you think about bullet journals? Are you going to trade in your planner for a more customized option? Let me know in the comments!

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

Angela & Amy

2017-2018 RIFLE PAPER CO. PLANNERS

*Shop Rifle Paper Co. Planners HERE!

Last year I used a Rifle Paper Co. planner and I loved it! Rifle Paper Co. is one of my favorite stationery brands, and their planners did not disappoint. I was so excited to see the new designs for the 2017-2018 academic year- I already know that I'm going to pick one up for the upcoming school year but I can't decide what one I like the best!

Last year I had the smaller size, but this year I think I'm going to upgrade to the larger, spiral bound planner so I can have more room to write down all of my assignments, due dates, and sorority meetings!

I love that the Rifle Paper Co. planners have such a simple layout that makes it easy for you to customize how you want to use it! I also love the weekly inspirational quotes and the two checklist columns for every day of the week!

If you're interested to see more of the layout check out my review of the 2016-2017 version I did last summer here!

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO,

Angela & Amy

2017-2018 SIMPLIFIED PLANNER LAUNCH

Shop Simplified Planners HERE!

This might be one of my favorite times of the year... school's out, the weather is warming up, and the new academic planners are being released! Today Emily Ley is launching her 2017-2018 simplified planners and I couldn't be more excited! I love the fun, bright designs on all of the covers- a happy planner makes homework assignments, bill due dates, and work schedules a little more fun right??

I also love the updated weekly planners and their updated new covers! Personally I prefer my planners to have weekly layout so I can have all my assignments and projects laid out in front of me. I can't decide what planner is my favorite this year! I'm torn between the classic stripe and the pretty floral!

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO, 

Angela & Amy

GET ORGANIZED // 5 THINGS TO START WRITING IN YOUR PLANNER

These past few weeks we've been a little bit planner obsessed- but we can't help it, planners are seriously amazing! Especially during the busy school year when I have to keep track of my work schedule, bills that are due, school assignments, projects, tests and not to mention wanting to have some sort of social life... I don't know how I'd get through without using a planner!

Later on in the semester I'm planning on sharing how I've been organizing my Rifle Paper Co. planner (which I've been loving BTW!), however I want to wait until I actually have some assignments written in there. For now, I thought I would share 5 things I think you should be writing in your planner that will help you stay organized!

1.) Class schedule and assignments- This one is probably a no-brainer, but it's so important to do if you want to stay on top of your grades! The day you get your syllabus, take an hour or so when you get home to write everything in your planner- test days, projects and due dates, extra credit assignments... anything and everything that is on that slip of paper! There is always a chance of dates being changed (which is super annoying, especially when you write in pen!), but that's why correction tape was invented! Trust me- stock up on this stuff.

2.) Work schedule and paydays- Probably another no-brainer, but you need to have it written down- especially when you don't work the same days every week! Since I started going to school I've always had a part time job that I need to schedule classes and studying around. Sometimes it can be difficult, but it's so much easier when you have your entire schedule written down and laid out in front of you! Also, writing down paydays and how much you get paid makes budgeting and saving money so much easier!

3.) Bill due dates- Right now I have a few things I need to pay for each month like my car insurance and phone bill (oh, and Netflix- just the important things.), and things like that I can't be late paying for! Writing it down in my planner when those bills are due as well as how much I owe is so helpful when I'm budgeting all my paychecks!

4.) Appointments- Anytime I go to an appointment like the dentist or the dermotoligist I make sure to throw my planner in my bag so I can schedule my next appointment. In my opinion, one of the most annoying things is to have to reschedule something 100 times because you didn't know you had class or had to go into work. Bringing you planner and scheduling right there saves a lot of frustration in the future. Also, write it down as soon as you schedule so you don't forget!

5.) Social commitments- If you're invited to a party, wedding, or even want to get coffee with a friend schedule it and write it down! Especially during the school year when your free time might not be as frequent scheduling things that you want to do is really helpful. Plus, you'll get excited when you see that your next coffee date is after your 8am lecture!

