Step Into My Month

Wow, long time no talk and boy have I missed all of you. I feel like I am always saying life is busy but I don't think I've had a busier time in my life than right now. Don't you worry though because not all of the busy has been school related and there has been some fun sprinkled all about. It has been so hard to have to prioritize stuff aside from blogging but I do hope that y'all understand that even when there is a spell of time where I am away there is nothing I'd love to be doing more than coming up with new content and being creative in order to post on here! 

The last time we talked was over my spring break weeks ago. So since I've failed to keep y'all in the loop with Step Into My Week posts I only thought it would be fitting to come back to you with a Step Into My Week Month post. 

Spring break was restful and relaxing for the most part. Although I really should have gotten a lot more school work accomplished than I did I was productive in a different sense (i.e. cooler painting for a fraternity formal) and the relaxation was much needed although I like to pretend that I can function nonstop successfully and with ease. I spent most of my spring break at home aside from going to our beach house for a couple of days to spend some time with my grandmother and I can't tell you how nice it is to be at home in a quiet environment with less responsibility when your semester seems to be flying by with everything to do and not enough time to do it. Coffee went back to being a luxury as opposed to a necessity and there was plenty of time to sleep, relax, and catch up on Netflix. 

As I mentioned, there was also a whole lot of cooler painting to do while at home since I was coming back from the break with a busy week filled with all things initiation for our new members. As president a lot of this fell onto my shoulders and I got a lot less sleep than I would have preferred so I was pretty much determined to have the cooler painted and ready for the following weekend by the time I came back to school. I'm also a little bummed I didn't take any better photos of it before giving it to my date since it took so much longer than I ever would have anticipated. To anyone painting a cooler all I have to say is best of luck, it is quite the undertaking.

 

So after a nice break at home it was straight back into the stress of spring semester. Fortunately, initiation was super successful and more serious than it has been in years past so that was a huge relief seeing as I felt like all of my time and energy was going into it to make the whole event special for our new initiates. After initiation we have a dinner and our basket ceremony in which the new initiates are showered in all of the KD gear they could ever imagine. Our family of three is back to being a family of four and we couldn't be more excited! 

 

 Initiation occurred on Wednesday so the rest of the week was spent catching up on sleep, celebrating St. Patricks day with friends, and getting ready for formal that weekend. The formal I attended took place on Tybee Island and ended up being such a blast and was just what I needed after a busy week. Although ignoring school work all weekend was a bit stressful a ton of KDs were there too and it was awesome to be able to hangout with them there. 

*The dress I wore is my roommates (thank Soph!) and I found it in a long version but can't seem to locate the exact one in the photos above. 

We came back on Sunday afternoon and that night we had chapter and I forced myself to be productive with the crazy school week combined with greek week ahead. I somehow managed to make it through and get everything done on time even though there were times when I definitely questioned whether or not that would be the case. Fortunately though we had a short week because of Easter this past weekend. I couldn't justify two days of travel for two days at home so I actually ended up staying on campus which was a bit odd but fortunately my roommate and a few other friends were on campus as well. I was able to catch up on sleep, be productive on my own terms, go hiking, watch an embarrassing amount of Gilmore Girls, and even make myself an Easter dinner that I'd like to think rivaled what my family was eating at home. 

 

Whew, you still there? I hope to have some new posts up for you soon but in the mean time I would love to know what you've been up to or if you have any specific requests for what you want to see in blog posts to come!

DIY Tassel Crossbody {Rebecca Minkoff Sofia Tassel Bag Lookalike}

Bright colors and anything tasseled are sure to make my eyes twinkle. There was no hope at all when I came across this Rebecca Minkoff Tassel Crossbody well… that is until I saw the price. While I loved the look I just couldn't justify spending $250 on the bag. So, I decided to come up with a solution to have my cake (have my money) and eat it too (and the purse too) by creating my own. I don't think I've been as excited about a DIY project since I created a fun pom pom tote (which is still in use in my room) this summer. 

Super easy and well under the original price tag (we're talking more like $30) this is a no-brainer DIY that I will surely be sporting all spring and summer. 

In addition to be reasonably priced this is also an extremely easy DIY. Not much talent needed aside from tying knots and cutting holes! For supplies you'll need:

cross body bag  (I used this exact one) // tassels (could make your own but linked are so easy and well made) // scissors // thin leather strips (if you use the bag linked you can cut it from the middle of the original tassel attached) // fishing line

1. After gathering all of your supplies you'll need to either take your strip of leather or if using the bag I've linked and used then you can just cut the pieces from its original tassel. I highly recommend this since the tassel is thick enough that you won't be able to tell and it's guaranteed to match the bag! 

