Five Event Invitations You Should Never Turn Down

If you are ever invited to one of these exclusive events, clear your schedule. You won't regret it.

1. Ring Dance
Annapolis, MD
Ring Dance is a special traditional date function for second-class midshipmen at the end of their junior years. During the event, a chaplain dips the midshipman's class ring in water of the seven seas, and he is then permitted to wear it. Before the ceremony, the midshipman's date wears his class ring on a chain around her neck.

2. Inaugural Ball
Washington, D.C.
Official or unofficial, any inaugural ball in the District is sure to be fun, no matter who is elected president.

3. First Lady's Luncheon
Washington, D.C.
Each May, the Congressional Club honors the first lady of the United States with an extravagant luncheon, usually held at a large hotel in the District. Spouses of current and former members of Congress are invited, and they can bring friends if they so choose. Highlights include beautiful table settings, live music and generous gift bags.

4. Met Ball
New York, NY
Met Ball, also known as Met Gala, is a joint effort by Vogue and Chanel. It is one of the top annual social events in New York City. Each year, the event has a theme, and designers and celebrities dress to the nines.

5. The Capital Club Sinatra Soiree
Washington, D.C.
The Capital Club is a highly exclusive social club in the District that only accepts new members by invitation. The Sinatra Soiree, which takes place every July, is one of the best summer parties of the year. Live music, cocktails and dancing attract crowds of more than a thousand.

And obviously, if you're ever invited to a party at Gatsby's, you better not make other plans.

Annapolis Cup 2013: What to Wear

Annapolis Cup 2013 is right around the corner.

...which means Lilly dresses, big hats, and pastel pants. You're probably stressing day and night about what you're going to wear, right? Don't worry; that's why I'm here.

• Dress. Ladies, a Lilly Pulitzer or Vineyard Vines dress will always suffice. Think bright colors, prints, and florals.
• Cardigan. Since Maryland's weather is pretty unpredictable, you may need some extra layers. A colorful cardigan will keep you warm without dressing you down.
• Hats and headbands. A big floppy hat or a statement headband is essential to fancy up an outfit.
• Pearls or a bubble necklace. J.Crew has a really cute selection statement necklaces, but if you're on a budget, check Etsy.com.
• Shoes. Wedges are perfect for those times when you want to dress up but don't want to wear spike heels for fear of getting stuck in the grass. If you don't want to wear heels, Jack Rogers sandals or Tory Burch flats are a perfect choice.
• A final tip: Dress like you're going to the Kentucky Derby, and you'll fit right in.

LEFT dress: Lilly Pulitzer; earrings: LC Lauren Conrad; necklace: Asprey; cardigan: J.Crew; shoes: Tory Burch | MIDDLE dress: Lilly Putlizer; cardigan: J.Crew; headband: Phase Eight; shoes: Tory Burch | RIGHT dress: Lilly Putlizer; cardigan: J.Crew; hat: Piperlime; earrings: Brooks Brothers; shoes: Tory Burch

LEFT dress and cardigan: Lilly Putlizer; hat: Vineyard Vines; necklace: Kate Spade; shoes: Jack Rogers | MIDDLE dress: Vineyard Vines; cardigan: J.Crew; necklace: Etsy.com; earrings: Kate Spade for Piperlime; shoes: Jack Rogers | RIGHT dress: Vineyard Vines; cardigan: J.Crew; earrings: Scully & Scully; ring and bracelet: Kate Spade; shoes: Tory Burch

Event details

from St. John's website

The Thirty-First Annual SJC vs. USNA Croquet Match
An Annapolis tradition
Saturday, April 20, 2013 (Rain date – Sunday, April 21) at 1 p.m. on the Front Lawn of St. John’s College

Ground Rules

To ensure a grand, family-friendly lawn party, please note the following:

Bring your picnic baskets, fancy hats, dancing shoes, and all the family. Food, soft drinks, beer, wine, and champagne will be available for cash-only purchase.

Food and alcohol:

• No outside alcohol permitted on campus. 
• Food and soft drinks will be available for cash purchase on campus. 
• There will be cash bars for champagne, wine, and beer. 
• Grills are not permitted on campus. 
• Coolers and bags are subject to inspection.

Additional:

• There will be five designated entrances to the match site. 
• Guests are not permitted to set up spaces before 10 a.m. on the morning of the match. 
• Only lawn chairs, blankets, and tables lower than two feet are permitted in the area around the match site. 
• No pets allowed. 
• We ask guests to kindly remove all trash from their spaces and leave in designated areas. 
• All personal items must be removed from the campus by 7 p.m. or they become the property of St. John's College!

See you there!

Springspiration: The Annapolitan's Picks

Spring is just around the corner.

