Accessory Organization College Edition

One of my friends, asked me to create this post for everyone (shout out to Kaycee) because it is a subject not discussed much online: where to store all your accessories like jewelry, hats, and scarves in your dorm. I have a ton of jewelry, hats, and scarves that I wear on the norm. The problem: there is no space in a cramped residence hall (read as "dorm")! So I have come up with some solutions for you accessory lovin' college girls!

So you have the accessories, but you have the slightest clue of how to transport them without ending up with a mangled mess. Here's some tips to make your travels less of a hassle.

Tip 1:

For your delicate gold necklaces that are super on trend right now (see this one, and this one), loop the necklace through a straw. I'm sure everyone and their mother has seen this trick where you string the necklace through the straw and clasp it shut so it doesn't get tangled up with your other dainty necklaces. 

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Tip 2:

If you already have your jewelry hanging up on something (like the cork board in the storage tips) and you are going to be using it in your dorm or apartment as well, cover the board or box with Glad Press'n Seal to lock everything in place while you move. This tip is great for more than just jewelry too! You can use the Press'n Seal to secure items in a box that you don't necessarily want to reorganize when you get to school.

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Tip 3:

If you don't want all of your earrings floating around in a bag or box, you can always place them into ice cube trays and either cover them with the plastic cover provided (if it's available) or use the Glad Press'n Seal to keep them from spilling out. This tip will also work for rings and delicate necklaces!

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Tip 4:

For those of you who would like a little bit more organization, you can always make dividers in a shoebox with old cereal boxes or any other cardboard. Let me explain... You can cut down a cereal box to little rectangles and use them as dividers in whatever box you choose. If the crazy patterns from the cereal boxes drive you crazy, you can always paint them. By separating everything with the dividers, you can either use the box as-is for storage in your room, or make it way easier on yourself to organize what would otherwise be a mess while you are moving in. 

Tip 5: 

Fold up your scarves and put them into a box or drawer while you're traveling. They take up hardly any space this way and also won't get messed in the case that a box rubs against them and tears them.

Now that you got the jewelry to school safely, how do you store it in your room? These are a few of the ways I am planning on storing my jewelry (if space permits).

Tip 1:

I have been using a hanging jewelry organizer for quite a few years now, and I can safely say that it will be making it's way into my teeny tiny dorm closet because it is so effective at keeping me organized and it takes up only a smidgen of space. Mine only has pockets big enough for earrings, but this one from Bed Bath and Beyond has a ton of different sizes for all kinds of jewelry. 

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Tip 2:

If you have the extra drawer space, you can upgrade the cardboard dividers mentioned in the traveling tips for cut up shoe boxes or any sturdy cardboard (or plastic) and create separations between your jewelry. 

there is a tutorial here, but I think this is pretty self-explanatory!

Tip 3:

My mama actually inspired this tip to use a cork board and push pins to hang your jewelry up. All you have to do for this DIY is cover your cork board with fabric (or keep it plain), push some pins in, and hang your necklaces. You could even take this one step further and frame the cork board to make it more decorative. My mom has been using this tip for years and is still loving it! 

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Tip 4:

Standing organizers are great if you have empty room on top of your dresser or desk (lucky you if you do). I love the functionality and decoration bracelet organizers provide! Plus, bracelet organizers don't have to be limited to just bracelets! You can store your necklaces on them as well.

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Tip 5:

I am a huge fan of using your door as bonus storage space. It is a great location for hanging jewelry, hats, and other various things you reach for often. 

This over the door organizer from Bed Bath and Beyond is super cool because it doubles as a mirror when closed!

Bed Bath and Beyond is killing it with the jewelry organization. This over the door hanger has tons of storage options!

I am going to be using an over the door organizer similar to this one in my dorm! 

Tip 6:

Use a scarf organizer in your closet for your belts and scarves. This will allow you to see your scarves and belts when you want to, and also let you push them out of the way when you don't. Plus, it will keep all of your scarves super organized! 

I love this Ikea organizer because it can store up to 28 accessories!

Tip 7:

I saw this koozie wall organizer and thought it would be perfect to hang up and display hats (and koozies) on your wall! 

I found this inspiration here, which happens to be a great college blog that you should check out! By the way, this girl is in the same sorority chapter that my cousin is in! Small world, right? 

Now y'all should be all set on how to organize and transport all of your accessories in your dorm! I would love to see which ideas you try out. 

I will also be posting how I organized my dorm in my dorm tour coming soon!

