The Lovely Side

Today, I'm so excited to share Ashleah's apartment bedroom from her first year of medical school in Arkansas. It's beautiful, it was done on a student budget, and the best part: she pulled this together in one week. The look she was going for was happy but relaxing with a little quirkiness and some coastal touches. She also researched coral reefs in undergrad - so you'll see lovely little coral details throughout. Without further ado...

Recently, Intel sent a piece of tech my way to review: the new Acer Iconia Tab 8 A1-840 FHD. I've been enjoying using it for work and blog related things as well as just playing around with it. In the coming weeks, As part of the Intel Tablet Crew, I'll be sharing my thoughts about the tablet here on The Lovely Side - favorite apps, productivity tools, and even a fun way to help decorate! 
Today, I wanted to kick off the review with a bit of background information and my first impression of the Acer Iconia Tab 8 - as well as open up the floor for your questions, which I'll answer in upcoming posts.

It's back to campus season! Many of you are probably moving into your first (or a new) dorm or apartment and I know first-hand how tricky decorating these small spaces can be. (That's why I started this blog once upon a time five(ish) years ago!)
One of my main missions here on The Lovely Side is to help inspire you to create a lovely space - whether it's your home or your home-away-from-home, whether you're a college student or young professional. 
So I'm opening up the floor (or rather, my inbox) to your design challenges. Any small space woes are welcome - from arranging furniture to choosing a color scheme to decorating with a roomie.

I know that I said decorating and organizing wouldn't be part of my Apartment Purge, but last Friday I took on a problem zone that I just couldn't put off any longer. It was part purge, part organization project. It was my mess of a bathroom vanity:

So here I am, taking a break and scrolling through inspiring apartments on Apartment Therapy. (My usual.) And I come across Nicole & Aaron's Paris-Inspired Loft. Of course, it's the typical "love at first sight" with their bright colors and eclectic decorating taste. Then, I see it:

This giveaway is now closed. Please check the 'Giveaways' tab above for more giveaways. :)

Whether you've just settled into your dorm room or have moved into your final year of college, you're going to love this giveaway!
Redbubble is an online marketplace selling products featuring the creative work of artists and designers from all over the globe. From stylish totes and t-shirts to eye-catching wall art and bedding, what you'll find on Redbubble is beautifully designed and totally unique. In the shop full of over 11 million items from independent artists, you'll find something to express your individual personality, interests, and style. Plus, the prices are sooo affordable. (I want to fill my apartment walls with prints from Redbubble!)

About a month ago, I told you about a fabulous little typewriter stand I scored at Goodwill for $2 - and my plan to use it in creating a stylish landing spot in my hallway. Here's the decor board I created for inspiration:

Over the past few years, I've accumulated too much stuff. I'll be the first to admit that I'm a pack-rat. I tend to be a little overly sentimental about letting things go. But as I grow up, my desire to live with less also grows. I'll never be a minimalist when it comes to decorating, but it's my new Mid-Year Resolution to minimize what I own. Because I really don't need the amount of clothing, books, and random decor that I currently possess.
The source of my accumulation: college moves and my recent relocation to a new town. In April 2013, I got a job offer I couldn't refuse. I had two weeks to wrap up my then-job, find a sub-leaser, pack my things, and hang out with friends before kissing my college-town goodbye. Junk got packed away instead of getting thrown away. And now it's here cramping my lovely apartment's style - and cramming up all the storage space that my apartment has to offer.
It's time for a change.

I recently rearranged my living room (yes, again). And in the midst of it, my bar cart ended up next to my fridge. It was the most functional spot for it, but not the most beautiful.

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Desks can be tricky to decorate. Whether you're studying in a dorm, working from home, clocking in at the cubicle, or blogging from your bedroom, a desk needs to be functional as well as beautiful. But desk accessories that functional and beautiful, well... they're hard to come buy. Not anymore. Meet Poppin.
When I discovered Poppin, it was love at first sight. They're not just another office products company - they sell "workstyle products." Bright, bold colors. Sleek, stack-able designs. Clean, crisp lines. From notebooks and pens to desk accessories and fabulous file cabinets, Poppin has you covered - the great prices and low shipping is icing on the Poppin cake.

