I'm from Lexington, KY, go to school at Indiana Wesleyan University ('18) and am studying Athletic Training! I'm obsessed with all things farmhouse/vintage decor and I am an advocate for Destiny Rescue, a nonprofit organization that strives to free young girls from the sex trade. Welcome to my blog!
Sorry I have been so MIA these last few months. This past semester of grad school really kicked my butt and I did not have a lot of free time to blog. But I survived the hardest semester of the program and I’m 2/5 of the way done with grad school!
If you’ve been here for a while, you know how much I love Christmas decor. Thanksgiving was so late this year we didn’t get a lot of time to enjoy the decorations before going home for the Holidays. I kept several of the same decorations that I’ve used in years past, but I also added a few new things as well. Let’s get started!
Let’s start in the living room:
Coffee table tray
These silver trees are from Walmart
I got these bottle brush trees last year from the Target dollar spot
This wreath is from Walmart and was only $10!
I painted the Tree Farm sign myself
I made several of these dried orange garlands to hang. The “recipe” is below.
These battery operated string lights are from Target
I love this white bottle brush tree garland! It’s also from Target
Mistletoe above my door from the Magnolia Hearth and Hand line
Large gold bottle brush tree also from Target
The flocked garland is from Walmart. I layered another dried orange garland over it.
In order to make the dried orange garland slice as many oranges as you want into quarter inch or half inch slices. Place on a baking sheet and heat at 250 degrees for 2-2.5 hours or until dried/burned how you like! The poke two holes on either side of each orange and string some twine through them.
While we made the dried orange garland, we threw this “potpourri” of scents in a pot of water and heated it up on the stove. The whole apartment smelled amazing!
Well that’s everything! I hope you love it as much as I do.
Hopefully I will have more free time to blog more often next semester. I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and enjoys their time with friends and family.
The final days of summer are winding down and it will be fall before we know it. Of course with the start of a new season, a new Magnolia Hearth and Hand line comes out. Let’s dive into the new fall arrivals!
Isn’t it all so beautiful?! I love the rust colored accents and glazed pieces. I’m looking forward to fall because it’s my favorite season. Cheers to the last few weeks of summer!
I know you have been patiently waiting to see my grad school apartment and how I decorated it – it’s finally ready to share! Grab a snack, find a comfy seat and let’s get started! The apartment came fully furnished, so we didn’t have to worry about all the big furniture items which was super nice!
I’ve shifted my personal style to a more neutral vibe with wood tones and soft textures that emit all the cozy vibes. You’ll definitely be able to see this when we get into my bedroom. Fair warning – there are a ton of pictures.
We had this random space here that we weren’t quite sure what to do with, but I think we made good use of it. We could still use something to fill the wall space.
We got all of these little pieces of decor from the clearance section of Big Lots and Joann’s.
Now into the kitchen.
This is one of my favorite signs. It’s from World Market.
Coffee area
This rug was 50% at Joann’s Fabrics. I got it for $15! It looks way darker online than it actually is. It’s a light grey in person.
Kitchen island/sink
We discussed potentially getting a cart and moving the coffee makers over here to make a coffee station, but that requires time and money, neither of which we have right now. So right now the mug holder is just here on the wall by itself!
I got this from a local shop back home at 90% off for $7!!!
Storage carts since my desk doesn’t have any drawers. I used marble scrapbook paper to cover the front to get it a more clean look. Woven baskets are from Target.
I added these photos later, which is why they aren’t in the picture above.
These prints are from Parabo Press. I got 20 prints for free – just had to pay shipping!
I was absolutely obsessed with this lamp when I came across it. It gives off the perfect farmhouse/industrial vibe. I love the black with brass accents. The head is adjustable. Believe it or not, it’s from Walmart!
These prints were from Etsy. Check out my post about them here.
My beloved drop cloth curtains. Read how you can DIY them here.
The ultimate cozy shot. (That bulge is my body pillow)
I “macrame’d” this myself with thick yarn, but don’t ask me how I did it because it was so painstaking haha
And finally my bathroom.
Bathroom door
Unfortunately, the vanity doesn’t have drawers, just cabinet space, so I have to have a lot of things out on the counter.
Another print I have on the wall, opposite of the toilet
That’s everything! Did you last until the end? Props to you if you did.
I started classes on July 2nd and I start my position as the head athletic trainer at a high school at the end of the month. I’m super excited, but of course nervous as well. I just can’t wait to see what grad school brings in terms of growing and becoming a better clinician.
If you have any questions about sources and where things are from, feel free to comment below. Thanks for your continued support on the blog!
It’s been a minute since I’ve done a good ‘ole fashioned DIY!