Classy and Current: How to Keep Up With Current Events

One of my favorite quotes by Oscar Wilde says, "You can never be overdressed or overeducated." Oscar, you were absolutely right, especially about the education part. I believe education goes further than the classroom and books. You should be educating yourself every single day through current events. This means keeping up with politics, foreign affairs, and local news. I know y'all are probably thinking, "Monica, who has time to keep up with all of that information?" My answer: who can afford not to? After watching the Republican Presidential Hopefuls Debate, I realized how important it is to keep up with what's going on in our world! Whether you realize it or not, the current events of today are changing your tomorrow and impacting the history books of the future. By staying updated, you are in the know and can potentially make a difference.

Lucky for y'all, I have put together a list of ways to stay in the know without spending countless hours watching the news. 

1. Subscribe to a daily news newsletter

An email subscription service for news is a great way to keep up with the world. My favorite is theSkimm. TheSkimm sends a newsletter every morning with summaries of the biggest news stories. It takes five minutes at most to read and you delete the email with a basic knowledge about the current events. The newsletter even has links to the full stories if you would like to know more about a topic. 

2. Watch the news

Alright brainiacs, it doesn't take a genius to figure out that this is a good idea to keep up with the news. But seriously, watch ten minutes of national and local news a day. You would be surprised what you can learn in that short period. Even if you only stay tuned long enough to hear the upcoming headlines, at least you know a little bit more than if you had skipped the news all together.

3. Twitter and Facebook

Millennials, this one is for you! Though I do not recommend Twitter or Facebook as your go-to source for current events, it can be helpful to figure out what is going on in the world in a pinch. Twitter is great for the world of politics. People don't even hesitate to put their political views out there in 140 characters or less. However if you are reading political tweets, please read an article about the issue and develop your own opinion on the matter! Finally, Facebook can be a great outlet for videos involving politics, local news, and international affairs that you normally wouldn't see. 

Disclaimer: Take everything you read, watch, or hear about news with a grain of salt. Please educate yourself with an unbiased source and form your own opinions on the matters!

Trending Now: White Out

This year is flying on by! Can you believe that there is only a month left before Labor Day? Pretty soon all of your crisp, white clothing will have to be stored away until Memorial Day. Personally, I don't think anyone can have too much of any neutral in their closet, including white. Neutrals are staple pieces that can be paired with vivid colors, pastels, and even other neutrals. However, one of my favorite trends is monochrome outfits, especially white on white. 

There is no other color combination that can look super sophisticated or extremely carefree. Lately I have been loving the look of white straight fit jeans and a flowy, white top with delicate details-- it screams summer! 

I thought it would be fun to share with y'all some white staples that you need in your closet! P.S. white is totally cool in the fall and winter too, so these pieces will last you way past Labor Day.

Jeans | Bag | Lace Dress | Scallop Skirt | Shift Dress | Necklace | Crochet Blouse | Pumps

I am a huge fan of white on white outfits and by using pieces like these, the trend wont seem so scary to test out! I would love to know how you style your white clothing!

5 Things to Do Before Your First Semester At College

There are only a few more weeks left of summer for most college students. This is really sad but also super exciting for me because I'm starting my first year at Florida State University! Even though the semester hasn't started yet, there is still homework to be done before you should even think about moving. But don't worry, nothing on this list is crazy difficult or time-consuming.

Create Your Schedule

My school doesn't allow freshmen to create their schedules until they attend their orientation. Sometimes this can be rushed especially if you have no idea what you want to take. My advise, use your free time in the summer to play around with your schedule to get it perfect instead of watching that entire season of Friends on Netflix in one day. 

Check Your Admissions Status

At FSU there is an "Online Status Check" that has the conditions of your enrollment, as well as a list of documentation the school needs/has. After 3 tries at sending my transcripts, the school still had no record of my high school transcripts. I'm glad I emailed them at the beginning of this mess because it took roughly two months for them to finally get my transcripts. My point to all of this, make sure everything is in line as early as possible so you don't have to stress about it in your first week at school.

Plan, Plan, Plan

As soon as you can, buy an agenda and start creating a system before you get into your classes. When you get your agenda, input every school event you have information for so you don't have to do it when everything is crazy. Next, work out a system that you will understand for your agenda. Whether it's color coding or numbering things, figure it out. Once you get in a habit planning will be second nature to you.

Buy Your Dorm Supplies

I think this one goes without saying, but buy your dorm essentials as early as possible. By starting early, you will beat the back to school crowd and not have to resort to the leftovers. You can actually get what you want!

Put Together a Resume

Chances are, you will either A) need a job or B) want a job in college. While you have time over the summer, put together a job resume. This will make applying for jobs a piece of cake. When you are filling out applications just pull up your resume file on your computer. Having it make early gives you one less to do list item when you are knee deep in assignments.

Do you have anything that you would add to this list? Leave a comment and let me know!

