Weekly Pinspiration

Here are my top picks this week..

This color of peonies is to die for. What I wouldn't give for it to be spring & my favorite flowers to be in season again! There is literally not one peony in my entire town. I'm about to order some online because I'm having serious withdrawals. There's something so perfect & unique about this deep pink.

Peonies, courtesy of Wedding Bee

I love Lilly Pulitzer's Briella dresses. This one is from the Spring line & is in the print Pool Blue Southern Charm. It's definitely at the top of my wishlist from what I've see so far-- I'm a big fan of muted prints and casual styles. This could easily help me transition into my warm weather work wardrobe (say that three times fast) with the modest neckline and sleeves, but I can also see myself throwing on an airy white scarf and sandals for lunch with friends. 

Briella Dress, courtesy of Lilly Pulitzer

Another week, another scarf. This one carries a hefty price tag of almost $300.. It's a good thing I found a similar one at Target yesterday! It's lightweight, versatile, and with herringbone being such a trendy pattern this season, it's a home run. I definitely recommend checking your local Target to see if they have one in stock!

Herringbone Scarf, courtesy of Vaunte

Because Beyonce is amazing. The inner craftaholic in me is already thinking of a way to make this mug myself. 

Mug, courtesy of Seeking the South

With my sister getting married in less than a year (!!!), I can't help but want to buy her everything wedding related.. I have a feeling she's going to receive this ring dish as a present! I'm also going to keep this in my Etsy shopping cart for future engagement gifts-- I'm around that age where it seems as if everyone and their mother has a new ring on their finger (or a baby on the way). 

Monogram Ring Dish, courtesy of Oh My Word Designs

Why can't I spend my life travelling? I can't think of anything more appealing. More & more, I'm realizing I need to go after what I want & spend my 20s for myself. I didn't study abroad in college & I definitely regret that. I'm making a promise to myself to really start looking into exploring the rest of the world-- or at least part of it! 

Lake Como, Italy, courtesy of Lake Como & Playa de las Catedrales, Spain, courtesy of Travel Advisor

Breakfast in Paris, courtesy of Paris & Bojnice, Slovakia courtesy of Purdy-Girl

Everything about this tunic is PERFECT. Plus it's on sale.. How could I say no?

Glisten Tunic, courtesy of Anthropologie


How delicious do these cinnamon rolls look? The recipe is too simple not to make ASAP. I'm thinking these would be adorable for Valentine's Day brunch.

Lazy Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls, courtesy of Grandbaby Cakes

With access through my computer, phone, & iPad it's a miracle I get anything done in life. Follow me on Pinterest for more!

                                 xx,

^♦SPJ^♦

DIY: Hanging Wall Monogram

Happy February, y'all! Here's to hoping the groundhog got it wrong this year & spring is on it's way-- I'm already obsessed with spring colors, collections, and crafts to brighten things up. I'm also counting down the days to Spring Break-- 32, to be exact. 

I've mentioned in earlier posts that I recently ordered several large wooden monograms. My roommate & I are always adding to our wall decor & I thought these would be perfect to start off a new semester with!

It took me forever to decide what color to paint them. My original plan was our favorite colors, purple for her & navy for me, but then I realized that it would be better to use a neutral color. We won't always live in our room together & while those colors would look great with our current decor, I wanted them to be versatile! White was the clear choice to me, especially when I thought about how cute it would be to make it possible to change the ribbon that I use to hang them. I'll still get my accent color but it won't be overwhelming or permanent.

Unfinished Wood Co.

Our unfinished monograms

Here's what I did..

1. I ordered two large wooden monograms from Unfinished Wood Co. I got a great price on these through GroopDealz so check their website to see if they're offering a similar deal! I've found some pretty amazing statement jewelry, scarves, & so much more from GroopDealz. The normal prices for wooden monograms this size can be pretty expensive, but even without using GroopDealz the ones from Unfinished Wood Co. are definitely reasonable.
2. I had leftover white glossy acrylic paint from a cooler I made for a fraternity formal last spring, so I decided to use that up before purchasing more. Any craft store will have a great selection of brands, colors, & finishes! 
3. I painted each monogram. I quickly realized it was going to take  more coats than I expected.. Five, to be exact. I'm a little bit of a perfectionist when it comes to crafts so I wanted mine to be a solid, consistent white. I took photos after each coat so you can see the progression. 
4. I let them dry completely for 24 hours, then sprayed them with a clear sealant.
5. I added ribbon to hang them (purple for her, navy for me). Since my monogram is symmetrical, I hot glued the ribbon right in the middle & tied it into a bow at the top. My roommate's monogram isn't as symmetrical, so I found the spot that was even on both sides, hot glued an end of a piece of ribbon to each side, then tied the two together in a bow to hang. 
6. Voila! Two gorgeous monograms! 

First Coat

Second Coat

Third Coat

Fourth Coat

Fifth Coat

We hung them up today & here's how they look! 

I think they add the perfect personalized touch to our room, & we've already gotten tons of compliments on them! Mine works perfectly on the wall above my bed with two canvases that my roommate made for me & one I purchased that's in the same color scheme. 

                                         xx,

^♦SPJ^♦

Photo Challenge: Guilty Pleasure

Day Twenty Four

Who doesn't love Starbucks on a dreary day? A caramel latte was exactly what I needed for a little mid afternoon pick me up. I have a few local coffee shops that I love, but Starbucks is pretty high up on my list because I know that wherever I am, I'll always be able to order the same drink. Plus, they're the only ones that don't judge me on a day when I'm feeling difficult & my drink order is longer than anyone's should be. 

