This is what WINNING looks like!

Guess what?!  I just broke the 50k required to win NaNoWriMo!!  Eeeeek! :D  At 50,073 my novel is far from finished... but I got out a good 50-60% of the story as a rough draft.  Thank you all for the comments of encouragement!  Thank you to those of you who signed up for NaNo and gave it the old college try! 

Breaking NaNo News...

There are 3 days remaining in November.  I have 13,243 words left to write in order to reach 50k.  You can see by my NaNo graph above that I've fallen quite behind in wordcount.  In fact, only one day was I actually on track (above the gray line). 

Starting a Blog

In the past few months, I've had several emails/comments/facebook messages asking me about how to start a blog.  I figured there were probably a few of you out there wondering the same thing... so rather than address those questions individually, I'm going to try to sum up my best advice here in one blog post.

Amy's Colorful, Asian-influenced Dorm at Northeastern inBoston

(I totally have that comforter in my collection of bedding. ;) Used it in one of my former dorms.)

Amy, a Communications major/Theatre minor at Northeastern University in Boston, sent me photos of her sophomore year dorm room!  Inspired by bright colors and Asian-influenced design, Amy chose to incorporate "kitchsy-cute" import store accents, plus a color scheme of blue, red, black, and white.   If you're thinking of taking some interior design classes to brush up on your decorating, www.online-colleges.org/ is a resource to check out. 

Have a Lovely Thanksgiving, Lovely Undergrads!

Lovely Undergrad wishes you and your loved ones a wonderful Thanksgiving!  xoxo

Epic Cyclone Win | Epic College Memory

 

So last night was a night that will go down in my college life history books.  Iowa State played undefeated, number 2 ranked Oklahoma State as our last home football game of the year.  I'd never been to a game yet in my whole time so far at Iowa State... thanks to working a lot of weekends and getting sick the one game I was planning on going to earlier this fall.  So when I had the night off, I snatched up my bf and we headed to Jack Trice Stadium.  All decked out in my red cowgirl boots, lots of layers, a gold scarf, and red hat... I was all ready to cheer on the Cyclones. 

7 Dazzling DIY Projects

Glitter makes everything better.  Am I right?  I've rounded up 7 sparkly do-it-yourself projects to brighten up your weekend.  Grab a bottle of glue, a tube of glitter, and a friend... and get glittery!  (For complete instructions, click on the source beneath each photo.)

Scrumptious Thanksgiving Break Fashion

Apple pie.  Apple crisp.  Homemade bread.  Vanilla.  Brown sugar.  Fudge.  Creamy casseroles.  Stuffing.  For these four outfits, I pulled inspiration fresh outta the oven.  Chocolatey brown, creamy ivory, toasted gold, and warm beige come together with your favorite pair of blue jeans.  If your Thanksgiving Break plans include a glitzy night out on the town with high school girlfriends, slip into your sleek dark skinnies, a pair of fawn pumps, and a sparkling gold tee.

My Favorite Room for Color 2011 | Apartment Therapy

I love me some Apartment Therapy.  Throughout the year, the awesome site hosts contests such as Small Cool and Room for Color.  It's time for Room for Color and I thoroughly enjoy seeing all the different ways people use color and combine color in their homes throughout the US and the world.  This year, one entry really stands out to me.  I'm kind of obsessed with it.  It's rustic. It's cozy. It's colorful. It's "Vintage Vibrant."  And it belongs to Noa from New York, New York.

Ally Darling's Apartment | What's Your Number?

This past weekend, a girlfriend and I hit up the local dollar theatre to see What's Your Number starring Anna Faris.  And I was so inspired that I decided to dedicate an entire to post to the movie!  Well, not to an actual film review.  (Although it is a cute, funny chick flick full of obscenely handsome Abercromie-esque male actors.)  I have a major crush on the apartment of Ally Darling (Anna Faris' character).  I scourged the internet for all the images I could find, but pictures just don't do it justice.  You're just going to have the rent the movie for yourself to get the total perspective on how amazingly fabulous Ally's apartment is.  Until then, here's my breakdown...

