How to Create a Last Minute Costume from Your Closet

Last night I had planned to do a group costume with some friends, but when the other two fell ill, I had to scramble to figure out a last minute costume. I don't have any of my costume things this year because I completely forgot to grab the box from storage when I moved back down to school so I was very limited on what I could do.

I spent the whole drive from Indy to Bloomington thinking of costumes that I could make with the clothes in my closet and in the end I was trying to choose between Bad (without the Boujee) and a disgruntled housewife/suburban mom (aka Karen who asks to see the manager). After asking all of my friends, I decided to do the suburban mom. Also, I was not trying to insult moms in anyway with this costume. Moms (and dads) are amazing and they do so much that we don't appreciate. 

I made my costume by picking a pair a jeans, pairing a tank top, and Converse (complete with tailgate field dirt) with my apron that I got from an art festival this summer. I've linked a cheap option from H&M that could easily be used for a costume and for the kitchen. Another way to do this costume would be to wear sweats or leggings with a robe and maybe hair curlers. I decided to go against doing a legging look because my friends know that I wear leggings daily already.

If I had done the Bad (without the Boujee), I would have worn the same tank with black ripped jeans, a jean jacket, and a bandana around my neck. 

Shop my look:

         

Pin it:

        

Smart Study Habits

It's midterm time in college and I'm currently studying up for my second round of exams of senior year. My first round of exams didn't go as well as I hoped, but I'm hoping these exams will go better. Here are some study tips and habits that I swear by.

Use Pocket Points to stay off of your phone 

Pocket Points is an app available on iPhone and Android that you can use as motivation to not look at your phone while you're on campus. When you're on campus, simply open up the app to the home screen, and then close your phone. When you open your phone back up, you'll earn points. When those points begin to rack up, you can use them to get coupon codes for local restaurants, stores, and online shops. I personally use my points for food coupons. I've used Pocket Points since sophomore year and I've racked up 8424 points and I'm ranked 47th on IU's campus. 

Make a to-do list 

I always make a to-do list before I go study so that I know what all I need to get done that day and I will not go home until I finish it all. 

Study somewhere other than your room

I cannot focus in my room. When I need to study for a long period of time, I will go to a local coffee shop, Barnes and Noble, or the library. My room holds way too many distractions and I find myself going to the kitchen for snacks too often. 

Color code your agenda 

I color code each of my classes, clubs, and my sorority events. It helps me keep track of everything that I need to get done and it helps me not mix any due dates up. 

Study with or without music

I personally study with classical music most of the time just so that I have something in the background to block out talking. I also frequently listen to rain or rainforest noises, but it's important to figure out what you can study with. 

Shop this post 

         

        

        

Easy Lunches for College Students

100% honesty: What I pack for lunch now is what my mom packed for me when I was little because those lunches are easy to make and don't take up too much space. I'm sharing two of my favorite pinwheel wraps and some of the snacks I take to class because let me be honest, I take A LOT of snacks to class.

Note: Lighting in my kitchen is horrible so I apologize for the picture quality. This post also contains affiliate links. 

My go-to lunch: Pinwheel Wraps

Turkey + Veggie Dip + Shredded Cheese

Turkey + Dijonaise + Shredded Lettuce + Shredded Cheese

These are my favorite wraps, but you can seriously make them with anything. I buy cheese by the block from the deli and shred it at home and I also buy the turkey from the deli. I really try to avoid prepackaged deli meats and cheeses. The veggie dip I use is a family recipe, but you can use any kind of condiment that you want. 

Roll the wrap and then roll it into the Press n' Seal. 

Refrigerate overnight and cut into pinwheels the next morning.

Breakfast + Lunch today: 

muffin, clementines, pinwheels, grapes, applesauce, and SkinnyPop (Sea Salt and Pepper)

Lastly, don't forget to clean up the counter. 

I also pack peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and leftovers are also a great idea. The IU Union has a microwave in the eating area so that students can heat up food, so I'll take leftovers when I want something more than wrap or a sandwich. If you're not sure if your school has microwave for student use, try to look around your union eating hall because most schools should try to accommodate students that live off campus and that do not have meal points anymore. 

