Election Day and a Room Makeover

By: Mandy Whitaker

Hey, Everyone!

Hope ya'll are doing well! 

 IT'S ELECTION DAY!

Everyone who is eligible to vote, better have!  Troops died for our freedom to vote, so you best not take it for granted!

Anyways...

The two presidential canidates are Barack Obama(D) and Mitt Romney(R) with vice presidents Joe Biden(D) and Paul Ryan(R).

Regardless of who you voted for, none can deny the dreamboat that is Paul Ryan. Am I right?

But, the candidates above aren't the only ones! Don't forget: John Gregg (D) and Mike Pence (R) for governor and Joe Donnelly (D) and Richard Mourdock(R) for the Senate.

These canidates are for the state of Indiana. To see more information on Indiana elections or your home state click here.

ABC has a live update of the 2012 election.  It is actually quite interesting, you can see Donald Trump voting and his claim that it's his "real hair." I beg to differ....


So, enough with all the election craziness!


How am I relating the election to room decor, you ask?

Well, if your presidential choice did not come out on top, and you feel like packing up and running for the border, makeover your room instead!

Stretching it? Yes. 


The following will show you how my room is set up, decorated, and organized, and hopefully will give some ideas on how you can makeover your room!


WARNING:  This post is going to be a little picture heavy, but that's only because my entire room is pink, so I got a bit wild taking pictures!

Being a college student, it's hard to make your room look how you truly want it. In my apartment, it has commercial grey carpeting and plain white walls that we aren't allowed to paint. So, I had to make the most of it, and I think I did a pretty good job! (For my decorating style, at least.)

The first picture is an overview of my room.  As you can see, lots of pink.  But, underneath my bed, I have large totes to keep many of my t-shirts, sweats, and sweatshirts.  I also have one that has my lesser fancy shoes in. (Fancier shoes shown later)  This actually cleans up much of the clutter that would be around my room because the totes just slide right under my bed! Also, you can see just the corner of a black rug I have in my room.  This obviously makes the grey carpet less ugly.

Here is my vanity and just a word of caution, I am a beauty product fanatic, as you will see. The top white drawers and pink drawers are my makeup, while the bottom pink drawers are my skincare products, extra backup products, and other hygiene related items. As you can see, my makeup brush holders from my previous post, are still being used.  It's a perfect way to keep my brushes organized.

I organize my makeup drawers into product type.  For example, this draw contains bronzers and highlighters.  This makes things easy for me to find things when I am looking for a certain product.  A tip for organization, in my actual vanity drawer I use an office supply holder to organize my makeup. (I got this pink one from Wal-Mart a long time ago.)  It works perfect to separate different makeup products and holds eyeliners and mascaras very well as seen here. 



















To keep my wristlets in one place I hang them on this cute hook I bought at Hobby Lobby for under $2.  It also is a good place to hold my keys because I am notorious for losing them in my room!

A quick look at my closet.  Again, living in an apartment, you may not have much room to hang your clothes.  I actually bought a separate bar that hangs from the original bar to hang my jeans and skirts.  It works perfect and instantly creates more room in my closet! Also, you can see in the lower left-hand corner that I keep all my flip-flops in a pink milk crate. (Wal-mart, around $5) I put my fancier shoes on the shelf above my clothes because I feel that they are sort of a decoration all on their own.  It keeps both pairs together and the sparkle looks cute on display!


















The hounds-tooth pillow on my chair was actually made to match the stool of my vanity.  The stool on my old vanity was plain white, but I think changing it to the hounds-tooth adds something extra as well as creates an extra throw pillow made with the same fabric to tie everything together. Also note: The Camaro calendar that doesn't at all match my decor, but that's alright, I have an obsession for Camaros. I keep my daily medications, Chapstick, and makeup wipes in my side table drawers. (For those late nights I just don't want get out of bed to do anything.)  These items by my bed make it super convenient.

This chandelier is one of my favorite things in my room.  It was originally a gold chandelier but was painted black with pink candles,  black pearls, and diamonds added to it.  Something old can always be changed into something much better like this old chandelier was!














This is an overview of my shelving system.  Again, I got this at a garage sale and it was just brown wood.  Painted white, it looks much better and frankly looks like a totally different piece of furniture!  I put pink Christmas lights on the top which I think adds to my room.  On the shelves, I lined up my lotions and not only does it look "decorative," it makes it easy to see what I want.  The silver baskets on either side are from Bath and Body works and are perfect for holding my perfumes and other lotions. (I think they are available around the holidays) The bottom pink and zebra boxes hold things that don't really have a place in my room. They are perfect because they look cute yet you can't see what is inside! (Which is good, because it's a mess!)



















The arrangement on top is made from various feathers, flowers, and beads.  I like it because it's different from the traditional flower arrangement.  (All supplies from Hobby Lobby) Another tip is to store nail polish in a vase. It's a cute decor item as well as convenient!



















Finally, my dresser.  My favorite piece in my room.  This was painted silver and had mirrors added to it.  It looks so fancy, I love it! I put my favorite nail polishes in a glass bowl on top of my dresser because I think it looks pretty reflected in the mirrors.



















 Another cheap decor tip: Take pictures yourself, put them in black and white, and place them in frames. So simple, but adds so much.  I took these pictures when I was in New York City, and they go perfect in my room!

I know this is ALOT.  But, I hope you found some, if not all helpful.  I hope this inspired you to redecorate your room because it really is fun!

Stay tuned to the election, but in the meantime DECORATE!

Have a good one, everybody!

