Featured Blogger Friday: "Preppy Princess"

It is with such happiness that I bring you today one of the very first bloggers I began reading & one of my all-time favorite reads, The Preppy Princess.

Preps & non-preps alike, stay with me here:  although she does focus largely on conservative fashions, TP's bone-dry wit and coverage of the fashion industry overall offers something for everyone - at least, those of us with taste & a sense of humor.

As you can see here & featured below, her online store has a number of goodies for us to enjoy as well.  Before you go calling the paparazzi and suspecting me of product pushing, let me assure you;  like the Hair Club for Men, I'm merely a customer and - well - not the President, but a reader too.  A reader with hair, that is.

Without further ado, let's get to it: 

Why she started a blog: Initially we started the Princess blog to complement our online store The Preppy Princess, thinking it would be a “nice little adjunct to the shop.” I must have been off my meds that day, thinking it would be ‘little’ in terms of the time required on a daily basis.

 

I have always been possessed of the capacity to substantially underestimate the amount of work involved in almost any endeavor. This talent was generally saved for those occasions when I needed to explain (demand, beg, order, demand, etc.) an idea to other people.  Full disclosure: usually these were people reporting to me in some capacity, so if all else failed, we had ‘other means’ to get them on board. But how I managed to underestimate the amount of time involved in bloggage is beyond me.  

 

Her blogging inspirations: Usually the news of the day is all it takes. A logo here, a mini-skirt there, a new take on ‘preppy style,’ and we’re all over it.  Then it’s funneled down into fashion & style items, further winnowed to those tidbits related to preps, additionally culled to morsels we think readers might not otherwise see.

 

I take it entirely too seriously, and the years of print & broadcast journalism almost hurt more than they help because I still feel like I have to answer the 5 W’s: who, what, when, where, why. And of course, despite it being rather vulgar, I add the H: how much?

 

I also allow my competitive background in news to rear its ugly head occasionally if TSU (The Spousal Unit) isn’t around to set me straight. I mean, who cares if I am the first to post what one of the Gossip Tykes wore last night? Or that Brooks Brothers is introducing a new color of men’s boxers, and they’re even available in madras?!  I’m told there is a Twelve Step program to help with this malady but have yet to make it to a meeting.  (Pretty Note:  Her fashion scoops are one of my favorite things about her blog.)

 

New merchandise in the shop is another inspiration as well. While we do not want to be completely crass and commercial, there are times we just can’t seem to help ourselves. New Lilly Pulitzer items always make us weak in the knees, like our upcoming Fall/Holiday 2009 collection:

Or our Grosgrain ribbon flip-flops and belts:

 

Outside of blogging, some of her favorite hobbies:  Truth be told, I am really incredibly boring.  My favorite activity is spending time alone with The Consort (aka TSU, aka my best friend and wonderful one) and our four-legged kids: Silly Tilly and Scooter-the-Wonder- Cat.

(Pretty Note:  The gorgeous Tilly is a rescue dog, a cause dear to my heart & indicative of TP's general state of fabulousness.)

(Pretty Note:  Did you know that I'm also a Cat Lady? My nerdlitude knows few bounds.)

I spend a fair amount of time engaged in volunteer work and am also a ferocious reader.

 

Her future goals, in real life and/or for writing:  It is easiest to speak of public aspirations for the next five to ten years: most involve growing the Princess.  Having our business affords the flexibility to volunteer time and skills to communities we feel compelled to serve. Ultimately we hope to be successful enough to create a foundation, a proper 501(c)3 entity engaged in donating assets to select charitable organizations.

Oh, and we also want to be comfortable enough to build our own ice rink on the property so I can skate year round.  (Pretty Note:  Who doesn't??)

 

Before clicking over to her blog, what she would want a reader to know about her:  That there really aren’t forty pink flamingo topiaries on our estate, as described in this post. 

 

Nor do we have a ‘head gardener,’ or full-time staff.  Hopefully readers understand the more outrageous statements in the blog are tongue-in-cheek. There are no minions here at the Prepatorium, nor are they required to raise the drawbridge over the moat, as we don’t have one of those either.  If this lack of accoutrements is disappointing to readers, we apologize, but after all, we are in a recession. (Heh-heh-heh.)

 

The other thing we would like people to know how much we appreciate them visiting the blog, how valued their comments are, how we wish we could add a 25^th hour to the day just to flit about leaving more comments on all those blogs we love to read. 

Special Reader Discount:  In a hugely generous and unsolicited move, TP is offering Pretty readers a 20% discount in her "Preppy Belts" section through June 18th.  Use the discount code PRETTYDEAL anytime through June 18th on any of the goodies listed here.  

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Darlings, you can follow TP's blog here and her Tweets here.  See you over in her comments section!

Note:  If you are interested in being a Feature Friday blogger, please review my spiffy guidelines here and leave me a comment including your email address.  Thanks.