July 2015 Favorites

Is it just me, or did June and July fly on by? It's so hard for me to believe that August is here! 16 days until I move in. 24 days until my first day of classes. Cue my anxiety times 100000. Since July is coming to an end, I thought I would share a few of my favorites from this month.

1. Rain jacket

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Like every summer, it's been raining every single day here in Florida. But no fear, my trusty rain jacket is here (how much lamer can I get?) My Columbia rain jacket has saved plenty of outfits and hair days especially in the past week. Plus the bright blue color adds a nice pop to the otherwise gloomy days.

2. black sandals

I couldn't find my exact pair, but here are some that are very similar

I want to say I got these sandals one or two years ago from target. I still love them. They are extremely comfortable and add an adorable pop of glitter to any outfit.

3. skinny jeans

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I am not much for wearing jeans in the summer especially when its 99 billion degrees outside, but lately I have loved how laid back they look cuffed with a tied up tank top and sandals.

4. washi tape

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I don't know how I didn't discover washi tape earlier than a few days ago. I have been washi-ing everything! I just know I will have a lot of fun with this stuff in the future.

5. tarte bronzer

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I got this bronzer in my last Ipsy bag and I am in love. I know that bronzing and contouring are "out" right now, but y'all, strobing is not my thing. It does not suite my face. I'm sticking with loading up on bronzer to give myself a sun-kissed glow. This bronzer does just that. I don't think it's possible to over-do it!

6. greek yogurt

I have and always will love greek yogurt, but recently I have been obsessed! It's such a good snack to curve cravings because it is loaded with protein. Plain or with fruit mixed in, greek yogurt is always a good idea.

7. Crash and Burn by Thomas Rhett

Crash and Burn makes me want to dance. In fact, every time it comes on while I'm in the car I have a mini major jam sesh! I've actually listened to it 10 times in a row because it is so catchy.

8. Lip balm

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Here's another Ipsy find that I can't live without! This lip balm smells, tastes, and feels wonderful! It takes me to paradise for a few seconds and keeps my lips super hydrated. Plus my puppy loves it too!

9. Sleepy Time Tea

I'm not sure why, but this entire summer I have had the hardest time falling asleep. On the days that I know I need to be up early, I will brew a cup of this tea and I'm knocked out in about an hour.

10. Runaway by Love and Theft

Love and Theft is creeping their way into my music collection. This song is perfect for getting ready in the morning (or late afternoon) because of the medium beat. It's not too wild for groggy mornings, but it definitely won't put you to sleep.

What are some of your July favorites? Let me know in the comments below!

Back to School: Dorm Haul

Y'all, it's getting so close to move in day! I have officially gotten all of the "big things" for my dorm and anything else is stuff I can get up in Tally. I have taken the liberty of photographing my haul to the best of my ability. Please note: I am not a photographer, nor do I try to be. I just thought it would be fun to share everything that I've gotten so far!

From the color scheme in this picture, you would probably think that the color scheme for my room is blue right? It's not, but I figured having coordinating towels was not that important. Starting from top left to bottom right, the blanket is one that my family has had for years. The towels all came from target (aren't the polka dot ones just so cute?). The nicely folded sheet set came from Marshalls. The leftmost white fabric is actually my body pillow pillow case from target. The big mass of horribly folded sheets are some I have had for a few years from cheer camp at UCF (I think they are from Bed Bath and Beyond). And finally, the two white pillowcases are from Marshalls once again. 

I got these huge storage bins by Sterilite from Walmart. Each bin comes with two dry erase pieces so you can label everything! I am planning on using these for storage in the top of my closet.

I got all of these Sterilite storage bins from Walmart as well. In the top left drawer, I have all of my school supplies which may or may not be a post coming up soon! I am planning on putting these drawers under my bed to hold my cleaning, cooking, and food supplies as well as any misc. clothes. Oh and my school supplies of course ;)

If you've been following my blog from the beginning, then you would remember these pillows from my Pillow Talk post. The only new piece in this picture is the orange throw blanket where I got from.. can you guess?.. Marshalls! It looks great with all of the pillows and my comforter.

Is this not the coolest laundry basket ever? Please tell me other people think this is so neat! It has handles so that you can carry it. And get this, the handles fold together to make it into a laundry basket! I got this from Marshalls as well.

Kelsey and I are calling this our coffee cart because we are putting my Keurig on top. I've had the white basket and the cart for years now so I have no idea where those came from. My mama and I picked up the blue baskets from Michael's after searching endlessly for days to find the right size (they only had two so we are making do). Kels and I plan to fill the baskets with coffee stuff and food.

Now onto what's in the baskets...

The top basket just has some little bins that I got from Hobby Lobby, some Starbucks K-cups that were on a super sale, koosies, my 99 cent fill up coffee cup for school (I don't really know how it works?), and a K-cup adapter so I can use loose coffee if I wish.

