What To Buy Before Leaving for College

Shopping and packing for college is so difficult. You want to get all of the cute things for your dorm, but don't know how to fit all that into your mom's SUV with all of your clothes and half your childhood bedroom. Sound familiar? Well I have realized that people packing to go to college (18 year old me included) make some pretty big mistakes. 

Pinterest is full of posts titled "the only college packing list you need" and "what you really need to bring to college." Those posts are well and good, but they're not practical, especially if you're moving far away for school like I did. It is unrealistic to get everything you think you need before you're actually at school. So today I want to give you a little advice about what you should get before leaving for school and what you can wait on buying until you get to school.

// what you should get at home //

While it looks like you still need to get a lot at home, it's important to note that they are some of the smaller dorm items. You should get all your bedding at home so that you can insure you get what you want. Same goes for mattress pads and protectors, with potentially thousands of kids moving in, you never know what Target will be sold out of.  That's also why I have command strips on the list. My Target was completely out when I got to school so it would have been helpful to get them before.

I also included big decorative items. I don't necessarily mean big in size, but big in the sense of it's important for you to have in your room. For example, if you want a gallery wall next to your bed, you should get the prints, pictures, and other items for it at home. Just keep in mind that space in your dorm is limited. Also if you're making anything, like a headboard, it's best to do that at home when you're not rushed.

Getting hangers ahead of time is also a packing/unpacking trick. Put all the clothes you plan to take to school (for that season) on your new hangers, I highly recommend thin line felt hangers, then bundle clothes together using hair ties or rubber bands to keep the hangers together. Then place the clothes in a plastic trash bag and cinch the opening around the tops of the hangers, that way you don't have to worry about your favorite tank top falling out on the walk from the car to your dorm.

The rest of the list are other practical things that again you don't want to end up in need of. Having a small tool kit will help you when setting up your dorm, and is good to have because most people don't have tools at college when they need them. It's also good to put together a first aid kit with band aids, a thermometer, some pain relievers, etc.

// what you should wait on //

A lot of the lists I have seen recommend getting plastic storage bins or drawers, various organizers, and even some extra furniture. However, you likely won't know how much space you really have until you get into your dorm. I packed in suitcases and trash bags (super classy I know) and bought storage items and organizers later on. You don't want to end up with a ton of drawers you don't need because your dorm's already available storage is plenty for you. Or buy a futon before realizing you don't want to loft your bed and there is no place for it to go.

Save the space and wait until you get into your dorm to decide what is really necessary for you and your dorm. Everyone is different so those college packing lists (and even this list) may not apply to you. Don't let Pinterest convince you that if you don't have exactly what is on those lists, your dorm won't be absolutely perfect.

Is there anything I left out of either list? Did you bring things you ended up not needing to college?

Whale-y Good Deals

It's no secret that I love all things preppy. The bright colors and classic styles of preppy clothing get me every time. One of the most iconic brands for us prep lovers is, of course, Vineyard Vines. Ever since I discovered Vineyard Vines in high school (it's not so big here in Texas), I was smitten. I went to a VV store for the first time during spring break my freshman year of college, when a friend and I ventured to the upscale mall in North Austin. Naturally I wanted everything in the store, but clothes with the name recognition of Vineyard Vines come at a steep price, too steep for college wallet.

Enter the Vineyard Vines semi annual sale, the Whale of a Sale, when all their already reduced items are an extra 50% off. Of course some items won't be as cheap as something from Target, but the quality will also be a lot better. There are still some gems available and if you're looking to add some preppy pieces into your wardrobe, now would be the time. This would also be a great time to get a gift for other prepsters in your life.

Here are some of my favorite items from the sale:

madras shep shirt // About $50 and still available in all sizes except XL

rose shep shirt // This is part of the 2016 Kentucky Derby line and also $50. 

men's jersey 1/4 zip // Great gift for brother or boyfriend, or keep it for yourself ;)  and it's only $35.

men's performance shep shirt // Again give it as a gift or keep for you. It's $45

Texas whale belt // Not the most practical, but oh so cute.

embroidered tunic dress // How adorable is this dress?! It's about $63. It's only sold out in 00 and 4.

gingham button down // About $30, also available in light blue!

ikat dot golf skort // $45 and you definitely don't have to be a golfer to wear this adorable skirt.

