Want. Now.

Sorry I haven't been posting as much...things have been hectic with school but there will be several new posts the for the next few days! Just saw I few things I desperately want.

Who would think Urban Outfitters has this amazing jewelry box? I've been looking for the perfect one forever. 

Theory Black Knitted Dress-simple and classic. 

French Connection dress with a touch of lace

I have the concealor and am thinking about trying the foundation. Let me know if you have tried it!

BABIES

Not real babies silly, i'm still in college!! ZTA babies! Our beautiful new pledges received their bids yesterday. We took them out to dinner, then ice skating, and finally had chocolate covered strawberries at the house. 

Look at all their excited little faces!

Petit Fours with breast cancer ribbons on them for our philantrophy-I ate way too many.

So excited

We had boys come sing to them!

Our awesome shirts

What to wear during the day as i'm dead tired but still want to look cute? Leggings, a VV fleece and cute scarf. 

Seek the Noblest

ZTA Love 

Finally the new ZTA babies will be arriving tomorrow!! So excited:)

Since when did Kate Spade become the Valentine's Day Queen?

For standard Valentine's Day gifts I tend to think of stereotypical jewelry items from Yurman or Tiffanys. Both of these are getting beyond overdone and I have found a new V day love; Kate Spade. Her items are less expensive and more appropriate to the occassion. Here are some of my fave Kate Spade Valentine's Day inspired pieces:

This flower ring is so popular its already out of stock!  Wouldn't it be great Valentine's Day gift?

Kate Spade is doing a year of birthstone rings-this is January, my birth month!

I'm a sucker for adorable cosmetic cases. It's a bit overpriced but too cute and easy to transport. 

Black satin skirt with a big bow at the top-perfect to wear for a Valentine's Day dinner

Harriet Shirtdress-a red silk dress? Screams Valentine's Day without being overdone.

Camelia Avenue Posy Vase-okay so its not red but a fun apple green. A great gift for my Mom!

Twirl Rollerball perfume. A cute gift for the most important loves of your life-your girlfriends!

Spring Luxe List

Burberry Brit Raincoat-who can resist?

Tiffany Diamond Bow Earrings-so cute and so outrageously expensive. 

The past two days have been oddly warm for January in Virginia. Don't get me wrong I'm not complaining but its making me stalk all the adorable spring collections coming out. As I'm overwhelmed with schoolwork and rushing girls currently, I don't have much time to shop but I certainly can look!

Tory Burch silk top-i've seen many girls wearing silk tops with jeans and boots during the first rounds of rush. They make excellent transition pieces for Spring.

My current winter Marc Jacob's bag, love it but feeling a bit heavy. 

Lusting after the new white leather Marc Jacobs for Spring.

Or a Navy hobo? Another great transition piece. 

What's on your luxe list?

Country Roads

Today was the most relaxing day possible. I had a day off from rush and classes don't start until Wednesday so this was really my last chance to sit back and relax. One of my closest friends at school, we'll call her Sunshine because she always makes me smile, took me on a drive with her. She often drives around Charlottesville to clear her mind. We drove for an hour through windy, dark, country roads. Scary? slightly. Exhilarating? yes. Once I got over the initial fear of possibly hitting a deer,  it felt incredible. The darkness and trees made my heart pound while the country music blasting from her ipod made me feel at home. Listening to Wagon Wheel while passing by Monticello? There is nothing like it.

Decorating a College Apartment

This is the the entrance to my room. The Lilly board on the door is a great way to keep your roommates informed where you are!

I hate it when people say that a college apartment is just a "college apartment" and it doesn't matter what it looks like. If you have to live there for nine months out of a year, I would certainly say it does matter! I've decided to feature my room and The Equestrian's room as cozy examples. I'll give you some organization tips and tricks as well. So here is a little slide show on decorating tips. 

Hangers on the back of a door are perfect for the totes and coat you use everyday. 

The center of my room. I'll get into more detail about the beautiful chest momentarily. The bed was from a guest room at home and the bedding is Pottery Barn Kids. To make it feel more like home, I brought a few extra embroidered pillows we had around my house. A mirror above the bed is a great way of adding light to a room. 

The dresser was a gift from my aunt and is beautiful. Its really too nice for a college apartment so I am very careful with it (notice the coaster under the Pellegrino bottle!). I keep my necklaces on display and my bracelets in stacked boxes. The lamp is from Pottery Barn Kids and the crown is on of my sorority's symbols. The paintings above the dresser are replications of some of Degas's most famous works. I got them at the National Gallery in DC- a great place for replications and posters. 

