Decorating In Style

So before I start today's post I just wanted to apologize for my lack of regular post. I've been told that I'm slacking, which is something I'm trying to work on. I don't want to have posts just for the sake of having them, I want to have posts that you'll find interesting and actually want to read. My biggest issue is that I am by no means a writer; never have been and never will be and if we're being completely honest, I totally suck at it. But from now on I'll try to have at least one regular post each week!

ANYWAYS, TODAY'S POST:
So next year me, my sister, her current dorm roommate, & hopefully a fourth{still on the lookout} are getting an apartment! I know this may seem like no big deal and just an everyday thing, but it's VERY exciting for three reasons.
1. It'll be my senior year & I'm FINALLY getting a apartment. Freshman year, I lived in the dorms{which I loved because I was fortunate enough to live in the best dorm on campus} and then sophomore and junior year while all my friends were moving into their own apartments, I was moving back home. Which wasn't a big deal because I only live about 20min away from campus & I was able to save a lot of $$$.
2. I get to live with two of my favorite people!
3. The most important reason, DECORATING, duhh!

For our apartment we've decided on Kate Spade inspired theme, we are determined that our apartment will be nothing short of perfection. There will be polka dots, there will be stripes, there will be black & white, there will be gold, and there will be monograms & lots of them! The day after we decided that we should all get an apartment together {because basically we're all the same person & there's no one else we like enough to want to live with} I immediately started an Apartment board on Pinterest. I LOVE PINTEREST! I've found so many DIY Kate Spade ideas & I plan to use them all. I'm beyond excited to move in and we haven't even signed our lease yet. I just want to start decorating and see it all come together.

Here are some things that are bound to be in our apartment:
Everything from our front door to our kitchen will be fabulous! Southern touches of burlap on the front wreath, and lots of signature Kate Spade preppy gold chic plates, cups, mugs, and salt/pepper shakers!

 

Our living room will most likely consist of gold throw pillows, black/gold lamps, a Kate Spade vase, Kate Spade candles, decorative table books and gold wall art.

As for my room, I basically know exactly what I want! Lately I've been obsessing over Emerald/Kelly green, I love the color and it just happens to go perfectly with the gold Kate Spade theme. This is actually the exact Emerald/Kelly Green Duvet that I plan to have in my room, I'll have tons of decorative pillows with a monogram or two! I'll have a matching green rug {or maybe a black rug} but it'll definitely have a pattern on it because I love pattern play! 

 On my wall I'll have a fabulous Prada inspired canvas and maybe even a gold deer.

A gold vase for my nightstand but with peonies not roses. {Roses are so over done}

My desk will have little touches of gold & a Blair Waldorf inspiration to match!

My bathroom will have more black. Like the perfect monogrammed shower curtain, an Audrey image, favorite song lyrics in gold, and gold mason jars for decorative flowers or to hold my toothbrush.

 "I adore pretty things and witty words." // Kate Spade

xoxo, L

Obsession: J. Crew

Like many of y'all I am and always will be obsessed with J. Crew.  Recently on a shopping trip to Smithfield, we stopped by the J. Crew outlet, and to say that letting me into this store is a bad thing, would be the understatement of the year.  As soon as I walk in the store I immediately want to start grabbing everything I can get my hands on and take it home with me!
What I love most about J.Crew is that they have a variety of preppy prints and patterns to fit any mood. Flannels, stripes, polka dots, and plaids, they have it all.  I took a few pictures to share with y'all some of my favorite finds!

1. Gray Tweed Dress & Metallic Striped Dress/Skirt:
    These adorable dresses and skirt would make the perfect addition to your fall/winter closet. The Tweed dress, while some might over look it for being plain or ordinary, when in reality it has endless possibilities. You can easily wear it with a cardigan, scarf, and boots to make multiple styles. The Metallic dress/skirt are definitely my favorite, because duh they're sparkly and who doesn't love that? Which makes them the exact kind of dress you that you want to be wearing at Christmas and New Years parties!

2. Statement Necklaces:

    J. Crew has some of THE BEST jewelry! SO SO SO much to choose from, but the worst part about their jewelry is having to pick and choose your favorite pieces because obviously you can't have it all. Their bold statement necklaces are to die for and can be paired with anything from your favorite plaids, denims, and prints to give you that extra something that every outfit needs.

3. Camp Socks:

   These socks are probably by far my favorite thing that J. Crew has to offer. Not only are they oh so comfy and cozy they're your Bean Boots best friend. I walked away with four different pairs because I love them and I obviously have no self-control. But if you rock Bean Boots and don't already have Camp Socks you really need to invest in some!

"I like my money right where I can see it... hanging in my closet." 

                                -Sarah Jessica Parker; Carrie Bradshaw, Sex In The City

xoxo, L

J. Crew     Carolina Outlet

The Truth Hurts

For those of you that don't know me, you don't know my true love for monograms. It's a love that's more than passing phase, it's a lifestyle.
If you're like me a TRUE lover of monograms, you despise the girls that act as if they love monograms more than anyone, when in reality it's just a facade. If you're one of these girls {& be honest, you know if you're this girl} I advise you to stop now and not read the essay I have attached to this post. It's a ruthless paper, holding nothing back & I couldn't of described my feelings towards these girls any better if I had written it myself.
Enjoy.

