Falling For Fall

I know it's still mid August and there's plenty of time to wear Lilly dresses and Jacks, but I have been obsessing over Fall. All I want to do is get a pumpkin spice latte and sit outside in the crisp autumn air in a scarf and chunky sweater while reading the latest issue of Instyle.  

I am also really excited because now that I am more up-north, we will actually have a fall. In my hometown, fall is super short. It goes from summer to winter basically. I have made a list of things I want to do such as apple picking, hike, and go to a pumpkin patch. 

Yesterday evening my friend Lanie and I went to Target and we found a set of pumpkin spice candles, glass jar and all for $2 on clearance! So we have been burning that nonstop since. It smells exactly like fall!

Falling for Fall by makenzieb featuring tory burch flats


 Is anyone else on the Fall bandwagon?!

Xoxo
M 

Study Abroad [Oxford England]

Today is such a lazy day for me. I am feeling under the weather and have not moved off this couch...except to eat my grilled cheese and soup. Laying here has me thinking about my plans for this year and I began to think about what I want out of my junior year and making a bucket list. 

Technically, I am suppose to graduate next year...which is so crazy to even consider the thought. But since I transferred this year, I lost quite a few credits plus I am juggling the idea of double majoring. More than likely I'll probably be in college for 5 years which I am completely fine with. (And I want to get my masters, so basically I have lots of college left before the real world starts!)

One thing I am determined to do before graduating is studying aboard. Clemson has quite a few places to choose from, but there are only two options that are in my major. 

 Brussels, Belgium and Oxford, England. 

Without a doubt, Oxford is my first choice. It would be for Summer I and I would be studying at Oxford University which would be a dream come true.  Weekends will be free to travel and visit European cities such as London, Paris, Dublin, and Amsterdam.

 Being in England for a month is probably barely enough to see everything that I would want to see and travel to all the different places near Oxford.

Are there any places that you recommend I see while I am over there? Have you ever studied aboard before? I need any tips and advice that you have!!

Xoxo

M

Fresh Start & New Beginnings

Hello all! I am blogging from my new apartment for the first time!!! 

The last week has been an roller-coaster of events and emotions. Leaving my family and friends is always so tough. When I went to College of Charleston my freshman year, it was only an hour and a half from my house so I didn't feel too far from home. Now I'm four and half hours away and it's such a different feeling. The hardest good bye was to my boyfriend, Michael.

My last night in Beaufort, he surprised me with a sunset cruise on the 1932 Annalee which is a vintage wooden yacht, complete with a captain, wine, flowers, and dinner.

It was the sweetest and most thoughtful surprise. I could not have thought of a better way to spend my last evening in my hometown.

The next morning I began my four hour drive to Clemson to begin my junior year as a transfer! I am rooming with my most best friend Lanie, you can find her blog here. It took two days to get settled, but we finally made it feel like our little home!

(excuse the picture overload)

 (monogram pillows found here)

First dinner I cooked in the new apartment! I was so excited to start cooking because it's something that I find so fun to do. (it's the small things that make me so happy!!)

Lanie and I decided that we will make a menu on Sunday for all the week days so we can plan ahead and eat healthy meals!

Why not throw in two OOTD's :

^

 please excused the messy room, that was the day before the move and I had bags everywhere and no furniture!

Well I think I have done an overwhelming amount of photos, off to begin the day and get some things cancelled off my LONGGGG to do list!

Xoxo

M

Moving This Week

Please excuse my lack of blogging. I am moving into my apartment this week and it's been crazyyy! 

Once everything is all decorated and ready to go I will post pictures :)

Until then,

Xoxo

M

Ode to Ombre

om·bré

adj \ˈäm-ˌbrā\

: having colors or tones that shade into each other —used especially of fabrics in which the color is graduated from light to dark 

 

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For some reason, I am becoming more than obsessed with this trend. It is just so fun and depending on what colors you used, it could be transitioned into any season!

via

Xoxo
M

DIY:How to do an upholstered headboard

Hope everyone had a great weekend :) Mine was filled with packing and DIY projects!

I move in on August 10th and I know packing already sounds crazy, but doing it in spurts is better than two days before trying to pack EVERYTHING and wearing myself out. 

One simple little craft I did was paint the trim of a cork board I have

Also I FINALLY upholstered my headboard!!

It is so easy and simple to do, here is how I did it:

Step 1: 

I bought this ready to upholster headboard from target

This made the process really easy. It was on sale when I bought it (and on sale again now) so it was like maybe $130.00. 

It comes with a frame so you don't have to attach it to the wall. This was key for me because I am in an apartment and I don't want to put massive nail holes in the wall so when I move out I have patch them. But if you were doing it in a bedroom at your home and you don't mine the holes in the wall, I am sure you can attach it that way as well.

Step 2:

Iron the fabric. You don't want any creases or wrinkles when applying the fabric

Step 3:

Because I wanted the back to look finished and not have excess fabric, I took the backing off so I could put the fabric under and re-back it at the end.

So we had to take the nails out but be careful not to rip and pull fabric because we have to re-apply it!

Step 4:

Use a nail gun to staple the fabric in place. Make sure the fabric is pulled tightly!! The edges are the toughest part, but the easiest way to explain how to fold them to wrap them like the ends of a present

Step 5:

Once all the edges are stapled it is time to reapply the backing to finish the back so it doesn't look half done or tacky (even though it will be flush against the wall and no one can actually see it)

Simply just nail gun the backing just like the fabric. When it's done it should look like the picture above, which is a more polished look than just leaving the fabric showing with it nailed down.

And ta-da! It's done!!

It's not the best image because of the lighting, but once I move in you'll see it in my room with bedding so you'll get a better idea of what it looks like with a bed!

If anyone has any questions just let me know! But because I bought this slipcover ready headboard, if I do decide at any point to change my bedding and the fabric on the headboard doesn't match, I can simply remove the fabric by pulling the staples out. So it would be like a new headboard all over again!

Xoxo

M

TGIF

I finally had the ability to go to work today and it felt so nice to get off my couch and outside..even though it felt like 120 degrees today!

I was really hoping that I would be feeling up to par by today because tonight a group of us planned to go to a Corey Smith concert in Savannah! I am so excited to get out after being what felt like confinement all week :)

But I have been to probably 3 Corey Smith concerts and I absolutely love his music. He is from the South and sings country/blues. Because Corey Smith went to UGA, he sings a lot about USC, Clemson, Charleston & that makes his music so great because all of us have been to those places and can relate! So it's just a really fun, laid back concert!

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On another note, for those who have followed me before I took about a month break, I said I was going to do a DIY fabric headboard...well I am making myself do it this weekend because it is 2 weeks till I move in and I have not even started it. So look forward to my DIY post on Sunday or Monday!! I really hope it turns out because if not...I will be headboard-less :(

Does anyone else have any exciting plans?!?

Xoxo

M