Just Flew The Coop

Marie Antoinette Inspired Room

2012-01-09T15:51:00.000-06:00

I recently received a request from a sweet reader who is in love with Sophia Coppola's movie rendition of Marie Antoinette. I myself enjoy that movie for all of the beautiful set and costume designs and the unique, "pop" twist on the classic and tragic French story. This reader asked if I could write a post about creating a Marie Antoinette inspired space. The answer, of course, was YES! I was thrilled to start working on this. So, knowing that she was in love with the movie, I followed that edgy, elegant, luxurious feel to make the mood board above.

Now, for the breakdown.

furniture
Whether you live in a dorm room or apartment, you must gather some furniture for this look. However, creating a lavish space like this can be quite expensive. So, avoid going to real stores for this stuff and instead hit up every single thrift store, antique mall, flea market, and yard sale that you hear about. You can find fantastic basics at these places that may have some beautiful ornate details. For example, if you find a side table that has a similar shape to the one above, but it is a nasty brown color, buy it! Some paint and a little bit of free time to DIY can transform that table from drab to fabulous enough for Marie, herself! Things like chairs, tables, large mirrors, and chandeliers can all be found and made over. Save your money on these items!

bedding
The bedding shown above is from Urban Outfitters, but it runs pretty expensive. There may be better deals elsewhere, but just keep this style in mind. When trying to replicate bedding for an Antoinette room, stick with really light pastels, layers, and luxurious looking fabrics. Add decorative pillows into the mix like the ones shown above with more vibrant hues of pink, blue, and purple or even gold and yellow.

decor
Of course, sprinkling beautiful decorative pillows to places in the room other than the bed will help a lot. Find some ornate frames, both for tabletop and walls, and fill them with lavish photos of French shoe designs or even the Marie Antoinette Vogue cover. Use pretty cake stands to display jewelry and other small accessories while channeling Marie's love of all things sweet. Buy some gorgeous lighting from Target like the faux chandelier and fancy crystal lamp shown above. Also, this is one of the only times that it is completely acceptable to leave out a few pairs of your prettiest shoes for decor purposes. Run by a fabric store and pick up some shiny, silky fabrics to hang as drapes. You could even buy some ornate patterned fabrics that echo a Frenchy wallpaper to hang on the wall for a focal point. The possibilities are endless!

So, you see, creating a decadent interior like that of Marie Antoinette's isn't as complicated as it may seem! If you need any extra help, watch the video below to see a glimpse of her unique, elegant, yet edgy style in the movie Marie Antoinette.

TOMS Ballet Flats - Spring '12

2012-01-05T12:37:00.001-06:00

The title pretty much says it all! TOMS has officially released pictures of their upcoming Spring collection of ballet flats and I am thrilled! I don't own a pair of classic TOMS shoes because they honestly have never spiked my interest. However, ballet flats in general are a shoe after my own heart! You better believe that I am on the email notification waiting list for when these babies go up for sale. You, too, can easily sign up to be on the list. Oh la la. Just saying "the list" sounds so exclusive! I have a feeling that they are going to sell like hotcakes!

Oh, Hello 2012!

2012-01-03T13:08:00.000-06:00

I have a feeling that 2012 is going to be an exceptional year! I certainly have high hopes for it. Much like 2008, when I graduated high school, 2012 is going to be full of change, emotion, and adventure! My final semester of college, graduation, and my possible move to Parsons for Interior Design grad school will definitely be major life steps. It's going to be a big year!

So, what comes along with a big year? A lot of New Year's resolutions, of course! I have quite a few things that I would love to accomplish this year.

lose weight
That's the big one this year! During freshman year of college I managed to gain the always talked about and dreaded "freshman 15". I have done a smashing job at maintaining that extra 15 pounds all throughout college by eating bad foods, pulling lots of all nighters, and not getting enough exercise. Now, I just want to make this clear that I am not condoning any kind of un-safe weight loss or insinuating that everyone should lose weight and be thin. I personally feel the need to get back in shape and support a healthier lifestyle with better eating habits. Not being fit and healthy has made me feel somewhat uncomfortable. So, that's why I want to lose weight. Plus, I want to look like a stylin' fashionista if I move up to New York City!

be a better photographer
I got a fantastic camera for my birthday last year and ever since then I have been dying to really know how to use it! I have a good sense of composition already, but I need to learn about some of the technical things like lighting and messing with the camera settings. I plan on taking an online photography class this summer, so that I can take great photographs of my adventures!

save money
This year I want to be more frugal and manage my money better. I would love to save money for after I graduate. I am setting a budget for myself with money allotments for things like groceries, rent, and school supplies.

get some oxfords
And figure out how to be able to pull off wearing them. I feel like they are too cool or hip for me. That sounds stupid, I know, but I am dying to have some!

What are your resolutions for 2012?

First Apartment Melting Pot

2012-01-02T10:00:00.001-06:00

You have heard me talk about the excitement of moving into and living in your own very first apartment. Well, Alex felt the exact same way about her adorable first studio apartment. Alex describes the apartment as "a big melting pot of industrial-chic, flea market/DIY, a touch of mid-century modern, with a few girly flourishes just for fun, all executed on a teeny-weeny, recent-college-grad budget". She wanted everything in the apartment to represent herself and her own personal style.

I think her apartment is the perfect mixture of modern and vintage that makes my mouth water. She has created a unique and cozy oasis in the city. By using soft, muted colors throughout, she has given the apartment a charming and sensitive mood. I absolutely love her bed area. Hanging photos on a short string like she did above her bed is such a fantastic, easy, and inexpensive idea for a wall space filler. I can't get over her beautiful bedding with hues of muted pink and charcoal grey.

