Dorm Details

Hey! It didn't take me a whole year to publish a dorm post this time!

I really like how my roommate and I decorated our dorm this year :)

It's the perfect combination of last year's dorm and this year's.. it shows just how much we've grown in a year!

This year was less stressful and for that, we were super thankful. We had to do way less packing/getting ready, because both my roommate and I had about everything we needed. We kept a lot of the same items we used last year, and found new ways to rearrange/use them this year in the dorm :)

I bought my comforter from Sears, received these plastic bins from my cousin to use for clothes storage, and bought my bookbag from either Ross or T.J.Maxx (I can never remember).

The hamper you see in the picture is the one my roommate and I use (bought from T.J.Maxx, I think). What makes it unique is that it is a dual hamper so there are two sides and we each use one side so our clothes won't get mixed up. It's very helpful on laundry days! I also use the drawers (you can barely see them pictured on the far right) for additional clothes storage. They are provided by the school I attend.

Bowl: Anthropologie

Q&A 5 Year Journal

Downton Abbey calendar and DVDs

I have a bookshelf/side table-ish thing beside my bed which holds this bowl (first picture) and these items (bottom shelf=above photo).

I put this magnet on my fridge, because I promised my friend I would put it somewhere in my dorm, and I love it! I think it's adorable and I love seeing it each morning.

I love this trashcan my roommate and I found at T.J.Maxx last summer!

My closet's divided into two sections and so the right section (pictured above) holds my dresses.

Pictured below is a hanging organizer I bought at Target which holds some of my shoes and other various items.

I use the top shelf and the space below (on each side) for additional storage.

Hanging storage: Target

Shoes (from top to bottom, clockwise): Nike, Off Broadway Shoes, Rack Room Shoes

Lotion + Body Mist: Bath & Body Works

Storage container: K-Mart

Hope you enjoyed my dorm!

Have an awesome Tuesday! :)

Packing For College

Packing for college can be tricky. It's tough making decisions about clothing. Last summer, as an incoming freshman, I scoured websites and blogs looking for college packing lists. They really helped! I learned it's best not to over pack and the same goes for not packing enough. Shoutout to the kids who go to college out of state! I know that must be really wierd packing a bathing suit and shorts along with a light fall jacket. Having to pack for one season while still being in another is probably the most difficult part.

CLOTHING

Rainboots/rain jacket

Tennis shoes

Comfortable shoes (ballet flats, boots, sandals)

Jeans

Sweatpants

Sweatshirts

Shirts

Skirts

Dresses

T-shirts (don't pack too many!)

It's true you will get a lot of tshirts when you become a college kid :)

1 thing I'm sure many incoming freshman forget is an umbrella. Last year, I read that bringing an umbrella to campus is so important! Whoever wrote that was 110% right! Thank you for warning me ahead of time! I bought my Hunters and my rain jacket last summer. Best decision ever! I never thought I would use them as much as I did. Some people hate the rain, but I love it because it gives me an excuse to pull out my adorable rain gear!

SHOES! Another really important tip: wear comfy shoes!

From the dorm to class to the cafeteria then back to the dorm..I don't think I've ever walked so much in my life! Great (easy) exercise! But if you eat a lot (like me) and take advantage of the buffet style option in the cafeteria, you'll need more than just walking around campus!

That's one lesson I've learned..more on that later :)

Some say that only freshmen dress up for class, and you can spot who is who on campus by what they're wearing..I definitely didn't take that to heart. I wore what I felt most comfortable in. This is just me, but if I wear a (sorta) put together outfit, then I feel better and ready to face the day! Everyone should dress however and in whatever way they want. It all depends on your personal style.

I packed a few skirts and dresses, because there's nothing wrong with wanting to dress up a little now and then (and of course you can use them for dances if your college has them).

I'll repeat what I've said previously: Do NOT bring a bunch of tshirts. You will win/buy so many college tshirts :)

FOR THE DORM

Storage bins (that fit under the bed in order to maximize space)

Weekender (weekend road trips!)

Clorox wipes

Trash bags

Mini vacuum

Hand and dish soap

Broom

Command strips (This is the only thing my dorm allows us to use to hang pictures/posters!)

Hanging organizer (this!): super helpful!

Decorations, pictures, posters

Things you won't need:

Books

Dvds

Sports equipment

Extra info. on each:

My roommate brought about 10 books, but she didn't have time to read any of them!

I love reading, but college generally never allows enough time for you to read a whole book!

That's why I love summer, and I can tackle my reading list! :)

Movie marathons are always acceptable, but usually there's not enough space in a dorm for a bunch of dvds..so Netflix does the trick most of the time :)

Everyone has the best intention to work out and use the sports equipment they bought, but I can tell you from my own experience that you won't have as much time as you think you will to play..I will bring my yoga mat back this year, because this summer, I've realized how much I love it!