And you know what that means--your favorite designers are releasing their spring collections! I've carefully inspected each line and selected my favorites.

*The cherry blossom watercolor print shown above is available for purchase for $15 on Etsy.

Sperry Top-Sider

I absolutely love that Sperry is experimenting with new colors. Hints of coral and turquoise are popping up in the spring collection of boat shoes, and I absolutely love the bold color combinations and prints they've been dreaming up.

Favorite item: Women's Authentic Original 2-Eye Boat Shoe in Navy Anchors/Red Gingham (bottom center)

J.Crew

J.Crew, always sticking to the classics, has done it once again. I love the nautical accents of Fleece Nautical Colorblock Popover and the Modern Toggle Coat. The designer has also released new colors of chino pants and shorts, as well as an array of beautiful bubble and statement necklaces.

Favorite item: 3" Chino Short in Herringbone Stripe (below)

Lilly Pulitzer

Honestly, there's not much I don't love about Lilly Pulitzer's spring collection. My favorite items are the laser-cut lace dresses in pretty floral patterns. In addition, Lilly's nautically preppy Malibu Blazer mixes the perfect balance of pink and blue, and the Luxury Capri adds a pop of color to any outfit.

Favorite item: Barbara dress in Gold Metallic Two Tone Truly Petal Lace (top row, second from left)

Vineyard Vines

Although I'm still a little upset with Shep and Ian because they stopped making dog collars and leashes, they did impress me with their spring line. The Shep shirt now comes in gingham--how cute!

Favorite item: Women's Shep Shirt in Flamingo (bottom left)

Lululemon

Lululemon never fails to dazzle me with fun colors and innovative ideas. You can find me on their website convincing myself that if I buy new Wunder Unders, I will find new and unmatched motivation. I love the bright colors and reversibles from the spring collection.

Favorite item: Reversible Wunder Under Crop in Mint Moment/Black (bottom middle)

Nine Ways to get through March

I'm definitely a summer girl.

I like sailing, beaching, sun-kissed skin, and shorts. For me, this time of year--after the holiday season, after Valentine's Day, but still wintertime--can be slightly depressing. At times, I feel like I've forgotten what it feels like to be able to wear shorts and a t-shirt.

How can we get ourselves through this "winter slump?"

1. Take a vacation. This is obviously the most effective way to revive your inner summer. Visit those Florida relatives, even if it's just for a weekend.

2. (Ladies), invest in a good bronzer. Perhaps one of the most frustrating things about winter is having to deal with pale skin. My favorite bronzer is Nars Bronzing Powder in Casino. It works like a charm and leaves no streaks.

3. Buy flowers for your home. Bright colors = happiness.

4. Get out and do something! Walk your dog, go to a lacrosse game, take a trip to the aquarium. Keeping yourself busy is key.

5. Make a summer inspiration board. Mine is above.

6. Hit the gym. Swimming is probably the best possible cure for the winter blues, but any workout will leave you feeling more energized and better all-around. Plus, when it finally does get warm, you'll have a hot body to show off.

7. Make yourself wake up early. Sleeping in can make your more depressed. Plus, waking up with the sun means you'll have more exposure to sunlight throughout the day.

8. Spend some time outside, even though it is cold. Your body cannot properly absorb Vitamin D if you do not expose yourself to sunlight.

9. Become a germ freak. There's nothing more depressing than being sick and cold. You can also avoid getting sick by increasing your vitamin C intake and drinking Emergen-C.

Hang in there! Spring is so close!

Currently Coveting: Nautical Jewelry

Sailboats, anchors, sailor's knots, blue crabs...what more could a Maryland girl want?

The Annapolitan's Rules for Monogramming

"If it's not moving, monogram it." - Reese Witherspoon

While this is a nice idea and a cute quote, I can't say I agree entirely. Don't get me wrong; I'm obsessed with monogramming--but we've got to stop somewhere. Too much monogramming can be extremely tacky. I've compiled a list of practical vs. impractical things to monogram. These are strictly my opinions.

Practical:

• Backpacks, boat bags, clutches, wallets, luggage, makeup bags, jewelry rolls
• Phone cases, phone chargers, laptops
• Water bottles, tumblers, mugs, flasks, wine glasses, koozies
• Headbands, belts, croakies, cufflinks
• Oxford shirts (a small breast or pocket monogram ONLY; never monogram the cuff)
• Necklaces, bracelets, keychains
• Pens, clip boards, planners/agendas
• Sheets, duvet covers, pillowcases, towels, robes
• Kitchen trays
• Wall decorations in home, doormats
• Stationary, thank you notes
• Dog collars/leashes (with your dog's initials, of course!)