Blogger MIA?

No, lovelies.  I haven't fallen off the face of the earth---just the blogosphere.  I'm up to my neck in work, school, NaNoWriMo, and the now occasional social life.  

How am I doing at NaNo?  Well, today is the half way mark.  Technically, if I followed the words-per-day goals, I should be at 25,000.  I'm only at 17,964.  Eeep!  But I have a day off tomorrow, Friday, and possibly Saturday.  So I wish me swift fingers on the keyboard so that I can get caught up with my novel and get back to writing posts for you lovely readers.

"The story I am writing exists, written in absolutely perfect fashion, some place, in the air.  All I must do is find it, and copy it." ~Jules Renard, "Diary," February 1895

Lovely Office Spaces Round-Up

Isle of View

Pink and orange Moroccan rug + shabby chic dining table + crisp white walls

+ chalkboard + industrial lamp + hardwood floors + orange and pink curtains

Keys to Winning NaNo | NaNo 2

Since this is my fourth year participating in NaNoWriMo---reaching the 50k in 2008 and 2009, not hardly breaking 10k in 2010---I figure I've attained a bit of knowledge of what it takes to win NaNoWriMo (winning = writing 50,000 words) to impart this year in 2011.

So let's begin. :)

1. Coffee.

Mmm, whipped cream!

Heather (a fellow Wrimo and community theatre actress, plus a former English teacher of mine) couldn't have said it any better: "The amount of coffee consumed during NaNoWriMo is directly proportional to the amount of words typed."  It's a scientific fact.  Cafe breves are my current caffeine of choice, but I'm a sucker for cafes au lait, vanilla lattes, and sometimes just a tall cup of medium roast jo. Highly caffeinated writing sessions are highly recommended.  Tea and the occasional Coke work as substitutes, but really... nothing beats coffee.  Coffee shall be your #1 NaNoWriMo supporter. 

Carly & Brooke's Modern Chic Dorm

Carly, a college freshman at George Washington University in Washington D.C. sent me photos of her and her roommate's modern chic dorm!  Right away, I was pulled in by the black and white color scheme with pops of turquoise.  I also love the girls' use of pattern, art, and funky touches throughout the room.  Let's get started with the tour, shall we?

Giveaway Winner! | Revive Bath & Body

The winner of the Revive Bath & Body giveaway is...

Congrats, Dylan!  Check your email--Revive will be in touch!

*** This giveaway is now closed.  Stay tuned for more! ***

Fall time!  The return of colorful leaves, pumpkin spice lattes, cute boots, and (oh, the horror!) dry skin.  While you're probably enjoying the foliage, pumpkinated caffeine, and footwear... the havoc crisp fall weather can wreak on your skin is not so fun.  Lucky for you, Caitlin Abshier of Revive Bath and Body has teamed up with Lovely Undergrad to host a giveaway that you're chapped, chafed skin will thank you for.

Caitlin, a sophomore at Kennesaw State University, is a lovely undergrad with a passion for soap making and savvy mind for business.  As a kid, she started making soap when she received a kit as a Christmas present.  Now in college, she's a young entrepreneur that sells her homemade products at markets around the South and in her online shop ReviveYourBath.com. Her soap fragrances include True Lavender, Lemontini, Classy Oatmeal, and Blue Fir (...plus, she's always developing something new!)  And Caitlin doesn't stop there.  Besides soap, you can buy her handmade lip balms, bath soaks, and linen spray.

Why I Write | NaNo 1

Today's the first day of November!  So... today's also the first day of NaNoWriMo.  By the end of today, I'll hopefully have written the goal of 1,667 words. ;)  Starting now, I'll feel slightly guilty for blogging that I do.  Every word that I type onto this blank blogger post is a word I could have written toward my novel.  But don't worry!  I'm passionate about Lovely Undergrad just as I am about my noveling.  NaNoWriMo will not take a toll on the blog... just my social life.  Take this as a warning though that throughout this month more writing-focused posts may sneak into the content of Lovely Undergrad.  Desperate sobbing about struggling to keep up with a wordcount.