Something Exciting!

Hey all! I wanted to let you guys know that I am now a part of the Her Campus Notre Dame writing staff! In case you don't know, Her Campus is a huge online community that has tons of articles about college life written by college girls around the country. I'm so honored and excited to be a part of this. My first article will be out Friday, August 9th. Be sure to check it out!

Birthday Girl

My family always travels in August during one of my best friend's birthdays. We've been friends for over a decade (woah) and I think I've been home for her birthday about twice. That's why this year I was super excited to be home during all of August and celebrate her birthday with her. Her birthday hasn't happened yet, but I've already got all of her presents! She's a Pi Phi and had been coveting the Lilly Pulitzer collection, so I decided to pick out a few pieces for her. I think that the Lilly sorority collection is a great option for gifts. Its a personal touch, yet still really easy to pick out. In addition, each item is something you could always use one more of (ex: cups, bags) so even if she already has one or gets one from another friend she won't have to awkwardly return it. Here's a look at what my best friend got as well as a few more goodies from the collection. 

Chi Omega Bangle

Tri Delt Makeup Case

Kappa Delta Tote

Pi Phi Tumbler

Alpha Omicron Pi Dry Erase Board

Delta Gamma Phone Case

Wooden Initial Decoration

Hey all! I recently Instagrammed a picture of a letter that I made for my dorm door, and I got a few emails asking how it was done. It was insanely easy, so I thought I'd share it with all of you! 

The supplies that you will need are: 

Wooden letter (any size)

Mod podge

Small foam brush

Credit card or large foam brush (don't worry you don't paint with the card!)

Large scrapbooking paper

Scissors 

I got all of these from Michaels for under $20. I would definitely advocate getting a small to medium size foam brush because I made the mistake of originally getting the large one...and it didn't fit into the opening of the mod podge can. 

First, I used the wooden letter as a stencil to trace a S onto my scrapbook paper. 

Then I cut it out. Or rather, I politely asked my mom to cut it out for me. This step will be easier for some people because some letters are easier than others (if your name starts with I or E I'm jealous). S has to be one of the most difficult ones. You also might want to seek assistance if you're a lefty (like me) and only have righty scissors (like me). 

Next, I covered the wooden letter in matte mod podge using the foam brush. I applied a medium amount so that the paper would stick but not enough to make it gooey (if that makes sense). As my cut-out letter only covered the top of the wooden letter, I did not paint the sides of the wooden letter. 

Before the mod podge was dry I carefully lined up the cut-out and placed it on the wooden letter. I then used my large foam brush that didn't fit in the mod podge to go over the letter and smooth out any air bubbles.  A credit card or something similar would work for this as well. 

Finally, I covered the letter and the paper in a thin layer of mod podge. Make sure to brush in the same way when you're doing this because sometimes mod podge can leave lines that can blur the pattern of the paper or make an odd texture. Let it dry for about 20 minutes and your letter is ready to go!

I totally feel like I just wrote a lab report, but there you have it. What kind of crafts have you done for your dorm? I'd love some other ideas!

Friday Favorites

One of the most amusing quotes that I have read recently was "why is Monday so far from Friday but Friday so close to Monday?" I feel like the weekends take forever to get here but are gone way too quickly. That makes Friday easily the best day of the week, and the perfect day to list my favorites!

1) Lilly Pulitzer tumblers

I drink a lot of water, and I'm really happy with these tumblers that I got on sale at Rue La La. They're sturdy, don't sweat, obviously adorable, and are easy to clean. They also do a great job of keeping the drink insulated. 

via my Instagram

2) Lilly Pulitzer dress

This might be my favorite dress ever. At the very least, it's tied with my gold Jacks as my favorite purchase of the summer. On a hanger, the patterns look like they wouldn't be flattering, but it looks so great on. I was thrilled to find this one sale, and very excited that my size was the last one left!

A beautiful picture of Battery Park taken by my boyfriend!

