Desktop Delights

I suppose it's a little early to start thinking about accessories for my desk back at school...but there's just something about office supplies.

Sleek staplers, old-fashioned chalkboards, miniature dry-erase memo boards, ribboned cork boards, embellished frames surrounding words to live by, rustic pencil holders (see here for an awesome DIY), streamlined scissors, fabric-wrapped magnets, ballpoint pens, printed push pins, jumbo-sized highlighters, intricate paperweights, oversized calendars, slim calculators, picture frames full of family moments, pliable lamps, vintage bookends, shallow candy bowls, pads of patterned note paper, stacking letter trays, pocket planners...I want them all.      

Just in case you haven't guessed yet, I'm a total sucker for pretty papery things and organizational tools. Since I spend an inordinate amount of time at my desk during the school year, I make a big effort to personalize the hunk of junk that comes standard with any college dorm room. I like my "office space" to be inviting, but not so cozy that I'm encouraged to prop my legs up and browse through page after page on Tastespotting in lieu of hammering out a 10 page French paper. Functional, sophisticated, neat, colorful, and inspirational are also adjectives that come to mind. Although I already have two full boxes carefully labeled desk in the basement, I have my eye on a few new items to spruce up my most productive space.

Desk Decor

(First row, from left to right):
1. Crate&Barrel's Flamingo Berry Stool
2. Campo Marzio's Pen Holder with Three Sections
3. Kate Spade's Long List Pad 
4. Crate&Barrel's White Table Lamp

(Second row, from left to right):
1. ANYTHING's Scissors, Stapler, and Tape Dispenser
2. Paper Source's 2012 Academic Great Big Wall Calendar
3. Kate Spade's Short List Pad
4. Poppin's Black Ruler

(Third row, from left to right):
1. Crate&Barrel's Set of 3 Shiny Silver Memo Clips
2. Chiasso's Rolo Bookends 
3. Kate's Paperie Stationary Set
4. Paper Source's Sparrow's Nest Paper Clip Holder
5. Jonathon Alder's Pencil Set

Cute As A Button

After compiling yesterday's post, I must have had home goods on the brain. A quick peek into Target (for an inexpensive card table for my tray-glued-to-a-nightstand project) turned into a lazy stroll filled with several exclamations of oooh look!

Are you surprise to learn that I was on cloud nine in the scrapbooking and organization aisles? Target carries Real Simple's line of planners, notepads, and calendars!

I was equally delighted to find brightly colored kitchen accessories (turquoise spatulas, pink garlic presses, yellow nesting measuring cups, purple colanders, etc.) by KitchenAid in the cookware section. Apparently my thirst for highlighter-esque colors is no longer being adequately satiated by my neon workout gear...

Mom managed to drag me away from the pots and pans by promising me that the beauty department was worth checking out. And since a handful of my favorite tried-and-true nail polishes from Essie were displayed front and center, this section of Target didn't disappoint either.

Essie, from Target

By this point, my initial quest for an unobtrusive folding table had already slid halfway from high priority to low priority. When I stumbled upon the hanging wall decorations, I may or may not have crumbled up the priority list altogether. The last thing I need is more wall "art" - but can't you just see the frame below living comfortably above my dresser?!

New York Traveler, from Target

Any lingering thoughts about staying on track were squatted away like a pesky fly when my mom and I spotted a set of absolutely irresistible plastic plates (for only 99 cents each!). With expressions like "one tough cookie", "spill the beans", "better with bacon", "best thing since sliced bread", and "easy as pie", each one was cuter than the next. We simply couldn't resist.

Appetizer Plates, from Target

Dorm Decor

"Be faithful to your own taste because nothing you really like is ever out of style."

-Billy Baldwin

One of my favorite things about being in college is that every year I get a new space to decorate (although it's inevitably filled with the same uninspired furniture and plain white walls). Last year I lucked out with an enormous single with high ceilings and a big window (perks of being an RA). I sectioned off a little study nook, created a kitchenette (full of fruit bowls, pantry shelves, spice racks, fridges, freezers, cutting boards, frying pans, dinnerware, etc.), splurged on a cozy bedspread with ridiculously expensive pillows, set up a workout corner (complete with a yoga mat, a bench, a set of dumbbells, a barbell, a medicine ball, a stationary ball, and a resistance band), made the most out of the spacious walk-in closet, and had enough room leftover to place a big potted plant in line with the natural light. I loved this set-up, but having my whole life inside my room didn't exactly force me to leave my lair as often as I should have.

Since I'm somewhat of a hermit, it's very important to me that I feel at home in my home-away-from-home. I always start looking early for decorating ideas (which always involve a couple of new items to spruce up my stock from last year), easy DIY projects, and things I can borrow from home (!).

Some Decorating Ideas:

1. Embrace large empty wall spaces (which I often find to be impossibly intimidating) by hanging up a big print, putting up a few framed collages, grouping together a smattering of smaller paintings, mounting a chalkboard (which can double as a larger-than-life calendar or as an erasable post-it note!), stringing up a girly garland, or sticking up an eye catching wall decal.

Chandelier Decals, from Blik

2. Use area rugs to break up a uniform space (I'm on the lookout for a simple rectangular rug for under my bed and a cute circular rug for under my desk chair). If I can't find rugs that aren't going to break my budget, I'm not going to be too quick to rule out these.

3. Invest in a small clothing rack to showcase your favorite pieces and inspire future outfits.

Clothing Rack, from Emily at Cupcakes and Cashmere

4. Take a leaf out of Real Simple's book and think of new uses for old things: Instead of letting a drying rack collect dust when it's not in use, use it as a display for colorful and fluffy towels. Use the rungs on a wooden ladder to exhibit sky high pumps and strappy sandals.