Pretty much everything in the apartment has a story and almost every piece has gotten a lot of DIY love from Alex. She refinished and updated many of the items that she found at flea markets and thrift stores to better fit the apartment. She also tackled some DIY updates on the apartment itself, like painting the kitchen cabinets and turning an unused closet into an office nook.

I would love to just sit here and blog or sip on some coffee while looking out of this window to the New York streets below. As you can see here, Alex has had to work around the fact that the apartment is pretty small. However, I think she has done a smashing job!

Oh, and what girl wouldn't love a closet like this?

Subtracting Calories From Your Starbucks Drink

2011-11-11T22:00:00.000-06:00

If you are anything like me, Starbucks is a pretty big staple in your college life. I study there, sometimes get coffee before my morning class or a long night of homework, meet up with friends there, and before I got internet at my apartment, I managed Just Flew The Coop there. I would usually just order a drink off the menu "as is" without changing the type of milk or anything. Well, at the beginning of this month I began a ~~diet~~ new eating lifestyle. I basically count calories. It helps me keep track of what I put in my body so that I make way healthier choices. I love it, but doing this meant I had to cut out a lot of little extras from my diet. Starbucks was about to get cut when I thought "Wait a minute. What if I alter what I order so that I am not just drinking all of my calories?".

When it comes to Starbucks drinks, it's unfortunately really easy to down close to 400 and even 500 calories a beverage. That's more than most of us should be consuming in a meal! I decided to put an end to this amount of calorie consumption per Starbucks trip in my life and I will teach you how to do the same in yours!

The key to subtracting tons of calories from your Starbucks cup is simple. Alter what you get in the drink by opting for non-fat milk, eliminating the whipped cream, and switching to a smaller size. Let's take the Cinnamon Dolce Latte (one of my personal favs), for example. A Venti Cinnamon Dolce Latte with whole milk and whipped cream is packed full of a whopping 450 calories. Now, let's make some small changes. Just saying no to the whipped cream saves you 70 calories! Next, opt for the non-fat milk, which will eliminate 110 calories. Finally, simply switch from a Venti to a Tall saving you another 110 calories, which leaves you with a delicious latte only worth 160 calories and 0 fat.

This is fun! Let's look at one more drink. The Mocha Frappuccino is definitely a Starbucks classic because it is so obviously delicious. However, it becomes a lot less appealing when you learn that a Venti Mocha Frappuccino is worth a startling 500 calories. Now, let's work our editing magic on it and see how low we can go! Skip the whip, opt for non-fat, and order a Tall and you can enjoy a Starbucks fav for only 180 calories.

Sometimes by even eliminating or lessening the amount of syrup used you can get your drink under the 100 calorie mark. One pump of syrup packs in 20 calories and 5g of sugar. The average Tall drink has two pumps of syrup (40 calories and 10g sugar), the Grande has three pumps (60 calories and 15g sugar), and the Venti has four pumps (80 calories and 20g sugar). When ordering a Tall drink, ask for one pump of syrup instead of the usual two.

Want to know what's even better? Just about everything on their menu can be altered into an under 200 calorie delight. Starbucks provides many "skinny" drink versions on their menu and sometimes even lists their already under 200 calorie beverages. If your local Starbucks doesn't have the list, just simply take a look at this one.

Also, visit the Starbucks website to view all of the nutritional info and practice lowering the calories in your Starbucks cup!

Thursday Thoughts: My Pinterest Obsession

2011-11-10T18:43:00.001-06:00

By now I am sure most of you have heard of Pinterest. It's one of the latest and most popular online trends. I know I have mentioned it here more than once or twice.

I am constantly on Pinterest just pinning, pinning, and pinning some more. The concept of Pinterest is that you can create virtual bulletin boards for things you find anywhere on the web. You can pin beautiful things, inspirational things, funny things. Basically whatever your heart desires! I am always surfing the net and finding things I love. Before Pinterest (I can hardly imagine such a time anymore) my desktop hated me because I always overloaded it with unorganized images pulled from the web. Now, I just pin it onto one of my super organized Pinterest boards.

As you can see above, I have all kinds of boards ranging from decor to beauty to food. And of course, in true Jesse-style, I have a Halloween board! Here you can only see eight of my twenty boards. I can't believe I have 960 total pins! I am a pinning fool! Some might say it's an unhealthy addiction, but as long as I get tons of lovely inspiration and ideas from it, I refuse to see it as unhealthy.

So, if you haven't tried Pinterest on for size yet, please do! It will change your life. Well... that might be a little overdramatic, but you will find it very exciting and useful! If you join us Pinteresters, make sure you add me. View my boards and add me by clicking here.

And here is some Thursday inspiration to help you finish out your week!

School Spirit In Style

2011-11-09T21:00:00.000-06:00

These stylish gals are reppin' the Razorbacks and decking their college abode out in true University of Arkansas style. I absolutely love what they have done here because it shows that there is a tasteful way to decorate your room in your school colors! With team colors like red, white, and black it would be hard to not have a chic space. Using bold, graphic patterns they added a lot of modern fun to the small living space. And when I say small, I mean small! The room is only 9x9 ft! These girls could teach everyone a thing or to about filling a small space with big style!

By using Razorback red accents they added some bold flare to the room.

Don't you just LOVE that chair! I know I do! It has such a lovely vintage yet contemporary look. Plus it looks so soft!

Good lighting that doubles as a beautiful accessory is key in any small space.

Again, with the chair I love. One of the residents of this super cute student apartment actually made that pillow! These girls managed to create a beautiful and cozy oasis out of a teeny tiny dorm living space and I totally commend them!

