The Lovely Side

Happy Tuesday!  I have a DIY project for you!  All you need is some old candle jars, chalkboard paint, and your favorite coffee roast.  I turned several old candle jars and containers into chalkboard-chic canisters to store ground coffee, tea bags, sugar, creamer, and even syrup.  (But this project would be perfect for organizing office supplies or even bathroom items like cotton balls and swabs.)
For photos and how-to, you'll have to check out my Crafty Kitchenette feature in College & Cook Magazine.  (It's the first issue!)
I've embedded it here for your convenience... (And wouldja look at that?! It felt open right to my project!)


C&C is an entirely student-run food magazine.  The first issue is full of mouthwatering pictures, college friendly recipes, and the lowdown on making 5-minute mug cakes!  Check out College & Cook Magazine's now! 

Above: This is how I spent this past Friday afternoon.  I live within walking distance of the coziest little coffee shop, Cafe Milo.  I trot down on a regular basis to sink into an antique chair and enjoy a big cup of light roast coffee near the warmth of a fire.  It's a lovely place.

Blame it on Pinterest, but I'm already in the Valentine's Day mood.  Whether you're single, crushing, or involved... there's no excuse for not taking some cues from Cupid when it comes to dressing up in the lovey-dovey spirit.  The above fashion board is all about pink.  I threw out the bold, garish shade of pink you often see throughout February and replaced it with the perfect blushing hue.

While you can't go wrong with classic and classy black... my lovely new HP laptop keeps dinging me for a makeover.  I stumbled across Society 6 and immediately knew I'd come to the right place.  The only drawback is that there are sooo many options!  We're talking thousands!  I rounded up a few of my faves, but I only skimmed through 50 of the 1,391 pages of options.  Did you really think I was exaggerating when I said thousands?  Anyway, isn't that laptop skin lovely?

I just have to gush over this pretty flat in Germany.  The dweller, Kathrin, is a software designer who lives here with her boyfriend Max and four bunnies.  She has an eye for lovely decor and a self-proclaimed "huge weakness for old furniture, which I love to paint in order to give it a second life."  (Sound like my kind of girl!)  She blogs about her life and home at WhereYourHeartIs.net/en/.  Let's take a tour of her beautiful apartment, shall we?

It's the piece of furniture we love to hate: the futon.  But since we college students are often short on space and low on money, this bed-slash-couch monster is often a necessary evil... especially in studios and efficiencies.  Lately, there are some handsome futon options appearing on the market.  It's more likely that your futon resembles the one above.  These pieces cause many a decor woe, but stylishly integrating a futon into your apartment is not a lost cause.  Don't give up!  Just check out these five futon makeovers for inspiration:

**This giveaway has ended.  Check out the winner below the original post.  Stay tuned for more contests!** It's that time of year again... internship searches, career fairs, and hopefully some interviews. You only get one chance to make a fabulous first impression.  You want your interview attire (and workplace fashion in general) to convey how professional you are while still showing off your personality.  Not sure where to start when it comes to putting together a get-up that says, "Hire Me!"?  Check out this infographic:

Now that the snow is here to stay in Iowa... I suppose it's time to share my weaknesses this winter.  Here's what's getting me through the frigid days and frozen nights...

What's my hands-down, all-time favorite email to receive?  Your decorating questions!  I absolutely love coming up with personalized decor inspiration for you, lovely readers.  I recently received an email from lovely Niamh, who said...
"I don't live in a dorm as I still have a year and a half of high school left before I start university. I would love it if you could give me some decorating tips as I am redecorating my room. It looks like it's for a 6-year-old! I have a white chest of drawers and bed. I got Graham & Brown brick-style wallpaper. And I'm painting my room a turquoise blue color. But I don't know what else to do and you always have great ideas. I'd love it if you could help. :)"

Hi! I’m Joanna, a writer for Design Shuffle, a premier interior design portal for interior designers to share their work and design enthusiasts to enjoy. I love my job. I get to spend each day finding the most beautiful interior designs and sharing them with blog readers like you. Thanks to Lovely Undergrad for allowing me to share today! Finding the best treatment for tall windows can seem daunting and overwhelming. Sometimes, it just takes a few decorating ideas taken from other rooms to find the perfect window treatments for your own space. We’ve gathered together several rooms with eclectic and classic styles. 

Sometimes the best window treatment option for tall windows is no window treatment at all. The natural light floods through this apartment making it bright and cheerful.

