the procrastinator's guide to packing

I always head into the new school year with the intent of having the cutest room in the history of...ever.  Instead, I start packing the night before I leave for school again.  Um helloooo you think I would have learned by now that all-nighters never equate to marvelous murals on the wall that perfectly complement my lavish bedding fit for a queen.  It also means that the string of lights never shine quite right against my flawlessly organized collection of clothes that of course correlates with my extensive shoe assortment. Packing the night before leads to bare walls sprinkled with ripped out pictures from magazines of hot celebrities and sky-high piles of clothes hiding my supposed desk. This has to stop: 1) because I'm a Junior and I need to start getting my life together and 2) because it is socially unacceptable to have One Direction and Justin Bieber on your wall- not that I ever did that...okay, I was desperate. Oh, and 3) because maybe having a desk without who-know-what on top of it will motivate me to do my homework.

RHL

This is the fool-proof procrastinator's guide to a spectacular, jaw-dropping, gorgeous room.

• Bedding: It's been said that you can tell a lot about a person by their comforter. Actually I just made that up but I swear it's true. Your bedspread makes a statement about you- are you simple, calm, adventurous, fun? Make sure it coordinates with the theme of your room and create a color scheme to match.  Then you're halfway there to perfection! Kind of.  Not only does your bedding have to match the rest of the room, it has to match each other which means the sheets, comforter, skirt, blanket- the whole shebang has to coordinate or you'll look tacky. Residence Hall Linens has everything you need and more to create that luxurious, cozy bed you deserve.    
• Storage: So my stuff is usually scattered all over my room. Good thing I can navigate through the mess to surprisingly find what I need. It would be so much easier if I just used storage. Plus, my room would look ten times better. Under-the-bed storage works miracles- use it. Otherwise, pick up some cute drawers or trunks to store extra clothes, shoes, or other things that you don't need lying around. There's storage for everything. You'll impress your parents first of all by how clean your room is, and you can have room to do whatever you like with your friends- watch TV, do yoga, party, I don't know get creative. Bonus: make your storage match your color scheme. Ahhh it's giving me chills already. 
• Closet necessities: Always showcase your clothes and shoes, because who doesn't want to feel like they have Barneys in their closet?! My number one tip for amping up any closet space is organization. Organize your clothes by color or style to give your closet a crisp look. My advice is to invest in velvet hangars; they can hold even the trickiest tops. Also, get special hangars for skirts and dresses, and pants if you wish. Like I said in the storage section, have something for your shoes otherwise they take up too much space. And like those wedges are to die for and you need to show them off to the world. Duh. 
• Hamper: Don't get a bag, get a real hamper. And make sure you're able to wash it because chances are it will smell disgusting after you forget to do your laundry for a month. 
• Furniture: Depending on your room, you might want to invest in some furniture. A futon is always a nice touch and gives people a chance to hang out in your room which is always a plus. Ottomans double as storage which is always needed. It's always nice to have somewhere to chill other than your bed so plan accordingly, depending on how much room you have. As always, match the furniture with the look you're going for. 
• Entertainment: TV? Wii? DVD player? iHome? Speakers? All I need are my laptop and phone so I'm not the person to ask for this one.  
• Decorations: Yayyy the fun part! Hang up pictures of you and your friends to remind yourself how crazy and awesome and adventurous and pretty you are. Who wouldn't want to befriend you after seeing those?! Try putting some in cute picture frames to mix it up. Lights are always really cool and make it look like you put in a lot of effort even when you didn't- perfect! There are so many lights you can choose from to go for the look you want.  Show off your artistic side by making decorations for the walls. You could paint a picture, write out one of your favorite quotes, or just copy everything on Pintrest. Most rooms are wood floors or tile, so a rug is always a good idea. You can have a statement rug or a simple one- your choice. Don't get one that's too expensive though because mine tend to get gross very quickly...
• Other: You'll need powerstrips because there are never enough outlets. Also, make sure to bring a full-length mirror and a mirror to do your makeup and stuff. I've found that command hooks work wonders.  

source

Come up with a plan of how you want your room to look. With a little planning you'll be on your way to amazing! Give yourself enough time to purchase and pack everything. Look on different websites or in magazines to find inspiration. Next thing you know, your room will be the talk of the town. So here's to Junior year, finally getting it together!