Sophomore Dorm Room - Bed

I've had a lot of people ask me where I have gotten specific things for my dorm, so I decided to do a few posts concentrated on certain parts of my room!

The first part is my bed area!

My monogrammed headboard is from Artist Tree (instagram- Artist Tree, website- Dondee Hicks)
     -For reference, my headboard is 6 1/2 feet tall

I used my comforter, sheets, and bed skirt from last year, but I did pick up a matelasse (check out this one!) I got my adorable euro sham cover from Cathy's Custom Pillows, and just bought an insert at a local home goods store! I got my adorable night stand from Hobby Lobby, and it was half off!! (winner winner chicken dinner!) Check out this tutorial for my custom lampshade!

Under my bed, I used slide out bins for storage. Check out this post of mine to learn how to make the most of your bed area! 

And last, but definitely not least,…my favorite thing in my room! I painted this piece all by myself, and I'm super proud of it! This is the biggest piece I've painted by far, but I love having something that I painted hanging up. It means so much more to me than just hanging a picture or poster that someone else did, and it makes the room feel more homey to me! (Also, the best part is that it's super lightweight! It's hanging on thumbtacks!!)

P.S. Can you spy my Lilly-inspired cooler in one of the pictures? ;)

Student Rate Partners With Alex and Ani

A few days ago I saw Kristin from The Dixie Daisy blog about the new Alex and Ani bangle she just got. I've been wanting one for a while, and seeing her post made me want one even more! With the semester just starting I am b-r-o-k-e! (Those textbooks will cost you your first born child, be warned!) But, I found this awesome site, Student Rate, that will definitely help you save money! Student Rate partners with major online retailers (think Alex and Ani, LuLu's, PB Teen, Charlotte Russe, etc.) and provides you with either a discount or cash back offer when you shop! Love all of the stuff that you have seen in my dorm room? You can get cash back or discounts when you online shop at places like PB Teen, Bed Bath & Beyond, Target, Wal-Mart, and even Anthropologie through the Student Rate website! Want to sign up and start saving money (to buy things like Alex and Ani bangles?), sign up here!

Meanwhile, my birthday is in September if anyone is feeling generous and wants to get me an Alex and Ani (totally just kidding, unless you just want to ;P )

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Have you used Student Rate before? I'd love to hear about your experience!

DIY Painted Lampshade

For my new dorm room I struggled to find the perfect lampshade to go on my adorable owl lamp base! I searched and searched and finally found the perfect size and shape lampshade on sale at Wal-Mart! The only problem was that it didn't exactly match. I did lots of Pinterest searching for DIY ideas and finally came up with the idea to paint it! I wanted it to match the wall piece that I painted, so I decided to paint the dandelions that border the canvas onto the lamp shade.

I found my lamp shade ($5 at Wal-Mart), then taped off the metal on the inside if you're going to spray paint it. I didn't  tape off all of the inside just because I was in a rush to get it spray painted before it rained. If you're not going to spray paint it then you don't necessarily have to tape it off.

Then, prime! I tried spray paint but I ran out and so I didn't get to cover it well. I ended up just painting it with white acrylic paint. 

Then, I spray painted it the same blue that I spray painted the wooden frame around my canvas. 

After it dried, I painted the same dandelions on the shade that I painted on my wall piece (pictured above) so it would all tie in together!

I love how it turned out and how well it ties together with my room!

Sophomore Dorm Room

I'm finally moved into my dorm room and settled down! I'm absolutely in love with how my room turned out and how homey it feels!

Here are some before pictures:

And AFTER!:

My awesome headboard is from Artist Tree

I actually painted the wall piece by myself! I'm super proud of it!!

You can find my wall monogram at Southern Proper Monograms

How cute is my monogrammed owl door hanger?! Another awesome Artist Tree product!!

How do you make your dorm room feel more homey? Share your ideas in the comments!

Semester Resolutions

Lately I've been seeing a lot of posts on resolutions, and I thought it was such a great idea! So here is a list of what I hope to accomplish this semester:

1. Make an A in organic chemistry 

2. Redo my room at home

3. Post once a week

4. Make new friends

5. Make at least a 3.8

6. Add more resolutions to my list