Schedules…

Well hello there,

I know it’s been a while. Between my school internship, midterms, finals, and end of the semester shenanigans I couldn’t find a minute to sit down, and write. Anyways, I’m here now, so lets get to it!

I started this summer of 2016 in a determined mood. Elizabusiness is ready to take on the world!!! As you all know I’m a hopeful twenty-something with a business background eager to become an interior designer. I had reached out to a designer in my town, and thankfully, she offered to let me help her out this summer with her business. Though I won’t be getting paid, I am gaining experience, and truly indulging in my passions.

My tasks do vary, but one this is constant; online shopping… let that sink in. Online shopping is a wonderful thing, but online shopping with someone else’s money is certainly a treat. I mean I couldn’t afford a $1,000 side table, but a client can! A girl can dream right? Anyways, I do a lot of shopping and idea hunting, then discuss with her and see her ideas and then ultimately we bring them to the client to see their opinions. I am lucky that her clients don’t mind me tagging a long to the home visits and consultations.

What I hope to get out of this experience is learning about the entire process of being a designer. From getting the client, seeing the space, understanding their style, staying within a budget, creating space plans, purchasing furniture, placing the pieces, and styling it! I know this is what I love, and working these past few weeks with her has only further proved that.

I hope it only gets better from here…

 

xo,

Who Run The World {Girls}

So, I hate to admit this, but yes, I am a low-key feminist. Feminism has such a negative connotation to it, and being a female within the business world; to be more specific, the entrepreneurial world, being a woman may cause difficulties along the way. For most feminists, they address this by using fighting words, complaining, and to put it simply, passively. But, for me, I feel empowered being an aspiring female entrepreneur. I feel that the possibilities are endless for me. There are so many roads to go down, so much opportunity, and I personally feel that being a female entrepreneurial driven person, is respectable among many. 

That being said, I recently heard that march is Women’s History month. Being what I consider a “low-key” feminist, I feel honored that there is such a thing as women’s history month, and I think it is important to note that we have come so far as a whole in the sense of equality, and opportunity. 

I’ve been doing research and have come across endless conventions, and female run and driven entrepreneurial sites to act as a mentorship, inspirational, network for those gals who are like me. Happy Women’s History month! Enjoy reading this post on some of the many sites I love geared for female entrepreneurs! 

The Nectar Collective

This site is an strictly blog focused, and she provides you with worksheets, and spreadsheets to build your online presence and improve your online persona. I’ve had a blast reading some of her posts, and I can’t wait to read more from this site! 

Create Cultivate 

This business I heard about months ago while scrolling through the entrepreneurship hashtag on Instagram. Create & Cultivate is a phenomenal platform for female entrepreneurs to share with and learn from each other. They hold conferences every few months complete with workshops, break out sessions, speakers, cocktail hour, dinner, blowouts… you name it, they got it covered. I have sadly not been able to attend one yet, but I will be sure to in the future, as they seem so glam and fun! Anyway, this site has it’s own blog, and the writers address issues that I find to be either important or interesting, and I look forward to these posts! Be sure to check them out 🙂 

Julie Harris Design

I found this site while scrolling through pinterest… gotta love pinterest! Her services include brand design and development, and website design. I’ve looked at her work, and I feel it is very well done! There are a lot of businesses like this that you can find online if you look hard enough 🙂 I commend these individuals for their hard work, as it’s inspiring to see what ideas I like and what I see to be fit for my future endeavors. 

by Regina

This site, like the Nectar Collective, features blog posts, advice, videos, and work sheets. Gotta love worksheets! Simply put in your email, and you’ll be given access to the plethora of sheets to boost your entrepreneurial abilities 🙂 

Please note that all images are simply screenshots from each site. I do not own the rights to these images. Please also note, I am not sponsored by any of these organizations; I’m simply commending them for what they do! 

Thanks for reading!

XO

Organization is the Answer

Hello!

For anyone who knows me personally, they know that I’m an OCD, Type A, paranoid, freak. I make my bed every morning, making sure the duvet is even placed on either side of the bed, throw pillows in place, blanket folded etc. etc. I also deal with anxiety, so being organized helps me feel in control of at least something in my life; which gives my mind comfort. Along the way, I have found different methods that relieve my stress, and help me maintain an organized life, and I’m all about sharing, so here are a few of my tactics/rules on de-cluttering!

Rule Number 1:

Invest in a planner. I live off of my Lilly Pulitzer planner! I not only keep track of my homework assignments, but also my sorority events, my internship hours and responsibilities, holidays, birthdays, and due dates for tests, papers, and projects. I also really love the brand Sugar Paper which you can find at Target. They have everything from folders, planners, paper, notebooks, calendars….and they’re all super cute! Pick up one of these to keep you organized, they’re so pretty you’ll want to use them all the time.

