New House! New House!

It's December y'all!

This has to be my most favorite month of the year! It holds the most wonderful time of the year and it's best time for decorating a girl can ask for! I went home over the weekend and my parents had moved into the new house- at least partially. There are plenty of boxes left to be unpacked, but we got the most important ones unpacked first: THE CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS!

We have a beach themed Christmas this year and everything turned out so beautifully! We went to Callahan's and bought a bunch of starfish and sand dollars to put all over the tree and living room. We also stocked up on 75% off beachy ornaments last year during the after Christmas sales and put them to good use this year!

We also decorated the mantel with burlap stockings, garland, starfish, ornaments, and lights. It was so cozy in there with the fire going! We glammed-up the stockings later with some cute little gold bows!

The blue jeweled starfish is one of my favorite ornaments on the tree! My mom walked the beach last year and collected seashells, she put little hooks in them to hang on the tree. We also added turquoise and gold ornaments for a sea and sand feel.

We have seashell garland wrapped all around the tree and sand dollars hanging on some branches. Mom DIY'd some starfish and glued some twine in a loop on them to hang on the tree!

I found a box of Christmas decorations in the garage and it consisted of our Christmas pictures we put out every year. Mom found some trays and we put the pictures and a mini tree on the trays on the island in the kitchen! It turned out so cute.

One of my favorites!

We ended the holiday decorating on the porch with garland wrapped banisters and a wreath on the front door! But, that's not where all of the decorating stopped.

Dad put together the new bar stools for mom! They look so good. The island is so big and spacious too! I'm loving the bead board. Ahh, the wonders of a new house.

Mom scored some really cute curtains at Kirkland's on a great sale! This is the dining room- well eventually it will be. We're waiting to come across a farm table to put in the space. The curtains are throughout the living room, office space, and dining room!

After almost a year of selling a house and building a new one, a pretty good collection of throw pillows has been gathered. It's a good thing because:

1. Mom and dad purchased a new couch on Black Friday and we had the pillows to match!

2. We will never have to worry about buying throw pillows ever, ever again.

A throw pillow closet has been assembled. Now, to unpack the rest of the them.

Lastly, we decorated the bathrooms! All thanks to TJ Maxx! They have the fluffiest rugs and I got an adorable fabric shower curtain on sale for $10!

Obviously, a matching hamper was a must!

Rugs for mom and dad's bathroom were purchased as well! A matching one was put in the guest bathroom and I love the pattern.



I can't wait to see what else mom does with the place. No decorations have been put on the walls yet, but it's only a matter of time before mama gets a hammer in her hand! I hope you all are just as excited about the impending holidays as I am. I can't wait to wrap some presents and put them under the tree!

#TheStruggleBus

If anyone is unfamiliar with what the "struggle bus" is....it's a real thing. It's in the family of "procrastination station" and "hot mess express." You could be struggling with your class work load, getting out of bed on a Monday morning, or even just doing one productive thing a day. Yes- it's that real and it takes you captive when it hits!

I am an avid passenger of the struggle bus. I have a hard time giving myself enough time to do my school work- granted, I always get it finished, but usually in a rush. I believe a lot of us board the bus towards the end of the semester, so I've come up with some tips to give up your seat!

1.  Plan

This sounds easy enough, but I am no more a planner than the next hot mess. Most of the time, I find myself looking at my classes Moodle page and wondering OMG, when did that assignment get posted?! Anywho- make sure you're checking your syllabi frequently and your class homepages. Some professors don't email regularly- so cover all of your bases!

Here are a few of really cute printable planning sheets to try:
- Project Planner
- Weekly Planner
- To-Do List

2.  Self-Motivation

I'm usually more of a Grande girl

If you're not in a time-crunch, motivate yourself with that next episode on Netflix or a nice hot cup of coffee (that always works for me). Get an assignment or two finished, then take a quick break. You can't stare at your computer screen or textbook for too long because it drains you. I can physically feel my soul die a little bit when I have to read 12 chapters from a book and then write a research paper on it. Give yourself a little reward for some progress made on that to-do list!

3. Go Home

The 'rents

I know what you're thinking...why? Do you remember when you were in high school and you had to complete your senior project? Where did you work on it at? Who helped motivate you? Where were you when you had it completely finished and had to practice it for an audience? Home! Or at least somewhere near there. Sometimes you just need to go home and be with your family. You might just need to sprawl out in your room with your laptop and textbooks and just be in your own zone. I did a lot of my homework at our dining room table where I could just sit at whatever seat I wanted and get my work done. It was my little space. Sometimes you need that familiarity to help check things off of your list!

I know everyone is so ready for the first semester to be over, I am for sure! We're moving in to the new house this weekend and I couldn't be more excited to come home to a brand new bedroom! I'm going to be blogging about the new house and decorating for Christmas over Thanksgiving break- be on the look out for a post. I hope everyone has a fantastic Thanksgiving holiday!

What are you Wearing this Season?

