Feels Like Fall...Decorations!

Today I went to Walmart for some supplies to fight this cold I am getting and of course the first thing I saw when I walked in was the Halloween displays. I was able to stay far away from the candy, but I did go through the decorations aisle. Decorating for the holidays is one of my favorite parts of having my own apartment. I already have a bunch of general fall decorations from last year, but I love the little touches for the particular holiday! At home, my momma always has great seasonal decorations and that has definitely been one of the biggest influences in my love for decorating here. 

Of course, on a college budget, it is no fun to spend all your social money on decorations that only last a month or two, so here are a couple of steps to add a seasonal touch to your apartment without breaking the bank!

1) Door Decorations: We (now) have a little Trick or Treat sign from Walmart, but a fall wreath would last even longer than that. You can get a wreath at Walmart, Michaels, Home Goods, or Target for a decent price. If you go to Michaels, you can even make it a DI wreath!

2) Pumpkins: Pumpkins and other gourds are inexpensive fresh, but you can also get fake ones. I have a couple of cute wood pumpkins for my mantle from last year that I got at Home Goods for next to nothing!

3. Scented Candles: I love candles, but at my apartment I just use a wax melter. Spiced pumpkin is always a good choice, but there are so many delicious fall scents!

4. Fall Flowers: I get most of my flowers at Trader Joe's and I love the rich colors that come out in the fall. Fake flowers are always a good, allergy-free option as well. For those, check Walmart or Michaels (especially if you have a coupon!).

5. Cozy Throw Blankets: A wool blanket draped over a couch corner just adds to the atmosphere of the room. Plus, you can grab a blanket, a cup of tea, and hunker down on the couch. I love, love, love sitting in front of a fire this time of year. We don't have working fireplaces in our apartment, but that doesn't mean I can't spend a lazy evening cozy on the couch!

How do you prepare for fall?

xx,

Erin

Beauty Bar Cart

Last year I had my eye on this bar cart at a consignment/candy store in Culpeper for two months before finally biting the bullet and getting it. I mean, it was $40 and I knew that I would use it in my current apartment and wherever I move to next. The only thing that had been holding me back was my hesitancy about having a full-fledged bar in my bedroom. Ultimately, I decided that wasn't the only thing the cart could be used for, and the "Beauty Bar Cart" was born.

For the first several months, I just left the natural wood stain finish because I didn't have time to paint it during the school year. Luckily, I had a week back in Charlottesville before classes started and I used my time to paint the cart. It was incredibly simple and took two days to finish thanks to fast-drying with primer spray paint.

I am so happy with how it came out. I went with gold because my room is off-white and I wanted it to pop off the wall a bit. Plus, one of the first bar carts that I saw and absolutely loved was gold. It's the perfect color because it is fun and sophisticated, just like a bar cart! One last note on painting with gold: the dust tends to get everywhere but it will come up with a Clorox wipe or Swiffer so don't freak out if it looks like your entire room was covered in pixie dust!

So what do I have on this bar cart?

Nail Polish: I got these nail polish holders from The Container Store over the summer and they are absolutely perfect. Now I can see all my polishes and they add some color to my cart!

Makeup: I keep my makeup necessities in a Lilly cosmetic bag which allows me to just grab it and go if I am getting ready somewhere else and it keeps my supplies organized and out of sight when I'm not.

Tools: I really wanted to be able to somehow incorporate the wine bottle holders into this cart and using it for my hot hair tools is perfect. It keeps them out of the way and they fit nicely in the divots!

Hair Box: I didn't really know what else to call this, but basically it has hairspray, headbands, bobby pins, etc. I like sitting on my floor to do my hair and this keeps everything within reach.

Bottles: Since I tend to paint my nails and do my makeup in my room, it makes sense to keep some of this stuff in here. I also keep makeup-removing facial cleanser wipes on the cart to use when I get back late at night. 