Make sure to use the code Whale50 to get the discount.

Do you have any favorites from the Whale of a Sale?

June Top 10!

My oh my, it's already July!

Sorry, I enjoy rhyming, but seriously, where is this summer going??? I have always seen the Fourth of July as kicking off the downhill slide of the summer, and that is especially true now that I'm in college because a month from now I will be gearing up to move back to South Carolina for my junior year of college (but let's just ignore that for right now).

As I do every month, here is a round up of my top 10 favorite things from the month of June.

1// In case you missed my Magnolia Dreams post, my sweet boyfriend came to Texas for a weekend and I got to spend some quality time with him and his mom, which included going to Magnolia Market. It was a really nice (but wayyy too short) weekend. 

2 // I started using the Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Dark Circle Eraser Concealer and oh my goodness it is worth ALL the hype. I have a lot of trouble sleeping, which leads to horrible under eye circles, but with this concealer, I don't really notice them anymore. I have never had a concealer that worked this well. If you don't have this in your makeup bag already, you need it.

3 // My mom and I went a little nuts in Altar'd State last weekend and I ended up getting 2 dresses, a tunic and a romper (hey they were on sale!) I will be wearing one of the dresses for the Fourth of July and the other I wore to work earlier this week. It's gingham seersucker, does it get more perfectly preppy than that? When I came downstairs in it, my mom commented that I looked like Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, which makes sense because it is Altar'd State's "Dorothy" dress. 

4 // I did a lot of interacting with other bloggers this month through Twitter chats. It has been a great way to start forming a community, because as much as I talk to my mom and boyfriend about blog things, it's great to have people who can relate and know so much more than I do about all this blogging business. One of my favorite blogs that I've interacted with is The Swirl by Gabby and Hannah, who are fellow college juniors and best friends. Their blog is adorable and informative. I've followed them since they started blogging last summer and it's so impressive to see how much they've grown in just a year. I so admire them and their hard work. Keep an eye on their blog and you might see a familiar face later this month ;)

5 // My ipsy bag was particularly great in June. I have been getting ipsy bags for almost a year and this was probably the best yet. If you don't know about ipsy, it's a monthly subscription service that sends you 5 new beauty products to test out every month. The products are curated to your tastes and the more you review the bags and the products you received, the more they align with your likes and dislikes. My favorite products in it were a Formula X nailpolish in Wingwoman (the perfect red) and Cake Beauty's Everything Balm, which really does work for everything.

6 // The song I heard everywhere (and loved) in June was "From the Ground Up" by Dan and Shay. Oh my goodness, it is so cute! I'm sure it'll be a popular song on wedding playlists this year. Love songs are my favorite and this is one of the best, in my opinion.

7 // I haven't watched too much tv or Netflix recently, but I did start on The Originals, the Vampire Diaries spinoff series. If you like the Vampire Diaries or things of that genre, definitely check it. I actually like it better than TVD, the actors are better (the accents, swoon) and it is set in New Orleans, one of my favorite places.

8 // This month I started following more bloggers and vloggers on Snapchat. It's really interesting to see more into some of my favorite Internet personality's lives. Emily Ley's snapchat is far and above my favorite, mainly because she's constantly snapping her insanely adorable kiddos. I think the blogger snapchat trend is really interesting and it is cool to see the utilization of different platforms to promote brands. 

9 // I FINALLY got a brand new iPhone! I have had issues with the battery life of my phone for over a year, then I shattered the screen in March, and then it finally croaked two weeks ago. So last weekend I got my first new phone in 3.5 years. I got the gold (they were out of rose gold) iPhone SE and I love it. It is the same size as the iPhone 5, but with updated software and camera. I never liked how big the iPhone 6 was and SE has the same capabilities at a more reasonable size and price point.

10 // July is my favorite month because it holds my favorite holiday and my birthday. I have always loved the Fourth of July and this year will be especially fun since all of my siblings are home for the first time since Christmas. The day is full of family traditions like going to the parade in town and lunch at a friend's house. Then at the end of July is my 20th birthday, otherwise known as the least significant birthday ever. If you missed my birthday wishlist, check it out here.

Happy July!!!

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?