Back To School:Bedroom essentials

As August quickly approaches many of us will be returning to our high schools, universities and colleges. Some of us may even be leaving to attend a new school. Here are some of my school essentials for the upcoming year!

If you haven't already set up your bedroom with your roommate here are some great tips!

1. White is not always the best option: This may be the bedding you have for the next four years. If we're being honest what makes you think you won't spill your sixth glass of coffee on your white duvet after six hours of studying? Go with a navy, black, or a darker color

2. Decorate with pillows: Now go ahead and get the white, monogrammed pillows. The best thing about pillows is that they are a lot cheaper to replace them. They'll be really useful for movie nights and study sessions when your bed doubles as a couch.

3. Find a bulletin board: This is a great investment. You can paint it, scrapbook it or just hang things. I used it to hold heavier statement necklaces, pictures and memorabilia.  As the year progresses, you can add and remove pictures/memories. Mine normally doubles as an inspiration board as well. It makes your room a little homier without a million picture frames.

4. Get a lamp: Especially if you have a roommate, a lamp will be a smart object to bring. A large lamp may not be plausible, but a bedside lamp or a clip on one works the best. I used mine when I had to get up earlier than my roommate or go to bed later than my roommate.

5.Second set of bed sheets & an extra blanket: This may seem weird, but trust me I am thankful weekly that I have an extra set of sheets and an extra blanket. One night while I was blogging in bed, I spilled a glass of Diet Coke (#tsm) on my sheets. Instead of having to wash my sheets that night, I just changed my sheets really quickly and got back to what I was doing. The extra blanket is great for naps, movie nights, or the rare instance that it's cold in your room!


 What are some of your bedroom essentials? Check back next Wednesday for more Back to School supplies!

xoxo

Dorm Room Pictures

Finally I have had the time (and clean room) to take photos of my room! I won't have any other parts of my apartment just because it is a more communal space.

Here is my side of the room!

 

Here is my bed! I got my bedding last year, the pink pillow is from my German family, and the quilt my grandma made! My favorite part is the pictures! 

My desk! I love my space, I get into my zone all the time!

My closet as organized as it gets! I have so many shoes, but most of them are flats kept in a shoe organizer on the right.
I have bags on the left, my dresses,black for my Zeta events, cardigans, blazers & jackets.

A close up of my desk. Yes you see m&m's on my desk. Mid-day pick me up!
I love having inspirational quotes on the bulletin board as well as pictures of KG, MB, JH & AD. Having the faces of loved ones nearby really helps!

A close up of my night stand/ dresser. I have my tv (used to watch Glee & Scandal), my acrylic tray from Personalized From Me to You, my iPad and my pin box. My dresser would not be complete without a photo of MB & KG.
 I bought the hooks you see there to hold my necklaces at Target. It was $6 and I use command stripes to hold it up. It was a great investment.

What do you use to organize your room?

xoxo

Summer Reflection

Even though yesterday was the first day of September, today is the real last day of summer because it's Labor Day! I thought I would reflect on this summer, and everything that has happened. I feel like this summer I grew, and my relationships with some high school friends also deepened. 

1// Working in an office is much different than working at school. I had to prioritize in a different way. Also, I learned that I enjoy being busy. Sitting is not one of my strong suits.

2// Even though friends are miles away, and communicating is never easy some people will always understand you and your relationships. MB and I have an abnormal relationship because we have been long distance all of our relationship. Having good friends such as KG and SB who understand that is a blessing. This summer I grew close to SB and even closer to KG. I don't think I say it enough, but these wonderful ladies are the reason that I am still confident in myself and my dreams. I can't wait to see where they end up, and I only hope I am along for the entire ride!

3// Life is short, you have to let go. I wrote a post about letting go, and I was finally able to do so. I can't wait to see who else is going to be in my life, and how they are going to influence me, motivate me, and help me. I also can't wait to see who I am going to help, motivate and influence.

4// I can do pretty much anything I want to if I set my mind to it. I have never been crafty, but I did an entire post on how to make something for your dorm. I've also never considered myself a journalist, but I will be writing for The Smart Girls Group Loop current affairs. I can do what ever I put my mind to. (Thankfully I won't be putting my mind to anything that require hand-eye coordination).

5// No matter what, family is going to be there for you. It might not be blood, though I am completely blessed with family that is "blood", I am also blessed with people who aren't "blood' that I consider my  family. I realized that the past year has been difficult, but I have added more people to my family, and I am very blessed.

 

Adios Summer. 

What have you learned this summer? How did you grow this summer? 

xoxo
aVe

PS I know this post is me just feeling blessed, but I am!
 

Striped Letters

Since this year I'll be living in an apartment on campus, I decided to make cute letters for each of my roommates to put on our bedroom doors! 

I got the letters at Hobby Lobby as well as the acrylic paint and paint brushes. The total project was about $10. The tape I found at home, if not you could find it at basically any store like Walmart, Target, and Walgreens

1//Make sure all of the stickers are off of your letter (I accidentally painted over one and had an interesting time getting it off.)

2//Paint the entire letter white. Including the sides, but not the back. I would suggest at least two coats. Let the first coat dry before applying the second one. Also, paint the same direction, it makes the finished product look neater. 

