NOLA

That time when I almost got run over by a car trying to get the photo... 

Spontaneous/fun photo shoot with Associate A&L Editor Johnny Gipson:

iPhone photos:

 Live music

Traditional LA food: Red beans and rice, baked ham, grits and collard greens

Some of the group...missing about five of us!

New friend I found in the bookstore

Halloween makeup––photo courtesy of Mike Eden

A bunch of leashed cowboys with a cowgirl holding the rope to all of them!

This past Wednesday-Sunday, 13 of us on staff at The Signal went to the ACP/CMA National College Media Convention in New Orleans. I had so much fun exploring the city, getting to know fellow staff members better, listening to all kinds of people speak at the sessions, experiencing Halloween festivities and eating delicious food in NOLA. I'd have to rank it one of the top dirtiest/smelliest cities I've ever visited in my entire life, but the amazing architecture, live music, hole-in-the-wall shops and overall charming vibe New Orleans gave canceled it out. There was a Halloween parade on Saturday night that a lot of us dressed up for––I saw some pretty amazing costumes! Part of me wishes I had my real camera with me and got good photos that evening, but I had a great time and wouldn't take it back. Food highlights include fried shrimp, fried catfish and grits. And I think I'm still on a sugar high from the MOUNTAIN of powdered sugar that topped the beignets. (Diet starts now?)

x, SL

music mudtown and modern media

Last weekend I attended Atlanta's music festival, Music Midtown (or "Mudtown", as people coined it this year). It put a new meaning to "rain or shine" since the torrential downpour wasn't enough to stop the festivities.  We'll just say my new rain jacket came in handy! My style column Tuesday was based on the rain gear I found at the festival; I snapped the photos in the one-hour window between the rain stopping and the sun setting. See those photos below and on Georgia State Signal: http://georgiastatesignal.com/leahs-school-of-style-music-midtown/

On Wednesday my grandparents from Ohio stopped by my apartment along with my parents and brother for a BBQ dinner. It was so nice getting a break from studying to spend time with family. The school week went by quickly and the weekend has mostly consisted of attending the Modern Media Conference. It's been two days of panels from speakers of all types–teachers, anchors, reporters and editors. Last night a few of us from The Signal staff went to a Braves game where they won and we got to watch a huge fireworks show. It's been an inspirational, informational and exhausting weekend so far!

another week

We're over halfway through September already?! How did that happen? I'm exhausted from this week, but I'm two tests down and one to go. So excited for Music Midtown this weekend.

Week two of Style School on Georgia State Signal: http://georgiastatesignal.com/leahs-school-of-style-colored-hair/

leah's school of style: patterned pants

I'm so overly excited that I have my own weekly style column for the newspaper! It will be running online at www.georgiastatesignal.com every Tuesday. Every week I'll photograph what I'm seeing most of, and this past week, it was patterned pants. Check out the column here: http://georgiastatesignal.com/leahs-style-school-patterned-pants/

xo, SL 

DIY furniture facelift

So...this post is a little different from anything I've ever done. First of all, it's all iPhone photos! Second, it's a DIY. I wouldn't consider myself to be really crafty, but moving into/decorating my apartment made me realize that I have some potential. 

My aunt had this dresser many years ago, passed it on to my parents, and then they gave it to me. I've had it for as long as I can remember.

Read on to discover how I transformed my hand-me-down dresser to a colorful, full-of-life conversation starter.

Before:

 I took the dresser downstairs, removed the drawers and lightly sanded the entire piece. It was glossy and I wanted it to be dull with a little bit of texture so that the primer would stick.

 After, I taped everything I didn't want paint on. Hardware, sliding mechanisms for the drawers (I'm sure there's a better word for that), etc.

 These are the old knobs. I didn't want my new knobs to be so close together on the bottom three drawers (see original picture), so we used wood filler and drilled new knob holes for those drawers. 

 Next I began priming (I used a spray can for the primer and paint). It took me a coat to get the technique down, but what worked for me was getting a couple inches away from the wood and constantly spraying until all I saw was white (see top of dresser). Pro tip: before painting the top of the dresser, lay it on its side. If you try to prime or paint while its standing up and the spray can is facing down on it, the liquid will drip and it won't be even.

 Go for however many coats it takes to make you content with the coverage. This took three.

 If you're happy with your painted furniture, stop there! It could be finished at this point, depending on what look you're going for. I wanted more of a worn, vintage look, so I went to Lowe's and bought some Glaze. I was nervous about the outcome, but I'm so glad I did it.

 Take a paint brush and begin brushing the glaze onto the wood. I tried leaving the glaze on for a minute and taking it off imediately, but none of the black stuck. I ended up leaving the glaze on the wood for about 15 minutes and then wiped the excess off with an old t-shirt. What I was left with is the drawer on the right: 

 It adds a little character that goes a long way. And the best part: it's close to impossible to mess the glaze up! Just paint it on and wipe it off.

 One of the most fun parts was picking my knobs out. Hobby Lobby has a selection that takes up an entire wall--I went with some fun, mismatched, eclectic ones. 

 I'm so happy with the final product!

Pick up some cheap pieces from Goodwill to practice on, or try it on your own home furniture. Leave a comment if you have a make-over success story to share!