The College Search

Although I have not officially been accepted or committed to a college yet, as a senior in high school, I have spent plenty of late nights online and taken many road trips exploring various colleges and the different opportunities each has to offer. I am beginning the application process now (very overwhelming and stressful!), but thought it could be beneficial to share with my fellow seniors and underclassmen some of the things I found helpful when narrowing down my college search. There are thousands of colleges to choose from, so figuring out your top three or four to apply to can be difficult. I hope you find this post helpful and please share any tips related to this or the application process below in the comments.

1. Offered Majors

Yes, sports teams and school colors are important but ultimately getting a degree and being about to find a job is the purpose of college. The first thing to do when looking at colleges is to look at what majors the school offers. Obviously, if you have decided on a major or field of study and that school doesn’t offer it, look no further and search for another school. If you are undecided and not sure what you want to major in, I would recommend looking at schools that offer a wide variety of majors so that you have options. For me, my major is not widely offered which already narrows down the college search.

2. Location

Once you know the college has your intended major or field of interest, I would suggest looking at the location. First, is the college in-state or out-of-state? This can effect tuition costs and/or state prepaid college funds which can make going to that college impractical due to financial reasons. Next, how far is the college from home? Could you live at home, drive a few hours, or need to take a plane to college? I think the distance your college is from your home is both a preference and logistic thing. Many things contribute to the ideal distance whether it be personal reasons, financial reasons, or family reasons. The ideal distance is different for everyone, but I think it is an important factor to keep in mind during the college search.

3. The “Feel” of the School

This is largely a preference thing, but what is the atmosphere or nature of the school. There are big schools, little schools, schools in cities, schools in the outskirts, and everything in between. Every school has a different feel or vibe on campus. It is important to find a school that makes you feel safe and at home. When I toured my now first choice college, I instantly feel in love with everything on and about the campus. I felt at home and knew that this school was for me. If you are trying to narrow down your college choices, I would highly recommend doing an on-campus tour. On-campus tours are usually given by current students who show you around and give you insight on what it’s like to be a student at their school.

Overall, the college search can be overwhelming because of the diverse, multitude of options. Ultimately, it’s all about finding the school that’s right for you. Listen to your family and peers suggestions and advice, but don’t just pick a school because your family or friends like that school. Be sure to keep an open mind when touring and learning more about a school. Like I said, I am a senior in high school and haven’t been accepted or committed to any colleges, but I have narrowed down my options to a short list of four schools. My next step is taking on college applications. If you are in college and have any advice on college applications, please share either in the comments or on my Instagram @MonogrammedMadison. Thanks for reading!

We're Like the Moon

A few nights ago I was reading in one of my devotional/ bible study books. The lesson included a story called the Moon’s Story. I had never heard this story but it really touched my heart and opened my eyes. To me, it is such a great visual representation of what we are without God and how we need him. If you have never read the Moon’s Story, click here to read it.

 

This line really struck out to me. Without God we are nothing and have nothing. When we are fully committed to God and living for his glory, we reflect his light and radiate his love. Our purpose is to glorify God and we can’t do that if we are half facing him. It is so easy to lose focus on the Creator and get distracted by all he has created. I pray that we can live life as full time Christians not just Sunday morning Christians. I want my life to radiate Christ from the inside out. With school starting, I have been focusing on and trying to glorify God in everything I do. Whether it be school work, sports, or just hanging, I want to do it for God and his glory because without him I am nothing.

What do think of the Moon’s Story? Comment below or on Instagram your thoughts. I would love to know what you think about this story and/or how you live to glorify God. Thanks so much for reading! Be sure to follow me on Instagram @MonogrammedMadison.

XOXO,

Monogrammed Madison

Lilly Sale & Back to School

Well, today is reason for celebration. Today was the bi-annual Lilly Pulitzer sale and my first day of my senior year of high school. It was a crazy day but an awesome day. In this post, I will be sharing what I ordered from the Lilly sale and the highlights from my last first day of school.

First Day of School OOTD:

I wouldn't want to start my senior
year off in anything but Lilly. I am
loving this pattern and the bright colors.



Top: Lilly Pulitzer   Shorts: J. Crew
Shoes: Jack Rogers   Necklace: Etsy

Before School:

When I first discovered that the Lilly sale began on my first day of school, I may have freaked out a little (or a lot, don't judge). Luckily, my first class didn't start till 9:30am so I had plenty of time to shop the sale. I headed to Starbucks, shopped the sale, then enjoyed coffee with some friends before heading to class. It was the perfect morning!

 EEEEK waiting for the sale to start!!

The lovely things I scored in the After Party Sale!!
Marlisa Maxi in Spa Blue Lets Cha Cha, Metallic Gold Crossbody,
Lulu Murfee Scarf, and the Tate Skirt in Navy Swim Lanes.



