Im Back, and with a New Room!

Hey everyone! Sorry for the hiatus, this summer has been the busiest of my life. I've lived out of a suitcase all summer. Moving from place to place gave me so much anxiety, but it also got me more and more excited to move into my new TOWNHOUSE   !!!!!
Now a full apartment tour will be posted later once all of our rooms are fully decorated, but I do want to share my little slice of heaven.

I have been so in love with Gallery Walls, and I knew I wanted to incorporate one into my room. Here is how I created mine:

• To create a gallery wall setup I used Microsoft Publisher to mock up the shapes and design of the layout. 
• I knew I had different sized frames and colors so I used Publisher to create a color scheme
• I shrunk my prints and used Publisher to rearrange them until I found the perfect placement.
• I was inspired by all things preppy, dancey,  and fashion inspired... aka me:)
• I picked watercolors as I enjoyed the look of the blurred lines.
• (check out Inslee by Design, she's my favorite)
• I purchased three larger white acrylic frames and two smaller frames from IKEA.
• Next I spray painted frames I already owned to match my new decor
• Then I incorporated 3-D elements to add some texture to my wall,

•  (i.e. pointe shoes and a gold "R")
• Lastly, I laid it all out on my bed before hanging it up.
•  I used a measuring tape, and the leveler app on my iPhone to hang the pictures.

This is my final product, but I might add more!

I had so much fun mixing and matching prints and colors, let me know what you think. I will post more about my new townhouse and all of my DIY decorating soon!

-Good to be back :)
-XOXO

Back to School Essentials

Back to School Essentials by restover featuring light weight shoes

The North Face clothing
backcountry.com

Hunter lined boots
moosejaw.com

NIKE light weight shoes
jcpenney.com

Tory Burch green bag
$140 - italist.com

The North Face backpacks bag
thenorthface.com

Longchamp shoulder bag
$110 - harrods.com

Lilly Pulitzer Large 17-Month Agenda
nordstrom.com

Shopping Haul. New Trends/ Old Habbits

So my mother visited me in Durham this week and we went on a little shopping extravaganza!
So in my previous post, I was stating the importance of basics and being able to mix and match to make the most out of a limited wardrobe!  This is completely true, however, I do like to go a little crazy on a fun printed piece. I also bought a Jumpsuit... yes a jumpsuit, not sure exactly how confident I will be to wear it! While I scored some basics, I also bought some great fun pieces that I will mix in with my wardrobe, to add some spice to the black and white mecca that is my closet.
Here's what I scored :

this is the whole haul!

I got two pair of black fabric shorts, one a little more casual, and a new pair of high wasted acid wash shorts. I love high wasted shorts because I can tuck flowy tops into them for a dressier look!

Okay drum roll..... This is the new romper/jumpsuit. Now, they are still black and white so I didn't go too crazy! ( Pictures of how I style them to come later)

My new maxi! I'm in love, its actually long enough.. which never happens. And this is my new Kimono from Target, super cute and goes with everything!

Finally some new palazzo pants,new blouses, black and white of course! and a pair of nude strappy sandles 

Summer Essentials (making the most out of a limited wardrobe)

Okay I've been busy, and I mean like really really busy. In fact I've never been so busy in my life.
Internships are hard but honestly I'm having an amazing time in Durham and I love my job.
However... it is real hot down here yall. The heat index is over 100 degrees, and has been this way for a week. So I've been trying super hard to wear my cool fabric shorts and flowy sundresses, but I only have so much... The thing is, basics go a long way.
While I may love that really cool printed shirt. the white one in the same style will go with five things in my wardrobe verses, the one pair of shorts the printed one works with.
Frugality is my job not my passion
By that I mean I have to really take time to consider how things work appropriately within my wardrobe instead of making impulse buys. However, I love fun prints and bright colors and sometimes I splurge.
You have to be a smart shopper. Luckily the summertime is easier because there is less clothing. And by that... I mean things are smaller and I dont wear as many layers.

My Summer Basics include:

• Fabric Shorts
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• Black Maxi Skirt
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• Solid Blousy Tops
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• High Waisted Jean Shorts
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• Various Strapless Solid Shirts
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• Solid Sundresses
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• My Jacks
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• Statement Necklace

Having Solids makes life easier when mixing and matching, I can throw a statement necklace on, and completely transform an outfit. Or I add wedges to a daytime outfit and BAM! instantly dressed to go out. I love summer clothes, however I have to be smart when purchasing basics that will transform outfits cross-seasonally!