3) Battery Park

The weather in New York for the past few weeks has been horrible. Either it's way too hot to be outside or its too rainy. The weather is finally getting better (just in time for my internship to be winding down) and I get to enjoy one of my favorite activities-- sitting in Battery Park to read. The park has a beautiful view of the Statue of Liberty (which I've never actually been to #typicalnewyorker) and some very nice landscaping. I look forward to my lunch hour mostly so that I can hang out there.

4) Bow back top

I know you're all probably really sick of my bow obsession by now, but I had to share this top. The bow detailing is so feminine, and I love the mint color. My only issue is that it's slightly sheer so I have to be careful what I wear under it.

5) Tall nonfat iced mocha from Starbucks

I didn't drink coffee until I got to college, and even then I didn't drink that much (unless I needed to to get through Theology...terrible class). However, I have become truly addicted this summer. I go to the same Starbucks every morning...to the point that when I walk in the door they have my drink ready for me. Although I hate the taste of coffee, I actually like the taste of mochas (maybe because they're more sugar than coffee). I'm slowly trying to wean myself off these before I go back to school for the sake of my Flex Points.

6) SHARK WEEK

I love bows, monograms, and polka dots, but it might surprise you to know that I love Shark Week on Discovery Channel as much as I love all of those. I've been fascinated by sharks since I started scuba diving in middle school, and I think that Shark Week is pretty much the best thing ever. To make it even better, my favorite ice cream store, Coldstone, now has blue sweet cream ice cream instead of the regular white to celebrate Shark Week! I can't wait until it starts this Sunday.

What are you looking forward to this weekend?

Never Enough Bows

Hey preps! Already August...where has the time gone?? August is always a bittersweet month for me. I feel like I'm in limbo between being at school and being at home. It makes me enjoy the time I have with my friends and family that much more, but also makes me super excited for school.
 I wanted to share with you a GREAT Etsy shop that I found for bows called One of Everything. They come in pretty much every color and pattern imaginable, and in two sizes. What I like best though is that when you order the bow, you can specify what you want it mounted on; alligator clip, barrette, snap clip, or ponytail holder. I definitely find that some clips work better in my hair than others, so this a big bonus for me. You can even choose which side you want it oriented for, so if you always wear bows on the right side of your head you can get it made to sit more comfortably on the right side. There are 40 pages of bows to choose from...and I may or may not have browsed them all. These are the bows that I recently recieved:

Oh, and how cute is the packaging? I really cannot say enough good things about this shop. If you're looking for hair bows, check it out!

*NOT A SPONSORED POST*

Wishlist Wednesday

Happy Wednesday!  The New York weather is finally nice (sunny, not too humid, no rain) and it's making me very optimistic about what the last month of summer holds. However before it got so nice I had plenty of time indoors to build up my already too long wishlist. I'm thinking about making this an every other week feature because all of this browsing for things to add to my wishlist probably isn't good for my wallet. 

1) Barbour Beadnell Jacket

I have been on the search for a new rain jacket all summer (my old one could not withstand the South Bend weather) and I think I've found the perfect one. Waterproof and water resistant, drawstrings at the waist so that it has shape, zip-in lining so it can be worn in all seasons, removable hood, hand warmer pockets (I'm extremely excited about these) and a classic shape. This jacket has everything...except a good price. Sigh. 

2) Vickers Bow in Twiggy

I recently got my first Vickers bow bracelet from Kiel James Patrick (styled here) and I am in love. They look kind of silly out of context, but they're adorable on your wrist and add a preppy touch to any outfit. They come in a variety of patterns, but I'm loving this soft pink and navy combo. 

3) Spirit Football Jersey

Normally I am completely content with Notre Dame not having a Greek system; in a lot of ways it makes things easier and we definitely still have fun. However I do get majorly jealous of all of the cute apparel and accessories my friends in sororities have! SFJ's are the number one item that I covet. It's so unfair that I can't I be one of these  or these girls. Luckily, aside from having some super cute sorority things, Southern Shirt Co. also carries SFJ's for us normal people in a variety of fun colors. The lavender is my favorite. 