This giveaway is now closed. Please check The Lovely Side's Giveaways page for current giveaways!


Whether you're heading to the office or back to campus, The Lovely Side and SimonTEEN want to make sure that you have enough reading material - not including textbooks. So Simon & Schuster is hosting a BIG BOOK GIVEAWAY right here. One lucky U.S. reader will receive a "Share Your Story" prize pack (pictured above) including a journal, pen, coffee cup, and Ellen Hopkins' complete YA backlist of 11 titles. That's right - 11 books for you to devour. 
There are multiple, easy ways to enter - just be sure to get them by the end of the month! Enter using the Rafflecopter widget at the bottom of this post. :) Happy reading, my lovely bookworms!

All the way from Italy, Daria wrote in to The Lovely Side asking for a little inspiration in recreating Zoe's room from Hart of Dixie. While I'm slightly familiar with the show, I've never watched it. And finding photos of Zoe's space was a bit of a challenge. However, I was able to whip up an inspiration board based on the above and below photos.

I stumbled across this lovely home on Design*Sponge and it's full of so many inspiring, ideas that I couldn't not share it. Without further ado, here are some ideas you can borrow for your space:
1. Create Unique Shelving | Ladder Bookshelf I love love love this idea. First, it puts books and decor on display in a unique way. Second, it's a way to store a totally functional tool in a small space. When you need a ladder, just take off the books and get to work.

For the first time in a long time, I'm absolutely swamped. If I'm not planning and writing for clients at my full-time job, I'm planning and writing for the blog. While I love having everything on my Google calendar and scribbled out in my handy-dandy planner, nothing beats a good checklist. I scavenged Pinterest and printed off a few, but they weren't quite getting the job done for me. So I created my own. Then I shared a picture of them on Instagram. And then the requests started rolling in.
Now here I am sharing them with you to download, print, and get organized with. I'm no professional designer, so they're for fun and for FREE. I hope they help you as much as they're helping me! :)

Also, I got requests for some college-friendly checklists. You'll find them below, too.

Download here:

When a lovely reader dropped me a message requesting ideas and inspiration for a "Bonnie & Clyde Wedding" with a twist, I couldn't resist. I've never done weddings before! Having only created decorating and outfit inspiration boards for myself and blog readers, I thought: What a perfect excuse to merge decor and fashion together. The "twist" that I put on this Bonnie & Clyde inspired affair is some good old-fashioned rustic romance.

5x the size. 3x the commute. 2x the price. I found my dream apartment today.
I'm happy in my 511 sq. ft. Victorian apartment, I promise. I'm comfortable here - so is my furniture and my bank account. But you see, I have this horrible hobby of Craigslist-crawling. I scavenge the listings daily. Looking for cheap old furniture to makeover. Ooohing and awwing over adorable pets for adoption. And, of course, drooling over apartments. Sometimes, one catches my eye that I'd sorta-kinda consider moving to, but then I'm quickly deterred by the sheer thought of packing up and moving.
But today... TODAY... I fell in love. When I think of my dream apartment, here's what comes to mind: high ceilings, a clawfoot bathtub, hardwood floors, historic charm, lots of character. Well this afternoon, my fingertips stumbled across a real beauty.

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Unique. Diverse. Industrial. Minimalist. It's these words that come together to describe Brooklyn-based indie company Live Poultry. And Live Poultry's eclectic NYC style is something you're going to want to work into your wardrobe this fall. Live Poultry has teamed up with The Lovely Side to give away one of their green Liberator Bike Goddess tank tops! Check it out on gorgeous model Kiara:

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Gordmans has just launched a new fashion lined called the Misses Contemporary department, which combines both elements of dressy and casual styles to fit your total lifestyle. Yes, you: the college student, the intern, the young professional. You'll find trendy brands like Kensie, Jessica Simpson, and BB Dakota at 60% off department store prices. That's what this bargain shopper likes to see.