So you want to be a cowboy...

I LOVE swaps! Like, I just love them! They're so much fun! But I love any excuse to get to dress up in costumes! My favorites are DIY costumes because they have so much more personality! (And you're not going to to run into 7 other people with the same exact costume!) For our first swap, the theme was Disney. I had such a hard time trying to figure out which Disney character to go as! I only had 3 days notice and a limited budget so I knew I would have to DIY my costume. I ended up going as Woody from Toy Story, which was good because out of my sorority I was the only Woody (but I had 4 Jessies).

For my costume I wore blue jean shorts (with a big brown belt), a plain yellow tshirt, a homemade cow print vest, cowgirl boots, red bandana, and a hat! I already had the shorts, boots, and belt. I got the yellow tshirt from Hobby Lobby for like $4 and a foam cowboy hat & red bandana for 99 cents each. 

To make the vest I bought a plain white tshirt (I went with a size smaller than I usually wear so it wouldn't be huge on me and fit more like a vest). If you want to paint on the vest, do that first! I painted a cow print (as best as I could, I'm no artist) on it to match Woody's vest. Let the paint dry completely and then you can start making the vest! First, cut the sleeves, hem and collar off of the vest. Trim down the sleeve holes to your preferred width. Second, I cut a line straight down the middle of the front of the shirt. If you want fringe, it's super simple! Cut strips about a half inch wide up to about 1/3 from the bottom. Once you get the strips cut, pull on each individual strip and it kind of "rolls up". This gets rid of the awkward cut lines, and this means that you don't have to cut them perfectly even! Be sure to pull on all of the places that you cut to get rid of jagged edges! And TADA, the vest is done! To complete the outfit I cut out a Sheriff's badge and wrote "Sheriff Woody" on it. To go the extra mile, I put duct tape on the bottom of my shoe and wrote "Andy" on it! 

Be sure to follow me on instagram: @haydenlee13 for more pictures and ideas! 

Gift Basket 101: College Edition

For my boyfriend's birthday back in June, I made him this cute little gift basket of things that he would need for college (he's a freshman this year, too). Like boys everywhere, my boyfriend thought all he needed to bring to college was a blanket, clothes, and an Xbox. So, I got him a few things that I knew he would need. This gift basket was relatively cheap, and makes a great graduation gift or care package! I got most of the things from Dollar Tree (a dolla makes me holla, honey boo boo child!), Dollar General or Wal-Mart. In addition to everything pictured, I added a strainer ($1), bowls ($1), a giant pack of Ramen Noodles, coat hangers ($1), and a Slim Jim ($1).

The basket all neat and put together!

Microwavable popcorn and a movie so we can have a movie night date! (It's a cheap date!)
$1 for popcorn from Dollar Tree and $5 for the movie from Wal-Mart

 Napoleon Dynamite is one of our favorite movies!

Their favorite candy for when they get hungry and the dining hall is closed! (I used Sno-Caps and Gobstoppers!)
$1 a piece from Dollar Tree

Gym shorts with our school name and logo on it. (Go Trojans!) I also bought him a Columbia shirt and some PFG shorts.
I got the shorts from the Wal-Mart in troy for around $10 and bought the shirt and other pair of shorts on sale at a local retailer.

Because who doesn't love Silly String?!
$1 from Dollar Tree

Disinfecting wipes, which I still don't think he has used. (Boys are GROSS!)
$1 from Dollar Tree

Air Freshener for when his dorm starts to smell "manly" (This is more for my benefit than his ;P )
$1 from Dollar Tree

Laundry hamper, detergent packs (I recommend these, they're so fast and easy!), and dryer sheets so there's no reason he can't do his laundry.
Hamper around $3 from Wal-Mart, detergent around $5 from Dollar General, and dryer sheets $1 from Dollar General

I also added a roll of quarters so there is DEFINITELY no reason for him to have stinky clothes! 