Books: These don't really have a purpose on here, but they are some of my favorites and they don't really belong on a coffee table, so instead they've found a (temporary) home on my bar cart.

Sewing Kit: If you don't have a needle and thread, I would recommend going out and getting one ASAP. You never know when you're gonna need it!

What would you keep on a Beauty Bar Cart?

xx,

Erin

Apartment Cleaning 101

First of all, today is the Lilly Pulitzer sale so if you haven't checked it out by the time you read this, make sure to do so...after you read this post ;)

I moved back to Charlottesville yesterday and the first thing on my to-do list is cleaning my apartment. My roommate and I weren't here this summer and we had the dust bunnies to prove it, so yesterday, Momma and I did a solid sweep of the common space. Today and tomorrow, I am focusing on my room. At school I have a big room and it tends to just be a landing place for things I don't need at all. I really want to purge my wardrobe and room this week, all part of the cleaning project.

I am a total stress cleaner most of the time, but this project is more thorough. There is just something about knowing your apartment is the most organized and cleanest it can be to start the year that sets a good tone for the semester. Plus, cleaning is synonymous with reason to dance around and sing One Direction and other pop songs for me. Seriously, it makes the cleaning process go by so quickly! So if you want to get started for the year, make sure to stock up on cleaning supplies and get cracking! Plus, it's a great time to inventory what you have and what you need for the year as you go through all your stuff!

xx,
Erin

A Wall of Jewelry

Okay, we have been over my love of Statement Necklaces multiple times on this blog. One thing that we haven't covered though is how to store them. I don't know about y'all, but tangled necklaces drive me absolutely crazy. When I plan an outfit, I don't want to spend time freeing up the necklace I want to wear. Oh, and that's if I even remember to wear it.

I am a very visual outfit planner, it's one of the biggest reasons that I tend to wear the same couple of bracelets and earrings that sit in my jewelry tray. So, how do I visualize my outfits with my necklaces? Say hello to the Jewelry Wall!

here's a close-up:

So necklace wall might be a more appropriate term for this, but you get the idea. Honestly, I need a better system for displaying my bracelets so that those get some more wear, but for now most of them are confined to the jewelry box on my dresser.  I made the decision to have one of these walls after seeing so many cute jewelry displays and frames with chicken wire in friends' rooms and on Pinterest last year.

{via: left and right}

The only think that caused me to hesitate with making that jump was that I wanted to really be able to see all of my necklaces and access them easily. Luckily for me, I had this big, empty wall in my walk-in closet and what better way to fill the space than with some practical decorating?

This wall has allowed me to really show off the variety of necklaces I have and to remind me that I actually do have them! Did I mention that it takes absolutely no effort to make? Seriously, I just used clear thumbtacks to hang them. The thumbtacks allow me to move around the arrangement of the necklaces when I add a new one to the collection and the marks they leave behind are practically invisible, perfect for a rented apartment!

see? just thumbtacks!

This wall has saved my outfits more times than I can count. I just do not function well without coffee, and having my options displayed like this make my mornings a tad easier. Another perk is that it's in my walk-in closet so I can just hold up a necklace and shirt combo whenever I'm trying to decide.

Of course, if I want to wear a dress, I have to go to my other closet to pick that out. Yeah, I have two closets...how many college girls can say that about their apartments? Just another reason to absolutely love where I live, of course, it helps that I have an awesome roommate, too!

How do you store your jewelry? Any bracelet display suggestions?

xoxo,

SSP

Happiness is a Polka Dot Wall

I love polka dots. The fact that I have yet to dedicate a post to them is baffling to me. Polka dots just make me happier than a pig in poop kid in a candy shop (that's more lady-like). Stripes too, but for now, let's just stick with polka dots...specifically, polka dot walls. I mentioned that I was inspired to do a polka dot wall by Lauren Conrad a couple of weeks ago and I finally did it last week.

