Best Places to Shop for Dorm Decor

This is the second installment into my college dorm series that I'm working on this summer. If you didn't see my first post with all sorts of advice for before you go dorm shopping, you should check it out.

Now that you have consulted with your roommate, decided on what you want your dorm to look like and gotten TONS of inspiration from Pinterest, it is time for the fun part, shopping! Every girl wants that Pinterest-perfect dorm, however having a cute dorm room can get pricy very quickly. Don't worry! I have a ton of recommendations for places to find great pieces for your dorm without having to spend crazy amounts of money.

// Target //

Do I even need to tell you this one? Target is the best for pretty much everything. For all of your basics: sheets, bed pillows, mattress cover, etc., Target is the place to go. They'll also have some great decor finds too, but I recommend getting those on sale (if you haven't checked out Target's Cartwheel app, you should). You can also find some fun things to brighten up your space that aren't technically meant as home decor, like the fun, bright colored tassel garlands and banners they have with party supplies. The Target dollar spot also tends to have some great finds.

// T. J. Maxx / Home Goods //

T. J. Maxx or Home Goods are great places to find decor and storage items at much more reasonable prices. Those cute acrylic containers that beauty bloggers use to organize their makeup? You can find those for probably less than half the usual price at Home Goods. When I was buying things for my freshman dorm, I found two canvas hampers at Home Goods that I have used to hold dirty laundry and spare sheets/towels. I also got all of my thin felt hangers at T. J. Maxx for really cheap. Check back throughout the summer because their stock is always changing.

// Tuesday Morning //

Tuesday Morning is another great place to find awesome decor for really good prices. My mom found throw pillows, a set of sheets, and a set of towels for me at Tuesday Morning when I was going to college. More recently, I found a beautiful metal trellis bedside table with a mirrored top that I plan to use in my dorm this year. Oh it was also $30. What? I've seen similar things online for over $100. Like T. J. Maxx, check back often because they're always getting new things.

// At Home //

At Home might be my favorite out of all of these. It is a home decor superstore and it has everything you could possibly dream of for decorating your dorm for extraordinarily reasonable prices. Their selection of throw pillows is unreal for much better prices than even Target. Think $15 instead of $30. At Home also has tons of rugs at great prices. I think 5ft x 7ft will be the best size for my next dorm room and At Home has lots of cute options for under $50. I haven't looked at their less practical, more decorative items, but I plan on going back and probably will pick up a few things. If you don't have a location near you, their website is great too.

// Walmart //

Now I don't necessarily recommend Walmart for lots of things, as the quality isn't always great, but you can find some good things there. The other week I found some hand towels that perfectly match my dorm colors that I couldn't resist picking up. If you have a bathroom you need to outfit, Walmart would be a good place to go. They have lots of cute shower curtains, tooth brush holders, soap dispensers that all go together. 

// Dollar Tree //

When it comes to organizing your dorm room, Dollar Tree (or any other dollar store) is your friend. I have a bunch of little plastic bins in varying sizes from Dollar Tree that I use to organize my dorm desk drawers for storing school supplies and makeup. I also got some laundry necessities like zippered bags for delicates and a laundry bag from Dollar Tree. On a slightly related note, look at your local Dollar Tree for a stain remover called Oxygen Orange in an orange bottle. It's the best, it got a month old red wine stain out of my white Lilly dress. Trust me having a good stain remover with you will be a life saver.

Do you have any other recommendations for places to find reasonable dorm decor?

You Look Like the Fourth of July

I hope you get my Legally Blonde 2 reference, if not go watch it. Anyway, it is finally my favorite time of the year! The Fourth of July is my favorite holiday and one of my favorite parts is picking out the perfect patriotic outfit for the day's events.

hat // white tank // tie dye tank // star shorts

flag shorts // striped dress // star romper

Even better than finding a great outfit to celebrate the day, is finding that outfit at a store that stands for a great cause. On Sunday, I was at the mall and went into the store Altar'd State, where they had such a pretty display of patriotic attire (pictured above). I wanted all of it! The striped dress you see above is what I will be wearing to a party on the Fourth with some red accessories. If you have an Altar'd State near you, I highly recommend checking it out. I've shopped there before and will continue to for a long time because of how much I like this brand and what they stand for. 