Tips:

Keep your dorm simple, but stylish.

Clean your room! That's one less thing you'll have to stress about!

After all, it is your home away from home for the next few months :)

I just uploaded all the pictures from my iPhone to my laptop..so I'll post pictures of my freshman dorm soon :)

Anything you want me to blog about?

Did I leave out anything? I probably did..I'll update the post if I remember!

Have a great Tuesday!

I'm participating in the #bloggersgetcookin link-up tomorrow :)

Freshman Dorm (Do's & Don'ts)

FINALLY! I apologize in advance that this might not be the dorm room post some were expecting, but I promise I'll try to do better sophomore aka this (!!!!!) year :)

I took a few photos of my freshman dorm right after Christmas break, but because my roommate and I are indecisive, we changed the setup quite a few times after that. The photos included in this post show two of the only things that actually remained the same throughout the various moving and rearranging of our furniture. Most of the photos I took are more representative of college, but aren't really "blog-worthy". I didn't have time to set up my room and make it look more presentable or worthy of a photo shoot, so I didn't include those. 

I'm really sorry that this post is so late. I promise I'll have better pictures this year :) 

I'm living in a "suite-style" this year, so my roommate and I will be sharing a bathroom with two other girls. There's 4 more girls living in our "suite" and they will be sharing another bathroom. We'll also share a kitchenette and a "living room". Right now, I can only guess what it'll look like because I've never even seen the place. I've only seen pictures online!

Bedding: Sears

Sheet set: Target (not pictured)

Prints: Heart&Arrow (far left and far right), So Worth Loving (middle)

My favorite color's purple, so obviously that influenced my decision for dorm bedding. My roommate and I love a good opportunity to dorm shop. Last summer, we found matching comforter sets at Sears in our favorite colors :) They are super soft, warm, and reversible! We found them on sale for about $35 each with matching shams. The only thing we needed to buy for our beds were sheet sets! I bought polka dotted ones from the kids' section at Target :) #judgeme & my roommate bought the super soft tshirt (jersey) ones that are available every year (in different colors) also at Target in their dorm section! :)

DO: Buy inexpensive, yet quality, sheet sets! I cannot count the number of times I've spilled food and/or drinks on my bed. Not having to worry about how much I paid for them was nice. The ones I bough are awesome, because they're both cheap and great quality!

DON'T: Buy expensive bedding, unless you plan on using it multiple years. Even though my bedding was on sale, I'm still reusing it, because I don't plan on finding one I like better than the one I already have, plus it saves me money!

I ordered prints off Etsy (Heart&Arrow) and found another one on sale from one of my favorite brands (SWL). I used command strips (because they're the only things we're allowed to use in the dorms!) and hung them above my bed :) This was an easy way to decorate, and it didn't cost too much money!

Also, I love how it looks :)

DO: Use command strips.

DON'T: Use things not approved by your university or college. Nobody wants to pay a fine!

Shower curtain: Wal-Mart (also comes with rings to hang it on the shower and a bath mat -- all for only $20!)

Towels: JCPenney's (left), not sure where my roommate got her towel (right)

DO: Buy at least two sets of towels/washcloths. It's easier than having to wash them constantly and it's always nice to have extra.

DON'T: Buy more things for your bathroom and/or room than you need.

The money you save instead of spend will make you happier in the long run :)

DO: Make sure you do your share of the work. If you attend a university/college that requires you to have room checks every 2 weeks or so, it's nice to only have to do a quick clean up instead of having to stress about what you need to do the day of the inspection.

DON'T: Wait around for someone to tell you to clean up. When you see that you left your dishes in the sink or your bed unmade, take action and do what needs to be done. Don't be that person who doesn't do their fair share of the chores.

Extras:

Make sure you talk to your roommate(s)/suitemates before you go shopping for dorm supplies :)

It's nice to split the cost of essentials and make sure everyone is sharing the responsibility of buying what's needed for the bathroom and/or dorm room.

Paper towels, Clorox wipes, dish soap, laundry detergent, and toilet paper are also a few things you might want to consider either bringing to college or including on the list you share with your roommate/suitemates.

These items cost more than you think! 

Don't forget your quarters to use for laundry! Thankfully, my dorm allowed us to use our debit/credit cards for a wash/dry cycle!

I hope you found a couple of these tips helpful :)

Good luck!

If you are heading off to college soon (for your first time or if you're returning), I want to hear about it!

