Dress up your wall!

Hey readers! (is anyone out there?)

Sorry for my long hiatus. Once again, grad school got the best of me (which is probably a good thing), but I'm back and ready to share some decorating ideas!

One of my favorite decorating ideas is the "wall montage."  Its a fun way to dress up a big boring wall with nick-knacks.  Its a way to combine old personal items, different aesthetics, and to express yourself!

Here are some beautiful ones that I found online:

When I moved into my new apartment in Nashville, I knew that I wanted to do a montage on one of my bedroom walls.  Our walls are stark white and painting would have been too much of a hassle, so the montage was a perfect way to give my wall a personality!

Here is the finished product to the right:
I started by looking through some of my old things at my parents house, which is where I found the "Madame" sign.  I bought it back in high school from Anthropologie when I was very into French design.  I also had an unfinished mirror that I purchased from Ikea.  Ikea has some really great decorating pieces that you can personalize by painting, so I used the same technique that I used on my sewing machine to give the plain square mirror some life!  I got the cross from an antique store, and it matched perfectly with the vintage style I was going for.  The three plates in the middle are from Homegoods and were $3-4 each.

Last, but not least, are my initials "KAR."  The initials are wooden letters I got from Michael's my freshman year in college (picture to the left).  They come unfinished, and I had originally painted them hot pink and lime green plaid to match my dorm room bedspread.  I used the same stripping materials I used for the sewing machine to remove the pink paint, which you can kind of still see.  Then painted the sides blue with acrylic paint and a small brush.  After I painted the sides and let them dry I found some old wallpaper in the attic. I traced the letters onto the wallpaper, cut it out and then applied it with hot glue!

Here's how the wall looks up against my bed!  I think it matches great!  My roommate helped me hang all of the items and we used the "handy level" iPhone app, free :-).

I was able to achieve a beautiful statement at a low price using old items, inexpensive new purchases, and crafted pieces.

Happy bargain decorating!

Kirsten

Flashback to gradeschool...Lunch packing 101

Every grad student knows we spend a lot of time on campus in the lab, library, or classroom either studying, sleeping, lounging, eating, whining about studying... One of the best ways I've found to save money is by bringing my meals to campus instead of going out every day. 

Depending on my schedule, I try to pack enough food that I will be satisfied and also have a snack in case class runs over.  The key, however, is to have a variety of packable foods so that you don't get bored with your lunchbox day in and out. When you begin your program, you will most likely get a tour of your facilities and be shown your student lounge.  Most lounges have a refrigerator and a microwave, so you can keep this in mind if you want to bring microwavable soup or a frozen meal!

Lilly Pulitzer lunch box

First, you have to get a good lunchbox that will be big enough for your meals and also insulate your food to the right temperature.  I carry a Lilly Pulitzer lunchbox (right) that I love because it's the perfect size and has a fun print.  I got it for about $20, and it has been well worth the investment.  You should also invest in a small icepack that you can put in with your food so it doesn't spoil (especially if you're packing a milk product, or leftovers that need to be refrigerated).  Its always good to remember to pack a napkin and also any utensils that you may need to eat your meal.

Here are two examples of lunch boxes that I've packed recently.  I like to mix it up and try to buy things that will pack easily in a lunch like individually bagged crackers, hummus, yogurt, durable fruit, sandwiches, cans of soda, etc.  You may want to invest in a set of Tupperware so that you don't have to go through plastic baggies everyday, but its up to you!

 The lunch on the left has an individual serving of hummus, pretzel chips that i put in a ziplock baggie, an orange, a can of DDP (my fave), yogurt (with a spoon), and a laughing cow cheese.  The lunch on the right has a salad with dressing on the side, crackers, and pretzel M&Ms (my guilty pleasure). Both lunches have enough to keep me satisfied for the day, give me a range of food groups, and are tasty!  The salad especially is one of my favorites to pack for lunch and the recipe is listed below.

Spinach and Peach Salad, complements of my mother!

• Baby spinach, I buy the grocery store bagged spinach and use about a cup
• Handful of blueberries
• 1/2 Peach diced
• Handful Macadamia nuts
• Poppyseed dressing

 Mix the first four ingredients together and put in a Tupperware.  Put about 2 tablespoons of dressing in a separate Tupperware.  Remember to pack a fork!  Very simple, really good, and healthy :-)

Here are some other great lunchbox options, all of which can be ordered online:

Vera Bradley lunch box, $12.99

Built lunch box, $17.15

L.L. Bean lunchbox, $15.95

Enjoy!
Kirsten