Apartment Mood Board

Now that I've finally purchased the Urban Outfitters chevron duvet (at a deeply discounted price thankfully!), I've been playing around slightly more seriously about what I want my apartment to look like. I'm pretty sure since most of my stuff is red, that it's going to be red, black, and white. But I've really been loving vintage and more feminine details though, so I've been working on ways to get more of a cottage feel to it.
 

I'm not totally sure how I'll incorporate that vintage/cottagey feel to the room, but here is my latest mood board playing around with some things I already have, and incorporating items that I've been lusting over. Using the Urban Outfitters duvet as a starting point, I knew I want to incorporate red into the room for warmth and to cheer it up. And of course the easiest way to do that in a dorm room or apartment is through the accessories.

 

Using the Urban Outfitters duvet as a starting point, I knew I want to incorporate red into the room for warmth and to cheer it up. And of course the easiest way to do that in a dorm room or apartment is through the accessories.
 

In this mood board you'll see the Vera Bradley Poppy Fields Ribbon Board (which sadly is discontinued, but you might be able to find it on Ebay). Not only is Poppy Fields one of my most favorite VB prints of all time, but it also is a great sort of cottagey/vintage look that I love, that also incorporates red. I see this going over my desk and holding important pictures, notes, and coupons for me.

You'll also notice the polka dot pillow. I know that somewhere polka dots are going to be incorporated. I have to PB Teen dottie bins that might live on top of my dresser or nightstand. I also have a small accent pillow that my mom made me that could reside on my bed (or I also have the Aztec pillow from Ikea, but I'm not sure if that print will look good with the chevron).

It's kind of hard to see in the picture, but at the top are these adorable twig frames with birds on them from World Market. I actually already purchased one last month because I love the shabby chic/ cottage vibe. I see this residing on my nightstand with a picture of my dog or maybe my boyfriend in it.

It's hard to miss the giant scrolly Ikea mirror. I love the vintage look of it, and I hear it's lightweight, making it potentially good for hanging in my apartment. I think it's important to have light reflecting in my drab space too. I envision this over my dresser.

The bird garland from World Market has been calling me for months. The birds are chalkboard and I love how fun these are. I'm not totally sure what to do with them, but one potential option could be to hand this over my full size bed in place of a monogram. Though I'm not sure if this is long enough, so we'll see.

The chalkboard from World Market sneaked its way into my monthly lusts. I love this chalkboard a lot and I can envision cute quotes, notes, and pictures on this. I'm not sure how heavy it is, but I love the white vintage-y frame. Plus the price just can't be beat.

So that's the image that I have in my head currently, but nothing is ever set into stone. Let me know if you have any ideas for my apartment!

What I Wish I Knew: My Freshman Year of College

Hi guys!

I know it’s still early in the summer, but if you are an incoming college freshman, and super excited like I was, you are more than likely halfway done shopping for dorm stuff, have your classes picked out, and are counting down the seconds until you arrive on campus. I was kind of excited to say the least.

Anyway, as I’m sitting here, the summer before my senior year of college, and before my very last semester on my college campus, I thought it would be kinda fun to write things that I wish I knew before I went to college. Sorta like a letter to the 18 year old version of myself. Hopefully this also helps those of you who are about to start your journeys at college.

These are things that I would tell the 18 year old/freshman in college version of myself:

1. Don’t freak out about everything. It’ll all get figured out, whether you freak out or not.

2. Organization is so important! Keep calendars, agendas, and lists of upcoming assignments (way too many times I was caught with forgotten assignment or test due the next day).

3. Organization is also really important to actually fit all your junk in your dorm room.

4. Lining your desk and dresser drawers may sound unimportant, but they really make your life more colorful. Especially when you use cupcake wrapping paper.

5. Coupons are a college student’s best friend. Get coupons for places that aren't even super college related like Bath and Body Works.

6. Forget hoodies and yoga pants. Be that girl in your 9 am Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays that wears sundresses and cute outfits with hair and makeup done. College is not an excuse for barely getting dressed.

7. Dress up to make yourself happy, no one else.

8. Painted nails instantly make you feel put together, even when everything else is a mess.

9. There will be plenty of times you’ll want to kill your roommate.

10. Make friends everywhere you can. In classes, on your floor, in other buildings (how else will you figure out where to live for your sophomore year).