More Than Just A Name

By: Carter

It’s a question that’s as old as time. If it’s not monogrammed, is it really even yours?   I’ve been an avid monogram wearer since birth. If you don’t have pictures of you wearing monograms from your adolescent years, can you really even consider yourself a true monogram lover?  You see, I believe in monograms. Not because my monogram, when in circle font, circles perfectly; not even because my monogram interlocks perfectly when in the interlocking font. Simply because “she believes a monogram says more than just a name and she will use it any place she can”.  Your monogram is your name, and your name represents you. 

It’s actually proven that your name impacts your life. Certain names are usually associated with people in the upper class, while others are associated with the lower class. After seeing how much rests on the importance of a name, and so essentially your monogram too, it was apparent the dilemma I was in. You see, my name is slightly complicated; in a way I have a double last name. Have you caught on to my dilemma yet? If you’re\ anyone who knows anything about monograms, you know that the last name is the most important part of your monogram because it goes in the middle and is the center of attention. This can be dated back to ancient times. You see, a surname was everything. Frankly, it decides whether you wear real Jacks or fake Jacks. Back to the dilemma with this “double” last name of mine.  I had to decide which letter should be used for my last name. Previous to this, my mother had decided what my monogram would be, but when I came of age to make such an important decision as this I had to rethink it all and weigh my options. I chose “B” for Blanco, but “cBd” just didn't look right .  So, I chose to use the “E” from Espinosa for my middle initial. Upon rethinking the issue, however, “cBe” was the obvious choice for my monogram seeing as more people know me as Carter Espinosa-Blanco.

To an irrelevant bystander this may have seemed like a silly dilemma, but as I said, they're irrelevant, so what do they know. Yes, I am aware that monograms are a current fad and surely next year this time, the basic white girls may have ruled them out and moved on to the next thing.  That’ll be okay, because I have all the greats on my side sharing my love for monograms. Lets see, there’s Charlotte York, Lani Espinosa-Blanco, and Elle Woods; all monogram lovers! The problem with the basic white girls is they happily adopt the term of basic white girl. In fact, they caption their pictures claiming their basic title when they find their picture to be containing all the current fads. That, my friends, is why they don’t eternally appreciate monograms; they are not refined enough. They simply like them because it is the current fad. As for the Greats and I, we understand monograms and appreciate them. There is nothing more classic than a monogram. They are timeless. They hold the ability to turn something from generic to chic. As my good friend Elle Woods said, “my rule is if its not moving, monogram it”.    

In conclusion, it is a monogram life for me and always will be. I hope now you realize that not everyone that wears, or better yet fashions, a monogram is basic. Now that I have bestowed my knowledge upon you peasants, I have better things to do, like tweet my monogram.

"Now I can go back to being ruthless again." // Robert Kennedy

xoxo, L

Dreaming of an eternal October

October;
        the tenth month of the year, usually considered the second month of autumn.

October, is one of my favorite months for many reasons; it's the start of fall where it actually feels like fall. The air becomes a cool, crisp temperature, leaves transform into their richest color form, and it's the time for frolicking in vests, scarves, and boots at the state fair.
While I'd love to go to the state fair, not for the games or rides, nope, all I want from the fair is a cute insta pic with the ferris wheel in the background {do it for the insta pic}. But my friends claim that that is ridiculous and that it's too far {just a mere hour and a half drive}.

So instead of heading of to the fair, we visited a local pumpkin patch and I have to say not only did we have a blast picking the perfect pumpkin, we walked away with some of the cutest insta pics!

"Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall..." ~F. Scott Fitzgerald // The Great Gatsby

xoxo, L

Studying 101

As I'm studying for my CHEM test I'm starting to become overwhelmed with all the information that I have to somehow retain between now and Thursday... I decided to take a break from studying to enjoy some coffee and hopefully offer you some helpful study tips.

Everyone has their own way of studying that tends to work best for them, for some it's late night cram sessions, others it's complete and total silence surrounded by a intimdating stack of textbooks. For me, it's organization. Taking 30minutes before I start studying to sit down with my Lilly planner and Vera Bradley notebook to write down everything that I need to do for the week.

Tests weeks are extremely stressful so having everything written down in front of you makes it a lot easier for you to keep up with all your assignments, that make be forgotten in the midst of your frantic studying.
Next, I like to read the textbook and add my own notes to the ones taken in class, then review all the notes you've complied {hopefully some information is starting to sound familiar}. If there are any points that are still difficult as you're going through, write them down a separate sticky note and come back to them later.

The last step to my method of studying is the most important so take note. Grab a cup of coffee, sit down in comfy study spot, plug in your headphones, press play on your favorite Taylor Swift jam, and let the studying begin!

Happy studying everyone!
xoxo, L