3// Take your masking tape and tape your entire letter vertically, then remove every other piece of tape. This way you get equal sized stripes.After this press down on the edges of the tape so that paint doesn't leak onto the white

4// Paint the non-taped parts (painting the same direction). Sometimes you need two coats depending on the color. Make sure you paint the sides too!

5// Once the paint has dried, peel off the tape and look at your new letter! You might need to make some touch ups, which I would recommend a small brush for!

The Finished Product! They really brighten up our apartment:)
We used sticky puddy to hang them, but Command Strips would work also!
A room post to come soon!
Happy crafting

xoxo
aVe

First Day of School Oufit Inspiration

Sorry I've been MIA, I finished my internship, and I have attempted to start packing. Emphasis on the attempted. I have two fun surprises this week, so check back tomorrow and Thursday for sure!

Here are some first day of school outfit inspirations. I have some Pinterest inspiration and an outfit of my own. Even though my board is filled with fall inspired outfits, I know it is going to hot this next week for those who are starting this week!

(all of these pictures are via my Pinterest account)

 A cute pair of shorts and a chambray shirt with an adorable necklace is a perfect way to start off the school year. You don't want to be that annoying person who over dresses, but you want the professors to know you take their class seriously. The outfit below is perfect way to stay cool outside, and warm inside. Plus its just the perfect amount of summer!

Here is my first day of school outfit!

Shirt//

Shorts//

shoes (On Sale!)//

Necklace//

Don't forget your Pearls!//

xoxo

aVe

Good Luck!

My Tote: Be Prepared!

Back to school! I know some schools down South have already started, but here in the Midwest we don't normally start school until the week before or after labor day. (normally)

I am ready to go back to school, mainly because my internship is over on Friday and most of my friends have left. 

10 days until move in! 

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Here are some of my essentials when it comes to my tote

1// My tote is Longchamp in camel and I am in love with it. I have been using it since I returned from Germany (A very funny purchase story btw). It fits my Toshiba laptop, binders for class, agenda, iPad and food for the day!

2// An agenda. I use the Lilly Pulitzer Agenda , but last year I used the Vera Bradley Student Agenda, which was great too! My agenda is my life, and I have no idea what I would do without it!

3// Food. No joke, I need fuel during the day, so I tend to eat snacks through out the day instead of one big lunch. I usually have a salad with me too. (I am determined to eat healthy again this semester, this summer I've fallen off the wagon)

4// A "what if" bag. I have bobby pins, hair ties, gum, feminine  products, change, & headphones in here. I hope to get a Lilly iPhone charger so that I can charge my phone on the go!

5// iPad. It's basically a mini laptop, and I use it for various activities. Reading blogs, & checking on my own is easier to do on my iPad rather than my iPhone. I also have textbooks on my Kindle app, not all of them but enough for it to be useful!

6// A notebook: A little notebook is perfect for all of my thoughts, rather it be a todo list, blogging notes, or even something to ask MB next time we talk. (I have a lot of random ideas, and to remember to tell him all of them can be a challenge, but he's always a good sport) I was about to order one from May Designs that you can personalize, but I found one with a Jane Austen quote on it in a local boutique, so I had to go with that one! (PS Check out their journals, they have diet journals, address books, & budget journals!)

7// Pencil Bag, binders, & laptop. These are all basic school essentials, but I try to make them fun. I made Lilly print binder covers,( post later), and have a super cute pencil bag. My laptop is kind of boring, but I might be getting a monogrammed sticker or something for it. 

What do you carry with you at all times? Did I miss anything?

xoxo

aVe 

Dorm Room Advice: Summer Dorm Shopping

This post is sponsored by Residence Hall Linens, but the ideas, room, and opinions are my own.
You've graduated, and now I bet all you can think about is where to start buying for your dorm room!

Here is some advice from what I have learned this past year!

Start with basic colors: I love the color purple, but needed other colors to compliment it with. While I was shopping for purple sheets at Residence Hall Linens I found the perfect comforter. It was black and white, as well as classy. I knew that was the feel I wanted my room to have. 

My dorm room when I first moved in! 

 Accessories: Now that I had my basic comforter and sheets picked out, I had to get body and hand towels along with washcloths. I picked out purple ones, and ended up getting a value pack from RHL that provided me with two sets of sheets, a comforter,  a pillow, two sets of a towels, and a bed side buddy for my glasses. I recommend it!
Storage:I can not preach storage enough! I got purple cloth cubes that I kept dishes and food in. I also accumulated multiple boxes that I could keep random things in my closet in. They were a life saver. I didn't realize how much stuff I would have, and how hard it would be to store all of it. This year I will be buying more cubes for my room!

Closet: I have a lot more clothes than I thought, and my dresser at school was not big enough for the clothes I normally fold! I started to hang a lot more clothes than I would at home, which is why I recommend buying an extra package more of hangers than you think you need. You may also be storing your shoes in your closet, and if you have any where the number of shoes I do, it can be a challenge! Stay tuned for what I come up with for my dorm room this year!

My desk! 

I am definitely avoiding all of this clutter next year!
I hope to be adding some more decorative elements to my dorm, since I don't have to buy the essentials this year! I think a fleece blanket from RHL would be perfect for curling up on the coach and watching PLL with my roommates.
Look back for my new dorm ideas!

I hope this helps with storage and decor! Is there anything you would like to see otherwise?

Happy Tuesday!
xoxo
 AV