Spring Home Refresh: The Story of Our New Couch

Happy Sunday!! It finally feels like spring here in NYC and it has me absolutely craving a complete refresh, both for my closet and our apartment. There's just something about the fresh air, wardrobe turnover, blooming flowers, and the energy of a new season that sparks something inside of me every year. To add to the motivation, I'm thrilled to share that I'll be featured on a very exciting home channel next month (stay tuned!), which has sent me straight into decorating mode. 

painting // our new couch (!)

side table // vase // velvet pillows // round pillow // floor lamp

our custom coffee table // our rug

Spring Home Decor Finds

I am heading back to NYC tonight and honestly, I'm mainly looking forward to hanging the art that arrived just before I left town a week and a half ago! Something about spring just makes me so excited to decorate. I am looking forward to hanging art and sprucing up my space once and for all in the coming weeks. That said, I've rounded up some pretty home pieces for spring here, I hope you love them as much as I do!

My Friendsgiving

Yesterday afternoon I hosted a small Friendsgiving at my house for five of my close girlfriends. Everyone was COVID tested a few days beforehand, so we all felt safe getting together to celebrate. I spent the last few weeks running around gathering things for the tablescape and the party, and I am so pleased with how everything turned out. I am excited to share the photos and recap it for all of you today!

The Best Dorm/Apartment purchases I Made in College...

It's crazy to me that I'm not heading back to school in a couple of weeks! Although I can't move at the end of this month as planned, I am still looking forward to the day I finally get to decorate my apartment. However, until I am able to sign a lease, I have no idea how much stuff I'll actually need for my new space, or the vibe I'll want to go for! So, today I thought it would be kind of fun to share the best purchases I made for my dorm and apartments in college for anyone heading back to school this season!

Small Space Decor: More Apartment Ideas

New quarantine activity alert! I've become addicted to watching YouTube videos of people apartment hunting in Manhattan and "shopping around" on Street Easy for apartments. It's not only entertaining, but it helps me get an idea of what I'm getting myself into when I move. I haven't heard any updates on my job (yet), so I am still planning on signing a lease in NYC around the first of September... of course, that could change at any moment, but that's the plan for now. Because this is my first job and apartment, I know I won't be living anywhere fancy, but I'm getting so excited about the impending move!

Nancy Myers Interior Inspiration (Recreate it Under $200!)

all photos in this post via Coco's Tea Party

It feels like everyone on Instagram is talking about Nancy Meyers' movies, so yesterday morning, I decided to put on Home Again while I was doing some blogging. I am seriously not a movie person, but this was so cute. Can Reese Witherspoon do anything wrong?! I especially loved the interior design inspiration. The home is set in LA, and I absolutely loved the casual, coastal design, combined with fun pops of color! 

I was so inspired by the decor that I decided to round up a ton of pieces to recreate the look, and everything is under $200! The whole house is full of candles, fresh flowers, books, trays, rattan and wooden pieces, and pops of warm, bright colors.

Senior Year Apartment: Before Photos + Plans

Some of my favorite posts I've written the last couple of summers have been a part of the Small Space Decor series that I began when I started college. From dorm decorating to moving into off-campus apartments with roommates, I've been styling my own small spaces for three years now and it's seriously one of my favorite things to do. At this point I've cultivated a nice little collection of decor pieces that have worked well in my different small spaces, but with my particular layout this year there are a few more purchases I'd like to make. Of course I am not going to stray far from my blue-and-white/gold theme...

Decor Finds Under $100!

Hi everyone! I hope your week is off to a good start! I unfortunately didn't plan a ton of content for this week, but I hate being so quiet on here so I thought I'd just pop on and share some recent decor finds. If you've been keeping up around here recently, decorating my new apartment has been top of mind for me, and I've been shopping around trying to find the best affordable decor pieces.

Small Space Decor (Part IV)

This Friday I am heading back to Madison to move into my new apartment! I'm not actually staying at school for good, just moving things in, but it's hard to believe it's already this time of the year again. This past weekend my mom and I sent my brother off to the airport for his semester abroad, and by the end of August I, too, will be back at school.

Coffee Table Books

Whenever I'm bored or in need of a little inspiration, nothing is more aesthetically pleasing than flipping through a gorgeous coffee table book and drooling over all of the pages. As I prepare to move into my apartment in a few weeks, I've been finding myself peeking at a ton of coffee table books lately to personalize our new space and add a pretty element of decor. What is your favorite coffee table book? Shop below!

Small Space Decor (Future Room Sneak Peek)

Last summer I wrote Small Space Decor part I and part II, so this summer's edition could be considered part III of one of my favorite blog posts! Since I am moving into a new apartment this coming fall, which is the same situation I was in last summer, and the previous year (but with a dorm), I'm gathering inspiration for my new room and loving the vision I've come up with so far. I recently painted my desk in my room at home to bring to school, and that has sort of been the focal point from which the rest of my vision for my future room has stemmed.

My Room Tour (!!!) + How I Organize My Closet

I am so excited that the highly anticipated apartment room tour is finally here! I apologize for how long it took for me to get around to this. The decorating process just never truly feels complete, even in a college dorm or apartment! After a serious room cleaning and redoing the photo montage above my desk, I finally felt ready to share, and I'm so excited to hear what you think!