Okay, okay- I have been way off of my blogging game this school year. It's not intentional! It's just hard to find time to sit down and give myself an hour or so to write a post. BUT- I have a feeling this post will be good, so keep reading if you're willing!

Over the past two weeks, I have taken pictures of a few outfits that have been my absolute favorite of this Fall season so far. I want to share them with you all who might need a little inspiration or some ideas! This time of year is what I live for. The leaves, the hot coffee, the holiday movies, the Christmas trees, the Christmas music, the snacks, the weather, family time, the scarves, the boots...you get my point. It's my thing and I try to do it better every year! Including, making my wardrobe better to fit the season and invest in some pieces that will last longer than this Fall. Anyway, let me show you what I mean!

This first outfit includes an essential piece that should be in everyone's closet, boys and girls. Chambray, or denim. The denim shirt I have on is from Dress Barn, go figure. But, I just invested in yet another from Old Navy on a great sale. Chambray pairs so well with any pattern scarf, any color bag, any color pants, and boots! They are so easy to dress up and rock. Love, love, love. Of course, I paired it with a cup of coffee, this Target bag (which I scored for $8!), and one of my favorite scarves! The polka dots break up the look because I was wearing denim shirt on denim jean this day.

Tip: If you wear denim on denim, make sure your jeans are darker or lighter than your shirt is. We don't want any 1990's flashbacks.

Pinterest is also here to help! Here's some more ways to style a denim shirt:



          

Ensemble Two:

Plaid is something that should be required for Fall! I got this shirt from, ahem, Aeropostale. But, before you start your judging process, it was only $10 and they have really stepped up their game in the clothing department. It's no longer all about the polos and graphic tee's- that brings back so many middle school memories. I paired this shirt with the long gray sweater (feat. here), a Mayan calendar necklace from a Mexico trip, and of course the usual coffee. Plaid is quick and easy. It can also be combined with almost anything in your closet!

Check these combinations out:

     

Next outfit of choice:

Today, I traded a coffee for an umbrella...but, this striped top and blue cargo vest made up for the dreary weather! This top is from Goodwill and the vest is from a new store that opened at home called Versona. If you haven't heard of it, it's like a Charming Charlie's. It has a ton of clothes and accessories that are pretty reasonably priced! The vest was $13 on sale! I also added my monogram necklace for a little personal touch and the previous Target bag.

Pinterest perfect ideas:

My last idea for a Fall must-have is a little surprising to me and if you know me, it's probably surprising to you as well! I got a camouflage cargo jacket....I know, let that sink in. I'll give you a minute.

It was at Old Navy for $20 and I was very hesitant at first. Could I really see myself in camo? Well, it turns out that I could and believe it or not...it matches almost every outfit I have! Camo isn't just about hunting anymore- apparently there's some stylish aspect to it!

It has a really cool fit and draw strings to cinch it at the waist. If you're still in shock, it's okay because so am I. What can I say? I really love it! You can check it out here.

Pinspiration:



 



*Tip: When wearing your camo jacket, make sure it has some shape to it. Don't buy one too oversized that it swallows you when your wearing it.

Well, there you go folks! I hope you thought these were some really cute ideas- I love getting inspiration from Pinterest and other bloggers! Fall is the best time of year- it's the easiest time for me to pick out an outfit and scoot out of the door- not forgetting my coffee of course! I hope everyone isn't getting too stressed out about the upcoming holidays. I am so excited to get home and spend time with my family! Also, getting finals out of the way would be fantastic too. Thanks for reading and being patient with me- have an awesome week! Happy Monday!

A girl can never...

I'm sitting here in this little Starbucks, sipping on my coffee (possibly my second cup) and my heart is so content in this moment. It's finally starting to feel like fall outside and I have pulled out a few more sweaters from my closet this week. It makes my heart so happy when it starts to get chilly!

As an appreciation for this upcoming week of cool mid 60's weather, I'm sharing with you all my fall favorites- well, my fall closet essentials.

1. A girl can never have too many sweaters or cardi's!

I usually bring a sweater with me everywhere or have one on. They're great for summer nights- but they're an essential during the chilly months! My favorite ones are always found in Old Navy, Forever 21, H&M, or Urban Outfitters. I'm a pretty cheap frugal shopper, but these are a few stores I can almost always find something that doesn't break the bank.

 

I love the long sweater look! The one I'm wearing on the bottom right is from Rue21. I got it on a great winter sale last year and I can't wait to wear it out this season!

2.  A girl can never have too many booties!

Okay y'all, I have a bit of a shoe obsession (I got it from my mama). I don't care what season or occasion it is, I have something for everything! My big shoe must have for fall are boots. Tall, short, heeled, buckled...it. doesn't. matter. I got 'em. My mom just scored two pairs of Guess cut out booties for $24 together. The real excitement was they were originally $80 a pop! BOGO 1/2 off sales are heavenly.

The bootie deal.