What's your team and is your nest decked out in your spirit colors?

Choosing The Perfect College

2011-11-08T12:30:00.000-06:00

Choosing the right college is one of the biggest and most difficult decisions any high school senior will make. It's also not a decision that should be taken lightly. There are so many different factors at hand, but what it really comes down to is what YOU are comfortable with. If you feel like you have made the right choice for yourself, then chances are you have.

When I was choosing where I wanted to attend college, I had it narrowed down to two schools. I loved both almost equally, so I was at a loss for which one to officially say no to. I applied to both, got into both, and got great scholarships from both, which just made everything that much harder. I ended up trusting my gut and four years later, I still know I made the right decision. However, if your gut instinct hasn't kicked in yet, don't panic. Here are some things to think about when making the perfect choice.

Think about who you are and what you want in a school
Rewinding to the beginning of the college search process, make a list of things that you want out of college. What do you want your college experience to be? Ask yourself questions like these and write down the answers as you think of them.

As for thinking about who you are, try to address why you want to go to college. Make another list all about you, your interests, and your preferences. This may seem silly, but knowing these things and writing them down will really help when it comes time to make your decision. Think into the future about what your life might be like after college. What will you want to do as a career? Based on your interests, you might decide to go to a more specialized school. Recognizing my interests led me to choose an art college.

This is also a good time to think about location. Are you the type of person that wants to get as far away from your hometown as possible or would you prefer to stay closer to your friends and family? Do you crave a big city or quiet college town?

Do your research
With a decision like this, research is key. With so many college planning sites now available, this can be pretty simple. Make sure to not only read all the information of the websites of the colleges you might be interested in, but also visit sites like College Board, Careers and Colleges, and The Princeton Review. On sites like these you can find great reviews from professionals AND students that tend to be more truthful. Sites like College Gloss, Love Twenty, and The Twenty Life will often post articles on college life and college planning. Also, take a tour around the blogosphere. You might come across some other fantastic blogs about college!

Talk to your parents
Parents are vital when choosing a college. They are a really fantastic resource for advice, support, and aid. I know I couldn't have made my decision without the help of my parents. They helped me stay on top of my research and applications. Basically, I really, really needed them. Nuff said. I also found that parents are MUCH better at thinking of questions to ask when talking to the colleges. Your parents can also help enlighten you on the oh so important topic of money. Make sure you sit down with them and talk about your financial plan. Decide whether you need to research financial aid options (if you do need financial aid this is a good place to start) and loans.

Visit, visit, and visit some more
You can't really understand if you are going to feel comfortable on a particular campus until you have visited. I visited quite a few schools, but when I narrowed down my choices I really put an emphasis on visiting. I checked the schools out at least one more time each in person and made appointments with a representative from admissions to sit down with me and discuss some of my major questions. If you have the opportunity to tour a school, take it! You may fall in love or you might be able to immediately check it off your list. Talk to your parents about taking a trip to visit a few schools or team up with some friends and make a road trip out of it. You can learn so much about a school when you see it for yourself!

Take advice
Talk to people. Talk to anybody. Parents, cousins, teachers, friends, parents of friends and learn about their college experience. Find out about how they made their decision. They might have some fantastic tips to share with you! Talking to one of my favorite high school teachers really helped me in my college planning process. In the Real Student Interview Series right here on Just Flew The Coop, many students have shared how they made the decision. Reading interviews like those can be completely helpful!

Narrow it down
Once you have made a list of possibles, go ahead and start to narrow it down. The final decision will be much easier when you don't have 25+ schools on your list. Try selecting your top five favorites and possibly one back-up school (sometimes that makes people feel more secure). This is the time to officially think about your preferences like location, size of the school, tuition costs, specialized school or university. Making big-picture decisions like that will help you chunk some schools off your big list right away. Choosing from a smaller list feels so much more manageable than a big, intimidating one.

You don't have to apply everywhere
Believe it or not, you actually don't have to apply to every single school you ever contemplated. Just apply to the schools on your shortened top favorites list. I applied to only two schools and there is not a single thing wrong with that! It made the process that much easier. I could really take time with those two applications instead of spreading myself out too thin across ten applications.

Make sure you visit the websites of the schools to which you are applying. Read every single bit of information about their specific application process. Usually each school's system is a little different. Make note of application deadlines because the last thing you want to do is miss the application due date! Give each school a folder to keep all your information and papers together. You absolutely have to stay organized throughout this process!

The wait
Waiting to hear back from the schools you applied to is miserable. If you really care about getting into the schools, this is something you will think about everyday. However, once you do hear back you might find out that you didn't get into all the schools. Don't ever beat yourself up about that! Just realize that it wasn't meant to be. They actually helped you because now you have a smaller list of schools to choose from.

If you got accepted to all the schools, well, your decision is still just as tough as it was before. However, whether you got accepted into them all or not you need to look at the scholarship offers. Compare those offers to the tuition of each school. If there are a few low scholarship offers then maybe you should wipe those off the list. Again, sit down with your parents and discuss the money issue. They can help you select the schools that are the best options, financially.

Trust yourself
Take some time to really think. Think about all the various components at play. Make a pro and con list. Compare tuition, scholarships, undergrad programs, living accommodations, comfort level, etc. One school should begin to stand out more and more than the others. If you feel good about it, feel sure about it, then I think you have your answer! Be confident in yourself and the decision you make. Don't let friends, family, or a boyfriend sway you in a different direction. Do what YOU want to do based on all of the information. Also, don't feel trapped in whatever decision you make. Sure, the decision is about the next four years, but it is possible to transfer later if it doesn't work out. As long as you feel like you are in the right place, then you have made the right decision!

