Category: College

College Apartment Bedroom Reveal: 2020 – 2021

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I’ve been moved into my new apartment for just over a week now and I’m so glad to be back in Norman. I’m already loving my bedroom and had such a good time planning it out in the weeks before my move. If you’ve been following along since my Austin room tour last summer, some things might look familiar, but I tried to incorporate a lot of new pieces as well! If I can find the new pieces online, I’ll have them linked down below.

My bed was super important to me when planning out my space because I knew it was going to be the focal point of the room. I had a mostly white comforter before, but decided to upgrade to full white for my new room. I tried to phase out navy as one of my colors and decided to shift more to light blue instead. It was a little hard to imagine the finished product without an actual bed to put things on, but I’m super happy with the final product!

My étagère is by far my favorite part of my whole room. This room is super limited on closet space (something I’m still getting used to) and I knew I would need something extra to help hold all my accessories. This TikTok was my inspiration, but obviously I knew my space was tight so I needed to scale it down a little bit. I decided it would be the perfect place to display my handbags and my favorite pairs of shoes, along with my jewelry organizers and my Burberry perfume! If I acquire more shoes and/or bags I may start rotating them out, but for now everything I wanted to display fits perfectly.

This little wall was perfect for my minimalistic portraits! I picked up this hobby in quarantine and have been loving it ever since. (Want one of your own? Visit Kayla Creative Co.) I usually frame actual photographs of my friends and I, but wanted to take a slightly different route this year. I got the frames from Michael’s for super cheap and printed the portraits myself, and I just feel like this wall adds so much personality to the space!

As a full-time graduate student with many side hustles, I knew my desk area had to be perfect. I love that it comes with a built-in light- no lamp necessary- and is a lot bigger compared to my last apartment desk. I was able to fill the upper shelves with more accessories, decor, and office supplies.

This photo board was the last thing to arrive (it was actually delivered to my apartment several days after I moved in) and I knew I wanted to turn it into a vision board. I work at my desk every day and wanted to have this in prominent view so I could always be reminded of what I’m working towards.

SHOP my Room:

Lumbar Pillow: Lyla Ruched Throw Pillow – Stein Mart
Étagère: Aimee Narrow Etagere Bookcase – Crosley Furniture
Jewelry Organizer: Acrylic Jewelry Box – Mebbay
Photo Frame: 8×10 White Narrow Frame With Mat – Michael’s
Headband Holder: Stackable Clear Plastic Headband Holder – STORi
Sunglasses Stand: Sunglasses Display Stand – World Pride
Photo Board: 20×30 Cork Linen Bulletin Board – U Brands

It’s crazy to me that the start of the school year is almost here! So excited to take on my final year of college (!!!) as a graduate student. It may look different, but overall I’m feeling optimistic. How does school look for your university this year?

-K

Senior Photo Reveal: University of Oklahoma Class of 2020

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The end of my senior year definitely didn’t go as planned. While I wasn’t able to finish out my undergraduate career at the University of Oklahoma on campus with my friends and peers, I knew I at least wanted some photos to commemorate my 4 years as an undergraduate. Since social distancing procedures were already in place by mid-March, I was unable to hire a photographer for a senior portrait shoot.

Luckily, my time blogging has given me loads of experience with iPhone photography, self-timers, and tripods! I got ready and loaded up all my gear early one morning and headed to campus. I love how they turned out, although trying to wrangle all the props with the addition of a cap/gown/stole/hood on my own was a hassle. (Also, do you realize how hard it is to take a cap-throwing picture on your own with a 10-second self timer? REALLY hard.)

I’m proud of my work on these pictures, and over the past 4 years as well. I can’t wait to experience virtual commencement and graduation with my family this weekend!

-K

What I’ve Been Doing In Quarantine

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We’re a little over a month into quarantine, and it would be easy to say I’m not going crazy being stuck inside. However, I have been trying to make good use of my time, and keep a balance between work and relaxation. This was a tough balance to find at first- working from home is not my forte- but the longer I’ve gone on, the easier it’s become. Here’s how I’ve been spending my days since shelter-in-place went into effect.