As a girl who reads, writes, and has indulged in a love affair with the written word since I was first able to put letters together... I fell in love with this passage by Rosemarie Urquico.  And since I know so many of you lovely readers are bookworms and writers yourselves, I'm sure you'll appreciate the following, too:
A Girl You Should Date by Rosemarie Urquico 
Date a girl who reads. Date a girl who spends her money on books instead of clothes. She has problems with closet space because she has too many books. Date a girl who has a list of books she wants to read, who has had a library card since she was twelve.

The only vampire movie series I've really gotten into is Underworld.  I love Kate Beckinsale!  And since I have a hot date with my guy tonight to see Underworld: Awakening... I couldn't help but put together a decor board of what I would imagine Selene's room to be like.  Drenched in black.  Gothic furniture.  Ultra femme fatale.  I'm particularly smitten with the black chandelier, bed, and chair.  What do you think?  Would you revamp your room in this style?  (Re-vamp... haha... couldn't resist!)

Surprise! Surprise!  One last post in this series... Alison's room! 

I was definitely feeling a little UK love today when I entered the Poshtots Children's Bedroom Challenge on Olioboard.  (Head over and vote for my entry, pretty please!)

Hanna's room is definitely the most feminine and fashion-forward of the four... which isn't a surprise considering Hanna Marin is the popular, fashionable, girly girl of the clique.  Her bedroom fuses sleek modernity with fashionable luxe with perky charm... making for a Cheerful Glam look.

Today's the day for Emily's lovely bedroom.  Emily Fields is the shy, sweet swimmer of the group.  Her room manages to find the perfect balance between vintage country and preppy chic.  At first glance, the room is light, sunny, and airy.  It's any teen girl's dream room.  

Welcome back for LU's 2nd room in the PLL series!  Today you're getting a glimpse into my favorite room on the show... Aria's room.  Aria Montgomery is the artistic, imaginative, bookworm of the bunch.  So it's no surprise that her room has an artsy, historic, romantic eclecticism atmosphere.  Plus, it's full of books.  My two words for Aria's attic space: Vintage Eclectic.  (Those happen to be my two favorite decorating words... so brace yourself for my soon-to-come swooning.)

You ladies seem to be loving the tv- and movie-inspired decor posts... so I'm going to keep them coming!  By reader request, I've been working on a series of decor posts inspired by the bedrooms on Pretty Little Liars.   Today, I'm starting with Spencer.

Oh, those Scandinavians--masters of spacious white rooms, pops of color, and the perfect mix of eclectic furnishings.  This apartment tour was featured on Freshome. What first caught my eye was the big, beautiful arch window above.  With a cushion, blanket, some books, and a pair of candlesticks... isn't this such a cheerful, cozy, bright space to curl up with a book or just watch the world go by outside?

Each year, 3.4 million Americans over the age of 18 are stalked.  3 out of 4 stalking victims are stalked by someone they know.  30% of victims are stalked by a current or former intimate partner.  10% are stalked by a stranger.  1 out of 4 victims report being stalked through the use of some form of technology, like email, instant messages, and text messages.
Persons 18-24 years experience the highest rate of stalking. 
18-24 years old?   That's us college students.
January is National Stalking Awareness Month.  So to promote the safety of lovely undergrads, here are some tips if you may be being stalked.

To know me is to know I'm borderline-obsessed with Marie Antoinette.  So when I heard that a new Marie Antoinette movie was being made, I got a little giddy.  First, Eva Green was rumored to play the infamous queen.  Then, it was verified that Diane Kruger would be taking the role.  I was a little wishy-washy at first about the thought of her in the part. But, with the release of these film stills... I'm starting to totally see it...

Shelby (@sschoensee) tweeted at Lovely Undergrad, asking: 
"@LovelyUndergrad...Any ideas on how to make a dorm room with blue bedding (rosette from anthro in new blue) more cheerful?"
Soo... since I'm always up for a decor challenge and up late drinking coffee anyway, I zoomed over to Anthropologie to check out how they decked the rosette quilt. I swooned at the bedding in all itsbillowy, blue glory!  (Shelby, I'm overwhelming envious of you right now! Haha.)

This teeny-tiny (300 sq. ft.) apartment in New York City shows that some small space decorating rules are made to be broken.  Like no big furniture in a small room, right?  Well, I love the look of this big white sectional in the little living room. 