11. There’s no better way to meet people and feel involved than joining Greek Life.

12. Don’t worry about college boys, first kisses, or going on dates. What’s meant to be will be.

13. As you walk to class, take in the fall the colors of the trees. In the spring take in the bright yellow daffodils.

14. Live on both sides of campus! Especially central campus! They aren’t as weird as people say!

15. Go to Tobey-Kendel for Panini day.

16. Study in common spaces! It’s the only way to focus. And meet people!

17. Online classes suck. End of story.

18. Spend money on bedding. It’s the biggest impact in the room and it’s your way to cocoon from the world.

19. Take pictures of everything! You’ll one day wonder what you room looked like, what your roommates looked like, and how long your hair is.

20. No matter how tempting it is, 9:30 AM and 3:45 Tuesday Thursday classes are never fun. Don’t do it.

21. And no matter how annoying your hair is, don’t trim it! Your 21 year old version of yourself will wish you hadn’t.

22. As tempting as it is, you don't need to buy every random dorm item Target and Bed Bath and Beyond advertise.

23. Plan in advance what you want to wear to sorority recruitment. Wear cute sandals, spend time on your makeup, and let your personality shine. Also write down a backup list of questions to ask the sororities when things get awkward.

24. Rent your textbooks. Just do it. You won't get a dime back when you try to resell your textbooks.

25. Studying at the library is the best place to actually focus.

26. When it's snowing outside, wear waterproof mascara, especially when you are walking across campus.
 

 

July Lusts

If you didn't notice, last month I didn't do a monthly lusts post. That was due in large part to the fact that I couldn't think of hardly anything that I was lusting over! I think that's probably a good thing, at least for my wallet!

 

Anyway, there are a few things this month that I'm drooling over that I'll share with you!

Tarte blush in Blissful, Zoya Blu, Monograms, Kate Spade hipster, Marc Jacobs Honey, Chalkboard, Urban Decay 24/7 Liner, Pumpkin Carving, AE Peplum Top

 

 

Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush-"Blissful"

 

Last month I purchased the Tarte blush in Dazzled, which is gorgeous and has tremendous staying power! And because I'm a sucker for blushes, I now want to try out more colors! When I went into Sephora, the makeup artist recommended both Dazzled and Blissful. Blissful is described to be a warm peach color, perfect for summer!

 

Zoya Blu

 

Of late I've been really drawn to light colors, particularly blues! I'm a huge fan of Zoya nail polish, and I currently have a coupon at Ulta, so I think I might have to pick this color up.

 

Monograms

I've been eyeing some monogram wall decals for both my apartment at school and my room at home. I'm picturing both being over my bed and this shop on Etsy has the best price and largest size I've seen, but currently she's on vacation so I'm waiting for her to come back!

 

World Market Chalkboard

 

I've been wanting a chalkboard in a pretty frame, and this one from World Market is adorable and pretty inexpensive. I can totally see having this in my apartment at school with cute quotes on it! But I think I also probably need to practice chalkboard lettering too!

Kate Spade Nylon Stripe Ellen

Recently I spotted a woman carrying this bag downtown in my city and I thought it was so adorable! It didn't hurt either that her outfit as a whole was so cute! Unfortunately, this bag is waaaay above my modest purse budget, so it looks like it will be my Vera Bradley mini hipster for now. But this is so cute with the stripes and the gold chain detail.

Marc Jacobs Honey

I'm a sucker for all of Marc Jacobs' perfume because they all come in such cute packaging! And Honey is no exception! I haven't had the chance to test this perfume yet, but it's tempting just to buy it so it can look cute on display!

Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeliner in Zero or Perversion

So I love my MAC Technakohl eyeliner, but of late, I've been wanting to try something new. And many people proclaim that this liner is their holy grail, so I've been wanting to give it a try. Although I'm not a huge fan of the price or the fact that it needs sharpening. But I swatched this on a recent trip to Sephora and it literally stayed on my hand even after taking a shower. I was so shocked! Also I can't decide whether I'd want the softer look of Zero or the blacker black of Perversion. If you've used this liner, tell me your thoughts! I'd love to hear!

Bath and Body Works Fall Candles

If you should know one thing about me, it's that I'm 100% crazy obsessed with everything fall. I love everything about it, and the scents are a huge part of it. I hear that Bath and Body Works is releasing their Fresh Picked Fall series on August 1st (they already have a ton of fall candles up online though) and I'm so excited I could burst! Candles that I've super excited about: all of them! Particularly Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin, Pumpkin Carving (pictured above), Pumpkin Cupcake, Pumpkin Caramel Latte, and so many more!

