Spring jewels.

Stores have been having crazy springs sales lately, and I finally took advantage even with my sad little intern salary.  My friend and I drove up to Denver last weekend to catch an NHL game, but stopped at our local outlet shops on the way.

J. Crew was having a 50% off everything in the store sale – 50%!

I finally caved and bought a necklace I had been coveting forever, the brass-plated crystal necklace.

 

You can buy it here (already discounted) with an extra 25% off with the code SALE25 right now!

The necklace was originally $54.50 - I got it for about $26.  I also picked up this printed linen scarf for $20:

I've always loved this print and the colors!  Unfortunately, you can no longer purchase it online through J. Crew.

I also picked up these darling earrings from Banana Republic:

Originally $19 that I snagged for $8!

My parents and brothers recently came back from France.  My brother had as how in Paris, so my family flew out to see some of his performances.  Though I wish I could have gone with, I had big projects at work that I couldn't walk away from for three weeks, so my parents made sure to bring me back some wonderful souvenirs.

The one direction I gave them?  Pearls.

My Dad did a great job.  I adore this ring, they almost match a pair of earrings my brother gave me perfectly.  The bracelet and earrings are stunning in person and I'm waiting for the perfect occasion to break them out.

Have you picked up anything you've been wanting with all of these spring sales?

CK

Making a dorm work.

As I've mentioned in previous posts, I currently live in a dorm.  Many members of the intern class that the organization I work for come from all over the United States and even overseas, so I am fortunate that they offer on-campus housing for those of us who live 1,000+ miles away.

The unfortunate part, is that this housing is former Air Force barracks.  Very thankfully, I do not have a roommate.  I did briefly (4 days) when I first arrived, but for the past six months, I have been lucky to be one of the interns with their own room.  My main objective when I moved in was to hang as man things on the walls as possible to off-set the stark white.

These photos are by no means up to College Prepster par and were taken with my iPhone, but I finally felt like my room was as complete as it would get (I am moving out in a month, after all).  Check out how I tried to make my room cozy and age appropriate below.

 

The view when you first enter the dorm.  It's much larger than it looks, roughly 14x14.  Yes, those curtains are atrocious, but they can keep the room blacked out all day long.

The spare bed on the far side of the room.  I love having a spare bed in case other interns want to come in and watch a movie or just hang out.  It's nice to have an option for them other than my desk chair.

My dresser where I get ready each morning.  I love that little "blah" sign I found at Target for only $4.  The mirror was also a Target steal, something I picked up for $6 when it was originally $30.

My desk and closet are areas I always need to stay clean.  Candles are strictly prohibited in the dorms, but it's one thing I just can't give up no matter how hard I try.

I can't imagine how much harder it would be to live in a dorm without this sink.  It's nice to have just a little bit of privacy in the morning when I don't want to walk all the way down to the bathroom to style my hair, brush my teeth or wash my face.  I was also fighting a bit of a cold, hence the day/nyquil bottles.

No, a twin bed is not ideal, and it's roughly 4 ft. off of the ground, so it's always a little adventure getting in and out, but I love my incredibly soft, white Threshold blanket (Target, of course).  I also adore my little "queen of offing everything" pillow, which my brother describes as "frighteningly accurate."

So there you have it, home sweet home since Thanksgiving.  It's hard giving up little luxuries like my own bathroom (a round of applause for community bathrooms), a microwave and a bed that doesn't instill a fear of falling in me every time I try wake up in the morning.

I can't wait to get out into my own place – wherever that may be!

Did this stir up any college flashbacks for you?

CK

Pink-a-boo.

I've never been the type to wear a lot of pink or have a lot of pink around the house (or in this case, dorm), but this spring I've been drawn to more and more pink when I hit Target. Even though it's essentially summer in Colorado Springs, I definitely have spring on my mind!

                                    

Has anyone else noticed how fantastic Target's dollar section stationery has been lately?  This pen and notepad have been just a few of many amazing finds I've come across the past few weeks. 

I also finally added Essie's 'Fiji' to my collection. While I love the spring look, it is the wrong color to use if you aren't a salon-quality nail painter. I try my best, but those light colors show off every imperfection. 

Also, while my dorms don't allow candles, I've decided to ignore that part of my dorm agreement and snagged this perfect little spun sugar candle. It completely warms up my room and the smell is just strong enough without being overwhelming.  

CK