{original on instagram}

Decorating a rented apartment can be tricky because you don't have the flexibility to paint the walls, no matter how massive and white and blah they may look. I already did a gallery wall above my couch, and I was stuck with this big blank wall across from it and nothing to fill it. 

Well, thank you Lauren Conrad because now that wall is anything but bland.

I ordered my dots on Etsy from Polka Dot Wall Stickers. The price was great ($20 including shipping for 2 sets) and they came in no time at all. I highly recommend this shop if anyone else is inspired to polka dot their walls after reading this. Are you inspired? Well, here are the easy steps to putting up the dots:

1) pick your polka dot size

so many polka dots in one picture...

I went with the 4" polka dots. I didn't want them to be too big and I didn't want to have to space out a bagillion tiny ones either, so I found this to be the perfect size. Measure and cut out a template circle to figure out what size dots you would like.

2) decide on a pattern

Do you want them to be laid out in a grid? or random? This is something to decide on ahead of time and it will honestly probably affect number 3 quite a bit. If you are a mega perfectionist, the organized chaos pattern might be your friend unless you want to spend hours with a ruler.

3) pick a number and order them!

Honestly, I Pinterest searched for polka dot walls to figure out how spaced out they should be. Cut out a template or two and stick them up on the wall to see how much space they take up to guess-timate this number. Also, pick a color. The shop I used had a bunch of colors, but I knew I was going for gold from the beginning (accidental Olympics pun?).

4) start to "lay them out"

When the dots come in and you start to apply them, make sure you are only lightly sticking them to your wall. Get an idea for the spacing of them before you stick them down totally. They're vinyl stickers so they will stick without being fully pressed down. This took me probably about an hour or so to do...but I am a perfectionist so I had to move them several times before I was happy with them.

5) press them down and enjoy

Yay! You have a polka dot wall. Get ready for a daily dose of happiness every time you see it! And, as you can see in the pics above, I still have a couple of things on my wall. You can still lightly decorate, but don't over-do it!

How did you decorate your apartment?

xoxo,

SSP

Inspired by a Calendar

Where are my fellow Target lovers at? Seriously, Target is the bomb dot com. I could (and sometimes do) spend 4x as much as originally anticipated when I go there because they just have the greatest stuff. Yesterday I stopped by to check for a blouse and, naturally, got everything but that. I am actually sitting in the robe I got there yesterday and staring at the calendar I picked up. Speaking of this calendar, I am obsessed.

Y'all, it was love at first sight. I was checking for a desk calendar for my friend, Meghan, when I stumbled across this one, and while I had seen the Sugar Paper Los Angeles display before, I somehow just never noticed it. As you can tell, I bought it and I am so glad I did. This company has so many amazing products...I just want it all. I mean, those cards are just adorable.

sweet as sugar paper los angeles by sugarsnappearls

Oh, and it wouldn't be a trip to Target without peeking in the One Spot, where I picked up a couple of other cute stationary items. If you like the other items I got, definitely head out to your local Target (like you need an excuse?) and go grab them...they're so cute and happy!

{original}

Well, this post title is about inspiration, and I swear the post is too. As I have begun decorating my apartment and maturing in my tastes, I find myself drawn more to gold than silver and with pink and navy as my go-to color combination (with splashes of green, still). Well, this calendar has pink writing with gold polka dots, as in the pattern that already covers my bedspread and a decent portion of my wardrobe. So, this got me thinking...how can I incorporate these elements that I love so much into my room? After a bit of snooping, aka pinteresting, I discovered that the ever-fabulous Lauren Conrad already did something similar to what I'm thinking, so I'll leave you with that little hint.