I also love trying new things-- the refreshers and shaken peach green tea are summer favorites, while I tend to stick with lattes in the winter. I'm excited for it to warm a little (& the snow to melt) so I don't freeze when I order iced drinks! I try not to drink coffee every day, especially since I'm an iced tea addict & that's more than enough caffeine for me, but it's definitely something that I make room for maybe a little more often than I should!

                                                                             xx,

^♦SPJ^♦

Photo Challenge: Something Old

Day Twenty Three

This crest was given to me by one of our seniors last year at an event that's called Willing. A week towards the end of spring semester is designated Senior Week & every year it's filled with fun events to honor our chapter members that are going to be alumnae soon. One of those events is Willing where the seniors pass down tons of different things including old t-shirts, plaques & trophies, & things that were willed to them.

I was willed this & I love having a little piece of our chapter's history in my room-- we don't know exactly how old it is, but it's been around for as long as our oldest alumnae can remember. I can't wait to will this down in April to one of our younger members for her to keep until she graduates & passes it down to someone else! As with any sorority, our crest is incredibly important & significant to all of our members & I love to having such a large version of it where I can see it every day! 

                                                                             xx,

^♦SPJ^♦

Photo Challenge: Your Shoes

Day Twenty Two

My pair of Sorel boots are my best friend during the winter. The last thing I want to do when I'm walking to class is slip on the ice & fall, so I wear them pretty often. They're warm, tall & waterproof so the snow doesn't get my feet wet, & most importantly they have amazing traction. I credit Sorel for saving me from embarrassment all winter long! 

                                                      

                                     xx,

^♦SPJ^♦

Photo Challenge: Art

Day Twenty One

For my birthday last year, one of my sisters painted me this wooden letter. I absolutely love the two patterns, navy chevron & floral, & I think they work perfectly together! I've been adding some new things to the bulletin board above my desk & this was the perfect centerpiece! 

                                          xx,

^♦SPJ^♦

Photo Challenge: Someone You Love

Day Twenty

I couldn't limit the "someone I love" to just one person. Here are some of my favorite pictures with my sisters over the past few years! 

Walking to get our new Chi Os, Bid Day 2013

Barbie Party Mixer with SAE

Spring Formal 2011

Even our school mascot thinks Chi O is number 1!

One of those terribly awkward photos but was on the perfect night where I'm pretty sure all we did was laugh

Seniors on Pref Night, Fall Recruitment 2013

                                           xx,

^♦SPJ^♦

Photo Challenge: Something You Bought

Day Nineteen

I found this gorgeous necklace through GroopDealz & instantly fell in love.

It was a great price & with how popular statement necklaces are currently, I knew that I would get a lot of use out of it. I've been looking for different ways to integrate it into my everyday outfits because it's a little bit more formal than my other ones, but I love that it's versatile & can be added to a lot of combinations. I'm planning on wearing it over Spring Break for a night out, but I recently paired it with a simple sweater & gingham shirt!

                                      xx,

^♦SPJ^♦

Photo Challenge: Sweet

Day Eighteen

I'll be the first to admit that I have a sweet tooth. I'm always the first to suggest we get dessert if I'm out to dinner with friends, which is exactly what happened for a friend's birthday. We started out the evening at a new whiskey bar & restaurant in town that has a cozy atmosphere, great food, & better cocktails. Because we were celebrating a big one (21!) I knew we needed to find an impromptu birthday cake! Another restaurant that's a few blocks down Main Street has the absolute BEST desserts, including a locally famous giant cookie served fresh out of the oven with ice cream. The six of us ordered two to share & they lasted less than ten minutes. 

I'm already craving another one

"The Girlfriends" before dinner

                                                                            xx,

^♦SPJ^♦

Photo Challenge: The Letter S

Day Seventeen

My room is filled with S things because it's my first initial, but for this post I chose to give a short tutorial for how I created this S that hangs on my door!

 I purchased this glitter letter from Michael's along with one for my roommate a few months ago, but I finally just got around to doing something with them.

I didn't want the glitter to fall off, so I sprayed them with Mod Podge & then let them dry overnight.

I tied ribbon through the existing hole, hammered a small nail into the door, & hung it up! I love how it adds a little sparkle & fun to our door. 

                                                                          

                                                                        xx,

^♦SPJ^♦

Photo Challenge: Morning

Day Sixteen

With 8 am class two days a week & heading to work early the other three, I don't get out for morning runs as much as I should. Today, I decided to sacrifice some sleep & run the trails close to my house before class. It was the perfect way to get myself awake & ready for the day. Seeing the beginning of the sunrise was a nice break from staring at textbooks all week, so I'm pushing myself to commit to more morning runs like today's!

                                                         xx,

^♦SPJ^♦

Photo Challenge: Happiness

Day Fifteen

The day these pictures were taken was full of happiness. It was summer, we got to spend the afternoon/evening with our friends celebrating being reunited after break, & it was the perfect start to our senior year of college! 

                                                         xx,

^♦SPJ^♦

Photo Challenge: Something You're Reading

Day Fourteen

I wish I was reading something a little more exciting right now, but I don't have a ton of free time with my busy class schedule. This is my International Law textbook & cost more than all my others combined, which was a lovely surprise when I ordered my books! 

I'm minoring in Political Science with a focus in international relations & this class was an easy choice for an upper division elective. I eventually want to work for an organization like the UN so International Law is definitely a good class to take to get me headed in that direction! I've been sitting at a coffee shop for hours reading this & I can't say it's the most thrilling book out there, but it's definitely full of more information about political systems on the international level than I could ever imagine existing. I feel like this is one of those books I should keep for reference in grad school & later on.. Now only if I can convince myself that having the resource is worth more than the money I would make selling it back! 

                                             

        

                                          xx,

^♦SPJ^♦