Maddy and Madison starting senior year off with some
iced coffee. Cheers to new classes, new teachers,
and new adventures. So thankful and excited to
have this girl by my side for senior year!

 

Time for Class:

Although so far it doesn't look like it, I actually did go to school today. I was really excited to start my classes and meet my teachers. Like I have said in previous posts, I am in the early college program which means I don't take classes at my high school only at the local community college.

My first class today was trigonometry, exciting right?
Before heading into class, I was feeling overwhelmed and
scared for this class but teacher is the sweetest. I
am looking forward to learning lots from her!
(My adorable Lilly planner and iced coffee definitely
made math class better!)

Following trigonometry, I had biology 1 and Maddy is
in my class (yay!). I am really excited for this class
and learning in depth about cells at a micro level, I
know I am such a nerd! (And look how cute
Maddy and I's Lilly planners are.)

Well, that's all for today's post. I couldn't have asked for a better first day of senior year. (I started the morning off shopping, it doesn't get better than that!) If you shopped the Lilly sale, comment below or on Instagram what you ordered. I am beyond excited for my senior year and all that comes along with being a senior. Best of luck to everyone who started school today or is starting soon! Be sure to follow me on Instagram @MonogrammedMadison.

XOXO,

Monogrammed Madison

 



High School Lookback and Advice

Hi y’all! As I am preparing to start my senior year of high school in ONE week (crazy!), I have been doing a lot of looking back. Today’s post is a look back of my past three years of high school. I will be telling funny stories, sharing lessons I learned, and giving my advice for each year of high school. I hope you can relate or find this helpful!

Freshman Year:

The first day of high school.

Wow, let's just say we all go through the awkward

stage. I remember being super nervous about starting

high school. To be honest, the first day of high

school was kind of a blur to me. I go to a high school with

over 2,000 students, so I felt really overwhelmed.

Charity has always been a passion of mine. I have been

involved with the same charity, Clothes to Kids, since fifth grade.

Clothes to Kids provides kids in my community

with clothes for school free of charge. Freshman year

I decided to do an underwear drive. I collected 888

pairs of new underwear for Clothes to Kids. For the first

time in my life I felt influential. I remember feeling like I

had done something good and it felt good. Still I continue to

volunteer and collect for Clothes to Kids. This year I set a goal

to collect 1,000 pairs of new underwear!

Freshman year I got the opportunity to live out my dream and

dance the role of Clara in the Nutcracker. I had been in the

Nutcracker since I was four years old and every year

dreamed of being Clara. This experience taught me to never give

up. I also truly learned that hard work does pay off. I will never

forget the way I felt dancing on stage as Clara. The mix of

happiness and accomplishment felt so amazing.

The summer following my freshmen year I headed

off to a ballet intensive with Orlando Ballet. Freshman year, all

my time not spent at school was spent in a dance studio.

I loved dancing and that's all I wanted to do.

 

Now looking back on my freshman year, I would say one of the most important things to do is get involved in something and find something you love to do. As a freshman, you are just finding out who you are as a person and getting involved in different things helps you discover who you are and what you like to do. If I could change one thing about my freshman year, I would have gotten more involved in school sponsored things, like clubs and going to sporting events. I kept myself very busy with dance but I wish I had explored more of what my new school had to offer.

 

 

Sophomore Year:

I started sophomore year off very negative. I was not

excited at all about it and my negative attitude made me

dread school. In an effort to try to make me more excited

about school, my friend told me to decorate my locker

all fancy which only got me made fun of by the

upperclassmen. Basically, I started off the school year

hating school and constantly said I just wanted to

graduate. I guess I had senioritis as a sophomore.



Like freshman year, I spent most of my time focusing on

doing well in school and ballet. Two weeks before the

Nutcracker, I pulled the ligaments on the side of my

foot in rehearsal. I was devastated. I remember coming

home from the doctors and crying for like an hour. I had

worked so hard for it all to be taken away. Again, I had a really

negative attitude and just really wasn't happy.

(And yes those are Christmas lights on my crutches!)

 

Although it wasn't the smartest idea, here is

me dancing in the Nutcracker as the Snow Queen. My

foot was not completely healed but I was suborn and

lied and said nothing hurt. Following this performance, I

spent two months in physical therapy for my foot. It was

weird but during physical therapy, I lost my motivation to

strengthen and help my foot heal. After physical therapy,

dance just wasn't the same.

 

My surprise pink and green sweet sixteen! This was

one of the most fun days ever (thanks mom!). The week

of my sixteen birthday was crazy. I got my license, I decided to

stop dance, start playing golf, and accept Jesus as my

Lord and Savior. A lot happened and a lot was changing.

