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

Note to Self: Kate Spade Does it Again

I admit, I used to not see the purpose behind an iPad. I mean, come on, it's basically a giant phone that people try to pass off as a laptop, right? Wrong.

Since getting my iPad for Christmas, I have learned just how awesome they can be. Seriously, I would be lost without this gadget. It acts as a notepad for class, book, game host, and so much more...oh and it's totally travel sized. I actually have a keyboard for my iPad so that I can just take that to class instead of my Macbook Pro. Some days there are just too many things to carry for too long to want to deal with a full-fledged laptop. While my keyboard is totally awesome, I was lacking a certain stability element.
I needed a case. Basically, I got my heart set on a Kate Spade one that said "Eat Cake for Breakfast," but knew it was totally out of the question to spend that kind of money on a case. So I waited...and I waited. I didn't know what I wanted, but I did know that the dinky sleeve I had it in was tempting fate.

Finally, I came across a Kate Spade sale at the outlets and snagged a portfolio. This is the perfect case because it doesn't require snapping in like the Lilly Pulitzer one, but it is still cute and protective. I love that it totally blends in with my school supplies as well. 

Also, I have the Kate Spade gold polka dot case for my iPhone...my laptop seems lonely. Maybe I should get a sleeve so it feels better ;) Seriously, I just love her stuff...all of it!

What is your favorite tech case?

xoxo,
SSP