This little tray is the perfect place for my glasses and other things I always grab. 

The center of the Equestrian's room. Her beautiful yellow bedding is from Pottery Barn. She is obsessed with pillows and has a mountain of them.

Love her little wicker nightstand. Wicker baskets are a much better solution than plastic and you can find them at Marshalls and Home Goods. Love, love love her lamp! Both her room and my room have awful lighting so lamps are helpful.

Her room has a tiny nook which she turned into a reading corner. This area is so incredibly cozy-the chair is perfect to lounge on. The drapes over the window also make the room so much more homey. And I don't call her the Equestrian for nothing-check out the pillow on the chair. She also uses a mirror to create the illusion of space and add light to the room.

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This little shelf faces my bed. I had my Dad mount the TV- a great space saver. The shelf hides the cord for the most part, and I keep my favorite books and DVDs on it. The shelf is from the container store. 

My desk is directly under my window. My desk is from Ikea and the pink chair is form Pottery Barn Kids. Since the desk has limited shelving, I have a bin and a Lilly bag under the desk for extra storage. I keep my computer to the side to offer extra room for writing. I don't like having too much on my desk so I keep pens and paper clips on the left with just a picture of my Dad and I for decoration. Ps: thats my puppy on the computer. 

This desk has only one little drawer-perfect for my pencil case but not much else. Word of advice-pay better attention to how much space your desk offers. 

Again to accomodate for my desk, I keep a bin on my printer filled with extra supplies. 

Highlighters galore. 

The Equestrian's desk. Her desk also lacks drawers and efficient space although its ledge beneath is perfect for a printer. The leather chair is incredibly comfortable and adds a professional look. 

The tiny jars are perfect for paper clips. Check out the adorable riding boots that act as a pen holder and the eraser! Again a beautiful lamp adds more light.

This little tray is supposed to be an egg holder from Anthropology, but she cleverly used it for jewelry!  Be creative when looking for storage devices-you don't have to use something just for its intended purpose!

A tall wood shelf in the corner is perfect for textbooks, a TV, personal items, and DVDS. I really wish I had gotten a taller shelf and plan on getting one for my new apartment next year. The personalized items like picture frames and accessories make a room yours. 

My room has an extra little corner where I store my headband collection and extra toiletries. I don't have a lot of bathroom space so I have to keep this all in my room much to my chagrin. 

I keep my headbands and hair accessories on display in these pink bins.

Almost all college apartments have the worst white walls which you aren't allowed to paint. Here are some ideas:

My roommate Bohemian Rhapsody is from Florida so she keeps a palm tree in her room!

This cute little bee painting in the Equestrian's room sets the tone for her yellow color scheme.

A close up of the Degas replicas in my room. Stacking paintings in a collage like form creates a unique look.  Thanks Mom for this idea!

I bought this poster and the one below the Summer before college at a craft store. I had them professionally framed and they add so much color and fun to the room. 

The Equestrians board-photos are a great way of showing your interests and favorite memories. 

My bulletin board. I'm obsessed with bulletin boards and keep a huge one at home as well.  This one is covered with pictures, tickets, postcards, and other mementos just from last semester. I love keeping them on display to remind me of my family and friends. 

I purchased this simple black frame at the school bookstore and filled it with photos from my Summer vacation in Portugal and Italy. I hate seeing trashy, drunk pictures in a room. Why not use pictures of your other interests?

Closets. O my. My closet doesn't just hold clothes but also water bottles, a suitcase, cleaning supplies and more. How to make it all fit?Baskets up above are great for work-out clothes and casual wear. My closet actually stretches further back than what you see in the picture so there is a decent amount of hanging space. I keep things I use the most like sweater and oxfords towards the front. I keep my boots and flats in the closet and heels (which are usually just for weekends) under the bed to save space. A scarf rack and belt rack keep all of my accessories neat and hung up.

The Equestrian has a scarf holder on the front of her closet door. Not only is it great for organizing but  also shows off her great collection. 

My closet doors fold in so I can't have a wall mounted shoe rack. I envy hers so much, and I would recommend a hanging shoe rack if it works in your closet. 

Her closet- a mini walk in. Her purses line the top shelf and extra items like detergent are in the corner. 

The Equestrian's pottery barn shower curtain.

Her bathroom counter is kept simple but elegant with glass jars for cotton swabs and an adorable porcelain mug for her toothbrush.


Hope you enjoyed this post! If you have any questions about where anything was purchased feel free to email me!