 

I was baptized and gave my life to Christ on May 5, 2013.

 Since then I have become a new person and continue

to grow in my relationship with Jesus Christ. I became such

a happy person and I began to see God's hand in

everything. The negativity in the my life went away and

I felt so alive. God truly did make my heart new.

My decision to stop dancing and start playing golf

was a tough one. I felt like I was losing a part of

myself. Dance had been a part of my life ever since

I can remember. I also felt like I was losing my friends.

The majority of my friends were friends through dance. I started

playing golf the summer after sophomore year. The whole sport

was new to me which was kinda scary but I instantly fell in

love with the game. I felt the same happiness I felt when I

used to danced. I practiced a lot over the summer so that

I could play on my high school's girl's golf team in the fall.

 

Now looking back on my sophomore year, I would say the most important thing is to not to try to grow up too fast. I thought I was ready to graduate and just wanted to move on from high school. Try to find the good things about high school and enjoy those things. Like I said before, I wish I had gotten more involved in school activities. My sophomore year was a crazy year that was far from perfect but I learned a lot about myself that year and I wouldn't change any of it.
 

Junior Year:

 For my junior year of high school, I enrolled in the early
college program which means I no longer attend my high school
and only take classes at the local community college. I remember
feeling overwhelmed but I was really excited to be at a new school
where I could meet new people. As for this picture, I think I was
running late on the first day and my mom just snapped this quick
picture as I left.

Although I was only taking classes at the college,
I still had the opportunity to play sports at my high school.
The fall of my junior year I was on the girl's golf team.
Overall, it was a great experience that again reminded me of the
importance of hard work and how it really does pay off. Because
I was still burnt out from dance, I didn't play to win or be better
than anyone else. I truly played to have fun which made
practice a time to better myself not compete. Being on the golf
team was like a breathe of fresh air. I am so looking forward to
starting practice for this year's season!

On the first day of my junior year, I met Maddy who
over the past year has become such a close friend.  It never fails to amaze me how different yet how much we are alike. Without Maddy, being in early college
would not be the same. She was always there for me whether I
need a pencil, goggles for lab, a lunch date, or someone to
vent to. I am truly blessed to have her as a friend.
(This picture was taken just a few weeks ago, read more about
it here)

My junior year was largely focused on college. In the spring of my junior year, my family took a road trip to the beautiful Auburn, Alabama to tour Auburn University. From the moment I walked on the campus, I was in love. Everything, except out of state tuition, was perfect. I never would have guessed a college tour could have been such a godly moment. I remember after the tour, we headed back to our hotel. At that point, we basically ruled out Auburn because of the tuition costs and because I have Florida pre-paid college. I remember feeling very angry. I just kept thinking how can I see something and it be so close but not possible. That night I opened my bible to Jeremiah 29:11, "for I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans that give you hope and a future." I was focusing on my plan and what I wanted not what God wanted. I always hear people pray about how they want God to take away the things in their life that aren't part of God's plan and this was my first time experiencing this. Although I don't know where I will be attending college yet, I am confident that God has a plan and I might not see it yet but it is far better than any plan I could imagine.

 

The bible says that as iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. My friendship with my sisters in Christ does exactly that. These lovely ladies, in addition to many others at my church and in my life, inspire me, strengthen me, and are always there for me. Having a close group of friends to keep me accountable and focused on Christ had such a positive impact on my junior year of high school. We have continued to grow closer and I can't wait to see where God takes us after high school. I know God has a plan for these amazing girls and I know they will do amazing things for Christ.

I began the summer after my junior year by taking an awesome cruise through the Caribbean. On our cruise, my family went zip lining. (I have the coolest parents!). Any time before this I would have quickly rejected the idea of zip lining. I don't like heights and the thought of zip lining terrified me. For whatever reason, I decided to go zip lining while on the cruise. It was truly an awesome experience that was unlike anything I have ever done before. If you ever get the chance to do something crazy like zip lining, do it! Putting aside your fears and trying new things can be so fun. (I am wearing a bathing suit in this picture, not zip lining naked!) 

Early on in the summer, I visited the University of Florida which is about two hours from my house. I was really not interested and was dreading going to tour it. But once I stepped foot onto the campus, all of my preconceived judgments and thoughts were completely flipped upside down. To say I fell in love would be an understatement. From the atmosphere to the people to the academics, everything seems to fit me perfectly. As of now, this is my first choice college. If you are a junior and start touring colleges, I would say the most important thing is to keep an open mind. Try to leave your previous opinions out of the tour. Like I said, I don't where I will end up going to college but I know God has a plan that far exceeds any plan I could think of.

