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The Big 2-1 (Four Days and Counting)

It's hard to believe that my twenty-first birthday is this coming Monday. This twentieth year has just flown by! I started my junior year at Bucknell in August, created this blog in November, left for France in January, landed my internship in June, and suddenly another year has gone by and it's time for one chapter to end and another to begin. It has been a big year for me in virtually every regard and I can't wait to see what the future has in store! Humor me with a little reflection on a few of my favorite memories...
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Living in Europe for six months was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I will cherish forever and ever. My French host family and I were cut from the same cloth and I feel so fortunate to have met and gotten to know them to the extent that I did.
My semester abroad was a catalyst for what I'd like to think is remarkable personal growth. Do you remember my little personal victory at Villandry? I'll never forget it. I ended the semester feeling significantly more independent and naturally more worldly (and maybe even a teeny tiny bit better with maps? I won't push my luck).
While I miss dearly my Parisian cafés and jardins, I have a truly embarrassing number of photographs to help me savor those memories. I was heartbroken to say au revoir à la fin du semestre but I was so very ready to return home to my loving [American] family and friends. It has been a joy to reunite with my East Coast pals and I can't wait to see everyone else on campus in a few short weeks.
I feel endlessly fortunate to have met Monsieur Adler so shortly after my return and to have had the opportunity to work in his occasionally glamorous and always hilarious Soho studio for the summer.
I owe my parents for the road trip we took to my beloved Bucknell in central Pennsylvania to decorate my new boudoir. I am so delighted with the progress we've made and so excited for (okay, and a little overwhelmed by) all that's left to be done!

I'm looking forward to lots more lovely inspiration in the months to come and I'll hope you'll stay tuned for some exciting new developments in my neck of the woods. 

It would make me one very happy twenty-one-year-old to have you all along for the ride!

Craigslisting

Patience is a virtue — one with which I was not blessed. I imagine I'll spend much of my day at JA wondering whether this beautiful campaign baby will still be available when I get home from work...
So I can snatch it up and make magic:
Cross your fingers for me!

P.S. I'm totally getting into Twitter — follow me here

Someone Get Married!

I'm far away from getting married myself but I've been dying to attend a wedding. Won't someone volunteer? I want all the fun of picking out dresses and flowers and decor without the commitment of actually tying the knot myself. Mostly I'd just like an excuse to take a spin through J.Crew's new Bridal Boutique at 769 Madison Avenue in New York.
Top-to-bottom gorgeousness. The styling of the bookshelves, the clean lines of the brassy desk, the amazing floor detail...
More beautiful built-ins and fabulous flooring.
How stunning is the fur vest over the wedding dress on the left? Genius!
Unexpected blue paint creates a fun little vignette in what appears to be a dressing room. Take me there!

Dining Rooms for Dinner Parties

I had such a lovely evening celebrating my bestie's birthday party in New York yesterday and it made me think of how important it is to have a space that's large enough to entertain in but cozy enough to feel intimate and special. You know, something along these lines...


...each with enough room for six or eight to eat comfortably and a fabulous piece of statement artwork that gets the conversation going if the wine doesn't. Which is your favorite?

Friday Finds

A certain neo-traditionalist finally became Mrs. Armour...

Christina of Full House posted an airy and unconventionally angular bathroom...

Joanna of A Cup of Jo shared the most adorable baby pictures of her friend's newborn napping...


Design*Sponge featured the work of Lori Danelle, an unbelievably talented Etsy seller...

Crystal of Plush Palate and Rue Magazine posted adorable candids of two major style icons...
Mrs. Lilien celebrated sunshine with a characteristically gorgeous collage...
and I covered the First Lady's style...
and decorating dorm rooms

Wishing you a happy and fun-filled weekend. What are you up to? I'll see you all on Monday!

Dorm Room Design

I was so excited when Tenia, one of my loyal readers, emailed me about decorating her daughter's first dorm room. The challenge couldn't be more age-appropriate as I'll be entering my senior year at Bucknell next month. It was so important to me to create a home away from home that reflected my own style as opposed to the typical dorm decor of drinking posters and Christmas lights. 
Tenia's daughter Emma (isn't she adorable?) will be attending McNeese State University in Iowa in the fall, where she intends to major in nursing.
Her mom fell in love with this bedroom decorated by Camila of High-Heeled Foot in the Door and admits that this space inspired the palette for Emma's current bedroom. If Tenia loves turquoise, yellow, and navy and Emma says her favorite color is blue, I see no reason why we can't use this room as our inspiration for the new dorm room!
In reality, Emma will probably inherit something more along these lines: white walls, wood furniture, industrial flooring, and limited space. Now how do we put a personal stamp on that
For starters, we'll need to inject a little color onto those drab white walls. Since painting isn't an option, I recommend hanging Urban Outfitters' Atlas Tapestry ($36) across a blank wall. Lame college posters can't compare to the visual impact this will make and the color is positively perfect for recreating the happy vibe of Camila's guest room.
For a second wall, Emma already owns this print (available at Dazey Chic, $23). Her mom will also be making her a bulletin board to pin pictures of family and friends — how cute!
Let's fill in that wall with a few more prints like Janice J's A Scribble in the Sky ($23) Funnel Cloud's Zinnia Lino Print ($14), and Courage and Cowards' High Wheel Bicycle ($25) — and of course lots of pictures of family and friends to remind her of home.
Moving right along, let's talk bedding. I love Urban Outfitters' Seed Stitch Quilt ($58) for two reasons: the price is great and it's reversible! Both the white and the yellow will work beautifully in Emma's space.
Let's add a couple throw pillows for good measure. Don't you love Ivie Made's Aqua Blue Bow Pillow Cover ($44)? Her Turkish Delight Pillow Cover ($34) even incorporates every shade in our color palette!
We've got turquoise and yellow covered so now it's time for a little navy. Why not cover up those linoleum tiles (or worse, old carpet) with something more foot-friendly? I love the price and the print of Urban Outfitters' 4'x6' Indigo Geo Rug ($48).

Since you're all aware of my love for workspaces, you can bet that my desk has always been a focal point of my past dorm rooms. For Emma's room, let's begin with Pottery Barn Teen's Hi-Light Task Lamp ($59 for a limited time only) — I have it in white and love it! 
I'm also a big fan of The Container Store's desk accessories, particularly their Clear Divided Tray ($10). It's ideal for keeping desk drawers organized but it's cute enough to leave in plain view as well!
A cute finishing touch is Urban Outfitters' Coming and Going Coat Rack ($68), a colorful way to keep rain jackets and winter coats off the floor.
On a slightly more pragmatic note, I also fell in love with Urban Outfitters' Ruffle Laundry Bag ($36), which will make the requisite chore at least a little more fun.

What do you think of my plans for Emma's dorm room? I hope she and her mom love it!

Winding Down

Can it be that summer is so close to over? My birthday is a short twelve days away and soon after that I'll be heading back to my beloved Bucknell to finish decorating my new boudoir. Is your summer flying by like mine seems to be? Here's to spending the final weeks of summer taking time to smell the roses...
put on your most glamorous pair of shades...
get your toes (or pumps) in the sand...
swim in salt water...
throw a summer soirée...
or an afternoon picnic...
complete with seasonal treats...
or spend a lazy afternoon on the back of a boat...
plan some quality time with the ones you love...
particularly those of the canine variety...
and smile through the rest of the summer!