Fall DIYs to Try

Fall festivities give off warm fuzzy vibes. The fall season has so many reasons to do a little DIY project between sporting events, back to school, halloween, thanksgiving, etc. Today I'm sharing some DIY projects that I've found on pinterest. I'm slowly but surely working on becoming more crafty.


Monogram pumpkin


Waverly Pumpkin


Succulent Pumpkin 


Mantel Decor


Wreath

What DIY projects have you been loving lately?
XOXO

Ways to Decorate on a Budget

The first few weeks are crunch time for many college bound students. Everyone is running around trying to get the finishing touches for their new dorm room, apartment, house, etc. The decor in your college living space can really make this place feel like home for you. Sure, you probably have pinned beautiful rooms that you'd love to recreate in your own space, but let's face it- on a college that just is not going to happen. Today I'm sharing some things you can do to on a college budget to decorate your living space to make it feel homey and look adorable. 

Picture Frame// Picture // Cactus // White pots

Succulents // Striped pillow // Fur pillow // Desk lamp

Throw rug // Duvet cover // Desk organizer

Gallery Wall

These can take up as little or large space as you'd like.  All you need are a few frames and prints. The frames can be as cheap as a few dollars at your local dollar store or you can spend about $10 on a frame from IKEA.  When it comes to the images in your frames, you can stick to something simple like framing your favorite print from the latest Lilly Pulitzer catalog or a photograph you have actually taken.  There are also some great easy websites that you can use. I found a few of the items on my gallery wall pre-framed at Home Goods for less than $10. 

Crafty Wall Art

Spend some time completing a little DIY project. There are tons of tutorials out there to help guide you through creating your own pieces.  If you browse pinterest you will be overwhelmed with inspiration. This is a great way to incorporate your university, sorority, hometown, favorite quotes, etc. into your room.  Last year I painted a canvas with my sorority letters on it. The fun piece was a grade addition to my room.  

Monogram 

Surprise, I'm obsessed with monograms. Adding a monogram to your room decor is an easy way to personalize your room. You could purchase a wooden monogram to hang on the wall, a sticker to place on a wall, or get crafty to design your own creation. Last year, I recycled my Lilly Pulitzer agenda and covered a wooden letter with it.  

Check out my tutorial here. 

Comfy Cozy Bed

A comfortable bed is probably the most important thing when it comes to your college bedroom.  I value sleeping and being comfortable while doing so.  You want to be sure to have a mattress topper on your bed.. it will make sleeping so much better. Have some fun with decorating your bed, since it will  take up the most space in your room. Play around with the color scheme you are using. There are lots of sheets and duvet covers you can use to spice up the room.  It's also important to have a comfortable throw blanket. A well made put together bed will really put the finishing touches on your college room. 

Throw pillows

 You can never have too many pillows on your bed. The more pillows the more comfortable. Throw pillows are a fun way to spice up your room. You can find cheap pillows in various colors, patterns, and quotes at Target or TJ Maxx. 

Desk Accessories

You go to college to learn and develop skills to help you have a career. Needless to say a desk should be an essential piece of furniture in your college space.  The library, the living room couch, and the kitchen table aren't always the most distraction free areas to complete your school work, which is why I put so much emphasis on having a desk.  Your desk should be an inspiring place for you to feel motivated to study, write that term paper, or learn something new. A desk can be a large piece of furniture, which is why it is important to decorate it carefully.  A desk lamp, a pen holder, and filing system of some sort are definitely essentials. You can play around with different textures, colors, and patterns to make this area fun.  I also recommend getting a comfortable chair since you'll be spending lots of time in it. Last year I got this cute chair cover from IKEA. 

Plants

Plants are great to have in your bedroom. They make for a great decor piece when paired with an adorable pot. They also purify the air in the room. There are lots of plants that are easy to care for, which would be perfect in a college room.  You can find cute pots at places like Walmart, Target, Ikea, Home Goods, Pier 1, Anthropologie etc. 

Area Rug

This isn't a must, but it can make a cold space feel more homey. Head over to your local carpet store and ask if they have any cheap remnants you can purchase. Having a rug allows for a more comfortable spot for friends to sleep when they come to visit too. 