CH-CH-CH-Changes

2011-11-05T20:34:00.000-05:00

You might be noticing some more changes here on Just Flew The Coop over the next week. I am always trying to improve the site to fit what you, the readers, ask for! This is why I have decided to expand the variety of articles I post. Instead of mainly focusing on a few topics, I plan on expanded to encompass health and fitness, relationships, fashion, beauty, careers, and college planning. Of course all these new articles will be mixed in with the decor and DIY posts. Also, to save room on this blog and make the main page more readable, there will now be a "read more" option for every post (as seen in the picture above). Each post will be shortened to a picture and the first paragraph. You can scroll through the main page and see small snippets of each article and simply click "read more" for the articles you want to... well, read more!

The Benefits Of Greek Yogurt

2011-11-05T15:02:00.000-05:00

Staying healthy in college is a hard thing to do. Believe me, I definitely know. I used to be healthy one week and then terribly unhealthy the next, all based on if I had a busy schedule or not. That's why I think it is so important to find delicious go-to foods that are quick, easy, and healthy.

Greek yogurt just so happens to be one of those easy and healthy foods! I absolutely love this yogurt. After I returned from a spring break trip to Greece, I decided to always opt for the Greek stuff when I have a choice of yogurt options. It has tons of healthy benefits that regular yogurt is lacking.

For instance, did you know that Greek yogurt is a bonafide fat-burning food? Well, it is. Who wouldn't want to enjoy a delicious mini-meal that kicks up your metabolism and burns some extra fat?

Greek yogurt, while having a relatively low amount of calories, packs in nearly double the amount of protein than regular yogurt. Having a high protein count is great for us because it ups your energy for the day. If you eat a cup of this yogurt for breakfast, you will feel fuller longer and have more energy instead of crashing mid-morning and binge-eating at lunch.

Greek yogurt is also low in carbs and fat (as long as you select the low fat or non-fat kind). There really isn't a downside to this stuff. Each cup is also full of good calcium and vitamins. I think it's the perfect food for any college student. What's not great about something that kicks off a healthy lifestyle without very much effort?

My Halloween

2011-11-02T23:03:00.000-05:00

I know Halloween is officially over (some of you are probably sighing from relief because I won't be obsessing about it anymore....). However, I never got to share with you some of my fantastic Halloween adventures. This past weekend was filled with haunted houses and corn mazes, pumpkin-carving, costume-making, and Halloween-partying! In other words, I had a freakin' fantastic weekend!

Here we are in our completed costumes. I bought my dress, but I made Derrick's costume. Pretty much everyone at the school Halloween party loved our costumes and greatly admired Derrick for being a willing and patient boyfriend and dressing up like a prince! He was fine with the whole prince thing, but made it known that he drew the line at the tights. So, instead of finding light blue tights to complete his Disney costume, we opted for some light blue scrubs. He was much happier.

Here we are with some of our couple friends. We all had such a great time at the party!

Here I am grabbing a bite to eat with my friends Eric (creepy masked guy) and Ted (Ace Ventura).

Fast forward to the next night. We went to a corn maze and haunted house with Derrick's mom and brothers. We also had a fun photo shoot!

I ran into Michael Myers in the corn maze. I don't think he was too happy about that.

We also ran into some other monsters. I honestly have no clue what that guy in front is supposed to be.

What were you guys up to this past weekend?

My Halloweened Out Room

2011-10-28T14:41:00.001-05:00

I am absolutely smitten with my Halloweened-out room! As explained previously, I am completely enthralled with Halloween and now my bedroom depicts that pretty clearly. Take a look for yourself!

As you can see, I went a little wild with the spooky spiderwebs! I also added a creepy cheesecloth throw at the foot of my bed.

I found this free Halloween printable here and popped it into an already existing frame. It adds a lot of fun for zero dollars!

If the room looks a little dark compared to my first reveal, it's because I took these photos at night. I was hoping that the dark would work with me to make the room spookier.

Here is another free printable (my favorite) found here. I think I went a little print out crazy this Halloween. But hey, why not? They are free and pretty. So, knock yourself out!

I found some scrapbook paper that I already owned that had creepy old writing on it. I simply painted a crow on top of it with black paint and put it in one of the frames on my desk. I'm really happy I did this because it has a big impact along with the print out on the desk!

This is by far my favorite Halloween decoration. I snagged some spiky twigs from our apartment's courtyard and stuck them in my beloved recycled glass vase.

Then to make the vase and twigs even more spooked out, I added some little ghosts! Simply by grabbing some white material, a twist tie, and a sharpie for the face, I whipped up these little guys.
I added some moss around that vase and a cute little black bird. If you scroll back up a bit, you can see I used that moss around some of the things on my desk.

Again with the free printables! I got the owl print out here and the pumpkin one here. Oh, and that scary reflection in the TV is just my boyfriend, Derrick. I think that old clunky TV might be a fright all on its own!

Of course, you remember my BOO letters from this post. They've got a little extra going on now that I added some spiderwebs.

I also created a little vignette at the bottom of the shutter, complete with pumpkins, a witch's broom, and another black bird!

So, thats it for my spook-tacular room! I'm sad that I am going to have to take this stuff down soon. Halloween is right around the corner. Since it falls on a Monday this year, most of the Halloween festivities are taking place this weekend! I know my weekend is packed full of Halloween celebration!
I'm actually making a Halloween montage video to reveal Halloween itself.

Did any of you decorate for Halloween? If so, I would love to see it and share on Just Flew The Coop. Email me your photos at jen229@gmail.com and tell me what your Halloween plans are!