And in basket number two *read in a game show host voice* we have a bunch of random stuff from ethernet cords, command hooks of every shape and size and clothes pins.

Basket number three just has tissues, laundry detergent, clorox wipes, and plastic bags because we either had all of this on hand or mom got a great sale!

I am actually using the two back boxes right now. One is an over-the-door shoe rack and the other is a hanging closet rod which is featured in one of my most popular posts, How I Fit My Entire Closet In 3 Feet of Space. In front is just a lamp I picked up from Target so I don't have to always use the overhead lights in the room.

Pictured here is a new pillow from Bed Bath and Beyond (bottom), my comforter from HomeGoods, and a mattress topper from Marshalls.

I think this one goes without saying that it's my Keurig.

This is the roundup of random things lying around my living room. From left to right I have a collapsable drying rack, bed risers, mesh laundry bag for delicates, and my Jansport backpack in navy.

This is my ugly, eyesore stool. But, I really don't care how it looks because I will only be using it to get into bed. The rest of the time, it will get pushed underneath my bed. 

Ladies and Gentleman, I have completely taken over my dining room. I'm sure my parents are getting just as excited about me moving as I am so they can get their house back! 

There are a few more items that I couldn't get pictures of because they are packed up in bubble wrap and boxes. 

That's it for the bulk of my dorm haul. I can't wait to move everything into my dorm up in Tallahassee!

18 Things You Learn By 18

Recently I read the post "19 Things you Learn By 19" and realized that they missed out on a few things. So, I have complied this list of 18 Things You Learn By 18.

1. Mama Knows Best

Sure, there are times when moms can be totally unreasonable, but majority of the time they are 100% right. You have to remember that moms were once teenagers too, so they've experienced similar things.

2. You Are Still a Kid

Although you are technically an adult, don't expect society to look at you as more than a kid. You will probably be a "kid" until you're 21 or older. 

3. High School Drama Doesn't Matter

How many people have you seen after graduation? Maybe 10 at most right? Yeah, that 4-year feud with Sally Su was a waste of your time and energy. 

4. Boys Are Not Everything

Dropping everything for a boy is not only stupid, but it will also change your friendships. Trust me, it's not worth it. Sure boys are great and all but don't center your life around them.

5. Having a Job is great, But Don't Make it A Priority

Sometimes I've made the mistake of putting work before everything else. This takes me back to number 1: Mama knows best. Countless times she told me that I had my whole life to work, but I didn't listen. Money is a wonderful thing, but it should not consume you. 

6. You Should Dress How You Want to Dress

If you like it and feel comfortable in it, wear it girl. Don't worry about "fitting in" because your real friends will love you for you, not what you're wearing.

7. Not Everyone is Going to Like You

Some people don't like you for the silliest reasons. Who cares? I bet there are dozens more who do like you who are way better than those people anyways. 

8. You Should Drink Lots of Water

Water is essential for our body to function, so why would you skip on it? I'm not suggesting drinking 2 gallons a day, but start drinking it more often and notice how much nicer your skin and hair look. Notice how much better you feel. The bottom line: just drink water.

9. Saying "No" Is Okay

Saying "yes" to everything will get tiring really fast. Saying "no" every once in a while will actually benefit you. You don't have to do everything all the time.

10. You Are Beautiful

You may not be the prettiest girl in every room, but you have a caring heart and have plenty of people who love you. Beauty is not skin deep. Beauty is what is inside. 

11. Life Is Never Like the Movies

Movies depict the best possible scenarios for everything-- life is not like this. Don't expect perfection all the time. 

12. You Need to Vent

This does not always mean venting to a person. Sometimes journaling or a good long cry is enough. Don't let things bottle up inside of you. Let them out.

13. Phones Are Great, But Real Conversations are Better

Put down your phone every once in a while and actually talk to your friends. Everything is so digital these days that the art of conversation is beginning to be lost.

14. Washing Your Hair Everyday is Unnecessary

Two words: dry shampoo. 

15. Take Off Your Makeup Every Night No Matter What

This lets your skin breath and also makes sure you don't wake up with makeup everywhere.

16. You Are Not Too Good For a Night With the Family

Family is the only thing that lasts forever. Don't have regrets of not spending enough time with them. 

17. You Can Never Be Too Overdressed

Being dressed up calls attention to you, but in the best way possible. So when in doubt, always dress it up a notch. 

18. Makeup Is To Enhance Your Face

Don't over-do it ladies. Makeup is supposed to enhance your features, not cover them up. So let those freckles show through, contour your natural cheekbones, and don't go too heavy on the eyeliner.