Best of luck deccorating!

XOXO

DIY Succulent Garden

It's no secret that succulents have been the plant of this summer. Everybody is talking about them, instagramming pictures, they're appearing on the tables of restaurants, and even a hot topic in popular magazines. Working at a garden center I can definitely attest to how popular these plants are.  They are incredibly easy to care for and aesthetically pleasing which definitely contributes to their appeal rate. These plants require a lot of light and a little bit of water (think desert conditions). They make for a great house plant, gift, or item to spice up your office. Succulents come in a variety of 

shapes, size, and colors.  I've created a small guide for you to create your own succulent garden. I'm not an expert, but from my personal experiences these things seem to work. 

How to create your garden:

Step 1:

Fill the bottom of your container with a small layer of pebbles. Succulent roots don't like to be sitting in large amount of water. If your pot has a drainage spot, then you won't need to line it with the pebbles. 

Step 2: 

Fill the planter with potting soil. You can fill it about an inch or two from the top of the container.

Step 3: 

Plant the succulents into the pots. They shouldn't be too tight or too lose.  The soil should be loose to allow for doing to occur. 

Step 4:

Water the succulent garden so that the soil is barely moist. Be sure to place your plant in an area with a lot of light. 

Happy planting!

XOXO

Home Tour: Deck Space

The home tour continues today with a glance at our outdoor space.  Last week I shared a tour of my room with you. I thought today I would share one of my family's favorite spaces during the summer months.  We love our deck and newly built patio.  The deck is where we tend to hangout during the day.  It provides more shade and is more practical during the day.  We like to sit outside and read on the furniture set or chat with friends and family.  The high top table is great for eating meals, getting work done, or relaxing.  The patio is a new addition to the backyard this summer thanks to Todd! We tend to head out to the patio once the most intense sun has subsided for the day.  After dinner we like to hangout here.  The fire pit we have doubles as a table, which is great for entertaining.  

Today's post has a little guest appearance from our dog, Riley. He loves spending time outside on the deck too! 

My mom did a great job at decorating the deck and patio with lots of bright colored flowers this year. The pop of color really makes the space look so inviting. 

This summer we opted not to do an actual garden and chose to do a container garden instead. Our veggies are starting to come in, which is exciting! These plants also double as great patio decorations. 

What is your favorite part of our outdoor space?

XOXO

My Bedroom Tour

Today I'm enjoying a day off. I've spent the morning sitting on my deck with a cup of green tea.  Although it's a warm humid day in Pennsylvania, it's quite pleasant out on my deck.  (You'll see why in a week or two). Anyways, the past month or so both my mom and I have been on a decorating kick. There seems to be something about the changing of seasons that has us craving some changes in our family's home. I thought it would be fun to share with you some of my favorite spaces, in my home, throughout the summer. I always love seeing everyone else's homes, desk spaces, kitchens, etc. so I thought why not share mine with y'all.   If there are any areas that you are curious to see, just send me an email or comment with your requests! 

A little bit about where I live. I live in South Eastern Pennsylvania close to Delaware and Maryland.  I live in a neighborhood. I've lived here since I was three years old.  Our house is nineteen years old this summer. We have a decent amount of land considering we live in a neighborhood- about one acre. Our house is new(ish) construction, but my mom decorates as if it's a farm house.  It's really cute and eclectic. 

Today I'm beginning the tour with my corner of the house. It's literally my corner of the house because my room falls on two sides of the house (you'll see in a picture below). I moved back home to my parents house early on in May.  Since then I have been working to decorate my portion of the house in a way that feels inspiring, calming, and organized.  I used some items that were in my room prior to living in my apartment, items I bought for my apartment, and purchased a few new things to get my room the way it is right now.  I think it will always be a work in progress because every few months I like to freshen up or a pinterest pin/ a trip to a home goods store inspires me. 

My room is feminine, has a little art, simple, clean, organized, and relaxing. 

Let's get started!