1. Got an internship

More on this in an upcoming post, but I was incredibly lucky to score a social media internship position with Tart-a-licious French Desserts during this quarantine experience! Since I have extra free time now that I’m not going to physical classes or commuting to campus, an internship seemed like the perfect way to fill my time. Can’t wait to share more about my experience soon!

2. Updated my resume

With new industry experience comes a new resume. I’m particularly anal about mine (not surprising when you own a resume design business) and reformatting mine to fit my new experiences was a lot of fun. I can’t wait to use it to start lobbying for a summer internship position!

3. Found new resume clients

I’m not the only one needing a new resume right now! To help those affected by COVID-19, I’m currently offering a discount of $30/document to all new resume clients. Hopefully this is able to help those seeking employment in a troubled job market. (Interested? Email me at kaylamccullough@ou.edu)

4. Designed for Redbubble

Recently, I realized I need to start capitalizing on my graphic design skills and upload more of my work to Redbubble. If you have anything you want to see, let me know!

5. Started rewatching Gossip Girl

This one shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone. I’ve been binging Gossip Girl since my sophomore year of high school (7 whole years, which is kinda crazy) and I just got back into it recently. Since I’ve seen the whole series all the way through more than 10 times, it’s the perfect show to have on in the background if I’m doing other things. Currently on season 4!

6. Played animal crossing

Wild World, not New Horizons. For some reason I just can’t give the Nintendo DS version up- I’ve had it since 5th grade and still love socializing with my villagers and taking care of my town when I have some down time. It’s a great way to decompress, as well!

7. Stayed focused on my goals

COVID-19 may have stopped normal life, but school goes on. I’m gearing up to finish my semester and graduate in a few weeks, albeit without a ceremony. However, I’m excited to officially have my bachelor’s degree and officially be a master’s student! After I finish writing this post I’m going to start working on my 2-year plan. I’m excited to see where life takes me over the next year and the year after my master’s graduation, and I want to be prepared!

-K

Staying Organized with an Agenda

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Happy August 1! If you’re like me, then you know that it’s also the first official day for the new Lilly Pulitzer academic agendas, which run August – July!

Since school is right around the corner, I wanted to spend some time talking about how I stay organized using my agenda. As a full-time student/part-time blogger, my time is really important to me. Because of my meticulous agenda skills, I’m able to make the most of it!

MY AGENDA

Before we get into the nitty-gritty, let’s talk about what agenda I choose to use. For the past 4 years, I’ve been a Lilly Pulitzer agenda girl, and I don’t see that changing any time soon.

This year, I’m using the Lilly Pulitzer Large Agenda in the print Multi Floridita.

Color-COding

Color coding is essential for me. With one glance, I can see everything on my list for the day, and where my priorities should be. I like to divide my colors up by class during the academic year. This is my color-coding system for fall 2019:

I’ve used the Paper Mate® Inkjoy ballpoint pens since I got to college, and those from the original pack are still going strong despite their heavy use. I don’t use black or brown in my agenda (the design is too bright for bland colors) and I don’t use orange. On principle.

Stickers

Stickers are the fun part! Beyond getting to make my space colorful with ballpoint pens, I also use bright stickers. I use stickers mainly on the monthly spread pages, since they’re able to give me a quick run-down of my most important events for the upcoming month.

I also try to make them related to the activity I’m scheduling- footballs for football games, music notes for band-related events, roses for sorority events, and little cameras for things I had to do as historian. For other important events without a specific set of stickers, I usually used stars!

My favorite sources for stickers are:

Scheduling

It used to be hard for me to easily distinguish between things that were on my schedule and things just on my to-do list. Now, I use triangles to designate things with a certain time (ex. “Brunch w/ Lexi @ Neighborhood Jam @ 10:30”) vs things I just have to do that day (ex. “Go grocery shopping”). Here’s an example week from September of last year that shows these symbols in action! (Bonus incentive to use symbols: checking them off is so satisfying!)

Extra tips!