Put it all in the laundry hamper and ta-da! A perfect gift for college!

College Girl!!

I'm officially moved into my dorm room! I might be just a tad bit biased, but I think my roommate and I have the cutest dorm room! We decided to go with a color pallet of aqua and coral, but added in a few extra colors too! We decided to get different bedspreads that reflected our own personality, but used taupe as a neutral color for our rug and curtains so it wouldn't be color overkill. (Even though our room came with a doo-doo green wall that we couldn't paint over, which we were not happy about.) Of course almost everything of mine is monogrammed, even my mini fridge! I was so pleased that we were able to make it feel like such a homey space, it definitely makes you feel a lot less homesick. I definitely recommend trying out your mattress pad BEFORE you move. Mine feels like a rock! I'm so glad that I'm only and hour away from home and my parents are bringing me a new one!
I had A LOT of stuff! My car had only clothes in it! (Quick packing tip: keep your clothes on hangers and just put trash bags over them, so they won't get wet or dirty, and get a tension-type rod that is made for a car and hang them all up. This keeps them from getting wrinkled. Also, the easiest way to transport them to your room is to leave them on the rod and just carry it like that. I also packed everything in either duffel bags or the plastic pull out drawers that I put underneath my bed. I didn't want to use boxes because I didn't want to have a bunch of stuff that I had to go throw in the dumpster. The duffel bags that I didn't keep with me, I just sent home with my parents.)

This is my side of the room, and my doo-doo green wall.

Where we put my desk and our fridge, microwave, and coffee maker. 

My roommate's side of the room.

Check back for more dorm tips!

My Name Is ____ And I Am A Monogramaholic

Yes, it's true. If you haven't figured out by now, I am OBSESSED with monograms! "If it's not monogrammed, is it really even yours?!" My obsession with monogramming has carried over into all of my stuff for my dorm! (OBVIOUSLY!) I have a wooden monogram for my wall, monogrammed towels, and even a monogram on my lamp! One of the best things to do, whether you're a monogramaholic or not, is monogram your towels that you will be using in your dorm bathroom! Whether it's a suite-style (like mine) or you share a bathroom with the entire floor, you don't want someone accidentally using your towels! Especially if you're a "save a trip to the laundry room, use your towels more than once" kinda girl like me, the thought of other people using my towels grosses me out! Especially if I'm going to reuse them! With monogrammed towels, there is no excuse for a "mix-up." So take my advice, monogram everything!! There's no doubt that it's yours! 
And the great thing about it, is most of the stuff is totally DIY! (I have a monogram machine and a Cricut available to do most of my stuff, but if you don't, most craft stores (Hobby Lobby, Michael's, etc.) have iron-on letters that you can put on almost anything!

Gettin' Crafty With It

Ok, so like I mentioned before, I love doing crafty stuff! (You should check out my Pinterest boards (; )
Soooo.... I saw these beauties on Etsy, but of course I thought to myself, "I could totally do that!" So I set out on a little adventure to make bow tanks! I won't give away my secrets...yet! But I've made a little extra money from friends paying me to make bow tanks for them! All you need is a monogramming machine (If you, like me, have to have EVERYTHING monogrammed), a racer back tank, a little bit of fabric, and a TON of patience! If you want to see pictures of all of the tanks I've made, follow me on Instagram! @haydenlee13

My Life As...Hayden

Hey y'all! My name is Hayden, and I'm going to be a freshman at Troy University this fall. I am (as of right now) going to major in Biomedical Sciences and I'm going through Sorority Recruitment this fall! The main reason I'm writing this blog is to document my adventures as a college student. Hopefully this blog will help others who, like me, have absolutely no idea what to expect during "the best years of your life."

Just a little bit about me...I am addicted to monograms! If it doesn't have your monogram, is it really even yours? I LOVE baby pandas!! I am also pretty crafty (hellooooo DIY projects) and I'm slightly addicted to Pinterest!