Crafternoon: Nautical Flags Name & Monogram

A few days ago I gave y'all a peek into my room! I featured my DIY wall, which you can see above! While I'm not very good at most crafty things, I did come up with this project on my own!

I bought these canvases when I did my rhinestone project and two came in a pack. One was used in the rhinestone monogram and the other sat around untouched for a few months. After the inordinate amount of patience necessary for that rhinestone monogram, I was CRAFTED OUT. I was inspired when my roommate painted her cooler (final product coming this week!) and I wanted to do something too!

Using nautical flags, I painted that canvas in the color scheme of my bedding. I used these flags for reference:

The top line of my canvas is my name: K-A-T-I-E

The bottom line is my monogram: c-R-a

Since Katie is with a K, and I always do my monogram with Catherine, my "real" first name, it created some interest and is about as close to a conversation piece I could come up with!

At the time, my roommate and I couldn't find a ruler if our lives depended on it, so I used index cards to measure out my flags! Hee-hee!

If you're feeling crafty, this is a great project to try! It was easy and fun and I'm sure if you're an avid crafter, you've probably got everything you have in your craft closet!

xxKatie

Cube-icals

I'm not usually a big believer in "College furniture" since it's typically not made to last. Think of those junky futons, bed lofts, and plastic storage. I do however, LOVE these storage cubes from Target. I have two sets of this 2x3 model and I think they're great! 

One of these I have laying down just like the one pictured and I have it inside my closet. I use it to store shorts, jeans and socks/undies/bathing suits. It is a great space saver and really efficient. 

I use another as a set of real drawers and have 5 cube drawers in it!

My room is mostly pink and green--all in different shades and I have drawers corresponding to the respective amounts of each in my bedding pattern! I picked up four more drawers last time I was at Target (remarkably, that was all I got--mission accomplished!) and immediately put them to use. They're mostly holding items that are always folded--t-shirts, sweatshirts and the like. I like they way they look and I like how they store. When these drawers aren't in use, they fold up and are collapsable!

These are great for any college dorm, college room or closet!

xxKatie

Desk & Decor

Meet the home of my new desk:

Sorry it's bad quality--it was a Mupload!

I got this desk from WalMart:

So far it's GREAT and I love it! I put it together on my own and I am pretty proud of it! (I wish I could say the same thing about the WalMart dresser I'm about to return...)

Up until Friday, my two frames were empty! Using CVS's photo service and a coupon code I was able to order 2 11x14 posters to add to my room! I used these two photos:

This one is from my 21st birthday and one of my favorites!

Of course I had to add one of me and my sister to the collection too!

It made my desk and room feel A TON more home-y and me. I am really excited with the way it turned out!!

Now all I have to do is find a good dresser--which I'm happy to take suggestions for!!

xxKatie

Making Scents

Last week I was running errands and had to pick a bunch of groceries and house things at WalMart! One of the things on my list was a room spray/air freshener for my bedroom! Usually the scents at the grocery store are too strong or to sweet or overpowering, but I found one I really liked! 

Febreze's "White Orchid and Bloom" is SO nice, clean and fresh and perfect for my room! A lot of the Febreze products were on sale, so I picked up the candle, plug in and spray to freshen my room! I have the plug turned to the lowest setting and toward the back corner of my room so it doesn't infiltrate the rest of my house! 

My refill pack was only 1 set of the oil, but since scents change so often I'm thinking about picking up one more to keep in storage. 

I'm excited about my new spring-y scent to stay fresh and nicely scented!

How do you keep your room fresh? Do you use products like these?

xxKatie

Weekly Gratitude

1. I am thankful for Bodypump. I did it Sunday night and it was a great reality check into how out of shape  (my arms especially) I am. I am making a commitment into going 3 times a week to get my bootay in shape!

2. I am thankful today is my first tour! I am SO excited to get back into the swing of things! This week will be great to finally hit my stride and get into a real rhythm!

3. I am thankful to be working! I am lucky enough to have gotten a job that I am already loving here at school! The ladies I work with have really taken me under their wings and teaching me things I haven't quite learned about Columbia yet!!

4. I am thankful that my parents are coming to visit me soon for the Navy v. USC home opener game! I got a little homesick over the weekend for   a little while and I can't wait to see them!

5. I am thankful to be reunited with my fabulous roommates! It has been so much fun to see them and hang out with them. And I'm pumped we're friends with our neighbors--it's like having 5 roommates instead of 2!

6. I am thankful that it is going to stay summer here for much longer. At first I though I'd hate it being so hot here, but no, this weather rules. 

7. I am thankful I am still staying in touch with my friends from home, the summer, and even last year. Y'all have no idea how much it means to me and how grounded it keeps me. I love each and every one of you!

