The Lovely Side

I love Lorde. At only 16, her understated beauty, gorgeous voice, and raw talent is refreshing. I can't stop listening to her first album. Her tunes are perfect for getting me through the workday, inspiring my creative writing late at night, and just getting around to go out. So I'm very excited that her new album Pure Heroine is coming out and you can listen to it right here:

I love tights, especially in black. But this season, I'm feeling like the bolder colors are calling to me. Like red. From bright cherry to rich bordeaux, red tights are a bold statement that can be tricky to dress around. I have a pair of red tights begging to be worn, but I needed to do a little digging around on Pinterest for style inspiration first. So without further ado, here are twelve (thirteen counting the above photo) fashionable ways to wear red tights in the fall.

autumn
I love fall. It's my favorite season because of its crisp and rainy weather, fiery foliage, and cozy fashion. So I'm rounding up my must-haves for this season. (To view/buy the actual items featured in these Polyvore sets, please click on the link below each set.)

Pumpkin spice. Yum. If the first step to addiction recovery is admitting that you have a problem, you won't hear any confessions here. I have no intention of giving up any pumpkin goodies this fall. Instead, I'm rounding up my favorites and sharing them with you so that you get the uncontrollable urge to drive to the nearest Starbucks and sate your newly-induced cravings.

The above chair has taken residence at my writing desk for the last several years. Few chairs are small enough and lack the arms to slide under the desk, so I've mostly used the desk as an aesthetic piece and avoided the anguish of sitting there for more than five minutes. A vintage ice cream parlor chair given a couple coats of turquoise spray paint, the chair is whimsical and adorable. The problem is that it's also excruciatingly uncomfortable. So I've been on the hunt for a new desk chair that would be 1) aesthetically pleasing, 2) delightfully comfortable, and 3) cheap, cheap, cheap.

I've had a few of you readers request seeing some "Before and After" photos of my bedroom, without having to dig back through the blog archives. So here you go! Above, you'll see my bed the week I moved in. It was the solo piece of furniture I had for a while... so I used my radiator for my laptop. Now, my bed is all dressed up in its floral quilt, floral pillow, and burlap pillows. Color swatches hang over the bed until I get my headboard from my parents' place. And I have actual pieces of furniture like a nightstand and cart!

I've been living in my lovely, Victorian-era apartment in Cedar Rapids for about four months now. My bathroom still needs some work and my living room / kitchen isn't even close to being done. Though my bedroom is still a work in progress, it's ready enough for its debut! 
If you want to see what the place looked like before I started decorating, check out the Tour of My Bedroom: "Before."

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Winner:

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Winners:
Elissa Flanigan and SJ Eller

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Winner:
Carolyn Baumgarten

Pandora Harker from Vienna, Austria sent me photos of a do-it-yourself project she recently crafted up. Pandora turned an old vintage television in to a storage spot for books. I love it!
Not a bookworm? This could also work for storing dvds, bar ware, office supplies, and more. It could even be turned into a charging station for a tablet, phone, and other electronics. 

The vintage tv turned book box looks great on Pandora's dresser top with other books and a stand made out of old records!  Thanks for sharing your creative project, Pandora!
What would you use a vintage tv box for?
If you'd like to share photos of your dorm, apartment, or diy project, just email them to [email protected] and your handiwork might just show up on the blog!

It's been a while since I shared what I'm currently listening to. If you listen to the 8tracks playlists I occasionally post on The Lovely Side's Facebook page, you'll probably be familiar with these four artists. If not, then I'm so delighted to introduce you to them! 
Lorde - The Love Club EP Her hit "Royals" has hit the radio stations and the rest of her tunes are just as addicting. A 16-year-old hailing from New Zealand, her sound is sweet, sassy, and unique. 
Ms Mr - Secondhand Rapture Hauntingly beautiful voices and an eclectic electro-pop sound make up this American duo. The songs are creative, rich, and interesting. "Fantasy" is my personal favorite.
Bastille - Bad Blood I'm obsessed with this four-piece London band. Their voices, their music, their lyrics are all incredibly beautiful and passionate. I can't stop listening to "Pompeii" and I plan on making this album my next vinyl purchase. 
Daughter - If You Leave An achi…

Summer is slipping away. My early mornings heading to work are quite chilly - sweater and scarf chilly. I'm in no hurry for winter, especially after a short summer. (It was still cold and even snowed in May!) So I'm hoping for a nice, long autumn with plenty of time for all of fall's festivities and beauty.  
Inspired by the looming fiery foliage and crisp air, I created this playlist full of indie and folk tunes to play as the soundtrack to Fall 2013. If you're pining away for autumn as much as me, give it a listen.
Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall. from jessica_thelovelyside on 8tracks Radio.