Home Office {post grad}

via The Everygirl

Alright, Alright. You're past your college days and you want something a little more..... "sophisticated" a little more how I like to say "big bad college grad". I know I've been posting a lot of back to school lately but hey, it is that time of year right? Why not {i know i've got some college readers out there too!}

This one is for all of my fellow college grads like myself.  Whether you work from home, or you are a blogger like me and want a little inspirational corner for your writing and creativity - Here's a great home office space that I've been loving lately. {Full Disclosure: This featured space from The Everygirl is an amazing post including not only once home office space, but 3! Check out this post to see more details on how to style a desk 3 ways!} And here's how to take it home with you!

Shop this look for less:

I can honestly vouch for the desk lamp and the old school clock. I swooned over them til I finally gave in and bought them and they are perfect for my bedroom! On another note, the white elephant and the cheetah print pillow... I'm coming for ya! Which items will you be adding to your wish list?

Back to School: Desk Du Jour

Merriam-Webster Online

It's back to school season and wether you're all moved in or you're still trying to pack everything into the U-Haul to head back -  we all need a place to study up for all of those good grades.. right? Well, if you remember the last back to school post about bedding {read it here} you'll follow along with this one just fine!

Making our way around the bedroom in your dorm or apartment for the next year, let's hit the books and talk about everything to grace the top of your desk. And no, I don't mean all of your clothes. Fingers crossed that you will be using your desk to partake in some studying .. Here's the latest and greatest desk du jour to make your study space a pretty place for you to spend your time at.

via With Love From Kat | via The Everygirl

via Design Sponge | via Style Me Pretty

Shop the links below for all of your desk du jour needs! Want more? Add some fresh blooms and a tray to gather your things in one spot!

Shop Desk Accessories:

Shop Cork Boards & Decor:

Dorm Room DIY

As most of the schools have already had their move-in days by now and students are settling into their dorms or apartments for the school year, I know everyone is gearing up for classes to start. {who's excited!?} The start of a new school year was always so exciting - You're finally back and reunited with all your best friends, whether you're preparing for recruitment as a freshman going through rush, or a sister prepping to welcome new members, or you're really excited to start finally taking classes that actually apply to your major - There is one thing everyone has in common. The living experience.

Dorm/ apartment living can be tough. Miles away from home, you don't have your bed, your walls, your bathroom and you feel like you're missing a piece of home. Here are a few DIY projects that can help you gear up for the new school year and make your room or apartment feel a little more you!

1. Colorful Table Lamp || Turn a thrift store table lamp into a fun lighting feature on your desk with bright punch of color. Spray paint the base with your favorite color spray paint and make that old ornate lamp a little more interesting.

2. Washi Tape Letters || Not so great with a paintbrush but want to be crafty? That's okay! Use washi tape to create fun patterned letters and initials to hang on your door or sit on your desk!

3. Chalkboard Drawers || Sick of seeing all of your clothes through those cheap plastic drawers? Use chalkboard paint to paint the faces of the drawers and have custom labeled drawers for all of your things! This is a great idea {i wish i did this in college..}

4. Brick Bookends || Using 2 bricks {preferably without holes} take a can of spray paint to the bricks and add your touch of lace, fabric or glitter to create fun and inexpensive bookends.

5. Washi Tape Pinboard || Spice up a cork board with washi tape and create a fun way to pin up your photos, notes, and more!

6. Painted Mason Jars || Spray paint a few mason jars to sit on your desk and hold all of your school supplies. This tutorial is great and easy to follow.

7. Lilly Pulitzer Wall Art || Don't throw away your old Lilly planner just yet - Use those old prints and patterns to hang on your walls! Tear out those pretty patterns and put them in frames to create a photo gallery wherever you need a punch of color.

8. Daily Dry Erase Board || Turn a photo collage frame into a daily calendar by filling the frames with scrapbook paper that has the days of the week written on them. Buy the perfect frame here.