4) Kate Spade All Wrapped Up necklace

Can you tell I've been on a bit of a bow trip lately? I love love love this necklace. I don't have any pearls of this length, and the bow keeps the long pearls from looking matronly. I've been on the verge of buying it on eBay a few times, but I can't seem to pull the trigger. I think what's getting me is that the pearls are fake yet the necklace is still (even on eBay) fairly expensive. I guess I can settle for just staring at it online. 

5) Lilly Pulitzer Shirt Dress

I already discussed my love of the new Lilly Pulitzer collection, and I spent a fair amount of time browsing it. I really fell in love with this navy shirt dress. It's so versatile; I could wear it in the summer but it would also transition easily to fall, and its long enough to wear to work but also out. 

What are your favorites from this week?

College: How To Make Space

When I asked for emails about college questions, I got a lot of questions in the "my room is tiny how do I fit everything?" category. I seriously feel your pain. Because the South Bend weather can change so quickly, I feel like I need to be ready for at least three out of the four seasons at any moment. An example of that: first semester my freshman year, I would go to my 8:30am class in jeans and a North Face, my 12:15 in the jeans and a t-shirt, and my 3pm in the t-shirt and shorts. My roommates and I were PROS at fitting everything into our room. Here's my advice for fitting all of your awesome clothes into your tiny room.

Major props if you can get your dorm to look like this (via Pinterest)

1) Cascading hangers are lifesavers

This is not an exaggeration. Cascading hangers have little hooks on them so that you can layer the hangers. This means that a closet of average depth can fit about 3 hangers in one space! I'm so happy to have found these. I hang pretty much all of my shirts...and I brought pretty much all of my shirts to college first semester...so these were hugely helpful. 

2) The space underneath your bed isn't just for monsters

Notre Dame had an unexpectedly large number of freshmen accept their spot at the university last fall, which meant that there was a minor shortage of housing. Some dorms (like mine) ended up having their study rooms converted into actual residential rooms. The regular rooms have tons of built in space for storage, but the study rooms had nothing. Guess which type I got? Without any built in shelves, the space under my bed became invaluable. I used clear boxes under my bed to store workout clothes, socks, and all the other random stuff that didn't deserve my precious closet space. I can't find the ones that I have online, but this one is super cute.

3) FOLD

I'm super organized, but I can sometimes be guilty of just tossing things into drawers if I don't think I have time to fold them. Seriously, take the time to fold. First of all, it prevents your clothes from being wrinkled (not attractive or classy), and it also saves soooo much space. Take a look at this video for some direction. 

4) Use everything

Windowsills, tops of cabinets, any nook or cranny can be used to store things. Planning is good, but rooms are often misinterpreted in promotional pictures. Be prepared with some items, but more importantly be prepared to look at everything in your room as something you can use for it's original use, but also as something else (does that make sense? I hope so...) For example, my closet had clothes in it and a TV on top of it so that we didn't have to use a TV stand and could therefore fit some shelves on the ground. We also stuck command hooks (the best!) everywhere so that we could hang up purses, scarves, etc. 

Also...

For packing suitcases (my specialty), roll the shirts. This is a backpacking trick. It saves a lot of room, and if you're careful the shirts won't get creased!

For purchasing storage items and other dorm essentials, I would definitely recommend a trip to Bed Bath & Beyond. They have this cool system which is similar to a bridal registry. You sign up, then go around the store scanning things that you want. You leave with a list of all the items that you scanned, and then you can pick them up at a BB&B near your school! This saves so much energy because you won't have to try to ship or fly with anything extra. 

DON'T buy these storage cubes. For some reason when I was at BB&B they were marketing them like crazy and they looked like a good idea...they suck.  My roommate and I both had them and they fell and dumped our clothes everywhere about 9 times. They're also pretty hard to rebuild (we made our friend who's an engineering major do it).

The aftermath of a fallen cube...don't let this be you!