A Simple Room Refresh

This weekend felt so much like spring. 50 degree weather in January in Wisconsin definitely does not go unnoticed! When the weather warms up it always puts me in the mood to make little updates to my decor and give my room an update. When it comes to decorating, even making little changes to a room can give it a refresh. Sometimes all it takes is one or two new pieces! The guest bedroom at my house was looking a little bland and needed some finishing touches to kick it up a notch. Small updates like adding a fun lamp and some throw pillows really spruced up the space!

Our Christmas Decorations

Reporting live from Dallas! I wanted to pop in and share some of my favorite holiday decorations around my house at home to inspire myself as I help my dad decorate here in Texas before Christmas tomorrow. My mom truly did a beautiful job of decorating (as she always does) and I just needed to share the festivity with you all!

My Apartment Bedroom Vision

I have always been strongly fond of my birth date. Late August, when summer is perfectly ripe, just before the reality kicks in of back-to-school duties... it's my favorite time of year. Let's be honest: we all feel like summer rushes by us every single year, and the last few weeks are regularly, at least for me, the most memorable. Of course I relish in the crisp months of September and October (changing leaves in Wisconsin, layers of neutral sweaters and cozy jackets paired with leather boots), but in my mind I'm an August girl at heart. If you're wondering where I'm going with this: my birth month is the ultimate inspiration behind how I am choosing to decorate my first apartment this year.

Small Space Decor: Part II

If you couldn't tell, I was feeling a little uninspired to blog last week. However, after a relaxing weekend and a little bit of apartment shopping yesterday, I am not only excited to be back on the blog, but also to be sharing the Part II of my Small Space Decor posts!

Small Space Decor

After heading to the University of Wisconsin this weekend to look at apartments, I am giddy to announce that I think I made up my mind about next semester's plan :) I love the thought of an apartment with a bedroom that's both my own and larger than a shoebox, non-communal bathrooms, and a kitchen (goodbye, dining halls!). Did I mention an infinity pool on the roof, hot tubs and workout facilities a few floors below me, and in-unit laundry! (Yes, I am excited about the in-unit laundry. My laundry skills freshman year were extremely horrific and sub-par at best)

Recreating A Pretty Spring Space

images source*

How beautiful is this living room? I find myself dreaming of my future home, apartments, and even dorm rooms to come far more than I should... I wish I could decorate a new space everyday. Maybe I should follow in my aunt's footsteps; anyone else out there an Interior Designer?

It was so fun for me to try and recreate this space. I especially love the mint upholstered bamboo arm chairs and oriental rug. I think the palette of pastels and classic colors meshed with old hardwood floors, a clean mantel and modern accents like touches of gold, fur, and greenery all blend together to create an airy and welcoming ambience. The fur stools double as extra seating and the mismatched end tables add a quirky touch. Who else is obsessed?

I had so much fun with this post; let me know if you'd like to see more content like this! I am thinking of also doing a few mock dorm-room set-ups for anyone else already planning their rooms for next year!

xoxo

Dorm Decor: Art Prints + A Giveaway!

When I shared my dorm tour back in September (how crazy that we are in the home stretch of 2016?!), I knew I still wanted to add a few fun prints around my room or little pieces just to add a cozier feel and include a few of my favorite mantras or personal favorite things on my walls. So, when I had the opportunity to pick out a few prints from Girl Friday Paper Arts, I jumped at the chance to fill my dorm's cinderblock walls and make this tiny room feel even more like home! If you can't tell, surprise, surprise, my dorm isn't exactly as clean as it used to be... oops ;)

I chose the C'est La Vie and Brunch Enthusiast prints (because, have you met me?!), as well as the "Gratitude" print,because lately, I feel like gratitude is something we could all have a little more of.

Lotus was the sweetest to work with and clearly her products are just as much fun! Check out Your Girl Friday, and enter the giveaway below for a chance to win an 11x14 print of your choice!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck and Happy November!!

xoxo

Dorm Room Reveal

I'm so excited to reveal my dorm today with you all, because the process of designing, decorating, and executing my dorm room has been a long time coming, and I am so happy with how it turned out! I plan to do another post on how I organize my wardrobe and desk with you all, so for now I'm just sharing my bed and nightstand.

Products are tagged below the photos to shop! I apologize in advance for the lighting/filters on my photos. The lighting in my room is horrible, so I really struggled with editing these photos! Hopefully you get the gist of the look I was going for though.

monogrammed duvet // elephant sheets

grey boyfriend pillow // Annie Selke’s Pine Cone Hill Stripe Pillow c/o

string lights // pineapple lamp // pineapple jewelry dish // nightstand shelving unit

Annie Selke’s Pine Cone Hill Stripe Storage Bins c/o // plastic storage bins

"blogging day" mug // "F" mug

I was originally really worried about having the side of the room with the shelves, but I have come to love the way it looks to have my pillow and matching storage bins all on display. In fact, both the pillow and bins were gifted to me by the Annie Selke brands, and I am seriously obsessed with how they pull together the look of the whole room. I really feel like without them, the mint elephant sheets and mint string lights would be so out of place!! 

My roommate did different bedding, but overall our whole room is black/white/grey with mint as our accent color. I know I've also shared my rug a million times, but you can find that here if you want to check it out! It's a little random having a hot pink rug, but I really love it and I think it's so, so cute.

I am thinking of framing something above my bed, but I haven't decided what to do yet and I wanted to share the reveal before waiting any longer. Soooo, if you have any ideas, send them my way :)

What does your dorm look like if you're in one?! I would love to see!

xoxo