A Rainy Day Calls for a Little TLC

By: Mandy Whitaker

 

 

Prayers go out to those on the east coast who are enduring the effects of Hurricane Sandy.

 

Hey, Everyone!

 

According to the Weather Channel, at approximately 8 a.m., this morning, 8 million people are without power. Wind gusts of up to 96 mph have been recorded during the aftermath of the storm along the east coast.  After the storm has passed, cold air will be moving through the Midwest causing temperatures to drop to nearly 30 degrees.  Also, heavy snowfall is taking place in parts of Maryland, Tennessee and Pennsylvania.  Over 26 inches of snow has fallen in the western part of Maryland.

 

When I looked out my window this morning, I saw lots of rain and blowing trees. Yep, not the type of weather that makes me want to go outside! The Midwest is definitely seeing some of Sandy's attitude!

 

Are you stuck indoors because of mean, ol' Sandy?

 

Well...

 

What better excuse to have a little spa day!

 

I made this super simple body scrub with ingredients that are most likely in your kitchen already! This will get your skin soft and smooth!

 

 

 

What you will need:

 

1 cup White Sugar

1 cup Brown Sugar

Olive Oil (measure to preference)

A clear Jar (I bought mine at Hobby Lobby)

 

 

The sugars work as natural exfoliates and the olive oil contains both Vitamin E and oleic acid.  Oleic acid helps to soften the skin while Vitamin E improves the elasticity of the skin!

 Well that sounds perfect!

 

 First, pour both the white and brown sugar into a bowl and mix well.  Then, begin mixing in the olive oil. Start off with a little and mix in more when needed.  I personally like my scrubs more liquidy (is that even a word?). Just keep mixing in more olive oil until it reaches the texture of your liking!  When your body scrub is ready, pour the mixture into a jar.  I decided to tie a pink bow around my jar because, duh! How cute is that? TIP: choose a jar that has a bigger opening so it is easier to scoop out the scrub!

 

 

 

 When in the shower (I prefer while I have my conditioner in my hair), take some of the scrub and begin to put it all over your skin in circular motions to exfoliate! Wash off with warm water and admire how smooth your skin feels!

 

Put on a thicker body lotion because exfoliating your skin can sometimes make it a tad dry!  I recommend The Body Shop's Strawberry Body Butter! (Smells Amazing!)

 

Another option is to use your scrub while you have a face mask on! Why not? While your waiting the usual 10-15 minutes for your mask to work it's magic, why not exfoliate your body!? Perfect!  I recommend Queen Helene's Mint Julep Face Masque, Origins Clear Improvement Mask, or the Lush Cosmetic Catastrophe (in store)!

 

Once again, prayers go out to those on the east coast!

 

Happy Spa Day!

Baking with Fall Season's Staple: Pumpkin!

By: Mandy Whitaker

Pumpkins.

Pumpkins definitely come to mind when I think of the fall season.  Well folks, the fall season is upon us and what better way to enjoy this season than with an easy recipe using the fall season staple: pumpkin.

According to the Associated Press, despite the drought, pumpkin farmers are expecting a bright crop.  Pumpkin farmer, John Ackerman, says, "that's because pumpkins thrive in dry weather that holds back fungus, mold and other rind-rotting diseases."  He also says that his crop is looking fantastic and starting to turn orange.

Thank goodness!  There WILL be pumpkins this season! So, now we can all sleep at night....

But, seriously, I have an easy muffin recipe that is perfect for fall!

Like I said, when I say "easy" I definitely mean it, especially when it comes to cooking.  During this whole process: "Just wait a minute, Mandy is baking...Never thought I'd be saying that...," was said by one of my parents. Sad, but true. So, if I can manage to make this happen (of course, with parental supervision), so can anyone else over the age of...probably 7.

 On to the recipe:

What you need:

1 box of spiced cake mix

1 can of pumpkin

1/2 bag of mini chocolate chips

1 egg (optional)

Pre-heat the oven to 350.

  Mix all ingredients into a large bowl. 

The egg isn't necessary, but my mom put it in there... I think it's to make the stirring process a little less dusty with the cake mix, but I'm not sure. (Moms know best, right? So just throw one in there to be on the safe side.)

After everything is all mixed, start putting the mixture into muffin tins.  You can either spray the tin with Pam, or use cupcake holders.  I used cupcake holders because it's much cuter that way!

Place the pan in the oven, and set the timer for 20 minutes! (I accidentally forgot to set the timer...rookie mistake!)

Once the 20 minutes are up, take the muffins out of the tin to cool.

And, there you have it! Pumpkin muffins that are simple to make!

                                           Hope ya'll have a terrific week!

Mandy: If it's not Glittery and Pink...Forget about it!

 Hi ya'll!  I am now a contributor to this blog as of a week ago and I am super excited! I am a Journalism and Telecommunications major and a 5th-year senior.  I started off a business major and realized, that route wasn't at all for me.  I mean, could you see the business-major students constructing a blog like this for a class? No way, Jose! This is much more fun than numbers and graphs!!

     Most of my DIY crafts will involve glitter and/or pink most likely, in one way or another.  Anything, glittery, sparkly, bedazzeled, you name it, I love it! Plus, I am not the craftiest of sorts, so my projects will be on the low-end of difficulty! I cannot cook to save a life, so my recipes will be for the cooking challenged!  Therefore, if I manage to make it, bet your life you can make it too! 

    Basically, if you are looking for some girly crafts, along with some easy recipes, you have come to the right place! Be sure to check out my Pinterest account! And remember: Glitter is good for any occasion!

                                    Happy Crafting, Folks!