PS. While you're on Old Navy's site shopping for this bag be sure to look at their new arrivals because they have some super cute things! 

2. Next you'll need to cut a slit into the front of the bag. If you're comfortable eye balling it then go for that but you could also mark it. In total you'll need to cut 4 slits but be sure to leave an appropriate amount of room between the top and bottom ones! 

3. After cutting your slits go ahead and put your leather through the slit and tie a knot. 

This is how it should look once you're done tying the knots and cutting the slits! 

4. Now it's time to start tying on the tassels. Definitely decide how you want to arrange your tassels and start with whichever tassel will be on the bottom in the center. Start by tying the fishing line directly to the tassel and then tie about four knots to attach it to the strip. 

5. Do the same thing with the remaining tassels and cut the excess fishing line! 

6. Fluff the tassels a little and make sure that all fishing line is cut and there you have it, your own version of a designer bag perfect for spring and summer at a fraction of the price! 

Right after tying the last tassel I started using mine and I was impressed with how much the bag fits! There is also a nice large pocket in the inside that fits my phone or a pair of sunglasses! An easy and fashionable DIY that hopefully y'all will attempt! 

I'd love to know what you think! If you decide to make one be sure to send pictures my way. I am so tempted to to make another with other color combinations of tassels. Boo and Boo factory has so many options to choose from I'm lucky I made a decision at all! 

Spring Break Playlist

It's Wednesday meaning my spring break is half way over and I still have yet to open my backpack (to do lots of work) or complete my cooler, tasks that should be accomplished before leaving! However, I have spent some of my free time when I haven't been relaxing making a fun spring break playlist that I thought y'all might enjoy. Whether your on spring break currently or need a little bit of encouragement in the library (with headphones in of course) to get you through some of those last assignments before your own vacation this smorgasbord of music will hopefully put you in a good mood!  

Happy Hump Day!

Let me know what you think of sharing playlists, it's not something I've done in a while but if you're a fan of it maybe I'll do it occasionally. Also, be on the lookout for a SUPER FUN do it yourself post tomorrow. 

Step Into My Week

Happy Monday! I feel like I can say this more genuinely since I'm officially on spring break and am beach bound! Last week felt like it lasted much longer than it should have but that is likely due to my excitement to head home on Friday after class. I had a test to kick the week off and felt myself getting a bit sick so took a solid 2 hours nap before working out that afternoon. The rest of the week was filled with smaller assignments, meetings, and packing up to finally come home. I am always so impressed with the number of people who can go on group spring break trips and come back to school energized (and tan) without feeling a bit of burnout. Because of that I actually prefer to come home and relax and attempt to take a break from all of my at school responsibilities. I am headed to our beach house for today and tomorrow and am eager to hangout there and relax by the water as my way of getting in a bit of a traditional spring break.

*image from this weeks post: How I Organize My Day Designer

One little luxury that I love to keep in my room on occasion is fresh flowers. I couldn't help but snag these tulips the other days when I passed them in the store. Tulips always remind me of home since my town has flowers planted all throughout our downtown area so these were extra fitting as a bit of encouragement this week. 

Fun coverups have seem to be a staple when it comes to packing for the beach and the pool and the SUNDRESS brand continues to be the most popular on Instagram from what I can tell. While they are so cute I couldn't justify purchasing one from this brand last year when I first saw them and ended up finding an INCREDIBLY similar one on SheIn.com. Fortunately enough for all of us, they brought back this design again this year and it's under $20!

Friday Nell and I drove home together which definitely makes the long haul a bit more fun! This time we mixed our trip up a bit by listening to an audio book (Anne of Green Gables, a childhood favorite for both of us) and making a more fun pit stop than our typical Chipotle or Chickfila. We went to the Varsity in Atlanta and got a quick lunch and a Frosted Orange for the road which seemed like a good treat to kick off spring break. 

 

After dropping Nell off and finally being back near my stomping grounds it was sunset making my welcome home especially pretty! South Carolina sunsets are definitely rivaled by sunsets over the bay!

  

This weekend has been very relaxed as I have been enjoying spending some time with my parents and catching up on a bit of sleep. On Saturday we had crawfish (my favorite) on our front porch and I fell asleep watching Harry Potter. This morning I woke up and went for a run and then this afternoon we went for a long walk by the water since the weather was perfect. While I wish the rest of my week would remain to be this relaxed I know that going back to school will be a lot easier if I get some work accomplished (including paining a cooler for a fraternity formal). Lucky for me I have lots of favorite coffee shops that would be more than willing to keep me caffeinated in order to accomplish these endeavors. 

I hope your week is off to a fantastic start! 