 

Now looking back at my junior year all I can say is wow, what a year! I think the most important thing I learned during my junior year was how to keep an open mind and how trying new things can be a great thing. I grew deeper in my relationship with God and had many moments that I experienced his grace. For me, junior year was filled with new challenges and stressors like college, SAT/ACT, and growing up. If you are entering your junior year, I would say the most important thing is to work hard like really hard.

 

 

I can’t believe that in one week I will be starting my last year of high school. I am excited, nervous, and sad all at the same time. This next year will be filled with lasts and many decisions. I am excited to see what God has planned for this next year of my life. If you have graduated high school, comment below or on Instagram your tips for senior year! Be sure to follow me on Instagram @MonogrammedMadison.

What's In My Backpack?

Hey y’all! August is here which means it is back to school time. Today I will be sharing with you some of the things I keep in my backpack. I haven’t gone school supply shopping yet so I didn’t include many folders, spirals, and other things like that. Once I go school supply shopping, I might post a school supplies haul. Comment below if you would like to see that. Hope you find this post helpful!

My monogrammed chevron backpack is from

Etsy. I got this last year at the beginning of

second semester and plan on using it again this

year. It is so cute and really functional. There are

a lot of pockets and a laptop sleeve attached inside.

 These are my academic essentials. I would be completely

lost without my Lilly Pulitzer planner. Having plenty of pens

and pencils is a necessity, you don't want to be the

person always asking to borrow a pen. I am a highlighter

addict. I highlight everything, so highlighters are a must have.

The last thing is index cards. I think index cards are the

perfect study aid.

 Although this is the spiral and folders I used last

semester, I plan on purchasing similar ones this semester.

I used a five subject notebook for all five of my class.

I have used this brand of folders ever since I can remember.

The colors are so bright and the pockets inside are so

functional. Lastly, my graphing calculator, which is pink in

an effort to make math more fun, is a necessity.

Maybe it's just me but I get hungry throughout the

day, so I like to keep snacks in my backpack. My

favorites include almonds, bananas, Cliff protein bars,

carrots, or grapes. These healthy snacks are tasty and

keep me full and energized during class. My

Camelbak has a monogrammed sticker on it from

ForeverMeBoutique (link). I like to stay hydrated during class

and my Camelbak is easy to throw in my backpack.

 These are my personal essentials. I keep tinted

lipbalm and hand sanitizer in my backpack to use to

freshen up before class. I have found keeping tissues in

your backpack is a good idea in case you get sick. No

likes constantly having to leave the classroom to blow

their nose. I also keep pain medicine in my

backpack for those pesky afternoon headaches.

Lastly, these are the things I always need but never

seem to have. Headphones are helpful for in between

classes whether it be watching a lecture online, listening

to some tunes, or a quick Netflix binge. I always want gum

in class, so I keep a pack in my backpack. The last thing

I keep in my backpack is change. My school charges us

to print things so having change is a necessity. Change is
also great for the days you forget a snack and need to
grab something from the vending machines.

 

Thanks for reading! I hope you found this helpful. Leave a comment below telling me some of the essentials you keep in your backpack. Be sure to follow me on Instagram @MonogrammedMadison.

XOXO,

Monogrammed Madison

Senior Pictures Lookbook

Yesterday, my mom and a longtime friend who happens to be an amazing photographer (and I do mean an amazing) helped me kick off my senior year by taking my senior pictures. It really is starting to sink in that I am a senior in high school which is excited and scary all at the same time. Today, I wanted to show the outfits I wore for my senior pictures and share with y’all some of my favorite shots.

Here is to the kick off senior year!

I love the simplicity yet elegance of this outfit.
The vintage, antique feel of the places we
took the picture complements my outfit nicely.

Dress: Marshalls Necklace: Charming Charlie Shoes: Jack Rogers

Of course Lilly and Jack had to make an
appearance when we headed to the beach!

And no outfit is complete without a monogram!

I adore the way the bright colors look
against the bright white sand.

Sand, saltwater, and senior year!

Dress: Lilly Pulitzer Necklace: Etsy Shoes: Jack Rogers

 

Go Eagles!



My bow matches my polo which matches
my monogrammed towel which matches my shoes
and I wouldn't have it any other way!

 

I couldn't dare to be caught on the golf course
without a little bit of Lilly and lots of pink!

I truly am living the dream in pink and green.

What a fun afternoon! Special shout out to Savanna, my amazing photographer, and my creative mom for helping me kick off my senior year with a bang. I am really excited to see and do all the things that come with being a senior. If you are a part of the class of 2015, comment below. Also, if you have already graduated high school, comment below any tips you have for senior year. Thanks for reading y'all! Be sure to follow me on Instagram @MonogrammedMadison.

 

XOXO,

Monogrammed Madison