  • Write it down. Write everything down. I don’t care if you think you’re going to remember something- write it down anyways.
  • Make sure your agenda has your name, phone number, and email inside! I’ve never lost mine- knock on wood– but if I did, I would want someone to be able to contact me and get it returned ASAP.
  • Use a paper clip at the top of your current week so you can easily flip what to what day it is. No more scrambling to find the correct day when your professor is giving out the homework instructions!

Questions?

Is there anything I didn’t cover? I would love to answer any of your unanswered, burning questions- leave a comment down below or shoot me an email!

-K

My 2019-2020 Lilly Pulitzer Agenda

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If you know me IRL, then you probably know all about my obsession with agendas, specifically the Lilly Pulitzer ones. I’ve been an avid agenda user since third grade, when Frisco ISD gave out free ones to all the students to use. Eventually, Frisco ISD stopped handing out free agendas, but my love for organization remained. I meandered through a few different agenda styles throughout the years before eventually landing on the Lilly Pulitzer ones.

I had been a Lilly fan for a little while, but hadn’t actually owned a Lilly agenda until my senior year of high school. I loved the bright colors and watercolor aesthetic that each agenda page had. I soon took my agenda game to the next level, and started using colored pens to further organize my life. As someone tackling their senior year of high school and about to embark on their freshman year of college, color coding was a game changer.

Lilly agendas have served me extremely well throughout my entire college career. I considered switching to another agenda brand this year for my senior year, but just couldn’t bring myself to do it. I’m so used to the Lilly layout and structure and don’t want to risk throwing myself off for my fourth year of college.

Senior year of high school, and freshman/sophomore years of college
Junior and senior years of college

This is my fifth Lilly agenda now, so I’ve accumulated quite a collection! I don’t have them all with me in Austin right now, but luckily I had a picture of the first three still on my phone so you can see the evolution through the years.

I can’t wait to start putting information in and getting my agenda ready for the 2019-2020 school year! For me, getting a new agenda is basically like Christmas and is one of my favorite days of the year.

This year, I chose the large agenda in the print multi flordita.

-K

Bread and Butter PR

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I am back with a gigantic LIFE UPDATE to share!

As I’ve talked about in previous posts, I’ve been on an internship hunt for summer 2019. I had been applying several places, and not hearing back. The process was way more tedious than I had ever expected. I was applying to so many cool places, and never even getting a response back was really starting to take a toll on me. Was I ever going to get an internship for summer 2019?

As some of you know, I went on a PRSSA trip to Austin back in March. (You can read about the trip here.) On that trip, one of the PR agencies we visited was called bread & Butter, and I fell in love with it immediately. As soon as I got home from the trip, I emailed the intern coordinators my resume and cover letter directly. I wanted to work for bread & Butter so badly, but after a few weeks of not hearing anything, I didn’t have high hopes.

But luckily, this story has an uber happy ending. I ended up being moved to the interview stage for bread & Butter, and then before I knew it, they had offered me the position! Of all the places I had applied to for summer internships, they were my top choice and I was beyond excited.

With all that being said, I am so excited to announce that I’ll be moving to Austin, Texas for the summer of 2019 to be the public relations intern for bread & Butter! I can’t wait to learn from such a great company and spend the summer in a new city. I hope you’ll continue to follow along this summer as I share my adventures in Austin!

-K

My Go-To Starbucks Drinks

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I’m a morning person by nature, so I wouldn’t say I need coffee to function. But every morning, without fail, I make my breakfast that always includes an iced coffee from my roommate’s Keurig machine. When I’m wanting to treat myself (or just needing an extra boost a caffeine,) I hit up a campus Starbucks on my way to class.

Full disclaimer: I drink coffee for the taste, which means that my drinks need to taste like 80% sugar and 20% coffee. Black coffee or dark roasts are not my thing, so when you notice that my favorite drinks all stray from the genre of “traditional” coffee, that’s why.

1. Iced Caramel Macchiato

I am definitely an iced coffee type of girl. Unless the temperature outside dips below 20, you’ll probably only see me with an iced coffee in hand. My go-to drink at Starbucks is an iced caramel macchiato, since the milk and caramel sauce disguise the espresso when mixed properly. If I’m going to be up late studying at the library, this is usually the drink I pick.