A Little Pinteresting Halloween Inspiration

2011-10-24T10:00:00.000-05:00

I absolutely cannot wait till this weekend! Due to the holiday falling on a Monday this year, most of my Halloween festivities will be taking place this weekend. Sometimes there is not a better way to get pumped about the spooky time of year than looking at fantastic Halloween-decorated interiors from Pinterest. On my Pinterest, I have a whole board full of more than 100 Halloween inspiration pins.

So, enjoy the Halloween inspiration and remember to....

Fall Date Ideas Repost

2011-10-23T11:57:00.000-05:00

This post was very popular last year, so I decided to repost for this year. However, my boyfriend and I are now celebrating our three year anniversary! So, enjoy this fall repost from last year!

I am very excited to say that today is the two year anniversary for my boyfriend, Derrick, and me.

I want to celebrate this day on the blog by sharing even more fabulously fun and romantic fall date ideas!Here is the previous Fall Date post.

Hayride-

Many farms and fresh produce stands offer hayrides in the cooler months. Snuggle up with your honey as you take in nature.

Haunted House-

There's nothing that sparks romance like holding on to your date as you meander through the spooky halls of a haunted house or creepy paths of a haunted corn maze.

Drive in the Country-

I'f you are lucky enough to live in an area that has a change of seasons, you'll be glad to take in the splendor of the red, gold, and russet leaves. If you don't live in such an area, map out a day trip to the nearest town where you'll spot the changing trees. The beauty of nature will inspire you to get cozy and romantic.

Harvest Festivals and Craft Fairs-

Autumn often brings festivals featuring homemade goods, fresh produce, and the best in craft projects. The homeyness of fairs lends to a relaxing atmosphere- the perfect surrounding to get to know someone better.

Visit An Apple Orchard-

Take a drive to the nearest apple orchard and choose some gems to make a pie with. Baking together on a date is a great way to spend time together and get to know each other.

Flea Markets-

Many antique, toy, and book dealers like to get rid of their inventory before the winter months. Head to a flea market (get there early) and search for a unique treasure. Finding out what you are both passionate about is a great way to find out if you are compatible as well.

Nature Hike-

Sometimes the best dates are the simplest. Put your hiking boots on and take a hike through a leaf-filled trail. Work up your appetite for a nice lunch when you are finished.

Farmer's Market-

There is much more than just veggies at farmer's markets these days. Pick up some fruit, flowers, or even books. Better yet, take a camera and snap some picturesque still life photos.

Picnic in the Park-

Who says that picnics are just for summer? Instead of sandwiches, pack some soup and tea. Cuddle up on a blanket, talk, and take in the beautiful autumn atmosphere.

Article via here

Disney Princess Costume Ideas

2011-10-23T11:50:00.000-05:00

Take a chic modern day spin on these classic princesses for Halloween with these costume ideas from College Gloss.

For Snow White, find a simple blue top and a plain yellow or mustard skirt. Depending on how you want it to look, it can be a long or a short skirt. Add a red headband with a bow and all red accessories - shoes, lipstick, and nail polish - to top off the look.

If you're daring, go with a purple bikini top and green maxi skirt as Ariel from The Little Mermaid! Add a pair of summer sandals and some ocean-inspired accessories.

For Cinderella's look, you'll need a periwinkle blue dress and headband. Put your hair up in a fluffy high bun, secure with bobby pins, and add a sparkling statement necklace. Instead of a glass shoe (we all know how those clear plastic ones look), keep it classy with a nude heel.

For a dressy version of Pocahantas, pair a tan or beige one-shouldered dress with Native American inspired jewelry and accessories. Make sure you also include a teal necklace! Let your hair fall down naturally, and brush a bit of bronzer onto your cheeks.

For Belle from Beauty and the Beast, it's all about gold and red roses. Take a epoch-inspired dress and pair it with gold heels and a gold headband. Add your favorite red rose accessories, and make sure you try to do your hair in Belle's style.

For Mulan, you have the choice to dress up in her warrior outfit or her Chinese maiden costume, which seems to be more recognizable as Mulan. Take a pleated teal skirt and pair with a kimono-inspired cardigan. Add Chinese accessories, such as a fan or jewelry, and a coral lip color. Let your hair down and channel your inner Mulan - a spirited, strong woman.

DIY Boo-rific Decor

2011-10-22T14:12:00.000-05:00

Yet another late night craft! I have been crafting my butt of lately. I really enjoy taking a break from all the craziness of college homework and relaxing with a good movie, fun friends, and a cute crafts!

So, last night I tackled this Halloween craft that I came up with on my own while on a shopping trip to Michael's. I found some chip board letters for pretty cheap ($1 each) and decided to snatch three of them up. I picked out a B and two O's to spell of BOO of course!

All you need for this project are chip board letters, acrylic craft paint, a paint brush and palette, and some twine.

So, I mixed a pretty orange color using the red, yellow, and white acrylic craft paint.

I coated my letters with the orange paint.

Make sure you get the sides of the letters too!

The letters will probably be completely dry after only a few minutes. They were for me at least. I pulled out my B again and cut a long-ish string of twine. I tied it around the top of the B.

Then I simply tied the twine into a cute little bow. After that, I cut shorter twine pieces and tied them in between the B and the O and then again between the first O and the second O. It's as simple as that!

I decided to attach my BOO letters to the old shutter that is standing up in my room. I think it's the perfect spot!

Since taking these pictures I have finished decorating my room for Halloween, so I hope to post those pictures soon!

Thursday Thoughts: Little Halloween Jesse

2011-10-20T22:20:00.000-05:00

You all probably know about my ~~obsession~~ extreme love for everything Halloween. If you didn't know that, well, you do now.... And according to the photo above, this love goes way back!