In case you don't know about the store, I'll fill you in. Altar'd State was founded in 2009 as a modern Christian store. They transitioned into a clothing boutique, but maintained their Christian roots and desire to transform the retail environment. Their mission statement is "SERVING as an inspiration, EMPOWERING others by GIVING more than we receive, we stand out for good to glorify GOD." Do you know of any other retail company with a mission statement like that? I don't. Altar'd State gives back by donating 1% of all of their profits to various charities. So far they've donated over 2 million dollars to charity. Each Monday, they donate 10% of the days profits to a designated charity often varying by location. They also reimburse their employees for four hours of volunteer work every month. That's insane! They have very clearly defined values and stick to them. 

Those values wouldn't mean anything if customers don't enjoy their shopping experience. I have never not liked shopping at Altar'd State. Their employees are soo nice. For example, on Sunday I was walking around the store with the clothes I had already tried on and planned on buying and probably had three different employees ask how I was doing and needed a fitting room. This could be seen as annoying, I see it as them being very attentive to their customers. I just think this store is amazing and think you should check it out.

Have you been to Altar'd State? Did you like it as much as I do?

(P.S. Altar'd State is having a huge semi annual sale right now with up to 60% off sale items)

20th Birthday Wishlist

3-way wrap // Mayari Birkenstocks // navy tassel bracelet // pink tassel bracelet
Grace Not Perfection (pre-order) // coffee mug // Bose speaker
Hunter boots // Texas print // rubies print

It is officially one month until I turn 20!!! How crazy is that?! People become real adults in their 20s. I'm so not ready for that. To distract myself from thinking about growing up, I found a few things for my wishlist. I know there are more practical things I should probably ask for, but what is the fun in that? Disclaimer: I definitely don't expect to get all (any) of these things, sometimes it's just fun to make a wishlist.

Magnolia Dreams

This past weekend my sweet boyfriend came to Texas. His mom also lives in Texas, so we split time with my family and his. His mom wanted all of us to go do something fun on Saturday, and suggested making the trip to Waco to see Magnolia Market. 

If you've never seen the HGTV show Fixer Upper 1) you should go watch it...like right now, 2) the show features the life and business of Texas husband and wife duo, Chip and Joanna Gaines. Their business, Magnolia Homes, specializes in renovating old homes in the Waco, Texas area. Their business and their show has become so popular that they have grown from a small boutique to a market that takes up an entire block. The Gaines are the sweetest, most genuine people. It is impossible to not love them.

Mike and I are huge fans of the show, so we were totally up for going to see the heart of their business.

Joanna is known for her bright, farmhouse decorating style, and the Market is so representative of that. Everything is decorated to a t. Workers are even walking around to straighten up constantly and make sure that nothing is out of place. Right when you walk in, you are greeted by a beautiful display of kites and perfectly arranged books. 

On the other side of the door, right next to the tulips pictured below, was a guest book where visitors could sign and leave a message for Chip and Jo. It really made the experience feel more personal.

If you've seen the show, then you'll probably recognize these custom metal signs that are frequently seen in some of their designs.

The front of the market leads into a small silo that serves as a continuation of the shop, with even more home decor and souvenirs, as well as storage for extra stock of the items in the store.

 While I didn't end up getting anything (this time), there were more than a few things I would have liked to pick up, like the candles you see in the picture below. They smelled ah-mazing!

 There was even a whole corner devoted to Jo's favorite paper products. If there is anything you need to know about me, it is that I have a serious weakness for pretty paper, cards, planners, notebooks, you name it. Magnolia Market sells a few gorgeous notebooks I had to resist buying, since I have too many already. The next time I go, I'll probably end up picking up at least one.

Outside of the shop, there is a huge open area where people could play games like cornhole. Saturday happened to be an extraordinarily hot day (the heat index was 104 degrees!!!), so most people were choosing to hang out in the shade next to the silos or under the antique barn that serves as a pavilion on the property. They even had a gourmet popsicle stand to help visitors beat the Texas heat.

Joanna Gaines has not let a single detail be forgotten at the market. Obviously anticipating how many people would want to take pictures on their visit, one worker is stationed out by the entrance to serve as a photographer for anyone who wants one. She took these photos of Mike and I. 

If you count from Clemson, we "traveled" 947 #milestomagnolia.

I definitely recommend going to visit the Magnolia Market in Waco, especially if you are a Fixer Upper fan. My only tip is to go on a weekday when it will be less crowded, and maybe not in the summertime if you aren't ready to withstand the Texas heat.