I’ve recently become obsessed with scrunchies and have grown my collection to 11. I was thinking about how I wanted a cute way to display them for the bathroom and I got to thinking about how I could make my own.
I got to thinking about how the shape of a paper towel holder would work perfectly! You could just easily go out and buy one from the store, but they cost anywhere from $15-$25. I constructed my own for about $3!
Let’s start with the materials. I purchased a wooden dowel (7/8″ x 12″) and a wooden circular base. The dowel came in a 2 pack and was a little more than $2 and the circular base was 84 cents. I already had wood glue, white paint and polycrylic.
This project is pretty simple as far as DIYs go. I just lightly sanded the edges of the base so that it was smooth to the touch. Then I applied wood glue to the end of the wooden dowel and stuck on it the base. I waited about 30 mins and then painted it white! After the paint dried for about an hour, I added a clear polycrylic to seal it. This will help give it a smoother finish and prevent any paint from chipping off onto the scrunchies.And ta da – all done!
This was probably one of the easier DIYs I’ve done and it’s so useful! You could also do this to make your own paper towel holder. I may do that with the extra dowel.
I hope you enjoyed this simple DIY. Be on the lookout for a post about my new apartment in the near future!
I move into my grad school apartment on Friday. Friday… It’s fine, I’m fine, everything’s fine. I still have a ton of packing left to do, which is the worst part. I’m just so excited to get my room set up and decorated! I will definitely be posting about it as soon as it’s done.
Okay back to what I got on here to talk about! I was recently in Gatlinburg, Tennessee for work and when I was driving through the main strip, I saw a store for Savannah Bee Company. I first heard about this store from my best friend, Sabrina, who visited the original store in Savannah, Georgia. Check out her post here. This company is all about protecting the bees and they sell a wide range of products all made with honey!
The whole aesthetic of the store is very “me” and I loved every part of it. They had a wide selection of different flavors of honey and beauty products made with honey.
I ended up getting a peach flavored chapstick and a lemon flavored whipped honey. It was so delicious! I plan to put it on biscuits and maybe pancakes.
Today I wanted to talk about how you can get affordable art for your home. How many times have you seen a great print that you love and then cringe at the price tag? No more! I discovered so many shops on Etsy that sell digital prints for such great prices! Prints usually range from $5-$7 and you get several sizes sent to you immediately to download. You can then print them at home for free or take the file to a printing service place like FedEx and have them print it for a few bucks. If you already have a frame then you just got an awesome piece of artwork for under $10! But even if you have to buy a frame, you don’t have to break the bank.
I bought several prints from HEARTSinCOLORS for my new apartment for grad school! They have such a great selection for many different styles. I bought several frames from Target for super cheap and got one from Hobby Lobby while it was 50%. You could even get some from the Dollar Tree if you just wanted something simple.
Here are all the prints I got in their frames!
This one is going in the bathroom
I’m planning on hanging some of them on these awesome picture ledges I got from Target.
Buying the digital version of a print is so much cheaper in the long run than buying it “as-is” or already framed. Plus, you can print as many copies as you want! I will for sure be buying digital prints from here on out.
I’m super excited to move into my new apartment at the end of June! I will definitely be sure to share it with y’all after I get it all decorated.
This past weekend I went back to Indiana to see my former roommates and classmates graduate! It was so good to see everyone again and get to celebrate their accomplishments.
On the way there, located on State Route 37, is a somewhat newly opened shop called Mercantile 37. This shop had its grand opening September 29, 2018. It’s owned by father/son duo, J.R. and Nick Roudebush. Mercantile 37 carries items that range from vintage finds, repurposed furniture, locally crafted pottery, handmade signs and custom lighting and furniture. Attached is a coffee shop/cafe called Wheelers. You can read more about the history of Wheelers here.
I have passed this cute little shop several times on the way to school, but it seemed like every time I drove by, they were closed. I was super excited to see that they were open when I was driving back home, so I had to stop and check it out.
The exterior itself is so cute. I absolutely adore the string lights and brick with the painted logo. The inside is even better. If I were to open my own shop one day, it would be very similar to Mercantile 37. Just look at all of the vintage goodness!
Conference room for meetings
Wheelers Cafe
Wheelers Cafe
Wheelers Cafe
Isn’t it all just so dreamy?! I wish I was still close by so I could visit all the time! I did get a t-shirt so I can support their business by being a walking advertisement haha. If you live in the Muncie, Marion, Kokomo, Carmel or Anderson area you should definitely check Mercantile 37 out! Follow them on Instagram here.