2. ICED CARAMEL Cloud MACCHIATO

This Starbucks x Ariana Grande collab had me skeptical at first, but I quickly got addicted to these fluffy beverages once I tried one for the first time. (Yep, I said fluffy.) The iced caramel cloud macchiato is similar to a regular iced caramel macchiato, except it comes with layers of foam instead of milk. Personally, I think the foam is the best part and would easily order a whole cup of it if I thought I could escape without judgement from the baristas.

3. caramel frappuccino

This was my first introduction to coffee, so it’ll always hold a special place in my heart. When I was in middle school, the “cool” thing to do on a Friday night was to go to the mall with your friends. It was during one of those escapades where I tried a caramel frappuccino for the first time. To this day, I’ll still order a caramel frappuccino if I’m on campus and my sweet tooth decides to show up in full force.

4. vanilla bean frappuccino

I warned y’all, I don’t actually like the taste of coffee all that much, and this one is a perfect example of that. The vanilla bean frappuccino doesn’t actually contain coffee, so I like to order this one when I want a sweet treat without the caffeine. It’s also something I discovered in my pre-teen years, so it’s a great nostalgia bomb as well!

5. hot CARAMEL MACCHIATO

Remember how I said I was an iced coffee gal? Well, on the rare occasion where it dips below 20 degrees, the hot caramel macchiato is my drink of choice. Like its iced counterpart, it also masks the espresso taste very well, which I greatly appreciate. If I’m wanting a caffeinated beverage before making a walk across OU’s freezing campus, I think about the well being of my fingers and opt for a hot drink instead.

In other news, this is my 50th post on Selfies & OOTDs! That’s crazy to me because I feel like I started this blog not that long ago. Thanks for reading, and I can’t wait to keep sharing my fashion and lifestyle content with y’all!

-K

MOTS and AEA

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Today’s post is a little different! I am part of a sorority called Tau Beta Sigma. Last night we had our Third Degree, or our last phase of initiation before our membership candidates become active sisters. There’s a lot I can’t tell you (rituals are secret), but there’s some I can, as well! So beyond the rituals, here’s my favorite parts of last night.

Third Degree is heavily joint with our brother chapter, Kappa Kappa Psi. We are both the Delta chapters, meaning we were the fourth chapters in the nation for each of our respective organizations to become active. One part of Third Degree that is joint with KKY is the membership candidate skits. Once our rituals are over, this is a great way for the MCs to have fun and share their class’ personality with the actives a little more.

After skits, we had our final joint ritual in Sharp concert hall. I love joint rituals because I get to spend time with my KKY brothers that I don’t see as much. When that was over, it was time for photos! I’m a grand-big this year (AKA: my littles took littles this year) so I got a picture with me and my family. I love them all and they make me so happy!

Top: Me
Middle: Braden, Nadia, & Devin (my littles)
Bottom: Emily, Taylor, Caden, Cameron, & Kelsey (my g-littles)

I’m the TBS historian, so I got to take a giant group photo of both chapters at the very end! We’re pretty large, and I had to go up several rows of seats into the concert hall to get everyone in the shot. I’ve been TBS historian for 2 years and I’m running for a different officer position for next year, so I’m very sad that my time as historian is over. I love taking pictures of my sisters and brothers.

The Delta chapters of TBS and KKY have my whole heart. I can’t wait to make even more memories with them for my senior year. Congratualtions Delta Zetas and Zeta Kappas, you’re active sisters and brothers!

-K

Lazy Saturday

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I don’t have class on Friday this semester, so it’s basically like I get 2 Saturdays back-to-back. I try to do a lot of my work on Friday when I’m still in a “school week” mindset, and that mindset in turn provides me with a weekend day that I can pretty much spend doing whatever I want.

I tend to keep my Saturdays pretty casual. I sleep in until 9 (yes, I consider that sleeping in) and then spend my morning catching up on social media, watching the newest “Say Yes to the Dress” episode while eating my breakfast, and getting in an at-home workout. Being active early in the day is imperative for my Saturdays because it keeps me from feeling like I didn’t accomplish anything during the rest of my day.

