the essential dorm decorating guide for moms

July 26, 2018 adrienne robideaux

Photo by Obed Hernández on Unsplash edited in Canva.

You know you are a design dork when your daughter says her future college roommates are planning on a pink and light blue color palette for their dorm room and your immediate response is “As in the Pantone colors of the year 2016?” instead of “Sounds great, Honey. Let’s go shopping.” I’m just saying that may have happened to me last week and I’d appreciate it if you didn’t judge.

Everyone is getting on the dorm room decorating band wagon these days. Dorm room decorating – like other forms of trend decorating – is big business. Target has its back to school section, of course, as do teen standbys like Urban Outfitters and PB Teen, but even more traditionally full service furniture and décor sources are getting in the mix. This month’s Better Homes and Gardens has a small feature about dorm décor from the 1962 at the very back. For better or for worse, we’ve come a long way in what is available to decorate dorm rooms. Planning ahead and “matching” with dorm mates is a thing now. There are even dedicated dorm décor websites (check out Dormify and Room 422). It’s all I can do not to pull out one of those, “In my day, we…” Honestly. Anyone else just go to Bed Bath and Beyond, buy some twin XL sheets, and call it a day?

shared kids' room (semi) final reveal (one room challenge week 6)

May 10, 2018 adrienne robideaux

And so we come to the end of another One Room Challenge. Or do we?

shared kids' bedroom (one room challenge week 5)

May 3, 2018 adrienne robideaux

Five weeks down and one week to go in this shared kids’ room decorating project. The kids are excited to finally move into their new bedroom but Mom and Dad have quite the list left to accomplish.

small home office ideas (modern southern bungalow week 27)

April 24, 2018 adrienne robideaux

We are at the point in our remodel project where I can’t believe it will still take two months (fingers crossed) before we can move back into the house. At the same time, the outside of the house still hasn’t been painted, the tile is still incomplete, the floors unfinished, the cabinets still in process. So, yeah. How will it possibly be done in two months?

the search for sectionals (modern southern bungalow week 21)

March 20, 2018 adrienne robideaux

We have floors! Ok, we have partial floors. The upstairs floors have been installed and the downstairs floors are in process. We also received confirmation this week that our wall tile for both the kitchen and master shower will be here on Thursday. It feels like things are getting closer even though we still have 14 weeks to go assuming all goes well. Please cross all your fingers and toes. We are so ready to get out of the apartment.

This week, while we waited for flooring and tile, we began looking at furnishings. I know what you are thinking. Fourteen weeks is a long time. But furniture, even from a big box store, is very rarely available the day that you want it. Many furniture stores are really show rooms, where one can try out pieces but not walk out with them. Even a basic table can take 6-8 weeks for delivery. Sofas can take up to 12 weeks for delivery.

clean your purse, clean your life (a.k.a. how to declutter your life)

December 14, 2017 adrienne robideaux

This is my actual purse, people. It isn't pretty.

Someone once said to me (or I read somewhere or there is some famous saying that I can’t seem to put my google on) that the state of your purse is parallel to the state of your brain. In other words, if your purse is a mess, your mind is probably a bit scattered too.

Now before those of you who ascribe to the “mess breeds creativity” school start throwing things at me, I am not saying that a messy purse is a sign of a basket case. (Breakfast Club anyone?) I’m just saying that for most of us...

how to make a reading nook

December 7, 2017 adrienne robideaux

Sources (a couple of these links are affiliate links and I thank you in advance for using them!): alligator, canopy, use your words, frame, lamp, book cart, set of classics, soft basket, rug, faux shearling floor cushion, green pillow, red mod pillow.

It’s raining and cold outside today and all I want to do is curl up with a blanket and a good book. Do you remember the last time you actually did that? Me either. As much as I’m very squarely in the camp to stop the glorification of busy, I’m still guilty of completely over scheduling myself at all times. Don’t get me started on the over-programming that is our lives these days. I could write am entire blog series on my thoughts about over scheduling our kids, and of course, I continue to do it myself. “She really wants to play soccer and take karate and be in scouts and do book club and yoga. How can I make her chose when she’s just exploring her options?” It’s a sickness, I’m sure.

foolproof kid-clutter management

November 23, 2017 adrienne robideaux

How do you stay on top of picking up after your kids? Do you fight the good fight Every. Single. Day? When you walk into a room is there always kid stuff on the floor? You know the things I’m talking about. Socks and books and toys seem to just fall off of your kids where ever they are and you are so over asking your kids to pick up after themselves. Good storage fine and all, but what about the stuff that doesn’t end up in its cute little identified storage space?

kid stuff storage 101

November 16, 2017 adrienne robideaux

Image by Carson Arias via Unsplash. Edited by yours truly.

The clutter of kids is unfathomable. The doll accessories, the Legos, the stuffed animals (oh, goodness, the stuffed animals!), the clothing, the school papers, the sports gear, the art projects… It’s enough to drive any parent mad. If only there was some way to contain the chaos.

Before you get all excited, I don’t have *the* magic answer here. My kids leave their socks in the middle of the floor and walk over them 30 times just like your kids. I do, however, have some tips to lessen the load. And let me get right to it by saying that my number one tip isn’t a decorating tip at all, but rather a way of life instilled in my husband by my mother-in-law that actually works: the old circular file is your best friend.

modern southern bungalow: the girl who cried remodel

October 6, 2017 adrienne robideaux

It is One Room Challenge time, which of course means I’m back on this website. Some of you (Hi, Mom!) have been hearing about our impending remodel for what seems like ever. This time last year, I redid the girls’ room on the cheap because we were soon to be starting a remodel and just needed a temporary fix. This time two years ago, I converted a ridiculous add-on in the back of the house into a family room because we were soon to be starting a remodel and just needed a temporary fix. You all know about the boy who cried wolf so I’m sure you can see where I’m going with this.