If I had a Barbie dream house, it would be the coolest Barbie dream house on the block. Given my financial status, I might have to settle for a Barbie dream apartment for the time being, but I’m just saying, it would still be the coolest. From the bookshelves to the kitchen table, my dream apartment would be rockin’.

Check out the gallery to see what I would include in my dream apartment. Read More »

When it comes to interior decorating, I am all about making the living space feel as comfortable and homey as possible. Despite my love for modern furniture and glam decorating, I still want warm colors, photos of family and friends, and seasonal smelly candles (pumpkin spice…mmmmm) around to remind me of home.

After all, moving to the big city (NYC!!) from Georgia was definitely a change. I went from sweet southern porches to a 5th floor walk up above a dingy pizza shop…and I absolutely love it.

But despite my utter obsession with this city, my new mostly black wardrobe, and my sudden fondness for cosmopolitans and the closest Duane Reade, I can’t forget my Georgia roots. Home is where the heart is after all. So in an ode to my hometown (and my thinning wallet), I crafted an easy and inexpensive art piece to spruce up my current home and remind me of my former home.

It’s fun, it’s personal and it’s cute. And if you don’t need wall art of your own, this makes the perfect gift for homecomings, housewarmings, and holidays (it is almost Christmas… YIPPEEE!). Read More »

My last major DIY project was all about home décor… and the decorating bug hasn’t left me yet!

I’ve finally moved into my new apartment in NYC which is now filled with issues of Elle Décor and House Beautiful. The furniture is moved in (…and up 5 flights of stairs) and my apartment is finally coming together. However, I could not help but feel depressed when I looked at my bare, lonely, and artless walls. I was envious as I flipped through the pages of decorating magazines to see how small living rooms and dorm rooms were so fabulously decorated with different pieces of art.

But my budget doesn’t exactly allow for me to splurge on fancy art or even framed posters. So instead, I found my own cheap and chic way to spice up my walls and décor. So if you’re looking to spruce up your room or update your walls on a budget, here is an easy and fun way to make your living space unique! Read More »

I’m officially a college graduate and am joining the masses of recent grads sobbing audibly as they scroll through their Facebook photos from the past 4 years moving to a new city and a new life. As I pack up my boxes once again, I’ve realized that my college dorm décor may not exactly suit for the real world.

I want to update my room style from posters of David Beckham and Edward Cullen (I love you, RPatz – if you’re out there….call me. Seriously….) to shabby chic art, furniture, and frames. I want my room to scream “I’m a fabulous adult” and not “I frequent college poster sales,” and I don’t want to spend a lot of money to do it.

Instead of bringing along a DIY corkboard (perfect for any college dorm), I decided it was time to display my favorite college mementos, pictures, and reminders in a more sophisticated way. So I scoured the internet and the few flea markets that exist in my neighborhood to get design ideas until finally I came across an old miniature dress form.

Dress forms have been a symbol of chic fashionistas since sewing was invented. To me they scream modern yet vintage décor, and can be used for more things than just designing clothes. Instead of traditional frames or tape to mount my favorite pictures and mementos on a wall, I transformed the dress form into its own display board, frame, and jewelry case.

So here is an easy, creative, and inexpensive way to step up your style and display tidbits of your life. Read More »

You’ve seen the commercials (and most likely remember them because they used to discuss “the big O”), but have you actually perused Overstock.com? The site might be overwhelming to some, but that is because it is chock full of awesome deals on clothes, shoes and accessories (in addition to home goods, decor and linens). Overstock.com brings you items that are marked down by up to 80% (!!) and they ship fast and cheap. Could you think of anything better?

Overstock is a website that can fit the needs of everyone and if you haven’t given it a go, you most definitely should. To get you started, here are a few of the hundreds (maybe even thousands) of items they have for under $20. Read More »

Yeah, that's right. This cork board makes people want to party.

A dorm isn’t a dorm without the staple brown cork board on the wall. You post reminders of exams, pictures of your friends, phone numbers (of that hottie you just met!), and other important info on your life.

Problem is that the ugly brown cork board is a little bored. I know it doesn’t match the rest of your gorgeous room decor, so here is an easy and creative way to transform that ugly board into an artistic and functional piece of wall decor.