9. Lamp Shade Photo Display || Wrap twine around a lampshade to create a modern twist on the bulletin board.

Moodboard Monday

Squeezing in the last few weeks of summer seems to be the best time of year to me. I love when it finally gets cool enough at night that you can actually sit on a patio with your friends for hours and hours. Yet, your days are still sweltering hot and best spent by the pool.  With August here, school almost in session and the trees still green - Why not tribute todays moodboard monday to just that. The greenery that we still have for a few more weeks!

Pinterest

Happy Monday!

Hosting & Toasting: Part 4

via Style Me Pretty

There are numerous ways you can set a table for an event. No matter what you may be hosting, when there's a will there's a way, right? To finish out this wonderful little mini series with The Blush Label, why not give you some inspiration and shopping ideas so you can bring the party into your home and be prepared to host and toast with your friends and family!

via The Perfect Palette

via Design Love Fest {includes placemat tutorial}

image

Here's are ideas for setting your table depending on whether your event is formal or informal. It's a great cheat sheet if you ask me! You'll look like a pro if you follow this!

via Alexan Events

Shop Dinnerware:

Shop Glassware:

Shop Dinner Party Extras:

And don't forget to check out The Blush Label for all of the table linens you could need! Placemats, cocktail napkins, they've got some darling patterns and colors!

Pineapple of My Eye

Ohh, don't you just love a good play on words? Today it's not who or what is the apple of my eye, it's the pineapple trend that got me good. I'm convinced you could find anything with a pineapple or pineapple print on it right about now. But besides the fashion frenzy thats all about this tropical fruit - we can't forget about the home decor! After all, the pineapple is a symbol for hospitality..it only make sense to have them in your home!

I've hunted down the best picks for pineapple products right here but first, let's look at some trendy inspiration - shall we?

via My World Apart | Shop {similar} pineapple

via Down that Little Lane

via Stylizmo | Shop {similar} pineapple

via Chinoiserie Chic | Shop {suggestion} pineapple tray

Shop my pineapple picks here:

Hosting & Toasting: Part 3 {DIY & WINNER}

Today is the day! One lucky person is the new owner of the prettiest placemats of their choosing from The Blush Label! The winner will be announced at the end of this post but stick around a little bit and get comfortable because the fun is not over yet. {and next week will be the final post!}

Remember that adorable flower setting in the original post featuring the placemats? {check it out here} Today's quick little DIY will show you just how to recreate that lemon floral arrangement here:

Slice up your lemons as shown.

Make sure they are all the same thickness so they will stack nicely on top of each other.

Once you have all of your lemons sliced, {I sliced 4, and left 1 whole}

Line the bottom edge with your first level of lemons.

Place the whole lemon and a few ends {if needed} in the center to hold the lemons in place.

Next, continue to stack the lemons up the inside of your vase in a brick pattern.

Once you get your second level of lemons on the inside of the vase you can pour in water.

This will cause the lemons to float! You can rearrange them if needed and begin the next step:

Begin to transfer your flowers into your vase.

You might need to switch flowers/ lemons/ flowers/ lemons.

This method will help keep the lemons from floating. You can arrange the flower stems to wedge the lemons into the side of the vase.

Finish layering your lemons up the inside of the vase.

Fix the arrangement of your flowers to make them look full & You're done! Enjoy you're beautiful blooms and this taste worthy centerpiece!

Get yourself the perfect glass vase for this DIY here:

Check out these other great vases here:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Congrats to the lucky winner!! Sad you missed out on the Giveaway fun? Check out the amazing products The Blush Label has to offer here! Also, check out last week's Hosting & Toasting post if you missed it!

Back to School: Bedding

Can you believe it's already August?? It's that time of year again where summer is coming to an end and you're gearing up to move back into school! Whether you're going to be living on campus in a dorm, or you've got your own digs off campus somewhere - There's no place like home. And you can't have a home without the decor. Can I get an amen? If this doesn't apply to you and you're a big bad college grad like myself then hey, stick around {everyone's welcome} and you might still find something for yourself anyways!