Hey y’all!! It’s been a while. I should probably update you on what’s been going on in my life! I was recently offered a Graduate Assistantship position at Ohio University! I will be working as an Athletic Trainer at a local high school, while I earn my Post-Professional Master’s in Athletic Training! I’m super excited about this opportunity. I start classes July 1 so it’s coming up quickly! Okay back to today’s post.
I’m gonna be sharing 50 Farmhouse Finds Under $50. It can be tough to find decor that’s also affordable, so hopefully this guide will help your search! Check out this post about the best places to find farmhouse decor.
That’s 50 y’all! I hope this compilation helped give you an idea where to start your home decor collection. Have a great week!
Today I’m going to be sharing a ton of items that I’ve been loving lately! The list is long so let’s get started!
The first item is the PMD Clean. This is similar to the Clarisonic if you’re familiar with that; however, with the PMD Clean, the bristles are silicone, instead of nylon, so you never have to replace the brush head! It’s also waterproof, so you can take it in the shower with you. I got it from the PMD website with a 30% off code and got the travel case as well. The first two vibrations settings break down dirt and oil, providing a deep cleanse, and leaves your face feeling extra smooth! It comes in six color options and comes with a stand and AA battery. Since it’s battery-powered, you never have to worry about making sure it’s charged, which is definitely nice for travel! This device is actually two-sided – the back can be used to massage in serums using the third or fourth vibration modes. I don’t particularly use it for that, but it’s still a nice feature. I definitely recommend adding this item to your skincare routine! Read about mine here.
Staying in the skincare theme, I also picked up this Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Sleeping Mask. I have used this in the past and it is so so so good!! It helped get rid of a dry patch I had on my skin a while back and smells exactly like watermelon. I highly recommend it!
Next up are these anti-blue light glasses from Amazon! I saw these from several bloggers I follow and have always secretly wished I had a real pair with frames like these, so I decided to get them. I don’t necessarily get headaches or anything from looking at a computer or phone screen a lot, but I thought it couldn’t hurt to protect my eyes anyway, right? I partially wear them for looks and partially for what they’re supposed to do. I wear them at night if I’m on my phone or laptop right before bed. I also wore them at the last cheer competition I worked and noticed that the bright stage lights did not bother my eyes as much as when I didn’t wear them. The only thing that I don’t love about them is that they reflect light off of the outside really bad, but it doesn’t mess with you being able to see out of them. Other than that, I highly recommend them! I got them in the leopard print.
Another item I’ve been loving recently is the nail polish Lighten the Mood by Essie. I’ve been loving the neutral nail look lately and this is the perfect neutral with just a hint of pink. New favorite!
I recently purchased two maxi dresses, per the recommendation of one of my favorite bloggers, Sarah Joy Blog. I got an army green one and a white floral one. Normally I would wear a medium for a dress like this, but when I was reading the reviews, a lot of people said that they recommended sizing down. So I went with a small instead and I’m so glad I did! They fit perfectly and both of them have POCKETS!! These are perfect for a spring day, church, date night, or just a casual Saturday. They are both extremely soft and lightweight. I would recommend wearing a nude colored bra and underwear or wearing spandex/a slip under them because they are a little sheer. You can see that the white one is a little longer on me than the green one, but I think both of them are a good length. I am a little over 5′ 7″ so if you’re shorter than that, they would be floor length on you. They look great on their own or paired with a jean jacket.
I also recently just kind of became obsessed with hair accessories like scrunchies, hair scarves and headbands. The shorter white floral hair scarf is from Forever 21. The two longer hair scarves are from a local shop in Lexington called Violet’s Gifts. I got the white floral headband from American Eagle. The light pink headband is from H&M, but they didn’t have a link for it, so I’m linking a similar one from American Eagle. The light blue headband is from Anthropologie. These hair accessories are the perfect way to add some flair to your outfit and take it to the next level.
I also recently just kind of became obsessed with hair accessories like scrunchies, hair scarves and headbands. The shorter white floral hair scarf is from Forever 21. The two longer hair scarves are from a local shop in Lexington called Violet’s Gifts. I got the white floral headband from American Eagle. The light pink headband is from H&M, but they didn’t have a link for it, so I’m linking a similar one from American Eagle. The light blue headband is from Anthropologie. These hair accessories are the perfect way to add some flair to your outfit and take it to the next level.
That’s all for this Friday favorites! Have a great weekend 🙂
Target just recently launched their Hearth & Hand with Magnolia Spring/Easter Collection and I wanted to share some of my favorite pieces from the collection with you! Links will be below.
That little honey pot is my absolute favorite. I don’t eat honey, but I still think it would be cute style in the kitchen! I hope that gave you some spring/Easter inspiration on this cold day.
akentuckygirlsthoughts 