What You’ll Need:
*2 Sets of Cork Tiles: You can find these at Wal-mart, Target, or any office supply store. They usually come in sets of 4. You can make your cork piece as big as you want, but I usually use 8 tiles (so, 2 sets).
*Spray Paint: Use any color you want. The spray paint will be for the background color of your piece.
*Art Paint: Again, choose any colors you want. This paint will add accent colors and design on the cork tiles after they are spray painted. Skip this step if you prefer to have a plain color cork piece!
*Ribbon: Use any color/design you want. Just make sure the color of the ribbon goes well with the paint colors.
*Small paint brushes Read More »

As much as you’d like to deny it, it’s time to pack those bags and head back to school! Whether you’re shacking up on campus in the dorms, going solo in your own apartment, or looking forward to a packed year in the sorority house, those blank walls can look pretty unfriendly. Even if you’re not the homesick type, jazzing up your empty wall space can do wonders in making you feel more at home in your new school-year pad, and you’re likely to find that even the most cramped or most run-down of places are a whole lot more bearable with a little added personality.

Look back on fond memories of last summer while you have new fun times in the fall with a wall photo sleeve, or mark your limited territory over on your side of the tiny dorm room with an initial marquee light fixture. No matter what cool and trendy wall decor you throw up, it may never be a four-star resort, but hey — it’s home!

Check out the slideshow at Stylehive for some fun and quirky wall hang-ups!

[My first foray into Blik Graphics...so cute!]

Back in August I showed you how to do a little dorm decorating without screwing up your walls (you do want to get that deposit back, don’t you?) Well now that you’ve got one wall decorated, what are you going to do with the other three?

Enter Blik Graphics, the perfect dorm room/rented apartment/ my-parents-would-kill-me-if-I- wrecked-my-bedroom-walls solution. Blik makes cute, stylish decals that are easily removable and don’t damage your walls or pull off the paint. Most of their designs are meant for one-time use (i.e. once you pull them off you can’t use them again), but I recommend trying their Re-sticks, which, as the name suggests, can be used over and over again. That way, come June, when you’re ousted from your dorm room, your decals can come with you! I usually stick mine on wax paper to prevent them from getting messed up in transit. Read More »

A newly-decorated dorm wall–for cheap!

Alright girls, it’s now officially Back To School Season. Does the thought of dorm décor make you sweat worse than the Summer heat? Do the prices in the PB Teen catalog make you woozy? Fear not, because Sarah is here to make it all better. I went to boarding school, so I’ve got double the dorm years under my belt—that means I’ve got double the tips, tricks and shortcuts to transform your dorm from cinderblock cell to palatial pad (without spending your Summer savings). So put away the lava lamps and movie posters, and let Sarah be your guide.

We all know that those PB Teen and Teen Vogue “dorm makeovers” are a sham. Why? Well, for starters no college student can afford a $200 duvet cover or a $50 pillow. We’re lucky if we can afford to eat lunch. And second—I don’t know what college these kids are going to, but at my lovely institution there is no way in hell we could ever paint the walls, swap out the furniture or even put nails in the wall (have you ever tried to hammer nails into cinder block? Not. Fun.) Read More »

You could go to pbteen.com for a dorm room like this…or follow our time-tested advice!

It’s a dorm. Not an apartment, not a studio, and not a tiki hut. Keep that in mind whilst decorating.

In fact, one of my closest guy friends constantly mocks those girls who go all out on a simple dorm room, exclaiming, “GiRlzz! Letz do a BeaCH ThEmE! Lolz!”

That aside, it is your home, and your own personal residence for an entire school year, so it’s important you like it, want to be in it, and it’s presentable for guests at uh, any hour of the night.

So yeah, there are those crazies who have the money (and stupidity) to pimp out their dorm rooms, but what about you? What about poor, busted-my-ass-at-Ruby-Tuesdays-for-this-paycheck? you, who likely can’t afford a single Johnny Depp poster, let alone an entire room’s worth of decoration.

I’ll let you in on a little secret chickies, it’s all about the bargain shopping. And knowing where to find that. Read More »