What's Making Me Happy This Week

This might be a total captain obvious moment, but packing and moving is hard, y'all. The last two weeks have been full of couch surfing and packing up all my stuff to move back to school. It's been completely exhausting.

So what's making me really happy this week? The fact that I'm writing this post from my new bed. Plus it's raining, so that doesn't hurt at all.

On to what else is making me happy this week... 

Maxie | Meet my favorite person on the internet. No, seriously. Maxie has such incredible wisdom and guidance, even if you've never met her. See: #GirlCrush. Her newsletter brings laughter, sometimes tears and always exactly what you need to hear. Go sign up for it, trust me.

Networking Tips | Now that I'm starting my final semester (yay!) it means I need to start seriously thinking about my future and looking for jobs (eeeek!). I've been soaking up every career related article possible, from networking to interviewing - if you have advice, I want to hear it. I always love Levo, but The Everygirl nailed it recently.

Recipies | Since I've been on the go so much, I've needed super easy recipes that I can prep ahead of time. I brought food along with me for my hosts, so I wanted easy, one-pan recipes. I found a couple keepers: One Pan Mexican Quinoa; Pineapple Fried Rice; and Creamy Spinach & Sausage Pasta. I'm back living in a dorm, so expect some awesome microwave recipes coming soon!

What's been making you happy?

Designing with Accessories

We talked about Dorm Style a couple of weeks ago, so now let's put some principles into action!

I choose to start this style board out with an accent chair as the focus piece. Often times you'll have room for some extra furniture in your room - many will choose a couch or chair. The big key to a successful and cute dorm room is accessories!

comforter | succulent | vanity | frame | umbrella stand | chair 

I always tend to choose accessories and accent pieces in neutral styles that will go beyond the room. It can be easy to fall into the trap of matching all of the colors in your room (or your side of the room), but then you become stuck to the color palette until you replace pieces. Keeping accessories in neutral or metallic tones will make it easier to transition from one style to another.

When I moved to college, I picked a bedding with lots of different colors - it's blue, pink and green. It allowed me to accent different colors and change up my style without a major cost. If you're picking a statement piece - like a chair, pick a bedding and accessories that can be adapted easily so you aren't stuck with the same style all four years. College is a time of growth and adaptation, you don't want to get yourself stuck in something and grow to hate it!

It's usually best to keep accessories small and to a minimum when you first move into a dorm room. Simply is always a good option - you don't want your room to become too busy or overcrowded. You can always add in new accessories as time goes on.

How are you planning to style your fall dorm room?

What's Making Me Happy This Week

This week was the start to my couch surfing for August. Which means it's a wonderful opportunity to hang out with friends until I go back to living by myself at the end of the month. We had a farewell dinner for a friend who's leaving for a semester-long study abroad program complete with Mexican food and ice cream.

On to what's making me happy this week... 

Katharine McPhee's new single | I stumbled upon this via twitter yesterday morning and I'm obsessed. It's such a fun song and it's oh so true. This will be on repeat during the rest of the summer and I'm excited for the rest of the album.



Primark | Primark was one of our favorite stores in Europe. We went in 3 different countries (I wish I was kidding). The best source for fashionable clothes at ridiculous prices. I'm so excited they're opening a store stateside! Check out some of the pieces coming to their Boston store this fall.

Assasin's Creed | I'm a little shocked I just typed the name of a video game, but here we are. My little's been playing it all week & I've been along for the ride (watching, no playing for me). It's got a great soundtrack and watching the guy run is pretty funny sometimes. I love when random things have the ability to create bonding moments.

What's making you happy this week?

ASOS Jewelry

ASOS is killing it with their jewelry selection recently.  I got on their site to look for a dress to wear to a wedding and it didn't take long for me to get sidetracked. When I stumbled upon the jewelry, I could believe how many amazing pieces there were!

triangle earrings | hexagon necklace | gem ring

triangle necklace | choker | pendant necklace

crossing ring | hexagon ring

arrow necklace | half-moon necklace | fan ring 

There's a ton of beautiful pieces and they're all less than $20. It's a win-win.

It's taking most of my will power not to place an ASOS order... Which piece is your favorite?

What's Making Me Happy This Week

It was moving week. Four years later, I still haven't gotten used to moving as frequently as I do. I'm thankful for a day off and a half day this week that gave me some extra time to get everything packed, cleaned and unloaded once I got home. This weekend will be full of unpacking and organizing.

On to what's making me happy this week...

Memories | I found a bunch of old photos on my computer last weekend and spent hours going through them all. There are so many good gems - like the photo above of my grandfather & I.

Chilly at Work? | This New York Times article has been floating around all week. I've never had to go as far as wrapping myself in a blanket at work, but I keep a blanket scarf thrown across the back of my chair as a wrap. I also love Belle's advice of using a heating pad.

Planning | I've been spending lots of time looking to the fall semester and beyond recently. I picked up a 12 month planner back in January, but if you're on the hunt for an agenda for the school year check out my picks from last year or Carly's round-up.

Enjoy your weekend!

#DormStyle

When you're moving off to college for the first time, you need lots of things. It's also an opportunity to start fresh with a blank canvas of a room. Except, you can't do anything permanent and you probably have to share with at least one other person. That's a pretty big wrench!

The only photo I have of my freshman year dorm room. 

Just because there's a wrench or too, doesn't mean that you can't determine your own style and bring it into the mix. Here's a couple of strategies for determining your style and designing with roommates.

Determine Your Style
Can you describe your interior design style? If you're like me, words don't immediately come to mind. I prefer to look at inspiration and pull out what speaks me and catches my eye. When you're thinking about designing a new room, start with inspiration. Use Pinterest, snap pictures when you're out shopping, whatever works for you. When you have a collection of images, look at them all together. You're searching for things that are common across images. If something comes up 3 or 4 times, that's a good place to start with design.

One thing that always catches my eye in interior design is bright pops of color. A pink couch, a statement wall or even a colorful rug will pretty much always get my attention. When I went to college I knew I was going to want something colorful in the room to bring a bit of cheer! I ended up with a floral comforter that's blue, pink and green.

Pick a Color Scheme
Good design is all about the colors. If you have a bunch of contrasting colors in the room, it will make it unpleasant to be in. You need to have a space you feel comfortable in and want to spend some time in, especially when you first move away.

In an ideal world, roommates would coordinate and rooms would never clash. However, sometimes you don't get a chance to talk to your roommate until you've both already bought things you love! If this is the case, don't despair. Stick with neutral colors for everything else you buy - black, grey, and white go with everything and keep you from having too many things going on at once.

Go Art Crazy
Things on the wall is the easiest way to add personality to a room. Put up photos, canvases, art, posters, whatever floats your boat. They're the best accessory for small spaces and they can be as personal as you want them to be.

Talk to Your Roommate(s)
I cannot stress this one enough. You have to share a (small) space with your roommate for a year! It's important to realize that you will probably have to compromise. If you're all about designing your room, but your roommate could care less, that's okay! Work with what you have and realize that it probably won't be perfect. It's better to be on good terms with your roommate when you move in, than be angry with matching bedding.

Whether you're starting year one or four of college, it's important to think about the space you're living in. A warm inviting space can make a huge difference at the end of a long day of classes!