What is your favorite paper company?

xoxo,

SSP

p.s. have you seen this? Libra is "a sports fanatic" soooo accurate

Mirror, Mirror

For those of you who follow me on Instagram, you may have noticed that I did a mini DIY project when I got back to school on the first. I had been looking for a full-length mirror that I love since getting to school. Traditionally, I would just grab a $19.99 mirror from Bed, Bath, and Beyond before school and deal with its slightly warped structure. However, after coming home and realizing that it solidly made it look like there was a 15lb difference between each half of me split right down the middle, I became fed up with those mirrors and decided I would find a cute mirror that would be both ascetically pleasing and practical. Finally, while perusing Pinterest during a study break, I found one. 

I got this stand-alone mirror from Kirkland's for Christmas and I love it. Plus, adding this mirror to my room meant that I had an excuse to rearrange my furniture, something that has been a semi-annual event for me for years.

Mirrors are a great addition to any room as they both add light to the space and can make a small space seem bigger.

mirror, mirror by sugarsnappearls

xoxo,

SSP

Just Another Priceless Work of Art in His Gallery

Please tell me some of you got that reference? Hypothetical High Five for throwback music. I mean what's better than a little Mario Vasquez singing about how amazing you are? Turning 21 at an Aaron Carter concert? Oh yeah, that'll do it ;P Spoiler: That's what I'll be doing in a couple of weeks, anyways....

I love gallery walls. I kept seeing them on Pinterest and knew that I had to do one once I got my own apartment. Of course, once I got here I had a dozen things to do and decorating just couldn't be a priority (aside from my desk). There were some minor setbacks, like realizing I didn't bring a screwdriver to school, but as of this morning I can say that my gallery wall is officially complete.

Living on a tight budget in college made decorating a gallery wall a challenge. I would fall head over heels in love with a print and then realize it just wasn't where I wanted to spend $25 (J. Crew Factory being 50% off today is more my cup of tea) and it was getting discouraging. Then I decided to search for free printables on Pinterest and now I can proudly say that the only things I purchased for the wall were frames, a clock, and the wooden symbols. I decorated my wall just how I wanted to, but for a fraction of the cost. Of course, finding prints was the easy part, planning the wall is a whole different story:

How to Decorate a Gallery Wall 101

1) Pick a vision.

I realize this seems like a big step, but do you want crisp white lines? Do you want an antique vibe? You need to know what your end goal is (to an extent) before starting. I actually changed mine a bit, but it was definitely helpful to have a starting point.

2) Get frames.

I highly recommend BigLots. I got 3 of my big frames there for $7 a piece. Since I have so many big, white walls, I wanted frames that weren't totally flat. I like the dimension a simple border can provide. Also, color doesn't matter because you can always paint them. I still might paint some of mine.

3) Make a layout.

This is really important to do before you go on a crazy journey picking out prints. You want to have an idea of what size, color, and images to put where. I knew that I didn't want all text on one side of my wall and images on the other, etc. Plus this is a great time to incorporate any other accents you want to put on the wall. I got the cheap wood symbols from Michael's and just glitter painted them (see here). 

4) Pick out the prints.

This will take a while and it should. I basically did this in all the free time I had on a Thursday a few weeks ago. If you are saving by finding free printables, definitely block out more time. It will take longer to find the free ones, but on the plus side you get to instantly print them instead of waiting.

5) Scramble.

My idea for my wall kind of evolved through the print selection process and the placement of prints changed as I added more. Find a balance that works for you, after all, you're the one who has to live with it.

6) Hang them up.

Ideally do this with a hammer and nails, but as I have proven, thumbtacks get the job done too.

7) Enjoy.

There is such a sense of pride in seeing something you took the time to decorate (hello, mantle) and this is one of those things.

Do any of y'all have a gallery wall?

xoxo,

SSP

Mantle Decorating...Like My Momma

First, PSA: If you go to UVA and have not gotten a ticket for Concert for a Cure, come to the lawn and buy one today (plus, I'll be there from 12-1). Seriously, do it. So many a capella groups...it's gonna be great. Anyways, back to the blog...