Hopefully these little tips were helpful for getting organized! Is there anything that you write in your planner that we don't have listed?

Happy planning!

Angela & Amy

AROUND TOWN // BACK-TO-SCHOOL SHOPPING

Happy Monday, everybody! We hope you enjoyed your weekend, this weekend we've been preparing for the busy back-to-school season- cleaning out backpacks, thinking up healthy lunch ideas and of course running over to our local Target to stock up on school supplies! We thought it would be fun to bring you along as well as share some of our BTS favs!

PHOTO #1 PRETTY PLANNERS

Even though it seems like we own a million planners between the both of us, we can't help ourselves when we see pretty planners! How can you resist simple gold dots or pretty florals? If you only get one thing before heading back to class this fall, you definitely need a good planner to keep track of your crazy busy life!

PHOTO #2 BRIGHT BINDERS

If you read our college school supplies list we posted last week, you would know about my love for binders! There are so many perks about staying organized with binders... they'll last forever, you can customize them from the front cover to how you organize it on the inside and you can even double up on binders for classes to save room and a little bit of money! Seriously, you can't go wrong.

PHOTO #3 WASHI TAPE

Okay, so technically washi tape isn't a necessity when you're back-to-school shopping... but it's so fun! With a few rolls of washi tape you can do tons of fun back-to-school DIYs like decorating notebooks, pencils, or even your laptop or locker! Personally I love using it in my planner just to make it look fancy and fun!

PHOTO #4 BACK-TO-SCHOOL BEAUTY

In my opinion heading back to class is the perfect time to stock up on your favorite skincare items, or even pick up a few new goodies to add to your routine! Skincare is so important, especially during the school year when you're relying on coffee to stay awake and pulling all-nighters to cram for that math test- your skin needs the TLC. I rounded up some of my favorite drugstore buys below...

CeraVe eye repair cream- Even though I'm only 20, getting in the habbit of using an eye cream is important! It will help with aging down the road, but it will also keep your eyes bright and awake during class! This is the best I've tried so far and it's under $15!

Simple micellar cleansing water- Not only does this product remove all of my makeup (even waterproof mascara!) but it gives my skin a nice cleanse before I go in with my favorite cleanser!

CoverGirl clump crusher- This is my favorite mascara, and it's so inexpensive since it's from the drugstore! This curls my lashes and makes them look really pretty, so easy to swipe on in the morning before heading to class.

Thanks for stopping by and happy school shopping!

XOXO

Angela & Amy

MY FAVORITE PLANNER STICKERS // SWEET KAWAII DESIGN

Happy Friday! This week has been a busy one... we've barely found time to blog! Busy weeks always end up being the best weeks, don't you agree?? Anyway, since we've been sharing all of our back-to-school favorites and especially our favorite planners- I wanted to dedicate a post all about where I get my favorite stickers to use in my planner, Sweet Kawaii Design!

A little disclaimer- I don't go sticker crazy in my planner, but I love to have a few sheets on hand to decorate when I can squeeze it in! Here are some of my favorites to use...

These book stickers actually make schoolwork look fun! I like to use these when I have a ton of homework or a test to study for- tests and projects don't look as scary when there's a smiling book next to it!

If you know me, you would know that donuts are one of my favorite things ever... so you know I always have a sheet of donut stickers on hand! Since weekend donut runs are a thing over here I tend to get a lot of use out of these... plus I just stick them wherever I want because they're so cute!

Technically these are considered hot cocoa stickers, but I like to think of them as lattes! I'm a big fan of coffee and obviously coffee is a big part of my day... how could I function without it?! So little coffee stickers were a must. These are fun for coffee dates, or to stick on your planner daily!

Omg, how adorable are these little fall stickers?! With fall right around the corner and all the trips to the cider mill. hay rides, corn mazes and pumpkin spice everything you need these!

Do you use stickers in your planner? Thanks for stopping by and make sure to check out Sweet Kawaii Design on Etsy!