While my mornings are pretty uniform, my afternoons are super varied. This is my day to spend entirely doing what I want, so it changes week-to-week. Sometimes, I make the trek to the Target shopping center and do some clothes shopping. Other days, I stay at home and binge watch some Netflix (probably Gossip Girl, if we’re being honest.) And if I’m feeling social, sometimes I’ll make the afternoon an adventure and go out with friends.

But no matter what I’m doing, I always make an effort to get dressed in an outfit I like that makes me feel good. Something I’ve learned is that when I stay in pajamas all day, I feel worse about myself than when I intentionally take time to pick out what I’m going to wear that day.

I appreciate my extra “me-day” so much. It really allows me to unwind and mentally prepare for the week ahead. What day do you dedicate to your “me time”?

-K

Why I Need A Budget

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I’m a self-diagnosed shopaholic. If I’m within 100 yards of a TJ Maxx or Uptown Cheapskate, odds are I’m going to go in “just to look.” And as soon as I’m inside, no matter what I tell myself, I’m probably going to leave with something that I didn’t come looking for.

In theory, that isn’t that bad. Because in terms of clothing stores, TJ Maxx and Uptown Cheapskate are pretty budget-friendly options. How can those stores burn through my monthly grocery budget and leave me that broke, that fast?

Well, when I go shopping- or more likely, “just browsing”- I end up spending $50+ in one go, leaving my closet happy, but my bank account weeping. And when your monthly budget for everything (groceries, going out to eat, wine, makeup, toiletries) is only $250 total, a few $50 shopping sprees can eat through your funds pretty fast.

In January, after a particularly bad month of personal spending due to post-Christmas money burning a hole in my pocket, I decided that enough was enough. I was going to make myself a budget, and try to stick to it.

To give you an idea of what I was working with, here’s what I spent in January 2019:

It pains me to even look at it, but yep. $188 over my budget of $225. And the biggest negative profit I saw that month was- to nobodies surprise- in the clothing department, with -$121.

Yikes. To say the least.

So for the month of February, I knew I needed to change. Spending $156 a month on clothes alone is not sustainable. So that’s when I made the budget that I’m working with now, and we’ll see how it goes for February:

$225 Total
  • Groceries: $120
    • I think this is reasonable. It’s not the only money I spend on food for the month- I go out to eat and go out with friends, too- so I think $120 for just produce/bread/cheese/snacks/whatever else I eat at home sounds realistic.
  • Clothes: $35
    • This is proving to be the greatest challenge. So far, this category is still at $0 (go me!) but the temptation is so high. I have a beach vacation coming up next month, so I keep telling myself I should save this money and put it towards buying new clothes in March. But the urge to treat myself to some retail therapy is so real…
  • Going Out to Eat: $20
    • Okay, so maybe this is a little unrealistic. As of right now, I’ve already spent $11.47 on eating out this month, and it’s only day 8. Maybe this section will need a little reconfiguring for next month…
  • Going Out with Friends: $25
    • If the “Going Out to Eat” was estimated too low, I think “Going Out with Friends” is going to be to high. I go out with friends- but when I do, we’re usually going out to eat, which doesn’t fall under this category. I think I can easily scale this one down to $15 for next month.
  • Alcohol: $10
    • Luckily, I’m not much of an alcohol person. However, I do have a bottle of wine that I really love: André’s Peach Moscato. It’s only $7 a bottle, so this $10 lets me go through about a bottle-and-a-half a month.
  • Miscellaneous: $15
    • Occasionally, I know I’m going to need to buy something that doesn’t fit into any of the other categories (a birthday gift, for example.) I allocated $15 to this “extra” fund because you never know what’s going to pop up.

And that’s my budget for the month of February! I’m hoping that by keeping track of my finances along the way, I won’t end up with $20 in my account to last me the second half of a month (which I’ll admit, has happened more than a few times.) Once February is over, I’ll share an update on how my budget did and how I’m changing it for February!

Thanks for reading, and feel free to share any of your personal budgeting tips with me! I definitely need them.

-K