What are your summer basics?

So You're Gonna Be An Intern....

I am so very excited to set off on my new adventure as an Intern at American Dance Festival.

I will be at Duke University for the next two months working my little tushy off.
 As I embark on this new journey here are some things I believe will make this transition easier:

1. A Confident New Outfit
Nothing like starting a new job with a new outfit that makes you smile. I picked up this new Lilly Pulitzer dress in Resort White Red Right Return. The cotton is so soft and it's the perfect length for versatile use.


2. Multivitamins
 Staying healthy is the key factor in being happy and being successful.


3. Little Snacks 
I love a great trail mix and dried fruit to satisfy those mid-day cravings. Also anything with chocolate is deliciously scrumptious.


4. Notebooks
I picked up these from Target the other day. I love to keep little notebooks near by to journal or make lists. These prints are cheery and bright!

5. Books for Down Time
While I will have a loaded work week , any lunch breaks I have will be filled with reading! I like to escape for a little while and go read outside while I have lunch!


6. Be Your True Self
I cant stress the importance of staying true to the person you are. Happiness will be much more attainable if you are confident and self-secure within the work environment!

What are your tips for starting a new internship?

That Moment You Realize You Have To Much Stuff And No Place To Put It...

Its time to purge, and I mean really purge.
Finals are over and I'm back home for a couple weeks before an internship.
While moving out of my dorm and into my new townhouse ( pictures to come soon), I realized I had way way way too much stuff. I'm taking about memorabilia that has forgotten memories, duplicates of makeup and sprays that I don't use, clothes that shrunk in the wash, and random clothing that I told myself "I'll wear it to a costume party". Well that party never happened and I still have a pile of clothes I never wear. So its come time to purge my life.
Here is how I started:


<---( This is my new Chevy Equinox, Stuffed with maybe 1/5 of the stuff I brought home.. I have a problem)


Clothes:
Probably the easiest to go through,

If I haven't worn it in a year I either donate it or try to take it to Clothes Mentor or Platos Closet to grab a couple bucks.

I go through my current season hanging clothes, then my drawers. Next, I tackle the scary bins under my bed holding gosh knows what... like my old dance costumes I haven't worn in seven years.
Finally its time to look at my shoes and purses, I'm pretty good with dwindling these down as I go, so this task was easier.


Makeup:
Mascara goes bad, lotion gets gross, and how many eye shadow palettes does a girl really need?

I had one too many clinique palettes that I don't  use, so I tossed them. Make sure to go through your eye products! Expiration dates that have passed can cause the product to produce an eye bacteria that can cause inflammation when applied.

Sprays, Lotions
How many bath and body works body sprays do I need? answer... maybe one

They are cheap and over bearing, I prefer one musky vanilla scent that I wear year round,  and  Marc Jacobs Daisy & Clinique Happy perfume. So everything else? Gone!



Unwanted bedding:
Bigger bed means a bunch of sheets  I don't need: Time to toss those!


Electornic clutter:
Victoria Secret and Pottery Barn email me four times a day...

I went through my inbox and organized everything into folders and trashed all of the unnecessary stuff.  This was a huge relief and  a super easy way to calm my OCD tendencies. Have you ever used unroll me? It's a great website that trashes all of those email subscriptions you don't want anymore! Try it!!!


How do you purge your unwanted belongings?

Earth Day- Clothing Swap

One of my absolute favorite things to do is a clothing swap. Either with friends or dancers, I have been a part of several swaps and they have always turned out positive. Earth Day was April 22nd so the Dance Majors organized an inner department clothing swap. We often have leotards and spandex that we don't necessary want to donate due to their specificity, so sharing them between one another was a great way to reuse and recycle.

Here are some things to think about when holding a clothing swap:

• Go through your closet seasonally. If you haven't worn it, donate it! Collect a pile gradually, 
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• Don't forget about unwanted hair accessories, purses, shoes, and even old costumes.
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• Make sure what you donate is something you aren't attached to! Don't be an Indian giver and ask for it back!
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• Make sure to donate the remaining garments to a Goodwill! (p.s. you can write this off on taxes)

Have you received goodies from a clothing swap?