Well, while my fellow bloggers who know their stuff about fashion and can assist you right down to what to wear every night of sorority recruitment {check out Caitlin's post here} I'm here to give all of my advice and shopping finds on everything dorm/apartment. Don't know where to go to get a new duvet cover or bedding set? Got it. Don't know where to get a sofa thats inexpensive but doesn't look cheap? Got that too! Want the best picture frames to create a gallery wall in your new living room with your roommates. Well, needless to say - you've come to the right place!

Here are my top picks on everything bedding for your back to school needs:

Lazybones Rosette Polka Dot Quilt, Anthropologie

Magical Thinking River Medallion Duvet Cover, Urban Outfitters

Darcey Duvet, Nordstrom

Anthropologie Bedding:

Urban Outfitters Bedding:

Nordstrom Bedding:

Looking for anything specific but can't seem to find it? Leave a comment below or contact me privately and I would be happy to help find it or something similar!

Happy Shopping!!

Bathroom Talk

Bathrooms come in all different shapes, sizes and colors. Some have soothing tubs and tile walls, or walk in showers and large vanities. Wood floors, Tile floors, you name it - it's been done. Bathroom renovations are very popular and while it may seem the easiest {since they're usually the smaller of the rooms in the house..} plumbing and waterproofing can be quite the DIY nightmare. BUT {you have to expect the 'but'} if they're done right... Bathrooms can be the most calming, pretty place in the house. In my opinion at least!

Speaking of colors, shapes and sizes - Check out these captivating Black and White bathrooms. I can't stop swooning over these five in particular! They're so striking I just want to take a bubble bath!

HGTV

Indoors Outdoors Tumblr

The Hunted Interior

Curbly

Creative Home Body

To see more bathrooms I've been loving lately, check them out here.

Moodboard Monday

Pinterest Board {White}

I've been hooked on everything white lately.  If my entire house could be white with touches of black gray and gold - whoa I would be a happy girl. The only thing about white is that I'm always worried its going to get dirty. It's just such a happy color though! What are your thoughts? Stock up on the bleach or go colorful??

Hosting & Toasting: Part 2 {DIY}

I hope everyone is as happy as I am to see Friday again! Welcome back to the Hosting & Toasting mini series! If you didn't catch the Part 1, {see here} Today's post features a very simple and easy DIY that I'm sure you've seen on Pinterest a time or two. These wine cork table settings create name tags for your guests to feel extra special at that dinner part or mimosa brunch you're hosting! And when I say easy, trust me on this one! So, crack open the wine and drink up cause we're going to need those corks for this one!

Here's what you need:

First start out by using a pencil to practice writing out each of your guests names. {my roommate and I like to drink wine, so why not use our names as an example} Once you've found the style you like, go over it with a sharpie or pen of choice and make it look like calligraphy.. {Here's a great tutorial}

Stick each named label back to back with a blank label to create your name tags.

Next, cut off the bottom of your wine corks {less than half as shown} This will help your corks stand up straight.

At the top of the cork {opposite side of the bottom you just cut off} create a slit in the top for the name tag to sit in.

Neatly place your name tags into the slit that you have created at the top. And you are complete!!

But really, how simple was that? I think the hardest easiest part will be consuming all of that wine to get your wine corks {let's hope you're not having a large guest list for dinner!} Have you tried anything similar to this for table settings and name tags?? I'd love to hear about your Hosting & Toasting DIY's!

Don't forget to enter the giveaway with The Blush Label to win a set of their beautiful placemats!! The giveaway ends next friday!!

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Eclectic Essentials

Image via Design Love Fest

I'm almost positive I've had this Pinterest image pinned and tucked away for just about six months now. I LOVE all of the bright and bold colors that come together to make this mix and match living room have such a cozy eclectic feel.  All of these pieces are very easy to at a budget friendly price - Especially since they are not all part of a matching set! I'm all about mixing and matching recently... {see yesterday's post} This look would be great in a small apartment space whether it's a New York loft or just a quaint little studio apartment in the city somewhere, smaller sofas and high legged chairs and furniture pieces are great for making a small space appear larger! 

Side Note: mint, navy ANNND gold..? Don't tempt me.

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