3.  A girl can never have too many handbags!

Another obsession of mine. I have been doing really well lately though! I haven't gotten a new handbag in a really long time, I've put a focus on my shoe game lately. My absolute favorite brand to buy my handbags from is Fossil. They usually have the best Christmas sales, for future reference of course. Their materials are very durable and just match everything! Whichever brand, get a great neutral handbag for fall. PSA: navy, red, and maroon have become awesome neutrals amongst the many other colors!

 

4. A girl can never have too many cargo jackets!

Anytime I see one, I want it! I want all of the colors, lengths, and styles they make them in! Cargo jackets are the perfect fall accessory. You can throw one on over a tank top and go on the warmer fall days or bundle up with a long sleeved shirt and scarf on the cooler ones. Cargo's are the way to go!

5. A girl can never have too many chambray shirts!

If you don't know the fancy word for denim, it's chambray. I don't usually say chambray, but it makes me feel snazzier this way! I love my good 'ole denim shirt. It's a quick fix to any outfit dilemma. You can dress them up with a cute bobble necklace and some colored jeans or go a little more causal and put it over a cute v neck or t-shirt. The possibilities are endless!

 

Anyway, these are just a few of my favorite things. I hope you have all of your fall sweaters unpacked from their closet vacation over the summer months and ready to go- I know mine are! Have a great FriYAY tomorrow and an awesome weekend! Thanks for reading!



Fall Break 2014

Hello patient readers!

I have not been on my blogging game lately, sorry about that! I really do love doing this and keeping up with my whole college experience, but most of the time sometimes I get so distracted!

Two weekends ago I had my fall break, which was not nearly long enough. I was able to bring my roommate, Laura, home with me and show her around. That was so much fun and I'm so happy she went with me!

I may be a present-day procrastinator, but I'm planning my future (like 5-10 year future) all the time! I have a really great interest in teaching in South Carolina after I graduate from UNCC. I have heard wonderful things about the Pawley's Island area (most importantly it's close to home) and I wanted to check it out for future reference. My parents, Laura, and myself spent the day in the area on that Sunday and it was so pretty! We ate at a local restaurant called Nosh for brunch and I had the most delicious French toast in the whole world.

Afterwards, we walked around and window-shopped the little stores. We spent most of our day at Brookgreen Gardens. I had never been there before and it was one of the most beautiful places. The weather was perfect and they had a cute little fall festival going on. If you have never been there, I would definitely suggest it. It's basically a huge garden with so many different flowers, plants, art, and sculptures throughout it. I'm not doing it any justice with my words, but check out the website and plan yourself a visit!

Just one of the many sculptures.

#hatcherfamilyselfie

Laura is a photographer, so we also spent the weekend doing mini photo shoots. She captured this one of my presh parents and I love it.



The next day I took Laura to Wilmington. I love the downtown Wilmington area and I wanted her to check it out too. One of our favorite shows, One Tree Hill, was also filmed there, (fangirl moment) so we checked out some of the characters' houses! That was a really fun experience!

Lucas Scott's house!

The infamous door he had painted red for Brooke.

B. Davis' house!

Peyton Sawyer's house!

After our mini OTH tour, we drove around downtown finding a few places to park and take some pictures. We took turns being models. We both got some really great shots of each other. We found some places that had neat things we could pose on, like an alley staircase and the oldest standing structure in Wilmington's beautiful brick walls!

Just four of the 19475028347104 many pictures we took!

The trip was pretty successful if I do say so! I had a lot of fun showing Laura around my hometown too. We came back to campus on that Tuesday and officially ended our trip. Mom and dad are steadily working on the new house and plan to be in it by the end of this month! It is so exciting. I will come home for Thanksgiving (probably sooner) to a brand new house that they have worked so hard on! It is coming together so nicely and I'm thrilled to see the completely finished product.

Be on the look out for a post all about the new house soon! I hope everyone is having a fantastic Monday and your week goes even better. Thanks for reading!











How to Beat a Case of the Mondays.

Oh, Mondays.

I think we all have a love-hate relationship with them. This week let's not let Monday get to us. I have a few tips on how to beat Mondays and start your week off right!

1. Switch up your part!
Over the weekend, I switched my hair part from the left to the right. I know most people believe their hair part is on the side that it's on because it looks the best that way. You could be wrong! Switch it up and try it out!

2. Rearrange your furniture!
I have gotten the gene of rearrange-the-furniture-every-other-week from my Nana and mom. I lasted a little over a month with the setup of my dorm room from move-in day. Last night (oh, yeah- not to mention this gene kicks in at the most ridiculous times) I began to shuffle around my furniture close to midnight. I love the new setup, for now, and this week it will be like walking into a brand new space. How refreshing!

3. Talk to a far away friend!
I talked to my sweet Loulou today! She's at UNCG this year, which is only about an hour and fifteen minutes away, but we still do not see each other very often. It was nice to catch up and chat. If your Monday is going by slower than usual, speed it up with a great conversation with a friend you don't get to see too often or haven't talked to in a while. Problem solved!

If all else fails, make some muffins! I whipped up a batch of mini muffins earlier and they have made this Monday a little sweeter. I hope your week has started off great! If it hasn't- maybe try something above?