Bed/Gallery Wall:
Recently my new thing has become gallery walls. I am obsessed! I have started my own and am working to expand it slowly but surely. My bed is literally my favorite thing and clearly I like a lot of pillows. On my night stand I usually keep it simple (a candle, a jewelry tray to remove my daily jewels before bed, some flowers, and a glass of water). 

Window Sill:

My curtains don't quite match my room since they are black and most things in m room are navy, but it's okay because they still look cute. Recently I've added some succulents to my window sills since they get so much light. 

Desk Space:

I'm still working on this part of my room. The empty bulletin board will be filled in soon, but it's currently a work in progress. I like a ton of colorful pens and notepads.  I keep my jewelry on my desk because a lot of times I sit at my desk with a makeup mirror when getting ready, so this is the most convenient place to keep it. I enjoy a clean and clutter free work space. 

Closet:

This is my closet. When I was younger my dad installed this shelving unit, which is probably the greatest thing about my room. It allows me to keep my clothes neatly in my closet. 

Other Decor:

I'm working on improving my DIY game, but all of the items shown below I've created or made to some capacity. The Lilly letter I did on my own and the picture frames I hand painted. 

More details about my room to come! If there's anything your curious or want to see just let me know!

XOXO

Crafting Lilly Pulitzer Letters

After three years of Lilly Pulitzer agendas piling up, I decided it was time to put them to use. The other day I had a little free time and decided to go through my craft bin to see what I could use all my Lilly print paper for.  I found my initial (M) that a friend of mine had painted for me awhile back and thought it would be adorable to cover it in Lilly Pulitzer paper.  Before I began I gathered all the supplies I would need.

Supplies:

Scissors

Cardboard

Letter of your choice (for me it was M)

Mod Podge

Sponge brushes

White Paint

Primer (optional)

Paper Plate or palate for paint

Paper of your choice

The original color of the letter didn't match the color scheme I'm planning to use, so I began by priming it with a coat of paint so that the dark color wouldn't show through when I used mod podge to adhere the colorfully printed paper to the wooden letter.  Before priming the letter, I found a piece of cardboard and laid it down beneath the letter so that I didn't get paint on the surface I was using to craft (AKA- my parents' kitchen table).  You can also use newspaper, a plastic table cloth, or a brown paper bag.  I think using cardboard is the best option because you are able to move the letter while it is drying with messing anything up. 

After priming the letter, I gave it a coat of white paint.  The sides of the letter won't be covered with paper since the paper is just on the top surface, so the white paint is for the outside and back of the letter. While the paint was drying, I began to sort through my agendas and pulled out the paper that had prints that I could potentially use.  I then laid all the prints out and decided which ones looked good together. This process takes awhile if you are a perfectionist like me!  

If you don't like Lilly Pulitzer, then no worries you can still complete the project. All you need to do is get scrap booking paper or print your favorite pattern online. You can also cover the letter in all one print rather than the patchwork style I used.

Once I chose the paper I would be using, I began to cut the paper to fit the letter. I found that it was easiest to cut a piece that was slightly larger than what I needed. I then folded the excess paper and creased it along the edge of the letter. I then cut along the creese marks to ensure that the paper was the correct size.  I think it works best to not be picky about each piece of paper being the same size because most letters are irregular in shape anyways. 

I cut the paper and sized it to fit the letter beginning with the top left corner, of the letter M.  I did this for the entire left side and then I began to glue.  In order to glue the paper down, use a sponge brush, dip it into the jar of Mod Podge, and then apply the paint to the surface of the letter.  Be careful not to use too much because then the paper will be over saturated, which could cause it to rip or bubble easily. After glueing down the entire left side, I then cut the paper to size it to fit the letter along the left side.  I then glued down the left side. Next, I sized the different pieces of paper to fit the middle of the letter and then glued them down.  Finally, I painted a layer of glue on top of all the paper to seal it and ensure that all the paper was glued down.  I then let the letter dry on a piece of cardboard for about 24 hours. 

This project is really easy and the letter(s) can be used for much more than a simple college apartment decoration. Depending on the size of the letter you could use it on a wreath, a classroom door, or anywhere in your home. This is DIY project can also be a great item to give as a gift.

Enjoy Crafting!

XOXO