Wooden Shoe Ladder, from Pottery Barn

5. Have a few glass vases, jars, and bowls on hand - they look great filled with fruit, flowers, sand, shells, seaglass, marbles, pencils, etc.

6. Don't spend a lot on a bedside table! Glue a multicolored tray with different compartments on top of a plain wooden card table for instant & easy organization, or check out some local thrift shops/flea markets for a stack of vintage suitcases and a mirror to make your own nightstand.

Creative Nightstand, from Emily at Cupcakes and Cashmere

7. Dress up a windowsill with small potted plants (I plan to buy herbs that I use in the kitchen: parsley, basil, thyme, dill, and sage).

8. Soften harsh overhead lighting (or brighten up a dark room) with table and floor lamps.

9. Treat yourself to fresh flowers (or go picking for wildflowers!) once a week. Nothing adds cheer to a room like a mixed flower bouquet.

Garden Roses, from Rachel at Heart of Light

10. Buy nice storage containers...because chances are, you won't have much extra room for a "junk drawer" and you won't be able to find a bedskirt long enough to hide all of the miscellaneous stuff you'd usually shove under your bed.

11. Have someone handy help you install wall mounted shelving for additional storage...I especially like the idea of using corner shelves to make the most of an otherwise useless small space.

White Corner Shelf, from Organize.com

11. Cover one wall with fabric wallpaper that won't damage the wall (see instructions here). This may or may not be a fire hazard - but I don't have to lead by example anymore!

12. If you can carve out space for a loveseat or a sofa, do it. Capitalize on any chance you have to minimize the "dorm room" feel (for me this means trying not to use posters)! Having a small couch around also invites your visitors to sit and stay awhile...just not on your bed.

13. Make it personal (meaning pick out pieces that reflect you, not a magazine spread)...I'd love to have this fork and this spoon hanging in my kitchenette, an old-fashioned cookie jar to house my sweets, an oversized "H" to prop up on a floating shelf, and a nice sketch of a pair of running shoes suspended in my workout corner. I'd also love...

This Pesto Sign

This Garden/Market Calendar

Intriguing DIY Projects:

1. How to make wine crate display boxes

Wine Crate Display Boxes, from Grace at Design*Sponge

2. How to make a floating vase



Floating Vase, from Emily at Cupcakes and Cashmere


3. How to make a necklace organizer


Necklace Organizer, from Anna at In Honor of Design


4. How to make a clothespin mirror



Clothespin Mirror, from Katie at Design*Sponge

5. How to make a framed chalkboard 

Framed Chalkboard, from Rachel at Heart of Light

6. How to use fabrics and frames to make budget-friendly wall art

Wall "Art", from Emily at Daily Garnish

Something Borrowed:

1. My mom has hundreds of "coffee table books" (you know, the kind of books you may or may not have ever really read but have appealing covers or sentimental value) that would look perfect stacked or slanted in a bookcase, or sandwiched between two antique bookends.

Coffee Table Books

2. I also have my eye on a couple of my mom's wooden baskets (which we use to hold napkins, fruit, magazines, gardening supplies, notepads, recipes, etc.).

3. Last year she let me snag one of her matted and framed watercolor paintings to hang above my baker's rack...I loved catching a glimpse of this little piece from home while I chopped up veggies and perused through my pantry.

4. We've been using old glass bottles and jars as makeshift vases lately - and I'd love to have one full of flowers on my desk at school.   



Vintage Milk Bottle Vases, from The Traditional Flower Company



Orchids and Cheese

Yesterday we decided to take the scenic route to one of our favorite places to visit: Pineland Farms in New Gloucester, Maine. Pineland Farms hosts weekly 5k's, has a maze of cross-country skiing trails (weather-permitting, of course), houses a quaint little market bursting with specialty meats and locally grown fruits & veggies, offers 5,000 acres of beautiful woods and fields, and churns its own mouth-watering ice cream.

Welcome Sign, Pineland Farms

The Beginning of a Walk in the Woods

After meandering around part of the property and soaking up the sun, we stopped into the market to sample and pick up some of our favorite cheeses (which are produced on-site). If you get the chance to buy cheese from Pineland Farms (they're also sold at Whole Foods and other natural food groceries) - don't pass it up! Sharp cheddar, monterey jack, salsa jack, onion and garlic...each is better than the next - and they are all addictingly creamy, dense, and packed with flavor! 

Local Cheeses, Nom Nom Nom

On the way home we stopped at Woodsprite Orchids, a charming small business (that had hobby-run-amok vibes), with a greenhouse brimming with brightly blossoming orchids of all sizes and colors. I was clearly drawn to the pinks - but the yellows and whites were just as spectacular.

I took the liberty of naming the orchids below myself because the salesman was practically tripping over himself in his excitement to tell us as much as possible about the plants...meaning their actual classifications just went in one ear and out the other.

Leopard Spotted Orchid!

Intricate Orchid!

Hot Pink Orchid!

Waterfall Orchid!

Leave it to me to fall in love with one of the most high maintenance house plants out there. The very knowledgeable and contagiously passionate owner talked us into buying two gorgeous varieties to decorate our home.

My New Favorite Type of Home Decor

As we made mental notes left and right (about how to water them, how to feed them, where to put them, what temperatures they like, etc.), we felt a bit like we were being prepped for a new pet. A very expensive pet that is probably going to miss its almost magical greenhouse (with special screens to control light exposure and fans to circulate the air). We were advised to purchase a book about orchids and to leave the windows cracked on the ride home. Perhaps we have gotten in a bit over our heads and won't have any luck getting our pretty plants to blossom again, but boy are they beautiful right now!

Enchanting Miniature Pond & Garden Display, Woodsprite Orchids