How I Destroyed My Bedding (and what I bought to replace it!)

Anyone who knows me knows that I’m no Martha Stewart. I’m not even close. I burn popcorn in the microwave, I leave my clothes in the dryer for days, I always forget about the pasta boiling on the stove, and my mom still has to remind me to take my vitamins. Yesterday, I hit a new low- I ruined my bedspread in the washing machine.

Earlier in the day I noticed that my pristine white comforter wasn’t so white anymore. I poured some laundry detergent in the washing machine, stuffed the comforter inside, closed the lid, and turned it on. About an hour later I returned to take my comforter out of the washer. I looked inside and not only was my comforter still covered in soap, part of it had gotten caught on something and ripped. Upon further inspection, it also had burn marks in several places. Doing what any young, 20-something would do, I called my mom. Apparently, it’s hard to fit feather-filled comforters in a standard sized washer. Good one, Liz.

I went to Marshall’s that afternoon to pick up a new comforter and I find a really cute one! It was on sale for $49.99! The designer is Cynthia Rowley. I absolutely love the coral and aqua blue colors that were chosen. It absolutely lights up my room and gives it more color.

My walls are white, and while I love the look of cleanliness white creates, sometimes things get white-washed. I wanted to avoid that when choosing a new comforter. I think it turned out well!

 

Something else I avoid in a bedroom is having a boring nightstand! I don’t want it to be cluttered but I like to stack coffee table books and a decorative piece or two for some visual interest. Tell me what’s inspiring you in your bedroom with a comment below!

Obsessed with Watercolor

Hello lovelies! I have a new obsession- watercolor illustrations from the Jones Design Company! The owner and designer, Emily, is a talented lady that has so much to share with the world. I first heard about her business when I was looking for design blogs to follow and then I came across her store and fell in love with the cute things she’s created. She’s a busy wife and mom of four kids. Emily really takes #bosslady to a whole new level!

I ordered one of her prints a month ago and I was so happy with it. I wanted something beautiful to hang on my wall that also included words of encouragement for my toughest days. I chose the “Do Not Worry” print. In full it says “Do not worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will worry about itself.” I repeat these words to myself every single day, we all should. There’s beauty and truth to them.

Emily also has a few freebies on her website including this adorable “Summer Essentials” print I downloaded and then printed on heavy card stock paper. It came out beautifully and looks so nice on my desk! I’m absolutely in love with the touch of whimsy illustrations like these can add to a room. There’s just something lovely about them.

I strongly believe that every room in a home needs flowers, sunlight, and artwork. Many of the Jones Design Company’s illustrations combine all of those things onto a single piece of paper. The results are truly wonderful. If you’re looking for something to brighten your living space, consider some of Emily’s artwork. It will make you smile!

Staying Organized with More than an iPhone

Here’s a random fact about me that I bet you didn’t know: I’m one of those annoying people that has to write everything down, keep an agenda, and hates it when people say “let’s just wing it”. Seriously, it’s my biggest pet peeve and the cause of a lot of my stress. As you can imagine, I try to stay very organized so that I can have peace of mine. Throughout college (and now as a graduate), I regarded organization as my biggest asset. It truly is my life line and I’m going to share with you a few things I use to turn chaos into harmony using things that aren’t created by Apple!

The first thing I use for organization is a filing folder, or several of them if needed. I love them for many reasons but mainly because they look neat and tidy sitting on my desk in a little stack. I put receipts, records, official government documents (think anything from the IRS), and other important paper items in them. Pro tip: If you hate it when things fall out of the sides, use paper clips to hold the sides closed.

As a mature, responsible adult (just kidding), I like to keep track of what I spend and where in a little book so that I can refer back to it if I forgot what I bought. It’s also interesting to see your spending habits and what you spend money on. Most of my money I spend on cute clothes. I need to stop doing that.

Finally, I keep an agenda. I update it daily with things that come up that need my attention. Quite often there’s something I’ll forget about that will be written in my agenda and I’m always glad that I wrote it down. I’ve definitely almost missed quite a few dentist and doctor appointments! I really like the Lilly Pulitzer agendas but I’ve heard the Kate Spade ones are great too. Even my mom has a Lilly though!

If anyone has used a Kate Spade planner, let me know! I’d love to hear your thoughts. Happy Thursday!

Peak Into my Bedroom

As I’ve slowly turned this bare-wall apartment into my unique space, I’ve taken some pretty pictures to document my success. I want to share with you a few things that are sitting around my room right now. Normally, I’d share with you my entire space but, contrary to what other life and style bloggers would like you to think, my room and my life are quite messy at times. As much as I adore pretty things like peonies, Kate Spade, Lilly Pulitzer, and macarons, I can promise you that my life isn’t always a “pretty thing.” This is just a little look I can offer you into my life!

Summer Lovin’

Happy June 1st! Summer is officially upon us and I couldn’t be happier. My only complaint is that the heat is already kicking in and there’s nothing I can do about it. However, I’m really looking forward to beach trips, BBQs, suntanning, blonde streaks in my hair, and lots of ice cream.

Over the weekend, I enjoyed lounging by the pool tanning! I brought with me 30 SPF sunscreen, flavored water, sunnies, and a few old fashion magazines. I’m flipping through the magazines and cutting out little things from their ads or whatever I find that inspires me. Things like a certain font type used, color scheme, item, or style is fair game. After I’ve gone through a few more, I’ll be posting them onto a bulletin board I have in my room and feeding off that inspiration as I work with a graphic designer on my blog redesign! I’m so excited about the next steps in this process.

Throughout my whole blogging adventure, I’ve learned so much. One of the things I learned was a quote from someone, I don’t remember who, but it basically said “She designed a life she loved.” That’s what I’ve been doing with this blog and other things in my life. I’m taking full responsibility of my dreams and making them happen. Look for more updates and hints in the near future!