 

Rule Number 2:

Purchase Rule Number 1… 🙂 But in all seriousness, do purchase a planner, mine is like a personal assistant to me, because it has every detail of my life I need to know, and its all at my fingertips! Okay, now onto the real rule number 2: use the Reminders app on your iPhone. Now people, this one is a total lifesaver. How many times have you scheduled an appointment or made lunch plans and COMPLETELY forgot about it?? If you’re anything like me, my memory is pretty darn good, but when life gets hectic I forget about these things…thats where this app comes in. I put reminders in for the day before an appointment to remind me about it, and then I put a reminder for an hour before so I yet again and told “nail appointment at 3” so that my little crazy brain doesn’t forget! Trust me, this app works wonders. 

Rule Number 3:

Make your bed!!! I’m sure growing up you heard this daily from your mom and then it seemed tedious and unnecessary. BUT as a 20-something living in a dorm room, my bed acts as more than just a bed. It’s my sanctuary; my couch, my homework spot, its my everything. And living in close quarters, it makes me cringe when me or my roommates bed isn’t made because it makes our room feel cluttered and unorganized. If you’re a college girl, you’ll understand. The littlest thing can make your day a whole lot better. Pictured below is my bed; how could I not make this everyday…it’s just so pretty 🙂

Rule Number 4:

Organize your closet. Whether it be arranging clothes by color, style etc. My closet is organized by dresses/ skirts, blazers, cardigans, sweaters, long sleeves, short sleeves, and tanks. Do this. You’ll thank me later when you wake up late for that 8 AM or for the commute to work, and you can’t seem to find that blazer, or cardigan you had planned to wear that day. Oh, and that brings up another thing…lay out your outfit the night before. You can afford to play dress-up at night before going to bed (or maybe not). We all know we snooze our alarms, so make your wake-up easier. Plan out an outfit you can slip into within seconds. 

I hope these few tips help make your days a little easier, and a lot less stress free!

Till next time,

XO

Sister Room

So after knocking down a wall, rewiring electrical wires, repainting, and furniture purchases the project is finally starting to come to a close. I posted a photo of the design board I created for her, and I’m happy to say that most of those elements have been incorporated in this bedroom so far.

Here’s a photo of her closet hallway, and her bed that was delivered a couple of hours ago. We still have to finish constructing her closet built ins, and refinish side tables, but it’s getting there!

 

Wall colors are Benjamin Moore’s Coral Gables and Little Falls.

More postings to come!

 

XO,

 

Make Your Walls Talk

Alright people, let’s discuss my latest design obsession….coffered walls and ceilings. For those who don’t know what a coffered ceiling looks like, you totally will after reading this post. I’m absolutely loving this look right now, and whether its on an accent wall, or a ceiling in your living space I love it just the same. Some choose to make the wood a different color, while others keep it all white for a classy clean look. Below I have a few photos to show you what I mean…

The blue color in the ceiling adds color to this otherwise neutral bedroom. I think by adding the accents on the headboard in a similar blue, it makes your eyes drawn to the gorgeous bed, but also to the ceiling!

 

This space has coffered everything; ceilings and walls. I personally love how the beam color on the ceiling matches the paint on the walls. It makes the room look complete, if you know what I mean.

 

Ahhhhh timeless, classy, white. I imagine this room to be a formal dining room. In my head I’m space planning and furniture placing as I type. The look of white on white is so clean and fresh, and this will definitely never go out of style!

 

If this is what my office looked like I wouldn’t mind going to work! I’m not a fan of black, but I think this designer used the color beautifully, by adding white and pops of green and grey. Most of the time you’ll find white on coffered walls, but surprisingly I’m digging this black design!

I love the idea of having a coffered wall in a dining room, or home office. To me it can be made “formal” in that it can add personality, and maturity to a space, if that’t the look you’re going for.

I recently toured the Toll Brothers, Regency at Emerald Pines Community with some family members, and they featured coffered ceilings and walls in each of the models we toured. Check out their website by clicking on their name above. You won’t be disappointed by these homes…I’ll have to blog about my experience there some other time, because boy, do they know how to please!!!!!

Hope you enjoyed this quick little post, comment and let me know your thoughts on the coffered walls and ceilings.

 

XO,

Throw Some Shade

While pinning my life away on Pinterest, I stumbled upon these lampshades and I’m obsessed and haven’t even seen them in person. Theres SO many different fabrics, patterns, and sizes, and you can’t beat the price. The site is called Minted and there are four main categories; stationary, art, home, and weddings. While all categories are very cool, I am obviously attracted to the home category, because it features all things home.