XOXO

Angela & Amy

PERFECT PLANNER PENS

Since we're sticking to our planner theme this week, today we're spilling about one of our favorite subjects... pens!

We touched a bit on this in yesterday's blog post, but today we wanted to share allll our favorites!

Obviously our favorite pens are our very own pink & navy pens! Trust us when we say they are amazing... blue ink, pretty stripes and makes your handwriting look awesome? Count us in! Plus, these ballpoint pens won't bleed through anything- so feel free to use them in your planner, or even use them to take notes with! These will be available very soon, so keep your eyes peeled!

Another favorite is the LePen... specifically the periwinkle LePen! These are great because they come in so many different colors and they don't bleed through pages!

What is your favorite pen??

XOXO

Angela & Amy

5 STEPS TO YOUR PERFECT PLANNER

If you can't tell by now, we're pretty excited for the start of all the academic planners! Since we know we're not the only ones who love planners, we've decided to dedicate this week to anything and everything you need to know about planners!

Today, we are sharing the "5 steps" to your perfect planner- AKA everything you need to make you excited to get organized! Click through the pics for all of our favorite planner accessories!

LePen pack // Rifle Paper Co. pencils // Navy & Pink pens- available soon, stay tuned!!

periwinkle LePens // Sharpie highlighters // Sugar Paper pencils

Paper Mate InkJoy gel pens // Yoobu mini highlighters // motivational pens

The most important thing about perfecting your planner (besides finding your perfect planner, of course!) is finding your perfect pen and highlighters! Personally, I like to use both pens and highlighters in my planner- color coding everything with my pens, and crossing off my to-do list with highlighters!

watercolor sticky notes // Sugar Paper sticky note set // Kate Spade sticky note set

Lilly Pulitzer sticky notes // tropical sticky notes // Erin Condren sticky notes

desk sticky note block

I also like to use sticky notes and page flags in my planner so I can write down shopping lists, to-do lists, and so I can plan ahead without permaniately writing it in my planner. Using sticky notes and flags can save you from having to break out the white out in the future! (although, having some white out on hand is also a good idea, my favorite to use is this!)

Sugar Paper stickers // Sugar Paper washi tape // washi tape

Sweet Kawaii Design stickers

balloon stickers // metallic washi tape // color coding dots

Stickers and washi tape may not be everyone's style, but I love using them in my planner! I don't use them everyday, but it's fun to add a cute sticker here and there- my personal favorite stickers are from Sweet Kawaii Designs! How can you not be happy when looking at donuts with smiley faces?! I also like to use color coding dots to indicate paydays and when bills are due on my monthly view.

small binder clips // Sugar Paper clip set // Kate Spade bow paperclips

pineapple paperclips // hear paperclips // pink paperclips

gold paper clips // message binder clips

Having a few cute clips to keep your place in your planner is always a good idea! Plus, these options are so much more fun than just a plain old silver paper clips.

"Essentials" pouch // Kate Spade pouch // Ban.Do pouch

'Flamingle" pouch // Ashley Brooke Designs pouch

Last step, is getting a cute pencil pouch to put all of your planner accessories in!

What kind of things do you use to keep your planner organized and fancy??

XOXO

Angela & Amy

THE BEST ACADEMIC 2016 PLANNERS

August is my favorite month of the year for many reasons...

1.) It's my birthday month- whoo hoo!

2.) All the fall stuff becomes available in stores. Everything from school supplies to cozy sweaters I love it all!

3.) And most importantly, the academic planners finally start!

With the return of the midyear planners and the first day of school right around the corner we decided to share with you our favorite planners that will keep you stylish and organized throughout the whole year! Since we believe both fashion and function are important when it comes to picking out a planner, we included our file and style favorites for each. Happy planning!

LILLY PULITZER

Read our full review of the Lilly Pulitzer planner here!

Shop Lilly Pulitzer planners here!

File favorites: One of our favorites parts about this planner are the monthly and weekly calendar pages. The monthly pages are big, so if you have to write down your work schedule, school schedule and social calendar it will all fit perfectly! The weekly pages are also roomy so you can keep track of all your important due dates and tests.