Leave a comment or contact me through any social media (icons on the right side of my blog). I can't wait to talk :)

Have a great Thursday! Friday Favorites are tomorrow, which means the weekend's only 1 day away! :)

P.S. This post was late today, because I was busy working on the blog this morning! :) Hope you like the new changes! 

October 30 // College Recap

An account of how today went:

I woke up early even after going to bed at 2 because I was finishing a paper for a class I had later that morning..

No breakfast, two back to back classes..

A fire alarm went off about an hour ago..

Listened to my favorites off Taylor Swift's new cd about a dozen more times while I was cleaning my dorm room..

And ate some of the best dairy free chocolate chip and fudge brownie cookies today!

All in all, just another typical day in the life of this college student ;)

The beginning of this week was all kinds of crazy..I was stressing about school, my schedule for next semester, friendships and overreacting about 90% of it because of sleep deprivation..

Well, this is supposed to be kind of a college update post..anyway, I'm hoping to post some #ootds soon! The cold(er) part of the year is rapidly approaching..expect flannels, scarves, boots, and who knows what else! :) Can you believe that today is October 30?!

So here's to layers, fresh baked goods, and after-Halloween candy sales (just two more days!)

I dressed up as a flapper this year..I've already had several occasions where I was able to wear my costume and I've loved showing off the outfit I finally put together (I mean, I found my dress Monday and I had to wear it to an event Tuesday..that tells you what kind of procrastinator I am..)

Anyway, Halloween is an awesome holiday & college makes you want to go back to trick or treating at age 5, but dressing up with your friends is almost as great! :) The only down side is buying your own candy..I never knew it was so expensive!

So..that kinda sums up this week..oh goodness. How am I ever going to be prepared for finals in a couple weeks? Hopefully a ton of care packages :D

College is crazy, kids. Prepare yourselves. You've been warned.

(Maybe I'll write a blog post about college tips and such..)

Have an amazing rest of your Thursday & hoping that you have a fantastic Friday!

Check back tomorrow for Friday Favorites! :)

Sorry my blog posts are so random!

COLLEGE, WHOA!

I am alone in my dorm. Probably the only time that will ever happen.

I can't believe I'm in college. That's SO crazy.

I don't even know where to begin..

I wrote the first few sentences of this blog post after the first few days at college had passed and I haven't been able to return to writing until now. That just shows you how busy I've been these past two weeks.

College has taught me so much in the short time I've been here. I honestly thought that it would take some getting used to, maybe a touch of homesickness or missing loved ones, but I owe it all to my awesome university for planning and packing in as many wonderful events as possible for the first few weeks of school so that our brains would be focused on fun and not on missing family members.

One thing I've learned is that time spent on campus feels like it passes by way faster than it actually does. I love my school. My friends, the ones I talked to before I arrived here or the ones I've met recently, are awesome. And living in a dorm is so not what I thought it would be. It's WAY cooler. I think of my little dorm room as my home now. Yes, the closet space isn't ideal, but living with your now couldn't-live-without-ya best friend, what could be better?!

I'm so excited to see what the Class of 2018 will accomplish at my school. As we continue on this journey that we have now recently begun, I cannot wait to see what sort of experiences & memories the next 4 years with my fellow classmates will include. These times will not only continue to strengthen our friendships, but will also challenge us and make us improve in many areas of our lives.

I'm finally able to finish writing this at home (because this is the only time I've been able to take some time for myself!) and it feels like I'm vacationing in my own house. Walking into my bedroom today, I felt like I've come back a changed person. And while that may be true, it's kind of an analogy to our own lives. We can never go to a place and feel exactly the same way we did as when we first experienced it. No matter how much we long for the past, the only thing that is constant is that we are always changing. Each second of the day, what we consume either through media or the world around us, it affects us and we evolve into the person we are meant to become.

I was explaining to my sister today how college is a place where you can go and it's not like high school at all. I can't believe I was in high school less than 6 months ago! I'm so thankful that I'm no longer at that point in my life anymore. College kids accept and actually embrace differences. They're like "Oh, you're weird? Join the club!" I love it. No longer am I an outsider, or feel awkward (well, that part's still true, but not for the same reasons). As one of my new friends would say, "You do you." Just be yourself, because that's something no one can judge or criticize you for.

I think one of the best decisions I ever made was deciding to attend the school I go to now.

I am grateful for the opportunity to even be able to continue furthering my education at a higher level. Lessons are not only reserved for the classroom. You have to learn lessons for life as well, aka "the real world", and what better place to do it than college?

I will definitely write a more detailed blog post soon about all the crazy and inspiring things that have happened on campus recently!

I hope you have an amazing rest of today & enjoy your Labor Day Weekend! I certainly am going to do exactly that, celebrating with pizza and a movie night with my sweet family! :)