There is a whole category for lampshades which features hundreds of styles with varying patterns and color options. This site is totally a game changer for me, because sometimes lighting can be boring. When rooms are simple, I like to jazz it up with a fun light fixture to add some personality to the space. See my living room blog post to take a peek at my light fixture from Wayfair. Anyways…This site has so many fun prints that these shades can add life to a dull lamp you purchase for little cash at your local home goods…which is always a plus (pinching pennies is a must for a college gal like myself)! These shades can look great in any room whether it be a chic home office, your breakfast nook, a nursery, master bedroom or children’s playroom! With so many different fabrics and patterns, throw some shade, and add one of these to your homes today!

Take a peek at some of my favorite styles below…

 

Let me know what you think!

Love,

 

Grey, Blue, and Pretty All Over

So, this past summer my parents gave me free reign over the decor in our “formal living room”. We wanted to jazz it up a bit, make it modern, cozy, and colorful. My parents picked out the couches, and I went running from there, from fabric choices, decor, and accent pieces. It’s not fully complete, but here are the pictures so far!

 

Grey’s are SO in right now, and I found that blue rug here and that was my inspiration piece! I chose the white side table and tv stand to go with the white of the fireplace, and to bring some brightness to the grey and blue palette.

Here are the links to the other pieces in this room:

Lamp: Wayfair

Throw: Wayfair

S: Wayfair

Side Table: Pier1

Curtains were from Home Goods, as well as the TV Table.

Let me know what you think! Hope you enjoy!

XO,

Snowy Saturdays

Hello pretties, today in Massachusetts was a snowy, windy, Saturday. I was planning on going shopping for finishing touches for my newly done bedroom, but the snow tampered with my plans. Home goods, is my go to; cheap, fun, and always new pieces to find.

With the holiday season being over my house feels bare. I miss seeing the garland, the glittery faux present boxes, and shimmering lights on every mantle, and I miss looking at our christmas tree, and coming home to the candles in the windows. But, with the loss of the holiday themed memorabilia comes room to purchase new mantle decor. Yay! Even though Christmas is over, it doesn’t mean you can toss any winter themed decor in the bin till next year. Winter is still upon us, people! So, in order to save some cash if you’re on a tight budget, rework your snow themed decorations and implement them into your mantle, so your fireplace gets the extra lovin’ it deserves.

I’m a sucker for candles, real, fake, tapers, tea lights…basically anything with a wick! So, I try to always incorporate candles to my mantle, because at night you can light that fire, or in my case flick a switch on my gas fireplace, turn the lights down low, and be cozy in this relaxing ambiance. Check out these birch faux candles, I’m so obsessed!

You can find similar candles here, or you can check out your local TJ’s, Marshalls, or Home Goods, and find some cheaper ones, if you’re working on a budget!  What I love about these is that they can be your go-to winter decor item. You can put these babies out in December, and keep them till February, because they can be styled to be wintery, but also Christmassy!

I’m also loving indoor lanterns this year. They’re a great addition to a styled mantle, and whether you fill them with a real or faux pillar candle, surrounded by cranberries in the winter, leaves in the fall, or florals in the summer, they’re a piece you can utilize all year round. There’s  a bunch at Pier 1, ranging from $14-$50. What’s great about these is if you purchase the birch candles I suggested, you can place them in these lanterns and create a great look!

 

Hope you enjoyed this quick post, I’m brainstorming more ideas for my mantle, once completed you’ll see it up here!

 

XO,

Day 1

Today, I met with an Interior Designer in my area who has established her own business over the last few years. I explained my dreams, and how I am trying to become one, and she was more than willing to help me out. So, I am happy to announce that I will be working alongside this woman this summer to learn the ins and outs of design. I’m planning on taking design courses over the summer to pair the academics with the hands on experience. I can’t wait to see what comes of this. For now, I’ll be planning a redesign of my bedroom! I’ll post updates here.

With Love,

Elizabeth

Welcome, 2016

Well hello there,

Welcome to my blog! I’m a 20 year old, junior in college, studying entrepreneurship and small business management. While I love being innovative, creative, and ‘business savvy’, I’d love to put this creativity to work; I aspire to be an interior designer. With the new year finally here, I’m forcing myself to establish a foundation to achieve this aspiration. I want 2016 to be the year that I get my feet wet into the design world, and truly find my place. I know my purpose; I know my dreams, I know what I want for my life, it’s getting there that is the problem. So, I am here to declare, that 2016 will be my year.

I’m planning on using this online space of mine to post inspiration, design trends, favorite websites, and a peek into my work as I go. For now, wish me luck on achieving my dreams. I hope you enjoy this place, and that you can gain some inspiration from my journey.

With Love,

Elizabeth