I'm ready for Fall, y'all. No seriously, I just need more pumpkin, cinnamon, sweaters, and duck boots in my life right now. Can you make that happen? Great, thanks.

But seriously, I love Fall so much and these last few days have been such a tease compared to the weather for the next few. Well, that can't stop me from enjoying my free Pumpkin Spice Latte today (thank you gold card!) or decorating for Fall. I know this is a total mom thing to do, and several of my friends have already pointed out that this is further proof that I am my Momma's daughter. Regardless, I have decorated the mantle in my room for the season and all I have left to do is to find a cute dish to store my candy corn in!

Decorating a mantle can be a bit daunting, especially on a college girl's budget. I am lucky enough to have gotten a fabulous mirror from my Momma that she wasn't using and it fills the big space above it perfectly. The nice thing about the mirror is that it can stay there year-round and go with whatever theme I put on the mantle.

How to decorate a mantle on a budget in 5 easy steps:

1) get a space-eater piece

This can be a mirror (like mine; similar) or even a framed poster/print that you like. Just get something to take up the space above the mantle so that your decorations don't look strangely small.

2) get elements that aren't seasonal

I got apothecary jars (thank you for the term, Kathy!) from Home Goods for $12 a piece. These are perfect no matter what time of year. For now I have them filled with pine cones for Fall and I am going to add some fake snow to the mix for Winter. This $24 investment will get me through years of use.

3) pictures!

This is another element of my Momma shining through me, but I love having pictures on display. I've moved on from the corkboard displays of a dorm room to frames now, but the same idea stands. It gives a nice personal touch to the display, plus frames can add great architectural elements and varied sizes.

4) Fireplace Flowers

This probably only applies to us college girls who have fireplaces that aren't usable, but I love this look. I didn't just want to stare at an empty fireplace and these flowers that were on sale at Michael's were perfect. I just got a couple of bunches of their seasonal flowers to throw in there and will probably switch to poinsettas for the Winter.

5) Go to Michaels and/or Home Goods

I got the pumpkin on the ground at Home Goods and the mantle elements are from Michael's. Their home line is currently 60% off so I scored the pumpkins, roosters (again...influence of my Momma) and flowers at a great price. The fall leaves behind everything just make the bland whiteness of the mantle a little less boring and helps to make my smaller decorations look bigger against such a big part of the wall.

Other mantles I love (thank you Pinterest):

why didn't I think to monogram my mantle? 

Have you started decorating for Fall?

xoxo,
SSP

Desk Obsessed

Okay, I am obsessed with my new desk! Seriously, it is amazing what some knobs and a few coats of paint can accomplish. While I am not ready to do an apartment or room tour yet (so much decorating left...but it's already the most amazing apartment ever), I do want to share this desk and vertical file shelf. 

So I got this old desk from my Momma's boyfriend because its the perfect size for me. I don't study at my desk a ton because I am better off getting serious studying done at the library, but it's really nice to have the option. 

This was a super simple project, but it did take a bit longer than anticipated because of work schedules, paint drying, stenciling, and a couple of design overhauls. In the end, I love this and it has totally won the prize for "Favorite Room Decoration." 

To paint this I used Behr paint, furniture primer, a Martha Stewart Stencil, and Anthropologie knobs.  

Not only did I paint the desk, but when my momma and I came across these filing units in TJ Maxx, we knew they were perfect for my room. I love having a place to store important papers or documents that's easy to sift through. This was a really, really simple task. All I did was prime it, paint it, and then paint the brackets and put them back on. 

Now these project may seem like a lot of navy in my room, but my room is MASSIVE and has white walls. I need all the color I can get! And I know I am not giving away my room yet...but here is a hint for those of you who've actually read this whole post:

Oh, and I can't wait to show you my closets...yeah, plural...