Impractical:

• Earrings (unless done very tastefully--CAN be tacky)
• Cars (for some reason, I just don't think it's practical to monogram cars)
• Shoes
• Shirt cuffs (pretentious and tacky)
• Manicures/pedicures
• Dresses
• Bowties

Things I'm on the fence about:

• Sweatshirts, cardigans
• Hats
• Norts
• Rings
• Scarves

The Annapolitan's guidelines for monogramming:

• Monogram things that are unexpected, like a headband or a water bottle.
• Don't double letter. You don't want to be wearing five things with your initials on them at once--that's not tasteful or subtle. We get it. Your initials don't have to be on EVERYTHING.
• Wait until you're married to start monogramming linens and housewares you're going to have for a long time--towels, sheets, pillowcases, kitchenware. Otherwise, you'll end up with a bunch of stuff that has your maiden name on it.
• Monogram with discretion. Stick to time-honored traditions. If you have a suspicion that something is tacky, it probably is. Keep it classy, tasteful, and subtle.
• Monograms always go with pearls, seersucker, or chevron.

The Annapolitan's favorite things to monogram:

• Buy a headband from Lululemon and have it monogrammed. There is a stand at the Annapolis mall near Victoria's Secret that monograms anything and everything.
• Order some custom monogram stickers from Etsy.com and put them on water bottles, planners, laptops, phone cases, etc.
• I love these monogrammed wallets from Tuckernuck. They're subtle and tasteful.
• It is traditional to monogram stationary and thank you notes. There are tons of styles of Etsy.com.
• Buy a wooden letter (or letters!) from the craft store and cover them in scrapbook paper using Mod Podge. You can buy the letters at Jo-Ann Fabrics. I used pages from an old Lilly Pulitzer agenda, and mine came out great! The letter can be used as a door or wall decoration.

Oh, and one more thing: Cupcakes should always be monogrammed.

The Annapolitan's Eight Simple Rules for Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is right around the corner, and you're probably thinking about how you're going to survive it.

Whether you're single or taken, this Hallmark holiday is one that just makes people stress out for some reason. So I've compiled a list of guidelines to help you get through V-Day while keeping your sanity.

1. When choosing a gift for your Annapolitan sweetheart, you can't go wrong with the classics. Think high-quality chocolate truffles, red roses, and jewelry.

2. If you're veering away from the classics, keep it unique. Get creative, and think of things that pertain to your relationship. Maybe even give him/her something practical and useful!

3. Think about the kind of message you want to send with your gift. Red roses say "I love you." Pink roses say "You make me happy." Yellow roses with red tips say "I'm falling in love with you." Peach roses say "I appreciate you." Jewelry says "I'm serious."

4. Give a gift that keeps on giving! Anyone can appreciate a massage gift card, a voucher for a special date, or a planned and paid for weekend getaway.

5. Try not to get too corny. Avoid tacky Hallmark cards, teddy bears that sing, and other items that will end up in the recycling bin or basement.

6. Singletons, embrace your singleness! Honestly, I'm sick of hearing you guys complain via social networks for the entire month of February. If anything, just ignore the holiday and stay off social networks on the 14th so you don't have to see all the Instagrammed photos of teddy bears and flowers. But please...enough with the "forever alone" tweets. We get it.

7. If you are single (or in a long distance relationship), do something special for yourself on Valentine's Day. Buy yourself a cupcake, go get a massage, or treat yourself to a special dinner. I'm aware that I'm verging on corny here, but it's important to love yourself just as much as you can possibly love someone else. So don't forget to do nice things for yourself. Plus, it will help you get through the day without becoming too bitter about the fact that your coworker received flowers at work, or that your friend won't stop talking about her awesome date.

8. Have fun! Valentine's Day is not something to stress over. Remember, it's all Hallmark hype. Don't get too caught up in it.

The Annapolitan's Gift Guide for Guys

• Framed photo of you and him
• Massage gift card
• Gift card to a restaurant for a planned date
• His favorite beer
• Baked goods (if you can cook!)--think brownies, puppy chow, cupcakes, or cookies
• Here's my favorite recipe for Nutella puppy chow!
• Homemade chocolate truffles
• Tickets to a concert or game
• Cologne
• Fancy cuff links (for the businessman)
• Bacon roses (tutorial here)

The Annapolitan's Gift Guide for Girls

• Strand of pearls
• Flashy earrings
• Infinity sign ring or necklace
• Tiffany gift card
• Starbucks gift card
• Flowers
• Her favorite wine
• Lingerie or a Victoria's Secret gift card
• Perfume
• Something special from Vineyard Vines or Lilly Pulitzer

Have a great Valentine's Day!