Bedroom update: room tour

Welcome to my once-again revamped room! I've been teasing some of my latest updates on Instagram, so I'm happy to finally give you a peak into the full thing. It's still not finished yet (I know, could this project take any longer?), but I'd say it's about halfway there at this point. I still have to add curtains, wall decor and a couple new nightstands. But other than that, keep reading to see everything I've done since the very beginning of my remodel! 

DIY marble table top

For all you wannabe DIYers out there, this one is for you! This is a project I've been wanting to do for a long time, and I finally got it done last weekend. Adding marble contact paper to an old table is the perfect way to up-cycle an old piece of furniture, and it was so easy — no tools required. I had this wooden fold-up table that belonged to my sister when she was younger. It had marker stains and sticker residue all over the legs and top (you can see what it looked before in this post), so obviously, I had to do something to fix it up.

I put a fresh coat of white paint (left over from my bedroom!) on the legs to brighten them up a bit, and then I bought a roll of marble contact paper to cover the table top. I was nervous to apply it because I'd never used contact paper before, so I searched Pinterest a little bit and found a tutorial for the best way to do it. My table was a bit trickier because it has round corners, but I managed to get them covered fairly well for my first time. There were a few wrinkles on the corners, but the rest was smooth and beautiful, and I love how it turned out. I haven't done a DIY project forever, and it felt so good to be crafty again! Now I've got a list of all the projects I want to do, so watch out, Pinterest ;)

P.S. 6 DIY projects and painting my bedroom white

Home decor wish list

peace sign print / coral candle / ampersand / pineapple jar / ceramic egg carton

 mirror tray / trinket dishes / morocco jar / velvet bust

You may remember (though I wouldn't blame you if you didn't because it's been forever in the works) that I have been in the process of redecorating my bedroom. Well, it's taken much longer than I had hoped thanks to my surgery, lack of time and having to wait for my mom to move her furniture out. But! It's finally coming together now.

Last weekend Adam and I put my new desk together, and I rearranged my bed and organized the space. I bought this adorable new 3x3 cube bookshelf in lieu of a dresser or vanity because what I really needed was more storage and surface space. I love the possibilities this unit provides — and there are so many ways to decorate it! I've already got my eye on several items to fill it with, so I thought I'd share some of my favorites with you.

I'm all about functionality since I have such a small space to work with now, which is why I've picked a lot of pieces that can double as storage either for jewelry or other little odds and ends. I love the mirrored tray and velvet bust for displaying some of my prettier necklaces and things, and the coral candle could be cleaned out and used for a trinket box when the candle is gone! And how cute would the wooden ampersand figure be spray painted gold and placed with photos of you and your S.O.? I love it.

What is your favorite piece on this list? Do you have tips for decorating in a small space?

P.S. the perfect home office, painting my bedroom and my new bed set

On my mind: the perfect home office

storage boxes / file holders / chevron file folders / pencil bag / Kate Spade planner / desk / lamp

round accent table / pen holder / acrylic file box / geometric chair

Happy Monday lovelies! The sunny weather has returned to Iowa the last few days, which has been a much-needed mood lifter! Did everyone have a good weekend? Adam and I spent most of Sunday browsing Target and Bed, Bath and Beyond for new furniture for his apartment, and along the way I found the perfect desk (pictured above) for my room on sale at Target. It was the last one the store had in white, so I grabbed it fast! I had planned on buying one from Ikea, but this one was cheaper and had a much bigger drawer so I knew it was the one.

Finding the desk got me even more excited to start designing the "office" part of my bedroom makeover, so I decided to put together a wish list of some of the items I'm currently crushing on. Most of these are from Target and super affordable, like this adorable patterned chair for only $40!

I'm so excited to set up this new desk and get to work on filling it with fun new office supplies. It'll make blogging and working from home so much more fun to have an organized and colorful space!

Which items are your favorite? Do you have any office supplies you can't live without? I'd love to hear!

P.S. Tackling the closet, painting the town white and a cheery new bed set

Bedroom update: Tackling the closet

Progress has been slow on my bedroom project due to time/money constraints that I didn't expect this year (life — amirite?), but I'm (verrry) slowly getting adjustments made! A couple weeks ago I decided to tackle my dress/closet situation PLUS bringing the rest of my belongings back from my sister's place. It was a big project, but I've been very happy with the end result.

Bedroom update: a cheery new bed set

When we finished painting my bedroom a few weeks ago, I could not wait to hurry up and find a new bed spread to replace the plain brown one I'd been using. My mom picked it out for the spare room, and I was never a fan. The brown comforter was too big for my full-sized bed, and now it was just too dark for the clean white walls.

Update: Painting the town [white]

Last weekend, my mom and I ventured out to Home Depot to pick out the perfect white paint for my bedroom. It was harder than I thought, because comparing eight different shades of white starts to make your eyes go a little crazy after a few minutes. We got the right one eventually and purchased one gallon for my small room. But if you've been following along on Instagram, you know that didn't quite get the job done...

I'm redoing my room!

I moved in with my mom temporarily (ha) last summer to save money on rent when I got my internship in Des Moines, but then it turned into a job and I extended the stay. While I had planned to move out after graduation, the situation worked out better for me to take over renting her condo when she moves out next summer.

So when I moved in for my "temporary" stay, I just left most of her stuff in my bedroom and moved mine in on top of it. Can you say cluttered? Now that I'll be staying here for a while though, I've decided to make my bedroom my own and redecorate it completely. I am so, so excited. I'll be painting the dark tealish-green walls a clean white, buying my own furniture and introducing my own personal style all throughout. I can't wait! Here is what the room looks like currently:

On my mind: Non-boring white walls

Now that I'm getting ready to graduate and will soon be shopping for a new apartment, I've been thinking more and more about how I'll decorate it — and I've fallen hard for the white wall trend. I used to think all-white looked boring and unfinished, but there are so many beautiful ways to style it, and they all look so bright and clean.

And I really love the idea of statement furniture, rather than a whole matching set. It's a great way to add personality and variety.

My personal style has taken a much more minimalistic approach this year, and you can definitely see that creeping into my home decorating visions, too. These are a few of the looks inspiring me right now.

Coffee table books

Before I got my Kindle, I hated Kindles. Not just Kindles; all e-readers. I love traditional books: the smell, the texture, the feeling of having something "real" in your hands. 

But then, one night, I wanted a new book, and I didn't want to wait. So I downloaded the Kindle app to my phone and then the book. A minute later, I was reading it. Hello, game-changer! I read it on the bus and before class, without having to add any extra weight to my already-sagging backpack. I loved it.

A year later, I still love e-books and all their convenience, but I love love LOVE the idea of decorative (and interesting) coffee table books. I'm not sure I'd like to house shelves full of books because they are such a pain when you're moving, but I think I can handle a small set of them...


Someday, when I finally have the time and budget to decorate exactly the way I want, a beautiful coffee table to decorate with quirky odds and ends is first on my list. Right now I'd display Humans of New York, Yes Please, The Great Gatsby, The Extraordinary Book of Useless Information and #Girlboss.   

What books would you (or do you) have on your coffee table? 

(Photo via The Every Girl)

Decorative pillows

I've never been much for extra pillows, because it seems like more work to make the bed, which I already don't take enough time to do. But I'm loving the look of one or two decorative pillows with bold prints and patterns. These are a few of my current favorites: 

As you probably noticed, they're all neutral colors. Like much of my wardrobe. Stay true to you, right?

What do you think? Do you decorate with pillows? What are some of your favorites? I'd love to hear!

(Photos via Sugar and Cloth, Joss & Main, Luvocracy, Anthropologie and Etsy)