Have you ever up-cycled furniture before? 

xoxo,

SSP

Apartment Style: Hall of Mirrors

Welcome to Apartment Style Part 2! Last night I took a trip to IKEA with my Momma and stocked up on some more apartment essentials. Tomorrow we are C-ville bound to build my walk-in closet...too excited!!!
While my room is big and has a lot of natural light, I know that most rooms aren't. Last year my dorm room came equipt with one dim light and a pathetic excuse for a window. At night the cinderblock walls and dim lighting made it look more like a cell than a dorm room and that is just no fun to come home to. Well, have no fear because there is a great way to combat that...with mirrors. On that note, click on this link to have a little JT serenade while you enjoy this post ;)

okay, not this extreme...

Mirrors reflect a ton of light and give a small space the illusion of being bigger. There are so many different ways to incorporate mirrors into your apartment, all you have to do is search a little. Obviously a full-length mirror is ideal to pick out outfits every day, but there are also cute mirrors that add a little bit of fun to a space and contribute to the open and bright atmosphere you're looking for. 

who needs a headboard when you can do this? makes the bed bright and happy and gives it some personality!

If you have room to do this, do it. Seriously I love these big mirrors. I think they look great hanging or just propped up. They add a great amount of light and with an interesting frame they become a great focal point of the room.

IKEA

This mirror has great character and is a good size to still be useful. I saw this yesterday and if I didn't already have a couple little mirrors from Target, this would definitely be on my list. 

Well this totally adorable. What a cute take on a gallery wall. While my gallery wall isn't going to look like this, this makes me want to throw one or two into my gallery scheme.

xoxo,
SSP

Apartment Decorating with Anthropologie

With the summer days dwindling (nooooo!) and the school year on the horizon, I have been turning my attention to a little apartment decorating. I am so excited to finally have an apartment at school. It is the cutest place with plenty of space for my awesome roommate and I, plus it has a great location. Now, as I have mentioned before, I was a dorm kid last year so I have a lot of prep to do for this apartment here. Since I am doing so much for my apartment, it is basically all I can think (and probably blog) about. 
Does anyone else love interior design and well really just houses as much as I do? Seriously, I could spend hours looking at floorplans and peoples "dream home" boards on Pinterest. 
Anyways, I recently went on the Anthropologie website looking for a knob for my coffee table and got sucked into their wonderful world of home goods. I loved so many of their things but these are a few of my absolute favorites. The whale bookshelves put the biggest smile on my face and that rhino is just so different than anything I have ever looked at. Plus, what isn't there to love about those chalkboard kitchen canisters?

Anthropologie: Apartment Style by sugarsnappearls

Mirrored Dresser / Victorian Whale Bookends / Savannah Story Bust, Rhino / Chalkboard Storage Jars / Capri Blue Candle-In-A-Jar / Ceramic Frenchie Stamper / Ayaka Mug / Villa Capri Knob / Imphal Blockprinted Pillow / Quatrefoil Outdoor Rug

xoxo,
SSP

Christmas In July

It's the most wonderful time of the year...the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale! 

This is no ordinary sale, this is a sale that includes some of the hottest items for the fall, not just last season's leftovers!

Here's my wish list, what's on yours?

Kate Spade 'tidbit' Plates

technically these aren't on my wish list since I bought them already ;) but they are just too cute and the colors go perfectly with my room plan for my apartment!

Enzo Angiolini Riding Boots

love the brown and black combo!

Nike Sneakers

I need a new pair of day-to-day sneakers and these might just fit the bill with their friendly price tag.

Kate Spade Phone Case

I am getting my iPhone 5 on Monday and need a case for it, why not this adorable Kate Spade one?

Michael Kors Watch

Loving this bracelet watch...perfect for any arm party!

Kate Spade Studs

Nothing like a cute, fun pair of studs!

Ellen Tracy Trench Coat

A khaki trench coat is a necessary staple in anyone's wardrobe.

What are your favorite Anniversary Sale Items? And don't forget, there are going to be a few SSP announcements coming up!

xoxo,

SSP