A lot of people have asked me "Why Halloween?". Well, that's a good question. I know many people could take it or leave it when it comes to Halloween. No sir. Not me!

It all started back when I was a kid (see photo above). I lived in this really nice little neighborhood that was FILLED with kids. It was a very safe area, so I could always go outside with my friends and explore and ride bikes. I absolutely loved growing up there. Well, that neighborhood is 100% the reason why I love Halloween so much. The entire community there celebrated Halloween and they did it in a big way! We had a festival with pumpkin carving contests, yummy apple cider, hay rides around the neighborhood, and bands playing hoedown type music.
On the actual night of Halloween, EVERYONE was out in costume trick or treating from door to door. All the houses were completely done up with great decorations. Some people went all out and had Halloween activities in their front yards like bobbing for apples. A kid could have all the fun in the world that spooky night without ever having to leave the neighborhood. It was absolutely amazing!

I can remember how excited I was waking up on Halloween! I would anticipate the moment when I could don my costume and head out with my dad, best friend, and her dad. I would lay out my entire costume on my bed that morning, which is still something I do :)

Here is another little Jesse picture from the year that I was a lady bug for Halloween!

So, I hope this post may answer any questions regarding my connection with Halloween! For those of you who also love this holiday, what makes you love it so much?

Guest Post: Fall Finds For Dorm Rooms

2011-10-20T14:03:00.000-05:00

I am absolutely thrilled to introduce my very first guest poster, Susi from Arcadian Lighting!
Arcadian Lighting is the best source for lighting fixtures and accessories at discount prices. Arcadian Lighting has been in the lighting industry for over 15 years selling decorative home lighting fixtures and lamps online, and has become one of the top Internet retailers for home lighting products. In other words, they know their stuff about home decor! So, go ahead and enjoy this post about fall finds for dorm rooms.

Hi, I'm Susi from Arcadian Lighting, a cool source for décor trends and lighting fixtures online. I'm so happy to be asked to guest blog at Just Flew the Coop. Decorating a dorm room is full of its own type of challenges so adding seasonal touches can be even more challenging than in a home or apartment. Here are some great fall finds for dorm rooms. Hope you enjoy them. Happy Decorating!





Colorful textiles in fall hues are a great find for a dorm room. Look for colorful and patterned pillows in golden yellows, smoky purples, teals, browns and oranges for a splash of color.



A chunky knitted throw is a great fall find for a dorm room. Tossed over a chair or on the bed, this throw adds texture and warmth to the room.



Poufs are great finds for the dorm room. This one has pretty autumn colors that give it a fall feeling that kind of looks like a pumpkin. It's also an easy DIY project.



Red, yellow and grey accessories give this dorm room a fall feeling. Love the lamps with jewel tone shades and burlap “headboards” on the beds; each is just a silhouette attached to the wall. This one looks more like a bedroom and less like a dorm room!



This charming fall wreath is made out of paper. It's a great fall find for a dorm room door or wall. Just don't use textbooks to make it!



For those cold dorm room floors, vintage, antique or kilim inspired rugs are great decorating ideas for fall. Look for these fall finds online, at estate sales, and even thrift stores. Layer smaller rugs for a bohemian look.



Decorating with tartan brings a touch of fall fashion to the dorm. Drape tartan fabric over a table or desk like this one; add a plaid blanket or coordinating throw; decorate a shade of your favorite plain floor lamp with some plaid ribbon.



A papier mache deer head captures the cool rustic trend and is perfect for a fall dorm room. There are several DIY projects online to make one. Much better than taxidermy in the dorm!

Don't forget to check out Arcadian Lighting for some fabulous  lighting fixture inspirations for your dorm room!

DIY Yarn And Felt Halloween Wreath

2011-10-17T15:47:00.000-05:00

I'm back with another spooky Halloween DIY project! I absolutely LOVE making holiday inspired crafts because it's a great way to be creative and celebrate! I have been keeping myself busy, especially over fall break, working on all kinds of Halloween crafts.

I got the idea to make this yarn wreath from Pinterest. I'm really starting to wonder where I would be without the inspiration of Pinterest! Anyways, I decided to make my very own Halloween yarn and felt wreath and, of course, take pictures throughout the process to share with you!

The supplies are pretty simple. Gray yarn, yellow felt, black felt, tape, scissors, straight pins, and a round styrofoam wreath form. I chose a 14" wreath, but you can go as big or small as you want! I used straight pins for one of the steps, but you might prefer to use glue. Make sure you have some on hand in case you choose to use it instead.

First, take a piece of your tape and attach the end of the yarn to the wreath form.

Holding the yarn ball in your hand, wrap the yarn around, and around, and around. Make sure the yarn is wrapped tightly so it doesn't move around revealing some of the white of the styrofoam.

Finally, I finished wrapping the wreath! That step took about thirty minutes. Make sure that after the entire wreath is covered, you snip the yarn from the ball and weave the loose end into your wreath. That will secure it and prevent the yarn from unraveling.

Now, take your yellow felt out to start cutting the moon shape. Find a round object to trace around. I chose a metal bucket that was the exact size that I wanted the moon to be. I traced around the bucket and onto the yellow felt.

And then I cut out the moon shape.

I held the moon shape to the exact place that I wanted to attach it. This piece will be on the backside of the completed wreath (as you can see in the 1st picture of the post).

Take the straight pins and pin the moon into place. This is the step where you might prefer to use glue. I chose the straight pins because I figured I could easily remove these felt shapes and add different ones throughout the year. For instance, I can detach the bat and moon and attach felt flowers for a non-holiday wreath!