My go-to snacks:

SkinnyPop

Grapes

Trail mix 

Veggies + Dip 

Fruit (Clementines + Bananas)

Hummus + Crackers

Brie spread + Crackers 

Applesauce

Although I have braces back on, I love to pack SkinnyPop in my lunch as a quick, salty snack that also isn't as messy has other salty snacks. I switch between purchasing the Sea Salt and Pepper flavor (which is also my favorite kettle chip seasoning) and the Original. While I was shopping the other day I noticed that SkinnyPop now has Popcorn Cakes and microwave popcorn. I think the popcorn cakes would be a good snack to bring on campus because they're more compact and you could maybe even top with hummus or whatever spread to want. I'm also interested in trying their sea salt microwavable popcorn for a snack at home. I normally eat butter popcorn, but lately I've been wanting to switch it up without eating kettle corn. 

My go-to fruit choices for campus: grapes. Super easy to throw into a Ziplock bag and into my lunch bag.  I was so excited to see Cotton Candy grapes at the store today when I went to get groceries. They are so good and the season is close to its end, which also means that there are less grapes in the bag than usual. *Cue tears*. I also love to grab clementines and bananas because they're easy to peel and then just throw away instead of having to bring the trash back home. 

My favorite trail mix has white chocolate chips, Craisins, and peanuts. My nana started making this for me this summer and I made some for myself for a quick snack. Just add each ingredient to your liking and save it however you would like.

I've attached a general shopping list of things that I purchase to make lunches that can be taken to campus. All of these items can be used for dinner as well. Don't forget that you can make extra grains or pasta for dinner and use it for lunch the next day!

Shop my picks for lunch boxes and lunch storage: 


                   

        

Senior Year Apartment

Post contains affiliate links.

Bedding (Bed, Bath, and Beyond, similar) | Fuzzy pillow (T.J.Maxx) | Rug (Target, similar)  | Lamp (Target) | Shade (Target) | Macrame wall hanging (Amazon)

Photo frames ( Urban Outfitters) 

      Chicago print (Evelyn Henson) | Giraffe print (Evelyn Henson) | Indianapolis print (Evelyn Henson) | Happy Hour, Fine Art Print (Evelyn Henson) | Be Humble pennant (Gibbs Smith) 

Letter Board (Letter Board Club) | Pencil Holder (Kate Spade)

Cactus (Amazon)| Candle Holder (Bath and Body Works) 

All from T.J.Maxx (Similar)

I got this print while I was in Puerto Vallarta. The artist painted it with coffee beans and watercolor. 

Frame (T.J.Maxx)

My room is finally done and I'm so excited to share it with you. I would have to say that my favorite space in my room is my desk corner. I study a lot so I knew that I wanted to get a quality desk with drawers and surround it with inspiring decor.  I love all of my prints that I have surrounding my desk. I chose to get Evelyn Henson prints because I've been eyeing them for awhile, but I knew that it wasn't a good idea to get them for my room at the sorority house. So, when it came to ordering wall decor for my apartment, these prints were my first choice. I am obsessed with this letter board. I think I may put a new quote up on there every two weeks or somewhere around that timeline. If you have any quote ideas, comment below.

All of my bedroom furniture (mattress, mattress frame, headboard, nightstand, and desk) were purchased at a local discount furniture store in my hometown while I had to purchase a small, moveable set of drawers from Bed, Bath, and Beyond for my TV and my t-shirts. The pieces I purchased from the discount store are all very sturdy and are sure to last a few more years. I also got my bar stools for the kitchen nook and my living room chairs from the same place.

When furnishing your college apartment, think about getting pieces that can make it through the year or however long you're going to stay there. Since I'll only be living here a year, I wanted to get pieces that could easily carry on into my post-grad apartment next year. I can already picture my desk in a cute little nook in my next apartment.

For finding decor for your apartment, I recommend looking at Target and T.J.Maxx as well as looking on Amazon for some cute, affordable finds. I personalized my decor by painting some coasters at my local paint your own pottery place to put on my desk and my night stand. Another inexpensive solution to personalizing your decor is to by some canvases from your local craft store and paint some quotes or designs on there. I have to canvases up in my room (not shown above) on the wall across from my closet. Having a little color in an otherwise gloomy area (due to horrible lighting), makes the area more enjoyable.

Before you think I'm crazy, here's why I have a  twin bed in my senior year apartment :

I used my bedding, mattress, bed frame, and rug when I stayed in Bloomington for the summer last summer so I decided not to buy a bigger bed when I already have one. What's the point of buying something new when you already have a perfectly good one sitting in storage? My mattress frame is one of those that you can store under and it is easy to transport because it just folds up.  I have a queen bed at home so if I'm every craving more space, I can just take a weekend trip home. Plus, after being crammed into a small room with three other girls for two years, I wanted to be able to have some space to breathe in my room and having a twin bed allows for that.