American Eagle Peplum Top

I adore this peplum top so much! I have no clue if this would even look flattering on me (I'm kinda not a huge fan of peplum),but this top is so cute with the lace detailing that I definitely want to try it!

What things are you lusting over this month? Be sure to tell me!
 

 

 

A Review of My Large Lilly Pulitzer 2013-2014 Agenda

As you know, I'm obsessed with my Lilly Pulitzer agenda. I can't wait to use it not only because it's super cute, but also because it's great for keeping me organized for college.

I thought it would be fun to take a look at the inside of this year's agenda, especially for those that are wondering about whether they should buy it or not.

First of all, my agenda is the large size agenda (with the hardback cover) in True Navy Tiger Lilly. I love the design on the cover (with all the little tigers) and love the sturdy feeling of the hardcover.

 

 

Inside the cover is a little white folder page (I like to keep little notes or important papers in this when I attend my sorority chapter meetings) and then there's a page covered in cute little pictures. The little bunny is definitely my favorite!

 

Then of course, there's a page that tells the story about Lilly Pulitzer, which I think is super fun to read when you are stuck in a really boring 2 or 3 hour class. That's from my experience at least.

 

 

Then the next page shows a quick look at every month for the next 17 months. Which can be pretty handy if you are wondering about a date in the future. I don't find that I use this feature a whole lot though.

 

 

 

Following the multiple month views, is the entire month at a glance pages. So basically it shows all 17 months up close so you can plan things like sorority recruitment, finals, vacation breaks, and other things that help when looking a month view. Once again, these are super helpful for me, because at the beginning of each month, it has one of these too.

 

 

 

Next up is a cute little page that has lines where you can write Days to Celebrate. So if you need to remember all of the birthdays of those important people in your life. This also is something that I didn't use last year.

 

 

A sort of helpful page that follows this is the important dates page, which includes even the Kentucky Derby in true Lilly fashion.

 

 

 

Then multiple note pages follow.

 

 

 

A new, fun page that is included in this year's agenda is the horoscope page. Once again I see this being something really fun to read in a boring class. But the illustrations are adorable and it all keeps with the cute, light-hearted theme of this agenda.

 

 

 

Okay, so now comes the fun, meaty part of the agenda: the actual months and agenda portion. Each month opens up with a cute little design page (my favorite parts) and a little quote. Below I show all 17 months, so if you want to be surprised, don't look too far below!

 

 

 

Following the design page, there is a month-long glance at the days. Once again, I think this comes in handy when you need to map out your time or plan for stuff in advance. So I like to include philanthropy events, recruitment events, sisterhoods, big tests, papers, and cancelled classes to this page. This is a really handy part of the agenda.

 

 

 

And following that is the more detailed, day views. I love that each day has a lot of lines to write down assignments and due dates. One thing I wish they incorporated was a box for notes. So instead I usually just post a sticky note on the right side of the right page and right down my to-do lists there. Of course my sticky notes are Vera Bradley because they have to be cute!

 

 

So that is the conclusion to the tour of the agenda. I think it's a great investment for the money and something I'd recommend all college students to have. Plus the designs always brighten my day too.

 

And like I promised, below are all the month designs! There are some really cute ones this year! Which month is your favorite? Personally I love the September with the foxes!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Manicure of the Week: Peach Beach!

This week I was feeling in a peachy-coral sort of mood, which was perfect because recently I picked up a couple of brand new colors from Sally Hansen that I’m obsessed with! One of those was Peach Beach!

 

It’s kind of a mix of bubble gum pink and coral in the best summery sort of way possible. I’m obsessed with it. And like all Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear nail polishes, this one has held of exceptionally well. I’m going on day four and still no chips or pealing!

 

 

 

Perfect Pearing & Peach Beach

 

 

The other color I picked up is Perfect Pearing...did I mentioned that I adore the names of these two? I found them at Target and I'm super excited about them! Not only were they affordable, but super cute and perfect for summer!

What are your go-to summer nail polishes?

I Love Chevron Bedding!

Hi guys!

So I finally made a decision about what bedding to buy for my apartment this fall! I know, I had quite the problem narrowing down what I wanted!