Spring Break Inspiration

I feel like Annie right about now singing "tomorrow, tomorrow [spring break] will come out tomorrow!" Oh, you didn't learn that version? I digress. If you've stayed up to date on my posts this week then you're probably growing tired of my countdown especially if you still have a bit of time before your own personal spring break. Regardless of the fact that it's not exactly spring just yet (it's currently 36 degrees outside…) I am ecstatic for this break to begin and for bright colors to come back into existent after hiding away this winter.

With my excitement of the break and on the note of bright colors I decided to browse some of my favorite online retailers for the perfect pieces that provide just the right amount of spring break inspiration for you! 

espadrilles // blue lens ray ban aviators ($24!) // coverup (same style different color under $20) // 

scallop bikini // tassel crossbody // duffle bag // beach radio // tassel earrings //

orange off shoulder dress // pink sandals // panama hat // baseball hat // nail polish // flamingo float

pom pom tote (DIY here) // pink nail polish // nude sandals (got these last year and wore them all summer long) // turquoise scallop bag // pink necklace (great cause)

 pineapple float // phone case // flamingo shirt // 

Now if only someone would take me somewhere tropical! 

Which pieces are your favorite? 

How I Organize My Day Designer // Agenda Organization

If you've been following along for a while then I am nearly positive that you are aware of how much I love a good planner and a solid organization strategy! In the past some of my most viewed posts have been about how I organize my planner. Ever since about half way through last semester I realized that my Jumbo Lilly Pulitzer one just wasn't going to cut it anymore as my schedule got busier and I took on larger roles in various organizations. I had heard all about the Day Designer from a few friends and decided to bite the bullet and purchase one to start using once the new year came around and I haven't looked back since. 

The thing that is unique about the Day Designer is that it has a page dedicated to each day of the year. I was super hesitant to try this out since I am a very visual person and liked seeing all that I had due in a given week on two pages side by side. This has forced me to really start to better utilize the monthly calendar view which is a perfectly fair trade considering I adore being able to fill up a page of my planner with what I have going on hour by hour alongside a to-do list.

I honestly can't recommend it enough and love taking a bit of time each morning to completely plan out what I have going on during a given day while also writing down the tasks I need to accomplish. For those of you concerned by the amount of space it may take up since there is a page per day I would say do not worry about that considering mine slides perfectly into the front pocket of my backpack without sacrificing any other space. I know this definitely won't be my last time to purchase (and completely rely on) a Day Designer planner.

I have always been a huge fan of color coordinating my agendas and I knew that I wanted to do that with my Day Designer as well. I swear by Le Pens and have used the same ones for about 3 years now (worth the investment!) and the best part is that in addition to writing really smoothly they don't bleed through the pages! At the start of each semester I take a post-it note and assign each class and activity a different color pen! For reference: Pink - Kappa Delta // Orange - Social // Grey - General Events // Green - MTH 301 // Light Blue - EDU 331 // Royal Blue - EDU 333 // Turquoise - REL 310. I use this color coating both on the daily pages and on the calendar overview. After a week or two I automatically start associating each color with its class and don't even have to reference the post-it note. 

The daily pages are set up in a really user friendly way with lines to fill in what you are doing during specific times of the day from 5 am to 9 pm on the left hand side and check boxes for your ever growing to do list on the right side of the page. Above those are a place to write down your top three things to do on a given day, what you have due, dinner plans, and a don't forget section. While I don't always utilize each of those boxes it is nice to have them on especially busy days! Also at the top of each page is a quote and as silly as it sounds I love flipping the page to see which quote will be next! 

When filling out the hourly lines I like to write in generally what I'll be doing at that given time whether it be class, the library, laundry, meetings, or even the errands I need to run. If I have a test or big assignment due in a given class I also include that in the hourly section just as an extra reminder! The to-do list section is definitely what I utilize best as I write down just about everything I need to accomplish. In my opinion with organizing an agenda there is nothing more satisfying than crossing off something on your to-do list! 

For the weekends the agenda is organized so that both weekend days are on the same page which is useful since I usually have less going on on Saturday and Sunday than I do during the rest of the week! I don't typically actually use the hour times on these pages and instead write down generally what I need to get done over the weekend. My favorite part of the weekend pages are the overview boxes at the bottom of the page to fill in what all I have going on the following week. This is a great way for me to get an idea of how hectic my next week will be before the weekend is over so that I can prepare accordingly! I keep this part color coordinated as well and try my best to include meetings, assignments, and tests as well as any other exciting events for the week to come. 

I would love to know how y'all organize your agendas or if you also use a Day Designer?

Shop some of my agenda essentials below! Sadly my exact color Day Designer is sold out but I have included some of the other fun color choices instead!