8. I am thankful that I have FINALLY found some decor for my room!!!!!! I have been on the lookout for something to hang on the walls and I have finally found something that I like and fits me so well! I am getting 4 11x14 posters BUT that's the only detail I am going to give y'all for now! Oh yeah, and it'll arrive with the arrival of my next paycheck! I've desperately needed something to hang to make it feel a little more like me, so this will be the perfect touch!

9. I am thankful for my calendar and agendas that were both organized yesterday!! The new calendar is hung appropriately and color coded for each event coming up!

10. I am thankful that CAROLINA FOOTBALL is right around the corner! We are 12 days away from our season opener!!

xxKatie

Banquet Time!

Wednesday night we had our big senior banquet to honor all of the hard work and hours committed to the University. It is an awesome ceremony that includes dinner, dessert and speeches given about all the seniors and then they get time to say whatever they want. We all got dressed up and looked great if I do say so myself! Our typical dress is like this:

March 26 by letsbepreppy featuring a black jacket

We're decked OUT in Carolina gear, and are all donning our best garnet and black. Instead of our usual outfits, we all got dressed up:

Laura, me and Megan--all the new roomies for next year!

This was the bowtie brigade! Don't they look smashing?

Good friend AK went BIG for the banquet! Look at him rocking that seersucker! He's the president of one of the fraternities on campus too--quite the celeb!

These were all of our wonderful seniors that we must bide adieu to in about a week. So excited to see where they all end up, and couldn't be prouder to have them representing us! We have future lawyers, a future PhD candidate, hopefully a future Lilly intern, future architect, future sports psychologist, future writer and everything in between with them!!

I also LOVED my Kendall dress for the night! It was certainly cool enough for the HOT HOT HOT day we had earlier and still appropriate. I am thoroughly pleased with my choice!

xxKatie

Nothing Says Party Like...

GARLAND!

Shimmery, sparkly, and dangling from the ceiling, nothing quite sets the mood like decorations, but specifically garland! I stumbled across this website after seeing it in the issue of Martha Stewart Weddings that I got for spring break. Look at the Garland made by ConfettiSystem:

This whimsical one is my favorite!

This palette is so reminiscent of J. Crew in my opinion. This could easily be decor in any Madewell store with its clean lines and simplicity.

This neutral one could be used over and over again for a multitude of occasions. Think of the possibilities!!

They even make swanky pinatas AND you can call them to make custom combinations...a light pink and green one might just be calling my name eventually...

How festive and fun are these seriously?!

xxKatie

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MEGAN!

Happy Birthday to my roommate Megan!! She's 21 today!

Working on this banner we became friends!

Aly our fabulous friend, Megan and me!

She's very short so I was squatting to match her...go Carolina!

Dear Katy Perry/Sooki, HAPPY BIRTHDAY! SEE YOU SOON!

xxKatie

What I'm Thankful For

There is so much to be thankful for in my life. Here's just a small snippet of my list:

1. My little family (EKS this includes you too but you're not in any of our "traditional" fam photos):

2. My big family (with all of our new additions!):

3. The best readers anyone could ever have:

4. Two crazy roommates who put up with me (one of these things is not like the others...):

5. Big wins that make us one of the best schools to EVER ATTEND:

6. Country music that helps me fall asleep:

7. The best place to work in the world (plus sCe, Miss Skyler obvi):

8. BBM so my I can send HUGE texts to my sister telling her about my big-college-girl-problems:

9. Diet coke to get me through Accounting 225 and Philosophy 110...the banes of my existence:

10. And last but certainly not least a little obsession I call LBP.

xxKatie

Big Clean and a Glimpse of My Closet

It's officially November (and we're still in shorts...) and so I did a HUGE clean of my room and organized my closet. I brought out my fall-winter-ish stuff and hung it all up. I had to make my way over to Target to get some hangers and hanger clips for skirts and stuff. I've never done one of these posts, but this is what my closet looks like:

(sorry about the graininess it's from my phone...my camera's downstairs and I'm pretty lazy tonight)

Everything is finally hanging up. I think I have over 100 hangers in there. In order:

1. Black dresses

2. Fall dresses

3. Lilly dresses

4. Knit dresses (mainly VS and American Apparel)

5. Summer going out tops

6. Summer skirts (VV and Lilly and some Target)

7. Fall skirts

8. Fall going out tops/turtle necks/rugbies

9. Blazers

10. Oxfords

11. Sweaters

12. Work/VC Clothes

The bottom of the closet is my accessories holder and my laundry (sorry...that's a little gross that I included that), and then my shoes are in my storage closet. That also has my coats, workout clothes and pajamas! I thought I'd do my own closet post since it's quite popular!

xxKatie