 

Part of what made me go in this direction was price. I decided to get the black and white chevron duvet from Urban Outfitters, the one that I’ve been obsessing over since February (or probably before that honestly). Anyway, last night when I checked my email I saw that Urban Outfitters was running a promo code for $15 off a $75 purchase (when I checked my email, the promo code was about to expire in less than an hour, lucky me). Which is not notable, but I’m a sucker for any time of sale so I decided to look into it. I did, and low and behold, Urban is having a HUGE bedding sale that is taking place right now! I was literally shocked when I saw the prices!

The full/queen duvet that I wanted was no longer $89 like it had been previously, but now on sale for $69! And the shams (which are ridiculously expensive for nothing in my opinion)went from $34 to $29. Then with my $15 off, the total came down to $86! With free shipping too! So when you look at it, I got the shams for free, which is pretty awesome! I can’t wait to get the bedding and decide other aspects of my room now!

Be sure to check out Urban’s bedding sale because the prices are crazy good right now!

It Came and I Love It!

Hey everyone!

I got an exciting thing in the mail this week!

My Lilly Pulitzer agenda in True Navy Tiger Lilly! It's so cute and I can't wait to use it this school year!

It's the first school supply I have bought for my final year of college! I can't believe it!

Let me know what school supplies you are excited for this year!

Review of L'Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes Excess Mascara

Hey guys!

I’ve been feeling under the weather the past few weeks, so blogging has kind of gone by the wayside. However, in that time I did try out a new mascara that I wanted to review for you guys!

As you know, I’m a pretty huge fan of L’Oreal mascaras, especially the original Voluminous Million Lashes and Voluminous Carbon Black.

So when I saw the new Voluminous Million Lashes Excess, I was instantly intrigued to say the least, since it’s the newer version apparently of the one that I was obsessed with last summer. Plus it has red packaging, which got me.

According to L’Oreal’s website, this mascara “combines bold volume with clean definition for an excessively dramatic lash look. The brush is bigger than ever to separate and build each lash evenly from root to tip. The mascara features a built-in, anti-clump wiper that removes surplus mascara for a clean impactful effect. Plus, the ultra black formula amplifies each individual lash for a dramatic effect.”  

That sounds pretty awesome, right?

When I picked this up though, I just barely read the packaging, so I didn’t really know the sales pitch at all. I just knew that it was called Excess, so I figured it had something to do with no clumping.

So let’s jump into the review:

The Wand:

Top: L'Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black

Bottom: Voluminous Million Lashes Excess



Excess tapers in at the middle with lots of defining bristles

Is amazing. It’s a very long brush, I compared it to my Voluminous Carbon Black and it’s definitely longer than it. It has kinda had a bump where it widens new the tip of the wand, which I honestly hadn’t even noticed until a few days after trying the mascara. The wand is a big star here. It helps separate lashes for definition, and is one that doesn’t need a lot of work to help apply mascara to lashes quickly or evenly. It’s great at not creating clump at all, while building fantastic volume.

Packaging:

Usually I wouldn’t necessary review this part, but since part of the pitch is about the anti-clump wiper, I thought I’d describe that a little bit. It definitely helps the mascara from now being gloopy or messy. It doesn’t though, make the mascara too dry or hard to work with like I feel Clump Crusher by Covergirl can be like. It works great!

The Formula:

Is really smooth out of the container, especially when I compared it to Voluminous Carbon Black, which is thicker, goopier, and not nearly as smooth. Excess’s formula is smooth and wet first out of the tube. I was a little worried when I first applied it to my lashes because of how wet it is. However, in no time it dried much to the feel of the Rocket by Maybelline or even the texture of Cat Eyes by Maybelline. It’s definitely not goopy or smeary at all, which I love. While I really love the Voluminous Carbon Black, it would smear and smudge pretty easily, while this stays put all day. I would most definitely say that this mascara is the L’Oreal version of The Rocket…but a million times better!

The Impact:

 

Is huge. In just a matter of a few simple swipes, this mascara makes my lashes so dramatic and full of volume. But they are defined, clump free, and so long looking! Seriously, the first time I put it on, I was shocked by how great my lashes looked! My mom saw them and instantly went to Walgreens to buy this same mascara because of how great it looked!  

I would most definitely say that this mascara is much like Rocket, so if you love that, you love this, except there are two reasons why Excess is better: it doesn’t hurt the base of my lashes and it’s a breeze to take off! It comes off super easily with my Simple Eyemakeup Remover pads! Which is something I love!

I can’t say enough great things about this mascara! I think it could even be my new holy grail…

Wanna see my thoughts on other mascaras? Check out The Rocket vs. Clump Crusher and Voluminous Carbon Black!