Style favorites: Not only is the outside of this planner beautiful, but the inside is decorated just as vibrantly with pretty Lilly patterns! How can you not look forward to organizing your assignments when your planner is that pretty?

DAY DESIGNER

Read our full review of the Day Designer planner here!

Shop Day Designer planners here!

File favorites: We love that this planner has a whole page for each day! This helps you stay really organized when you have a lot on your plate. There is a section for a daily to-do list, hourly planning, notes and even a section to plan your dinner!

Style Favorites: The inside of this planner isn't very colorful or decorated at all, so if you don't want something as flashy as a Lilly planner this would be perfect for you! Also, since the colors are so simple, it gives you a ton of room to be creative with your washi tape and stickers!

RIFLE PAPER CO.

Read our full review of the Rifle Paper Co. planner here!

Shop Rifle Paper Co. planners here!

File favorites: This planner is actually really unique- the monthly pages are in a completely different section from the corresponding weekly pages, and the weekly pages are set up like a to-do list for each day. I wasn't sure how I was going to like this planner because of those two reasons, but after I put all my information inside, I ended up loving it!

Style favorites: Like the Day Designer planner, the color scheme inside of this planner is very simple so I've been having fun customizing it using colored pens and pretty washi tape! Also, this planner has a new quote for every week, a little detail I love!

ERIN CONDREN

Read our full review of the Erin Condren planner here!

Shop Erin Condren planners here!

File favorites: This planner has a ton of room for notes as well as space to write in the monthly calendar! What's unique about this planner is you can personalize it- so you can get a vertical, horizontal or even hourly weekly spread!

Style favorites: Just like the inside of the planner, you can personalize the outside too! You can pink the colors, design and even add things like monograms and pictures! 

XOXO

Angela & Amy

2016 - 2017 LILLY PULITZER AGENDA REVIEW

Want to know why this time of year is so exciting for us girls at File to Style.  Agendas, agendas and more agendas. It's the time of year all the traditional academic favorites are making their comebacks as well as the new brands making their debuts.  I can't even tell you how hard it is for us gals to resist getting our hands on a new crisp planner so instead of fighting the urge we just give in so we can share our thoughts on each and every agenda with our loyal readers.

Both of us started our love for agendas with the classic Lilly Pulitzer monthly academic agenda.  It's so hard not to fall in love with the fun prints, bold colors, classic layout and inspirational quotes.  Maybe it's nostalgic to get excited and wrapped up in all the hype for the Lilly agenda launch but there's no way we couldn't run out and get our hands on the newest design as soon as they came out.

This year I decided on the Exotic Garden print.  I mean what's not to love starting with the cover to the first few inside pages.  I absolutely love the sticker options but do wish they gave more than 1 page.  I know I'll use more than 1 mani/pedi sticker in the next 12 months. Nonetheless they are fun, witty, and practical.  The prints are almost too cute to leave tucked away in the agenda all year.  I may take them out and incorporate into my inspiration board.  Once you see them in person you'll understand why it's a shame not to use them as art.

The month layout is very similar to previous years and has always worked very well for me.  I noticed the monthly tabs are nicely reinforced so they will hold up for the next 17 months.  One of my favorite touches on the monthly pages is the 'To Do' column on the right.  It's a great spot to jot down those must not forget items so they are front and center.  

One of the biggest switch ups I did this year was deviate from buying the typical layout with the month and weeks to this new monthly layout.  You'll notice in the picture below, rather than each day of the week having it's own section, each week of the month has it's own.  Since I'm the half of File to Style not in school I don't see myself using the day sections like I used to but I do see myself making notes of what needs to get done for that week.  

One of my favorite features of a planner is the section dedicated for notes.  I have to honestly say I'm a little disappointed there's not more pages and the note section is actually shared with addresses.  Seems a little out of place but I'll have to see if I end up using all the pages anyways.

