Pattern Mixing

What did Emily do yesterday?  Let me tell you what she did yesterday.  She posted pictures of her mixing patterns.  We're talking stripes and a patterned skirt from Anthropologie.  And do you want to know something?  She rocked it.  And it started me thinking how much I love pattern mixing but I rarely do it.  So in the spirit of being open to new things, here are some other wonderful examples of mixing patterns.

Emily

Stripes & Florals

Pink Florals & Stripes

Gingham & Florals

And for the home...

Patterned Pillows

Red White & Blue

Mint & Navy

Blue & Lilac

Images: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

Weekend Snapshots

Let's talk about this weekend.  Friday was kind of the absolute perfect mix between productivity and super enjoyable things for me.  I woke up to the doorbell ringing.  And what was left at the door?  My new running shoes! Yes.  I put them on immediately and refused to take them off until I went out in public and decided they didn't go so well with the dress I was wearing.  That same day I also got Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray in the mail.  For free.  I was walking down my stairs to venture outside and I was literally thinking at that very moment how I was having such a wonderful day and didn't know how it could get any better.  THEN lo and behold, right next to my mailbox was sitting the package with the surf spray.  I won it from one of the many competitions I've entered.  Don't you just love it when that happens?


Later that day I walked to a coffee shop and spent some good quality time working on a job application.  Friday night was a surprise going away party for one of my very best friends from high school.  The surprise was pulled off without a hitch and it was an amazing night with lots of great friends.  

The rest of my weekend was pretty standard.  There was running, lots of reading, grocery shopping and Olympic watching.  Overall I would say it was pretty successful by my standards.

Asics Kayanos.  The only shoes I'll run in. // I LOVE getting free things in the mail.

This is where I spent my Friday night. // I can't even explain to you how amazing this dip is.

The many trails of Minneapolis. // Love this city.

The Rest of Summer

Where. is. summer. going?  Seriously.  I know I talk about fall all the time (and don't get me wrong, I am very excited for my favorite season!).  But at the same time, it's always a shock to me how quickly the summer months fly by.  And maybe it's just making me think of how quickly time flies by in general.  Either way, it is slightly unnerving.  And what is a girl to do when she feels slightly unnerved?  Do something calming.  My version of calming? Make a to-do list for what I want to accomplish by the end of the summer.

1. Learn to play at least two more songs on the guitar. // 2.  Go to movies in the park again. // 3. Finish Pillars of the Earth. // 4.  Go on a weekend trip to Chicago. // 5.  Make a point to keep in touch with close friends.  I found out today that my roommate from freshman year (who I got along with SO well) just moved to South Korea and will be teaching there for a year.  I haven't seen her since last July.  Holy reality check.  I need to make more of an effort to stay in touch with friends now that we're all starting to branch off in our post-college years. // 6. Blog blog blog.  Every weekday.  As if I could stop thinking about my blog for a day! // 7. Have more moments where I stop and actually enjoy myself.  I was talking to my roommate yesterday about how we're going to look back at this summer when we were interning and job searching and had extra free time and all we'll remember was how stressed we were.  It's possible to be productive without being so stressed.  I need to remind myself of that. // 8.  Get outside in this beautiful city more often. // 9.  Be healthy.  I'm always trying to make small conscious steps to be healthier.  Because when I'm eating well and working out, everything in my life seems to operate better.

Chicago image via

Rules of the {College} Bedroom

Let's talk bedrooms today.  College bedrooms.  I know most people's vision of a college bedroom or a college home in general is anything but inviting.  But I don't believe in skimping on a place where I spend so much of my time.  I sleep in my bedroom, I used to do endless hours of studying in my bedroom (along with a healthy dose of facebook checking & youtube watching), and I write almost all of my blog posts from my bedroom.  I personally want it to be a nice place to spend time.

So, as promised, and with a bit of inspiration from Emily, here are my rules of the bedroom.

1) Two words.  Satin. Pillowcases.  There's less friction than with cotton pillowcases, and therefore less frizz.  Sign me up any day for something that promises less frizz.

2) Fresh air.  In Minnesota, I would say it is probably only possible to sleep with my windows open 1/4 of the time.  It's either too cold in the winter or too hot and humid in the summer.  But when it is the perfect weather, I love taking advantage of the crisp breeze and fresh air.

3) Lamps. Lamps. Lamps. And candles.  I am not a big fan of overhead lighting, so I always pick lamps for my bedroom.  I love candles, too.  They provide the perfect ambiance.  This past winter (before we realized that our heat wasn't working) I even used them to try to heat my room before going to sleep.  Sagas of a college student.

4) Framed pictures.  I don't love trinkets or any decorative pieces that don't have another purpose, but one thing that I do love are framed pictures.  I have a collage in my room of some of my very favorite pictures and a painting in the middle that I got from Paris when I was 17.

5) Natural light! And pretty drapes to block it.  I got my floor length drapes from Target last fall and I love them.  They look so elegant (or at least I hope they do!) and make my room feel taller than it is.

6) Organized office space.  Because college bedrooms usually also function as offices, it's important to me to keep my desk organized and minimalistic.  I don't have drawers so I bought magazine files to hold folders and to act as book ends.

7) A comfy bed, that's always made.  I've made it a habit to make my bed every morning because it starts my day off on a productive note and it makes everything look nicer.

8) Improvised headboard.  Let's say you're a college student with either A) Not enough money for a headboard or B) Not enough room for a headboard.  I bought a few giant pillows and set those against my wall to make the bedding look more finished and to improvise as a headboard.

What are your rules of the bedroom?