My Bedroom Tour

Welcome to my cozy little corner of the universe.  My bedroom is my creative haven and where I spend most of my free-time.  It's where all the magic happens: blogging, writing, crafting, and the occasional five-hour long Downton Abbey binge.  Prepare yourself for lots of color, mucho florals, eclectic tendencies, and a teensy bit of creative chaos.  

For Love of Pink and Fuchsia and Magenta!

I love pink.  Hot pink.  Rose.  Fuschia.  Magenta.  

Speaking of magenta.  On my last trip home, my mom enlightened me with a funny little anecdote about my childhood.  Now, I've always loved color.  I remember as a little girl being very picky about my ever-changing favorite colors.  And I was fascinated with the color names of Crayola crayons.

Feminine + Vintage Studio in L.A. | Studio Living

I'm going to be sharing several of my favorite studios from Apartment Therapy for this series... the first one being Rodelle's chic, eclectic, vintage-infused, 450-square-foot Los Angeles studio.  Right away, you see a lot of white.  Decorating with plain white walls is something I've always struggled with, so I have to share a space when it's well done.

Studio Living Series

Today kicks off a little series I'd like to call Studio Living.  You, see... I've also been drawn to the idea of living in a teeny-tiny studio apartment.  Now hold in your gasp of horror at the thought of dwelling in such a small face.  And let me proceed to tell you why:

11 Simple Pleasures of the Week

Let me tell ya: I'm all about the simple pleasures in life.  I take great joy in the little things.  And this week is no different.  So here's a little list of the little pleasures I've been enjoying:

My Apartment: Bits 'n' Pieces of Decor Inspiration

Last week I was on a mission to thrift.  Unfortunately, the world was not on my side that day.

Show & Tell: My Canvas Art Project in Do It Yourself Magazine

Do It Yourself Magazine / Better Homes and Gardens

Remember back when I gushed about my work in Storage magazine?  Well, here's a little something I did for Do It Yourself magazine.  It just got put up online as part of a slideshow on BHG.com.

Etsy Shop Spotlight: Amanda Catherine Designs

Oh my goodness. I've fallen head-over-heels for an adorable little shop on Etsy.

Amanda Catherine Designs sells "unique affordable art prints."

Her prints sum up everything I want my life to be about.

So naturally, I want to surround myself with them 

and plaster them all over my bedroom wall.

Problem is... I can't decide which one I want first...

Green with Envy: Dresses

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The one thing I love more than a ravishing red dress... a gorgeous green one!

Isn't this woman lovely with her green silk dress and red lipstick?

Green with Envy: Decor

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I love green.  It's one of my favorite colors.  I don't decorate with it much, but I plan to have a beautiful green room someday.  In the meantime, in the spirit of St. Paddy's Day... I want to share some of my favorite green rooms.   I love the lustrous green and turquoise damask wallpaper in the room above.

10 Easy Ways to Bring Spring into Your Space

1. Flora and fauna. Bedding, pillows, or a fabulous floral chair like the one above, introducing bright, lively floral and nature patterns into your room freshens up every square foot.  

2. Sheer loveliness.  Take down the old curtains and replace them with simple white sheers.  Easy, breezy, and so springtime lovely.  Plus, you'll love how the sunshine through, brightening and cheering the room.

Hoarders Rejoice: Clutter can be Pretty

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I like clutter.  Pretty clutter.  Lovely things to look at everywhere I look.

Spring Cleaning for the Dorm and Apt

I've always been a slightly messy person.  I'm pretty good at keeping the common areas of an apartment clean... and I was a very organized roommate in a shared dorm room.  But unfortunately my own personal bedroom often falls into creative chaos.

Spring Favor: 9 Beauty Picks

Spring is in the air.  And I'm kicking it off by sharing my springtime beauty essentials.  Here are my top nine loves this season:

Truth: I Buy Coffee Based on the Packaging Color

Say hello to my new ^friend.  Well, sorta new.  Coffee and I go waaaay back. 

Easy & Chic Transition into Springtime | Dresses + Cardigans

Spring is in the air, but winter hasn't gone for good.  It's a tricky time of year when it comes to dressing.  We're all eager to get out the dresses and sandals, but mornings and evenings are often too cool for such apparel.  One of my favorite ways to ease my dresses into early spring is by throwing on a cardigan over top and belting it at the middle.

OMG. Turquoise Cowgirl Boots!

Oh my stars.  These boots were made for me.  I'm serious.  If these gorgeous turquoise cowgirl boots ever had a soul mate... I would be it.  Hands down.

Big News: Girl Next Dorm Magazine

Good morning, lovely undergrads!  I've got some exciting news to cheer up your mundane Monday.

For the last year, I've been toying around with the idea of starting an online magazine.  In the last six months, it's become a huge goal and passion of mine to do so.  And in the last couple months, you may have seen posts hinting around at some big news.  Well, here it is!  

While I'll remain blogging here at Lovely Undergrad, I'm branching out to head up an online magazine.  Girl Next Dorm Magazine is officially in the works and set to launch its debut issue Summer 2012.  Here's where you come in!

Head over to GirlNextDormMag.com to read the latest news.  Like Girl Next Dorm on Facebook and follow Girl Next Dorm on Twitter.  And if you have a hankering to contribute your writing, design, photography, marketing, or public relations skills... apply to be part of the team!  I know that so many of you are fabulously creative and lovely.  So I'd love to find a place for you at Girl Next Dorm. ;)

Have a lovely start to your week!

Olioboard: The New Mid Century Modern

Feeling a little retro, I entered Olioboard's current Mid Century Modern Design Challenge.  The idea was basically to decorate an updated bungalow---incorporating vintage accents with a modern feel.  For my entry, I took my cues from iconic interpretations of Mid Century decor: Mad Men, The Jetsons, Brady Bunch, and Leave It to Beaver.  Then, I translated the dated into modern day.  Real retro pieces mingle with the vintage-inspired---since retro is soo hot these days, it's hard to tell what's old and what's new!  Thrifted finds mix with luxury.  And the tried and truly color schemes of a bygone era (burnt orange, deep turquoise, olive green) breathe new life into an updated bungalow.