How Incorporate Chevron Into Your Dorm!

Hi guys!

I don’t know about you, but I’m a little obsessed with chevron. I find myself wanting to incorporate the print into pretty much every facet of my life. Chevron pedicure? Dying for one! Chevron tank? I’m obsessed with mine from Lizard Thicket. Chevron phone cases, makeup bags, wallets, purses, totes, and agendas? They all call my name like you wouldn’t believe. And of course when it comes to incorporating it into my apartment for my senior year, I find it really hard to resist.

Now I’m by no means the authority on prints, and in the end I’d say do what makes you happy, but I think there are definitely tasteful and great ways to use chevron, and then there are ways that aren’t so great.

Chevron is a busy pattern. I love how graphic and clean, but interesting it is, but if you’ve looked at chevron fabric, I hope it didn’t give you a headache like it did me. The pattern needs to be broken up into pieces, or to have scattered throughout. Don’t make it look like chevron threw up all over your room.

So some chevron looks that I think are appropriate and pretty for college dorms and apartments just have small doses of chevron. Think throw pillows, a couple picture frames, a bulletin board, a blanket, a duvet cover, or a rug. But please, don’t do all of those things!

Chevron looks great for just a little pop of interest. Make sure to mix patterns! Mix it with dots, solids, ikats, or florals! But please never put chevron right next to something zebra. It never works.

Here are some of my favorite ways to incorporate this ever-popular print:

-Make DIY chevron wall art. You can either paint (use stencils from online for the cleanest lines) or fabric. My little made the one with the A and I made the one with the C below.

-Throw pillows are some of my favorite looks with chevron. This is my bedroom at home with a navy chevron throw pillow.

-Bulletin boards are great too! They can be homemade or storebought (you know when I talked about chevron making  you dizzy? Well my bulletin board made me dizzy looking at it, try using larger chevron patterns)

-Chevron bedding is adorable too! Just make sure to break it up with solid or small printed sheets, small printed throw pillows (think dots or small simple florals).


American Made Bedding

Isn't that bedding just lovely?

I hope this helps a little bit with the chevron craze. I know I want it incorporate it some way into my apartment, so we'll see what happens. Let me know what your plans for your dorm rooms are.

Are you obsessed with chevron and dorm design? Take a look at this post on some favorite chevron products, my senior year mood boards, and my apartment to-do list!

 

Apartment To-Do List

Hi guys!

I may have been only out of summer school for a couple of days, but already I’m planning for the apartment I’ll move into here in the coming months. I’m super excited, let me tell you! Mostly because I love decorating new spaces!

Awhile back, I was visiting my little (who currently lives in that future apartment) and I snapped a couple of pictures of my soon-to-be room so I can have an idea of the space I'm working with! As you can see, I've been having quite a bit of fun with my new favorite app, A Beautiful Mess!

 

 

 

So from the pictures above you can see that I'm going to have lots of space (a full size bed, a room that is an L-shape, a walk-in closet, and a huge bathroom all to myself!). The tricky part about all that space is making a big impact without sacrificing a lot of money or style.

As of now, here's a little checklist of things that I'd like to buy, make, to do to my future college room to make it feel like home:

-I need to buy some cozy, soft bedding that makes a statement! The bed is the first thing you see when you walk in, so the more colors/impact it can make, the better!

-Lots of cool wall art/décor that doesn't fade into the plain white walls.

-Lots of fun pillows on the bed

-2-3 lamps in the room to bring in lots of light

-Maybe some curtains to bring in more color and keep some of the eastern facing sun out.

-Put the dresser back in the bedroom, and make a nice area for putting on my makeup and storage of my perfume.

-Create a relaxing, nice study space at the desk.

-Include personal touches like a monogram decal and frames around the room.

-Try to keep the room warm and inviting

-Have a set color scheme that doesn't sway too much.

-Include lots of storage in the closet and in the room for my school stuff, makeup, clothes, accessories, DVDs, and other endless odds and ends.

That's about it for the checklist right now. I'm really stuck on bedding and a color scheme for the room.

I'm stuck between a nice, clean cottage color scheme of gray, yellow and white. And between a red, black, and white color scheme. Also yellow, gray, black, and white is an option as well. I have the most things in red, black, and white, but I really love gray and white.

Let me know if you have any ideas for my room or suggestions for a color scheme! I'd love to hear!

Take a look at some of my bedding contenders and mood boards too! I need all the opinions I can get!