After the moon is attached, your wreath should look like this when flipped over.

Now it's time for the bat! Take out your computer and search for a bat silhouette. I found this one and decided to use it for my felt bat.

Lightly tape a piece of printer paper to your computer screen. Make sure you can still see the bat image through the paper. (If you happen to have some, tracing paper would work great for these next few steps, but printer paper will also work fine!)

Now lightly trace the outline of the bat onto the paper. Make sure to do it LIGHTLY! You might damage your computer screen if you trace it with a heavy hand.

Take the paper off the screen and you should have a bat silhouette!

Place the paper on top of your black felt and using straight pins attach the two together (as seen above).

Carefully cut along the edges of your drawn bat. Make sure that you are cutting through both layers (felt and paper). Even though they are attached, it might be easy to accidentally cut through the paper and not the felt.

And there you go! A perfect little felt bat!

Pull out your yellow felt again and draw two little circles. These will be the bat's eyes. Cut them out and attach to the bat with glue.

Now that your bat has eyes, he is ready to be attached to the wreath! Place the bat on the front side of the wreath (not the same side you attached the moon to). Before pinning or gluing him on, make sure you like the placement.

Now taking the straight pins or glue, attach the bat to the wreath. Since I used pins, I attached him at every point of his bat wings (as you can see in the two images above).

VOILA! A Halloween yarn wreath!

I got my yarn, felt, and wreath form from Michael's and happened to have all the other supplies around the apartment. I went to Michael's armed with 40% off coupons and ended up only spending $5 for this fun craft!

I was planning to hang the wreath on the outside of our back door (the only door we ever use). However, I loved it so much I wanted to see it more often, so I hung it on my bedroom door! It makes me happy every time I see it!

Peacock Inspired Dorm Room

2011-10-16T11:00:00.000-05:00

Peacocks are one of the biggest trends of this fall! From fashion, to decor, to even Halloween costumes, peacocks are definitely in. Just face it. These colors are in! But who is complaining? I know I'm not!

So, I obviously was very excited when I found this dorm room!

I absolutely love the mixture of greens and turquoise. I heart that ribbon pillow in the green butterfly chair. Its so bold and just makes that chair pop!

She added cute peacock details to pretty much everything, including the lampshade and wall art.

She made these neat bulletin boards by adding ribbon and feathers again.

I love that she added the brown curtains to either end of her bed. It helps section off the living/working and sleeping areas and also makes the bed seem more luxurious!

She added twinkle or string lights around the room, which adds some cool ambiance. We have some at our apartment around the windows in the living room.

Study Session Snack: Healthy Caramel Apples

2011-10-15T16:00:00.000-05:00

With midterms well under way for many schools, I thought this was the perfect time to post a new study session snack idea. This caramel apple recipe is not only healthy, but it's clever and absolutely perfect for fall!

Cut the tops of your fresh apples off by cutting straight across. Simply scoop out the inside of the apple with a spoon or a melon baller and fill with your favorite caramel dip. Make sure that you melt the caramel in a bowl BEFORE you pour it in the apple. Your apple won't survive too well in the microwave! Too prevent the apple from turning brown, dab some lemon juice on the rim of the apple as well as the lid. Now, just enjoy your delicious and healthy fall inspired snack and ace those midterms!

recipe from lilyshop

Living Room And Studio Reveal

2011-10-15T11:00:00.000-05:00

Our living room has been constantly evolving since the day we moved in. Things get moved around and things get replaced until it gets to the point where we are happy with it. That point has definitely come for me with the exception of one area on the wall (I will explain a little later). So, I decided before I put up Halloween decorations that I should go ahead and take pictures of the living room and some of the studio to FINALLY share with you! But first, here are two before pictures.

And here is the living room as it looks now!

We believe in mixing and matching. We used what we had, what we found, or what was given to us to create this space. We have a mix or modern, vintage, and rustic/naturals. To me, this room is so cozy and warm while still being fun and not at all boring!

So, this is the problem wall. What's the problem you say? Well, there is absolutely nothing on the wall above the sofa. It's not that we haven't gotten around to hanging anything. We just can't find anything worth hanging. As artists, we are kind of picky about art and we would prefer to save our money and hang our own stuff, however, neither one of us has just the right thing for this bare wall.

Pssst. That's one of my paintings there over the leather chair :)

I visualize something colorful and large. A statement piece. However, I can also visualize maybe a collection or series of smaller paintings or prints. Hopefully the answer will come in time.

We found an beautiful set of mid-century wood tables (two end tables and a coffee table) with the help of my dad at an estate sale. They are perfect for our room and are in keeping with the eclectic feel that we have created.

We used one of the cool end tables for our TV stand. Above the TV, we hung one of Chloe's awesome abstract paintings! The colors were perfect for the room as well as the size and verticality of the canvas. It helps emphasize the height of the room and makes an otherwise boring corner very exciting and bold!

When we moved in we really weren't sure what to do with this West Elm-ish room divider (that I talked about here). However, we ended up moving it in front of the windows. It's a fantastic and funky focal point for the room, but since it's see-through, it doesn't obstruct from the outdoor view.

The window panels we used are left over from my bedroom at home. They are a sheer green with twine running through horizontally. They help add to the natural mix in the room and serve as a great frame for the windows.

In the photo above you can see both the opening to the studio (left) and the opening to the entry hall (right). We hung a capiz shell curtain in the doorway of the entry hall. It adds some flair and helps to divide off the space. We also call it our alarm system. If anyone walks through that curtain, we can hear it!

I do wish we could have painted the walls in this room, like I did in my bedroom. I think it would bring the room together even more! However, anything we paint now we have to paint back later before we move out. We decided that it would be too much work and money, so we nixed that idea. I still think it would have engaged the whole space, but oh well. I still love the room as is!