I know some of you may be wondering if we are actually going to use all these agendas we're doing reviews on.  Well the answer is YES!  In some way, shape or form we will give each planner a trial run.  My ultimate plan for my new Lilly Agenda is to keep it on my desk and use for blog planning. Having it on constant display gives me a sense of peace and immediate inspiration as soon as I sit down.  I promise to post little snippets of the planner throughout the year on our insta page so don't miss out.  Hope this helps make your agenda decision a little easier.

p.s. If you're wondering where those super cute, perfect planner, pink and navy striped pens came from I suggest you follow along on our insta page.  We may or may not have a new product to launch soon...very soon :-)

xoxo,

Angela and Amy

2017 RIFLE PAPER CO. PLANNER REVIEW

Shopping for a planner can be difficult... especially if you're like me! Since I've yet to find my "signature planner" I have a mental checklist of things I do and do not want. Most things I've learned from trial and error with other planners. Not to say the other planners I've used weren't great, however they just weren't practical for me in one way or another. 

For example, some things I've been looking for are a simple layout with nothing too colorful or distracting, a section for monthly calendars, a weekly spread and paper thick enough that my LePens won't bleed through. After some research I've found that the Rifle Paper Co. planner meets all of my needs! Bonus: The cover is so file to style!

First off, I really like the size of the planner- it's compact at the size of 6.75 x 8.25. Perfect for your backpack or tossing in your purse since it won't take up a ton of room! The inside cover has a beautiful gold print as well as a spot to write your name. Throughout the planner it sticks to a very basic color scheme, which I wanted so I could use my own colored pens without it looking too busy. 

The tabs on the side are reinforced to make sure they last all year long! I also love the front page with the signature Rifle Paper Co. flowers and lettering. You'll see that It will stick to that theme throughout! Very feminine and delicate.

The first section of the planner is for important dates. It has a list of the 2017 holidays as well as a place for you to write down birthdays and anniversary for each month of the year.

The next section is for notes. I like that this planner gives a pretty generous amount of note pages. Here I like to write down important information I know I'm going to need throughout the academic year- for example, my school's online information and my class schedules for each semester!

I'm very particular about my pens- especially the ones I use in my planner. I really love the LePens because of all the colors they come in and since they make my handwriting look nice! Since the LePens have a felt tip and I tend to write pretty hard I'm always nervous they will bleed through. Since I was curious I tested my LePens against our ballpoint pens to compare and I'm happy to report that neither of them bleed! 

One of the things that sets this planner apart from others I've tried is that all of the month by month calendars are in a separate section than the weekly planning pages. At first I wasn't sure how I was going to like it, but once I sat down and put all my dates in it- I became a fan! Having all the months together makes it easier to plan out everything and flip back and forth when needed.

I love the way the weekly pages are layed out. It was one of the main reasons this planner stood out to me! Each day is separated into two columns with little check boxes- reminds me of a bullet journal style. Since I will typically have two classes a day starting in the fall, I think the two columns will make it really easy to stay organized! This set up is also good for daily to-do lists!

Another thing I love about this planner are the inspirational quotes for every week! I'm a sucker for quotes, so I was so excited that Rifle Paper Co. decided to incorporate them for every week!

As If this planner couldn't get better- in the waaaay back there is a section for addresses and contacts! I have a lot of town family and I love to write handwritten notes and thank you notes, so having a spot where all the addresses I need is really helpful for me! 

Finally, there is a pocket in the back to hold all of your important paperwork. This pocket is especially helpful because it has a little ruler on the side! Talk about attention to detail. 

All in all, I'm very impressed with this planner. Every detail seems very well though out, and the planner in general looks very user friendly. I can't wait to start using it next month and put it too the test! I'm especially thrilled that I can use my LePens knowing they won't bleed though! Stay tuned for an update on how I'm liking it as well as how I organize it sometime next month!

Thank you to  Rifle Paper Co. for this beautiful planner and amazing customer service! We will be lifelong customers for sure!

XOXO

Angela & Amy