"2 BROKE GIRLS is a comedy about two young women waitressing at a greasy spoon diner who strike up an unlikely friendship in the hopes of launching a successful business - if only they can raise the cash." (-CBS)
I love the show. Max has sass, street smarts, and a knack for baking delicious cupcakes. Caroline has pep, sophistication, and a mind for business. Together, the two roomies try to raise the start-up money for a cupcake business. Their polar-opposite friendship is funny and easy to relate to. But what I'm really here to talk about is Max's apartment, which Caroline moves into.

<A HREF="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?rt=tf_ssw&ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=US&ID=V20070822%2FUS%2Fhistoroman-20%2F8003%2F0ade16aa-35ef-4990-b099-ebdecc167067&Operation=NoScript">Amazon.com Widgets</A>
I love a good planner.  Even though technology allows us to jot down important events on our phones, laptops, and tablets... I still hold fast to my planner.  Here are my top three reasons why I love 'em:
1. Planners express your personality.

We're a few days into the month of January and I'm sure your social media feeds have been flooded with everyone else's New Year's Resolutions.  You either love or hate those three little words that mean so much.  But let's face it... we all love a fresh start.  And while we have a chance every day to change the direction of our lives, what better time to do it than in January?  Rather than come up with a list of sticky goals (lose ten pounds, save a thousand dollars, get a 3.5 gpa) I've resolved to make 2012 a year of revolutions rather than resolutions.  And I want you to join me!

I watch the tv network Cloo a lot... and I looove this dorm commercial. Enjoy!

Lovelies, I broke my promise that I'd show you my last apartment.  Thing is... while I did paint it and move in, I never got totally settled in or comfortable there.  And I moved out after a few months---failing to take good photos before I left.  While going through my camera, I did happen on a very few photos that offer a peek into the bedroom.  Up above is my collection of necklaces, hung on white hooks on the gray wall. (The color is Anonymous by Sherwin-Williams, HGTV Home.)

Lovely Undergrad has received great feedback on posts that dissect movie and tv character apartments.  By reader request, here's another!  As I'm sure many of you do, I love Zooey Deschanel.  Her character Jess has adorable style, but most of all... I love her bedroom!

Last night, with an evening and apartment to myself... I decided to have a solo movie night.  I picked up some Dutch Letters (yumm!) and rented the dvd Sarah's Key.  I've been meaning to read the book by Tatiana de Rosnay for some time---I've been eying it on the bookshelf every time I've visited Target for over a year.  And while I usually prefer to read a book first, then see the movie... I made an exception for this cozy night in.  I put on the coffee, popped in the dvd, and settled down on the couch.

It's so exciting to leave the nest and be out on your own!  Your first place, whether it be a dorm or apartment, comes with a whole new set of experiences, benefits, and challenges.  While decorating and entertaining may be the first thing on your mind, security and safety should be top priority. Most people don't ever worry about the security of their homes until they're living on their own.  When we were children, our parents were generally in charge of keeping us safe and we little concern for the actual security systems in our homes. Of course, we learned the basics like keeping doors locked at night and never opening the door to strangers--but the specifics are often all but unknown to kids before they leave home. So it's important for us students and young adults to take note of some very significant security concerns, and to learn how to keep our dorms and apartments safe from intrusion. Let's brush up on some basic elements of residential security that you…

I had a euphoric experience in the Wal-mart checkout.  (Never thought I'd ever find myself typing that... haha.)  I turned to look at my favorite part of any store: the magazine stand.  And there it was. The Spring 2012 issue of Storage magazine in all its glossy glory.  I squealed in delight and snatched it up, flipping through the pages eagerly.
So why did I flip out in the checkout, you ask?  Well, I spent this past summer working my dream internship at Meredith Corporation... specifically Better Homes and Gardens Special Interest Publications Do It Yourself and Storage.  Besides all of the writing that I got to do (yay!), I was also given a little taste of my dream job: producing!  I had the awesome experience/challenge/fun of producing for this issue of Storage.

I came across this ingenious do-it-yourself idea on the blog Freshly Picked, which I just discovered and am completely smitten with!  Totally creative and crafty Susan Petersen

It something very difficult for a hoarder collector like myself to say... but sometimes less really is more.  Just in time for many of your New Year's Resolutions to downsize and organize, let's take a peek into some rooms where the "less is more" rule truly does apply.  The word "minimal" once as good as made me queasy.