I reupholstered this chair myself (tutorial to come). It is the other half to the pair that I got from my grandmother. The matching one is in my bedroom covered with a different fabric. I also painted the backboard of that black bookshelf (also a tutorial to come). It added so much more depth to the shelf and helped make the objects in it pop! If you scroll back up to the before picture, you can see how dark and dismal the shelf used to be. This little painting project made a world of a difference!

This is our beautiful and spacious studio! I absolutely love it because it makes me feel so creative. We had a lot of fun with this room just filling it with things that we love and inspire us!

Here is a big blank canvas of mine, just waiting for something to be painted on it. I also hung up some things on the wall next to my chair that make me want to create: a picture of my cat, some postcards from art museums, and a print of modern furniture design from my favorite industrial designers and architects.

So, there you have it. Our living room and studio as they look today. There are still some things that need to be done. I desperately need to find something to hang above the sofa. I am interested in replacing the boring light fixture with something longer and more interesting. That's definitely a DIY project in the works!

Thursday Thoughts: Fall Bucket List

2011-10-13T17:00:00.000-05:00

Fall is by far my favorite season. I always feel like there are a million fall-ish activities that I want to do, but I can't find the time to accomplish it all. I was thrilled when I found this bucket list by Katie from Loves of Live. It's a concise list, which makes me feel like I might actually be able to accomplish it all this fall! YAY! In fact, I have already done a corn maze, painted a pumpkin, and had some fancy coffee drinks.

To go along with the fall bucket list I thought I would also show a photo list of the things I LOVE about fall! Hopefully it inspires you to knock a few things off your fall bucket list!

Images from things i love about fall

Classic Cartoon Ladies Halloween Costumes

2011-10-13T12:39:00.000-05:00

Not sure what or who to dress up as for Halloween? Why not try a classic cartoon character on for size! I put together six easy costume ideas celebrating the beautiful gals that we grew up watching on TV.

Who doesn't love Minnie Mouse? Dressing up as this fun -oving gal is super easy. The base for this costume is a red polka dot dress. You might have one already or be able to find one at a thrift store. Pair it with a red polka dot hair bow and a cute pair of yellow heels or flats. Heels would obviously be the sassier option, but if you are planning on walking or standing on your feet for hours, I would recommend a pair of flats. Add a pair of white gloves and a Minnie Mouse necklace. The one shown is quite expensive, so I think it would be more fun to make one! Now, for your makeup, be sure you have a bold red lipstick and some fake lashes to replicate her sweet cartoon face.

This Daphne costume might possibly be my favorite. As a kid, I loved watching Scooby Doo and I always liked Daphne the most. Her effortless sense of style is something all girls admire! This costume is gonna be a tad bit harder than some of the others, but the end result is well worth the work. Try to find a purple long sleeved dress. A thrift store would probably be the perfect place to buy one. Purple shoes are also going to be more difficult to get. I suggest finding a pair of heels (make sure they fit well) from a thrift store and spray painting them the perfect shade of purple. Again, if you know you are going to be on your feet a lot, go with a cute pair of flats. Pair the costume with a purple headband and a lime green scarf. To make the scarf, visit a fabric store and find a plain cotton in lime green. Get a little bit cut and then simply wrap it around your neck! Wear some pearl earrings, pink gloss, and black liquid eyeliner to finish your look! Don't forget your pretty red wig, which you can probably find at any costume shop.

Betty Boop is by far the sexiest cartoon gal! She is classic, feminine, and sassy, much like a cartoon Marilyn Monroe. So, who wouldn't want to dress as this chic beauty for Halloween? Find a red strapless dress and a pair of red pumps, which you can find almost anywhere! Buy a garter at a costume shop and glue a red heart onto it to replicate Betty's garter. Wear some gold earrings and a few gold bangles for jewelry, which you could probably find at an affordable price from Claire's. For the makeup, wear bold red lipstick, fake lashes, and Essie red nails in Lollipop.

Judy Jetson is quite a cartoon cutie! Replicate her look by hitting up your local yard sales and thrift stores. First, search for a light pink sleeveless top. Ideally it should have a collar that you can pop to copy her futuristic collar. If you can't find anything with a collar, no worries! Simply buy a piece of pink felt, cut it into the shape of her collar, and attach it to your shirt. Next, find a hot pink skirt. Buy a pair of light pink leggings (matching the color of the top) and some cute black flats. For the hair, find a white wig at any costume shop and put it into a high pony tail using a black bow. Complete the look with a hot pink lipstick and black liquid eyeliner!

Olive Oyl is the pretty and quirky girlfriend of that spinach-eating hunk, Popeye. ModCloth is the perfect place to find the major components to her outfit. The red shirt, black skirt, and brown booties all can be found there. Wear some white socks slightly folded down on your shoes. Add some gold stud earrings and black eyeliner and you are good to go!

Try this chic spin on Wilma Flintstone for your Halloween costume! Find a white, one shoulder dress and pair it with a simple white pearl necklace. Instead of walking around barefoot, like Wilma, wear some pretty strappy sandals. Finish the whole costume with red lipstick, a red wig, and a caveman club that you can find at any costume shop!

Rotting Zombie Makeup Tutorial

2011-10-10T10:14:00.000-05:00

Thinking about joining the ranks of the spooky, flesh eating un-dead this year for Halloween? Check out this perfect tutorial on how to give yourself that rotting zombie look.

Arose186 is one of my very favorite youtube channels. She gives some great beauty and fashion advice! So, while you are checking this video out, take a look at the rest of her channel!