Saturday, July 28, 2018

My Study Space + Vanity


Is it almost August? The summer flew by so quickly, that I just barely got myself grounded and prepared for the coming school year. The small summer reprieve did allot myself a small window of opportunity to set up my study space in a way I envisioned and just in time for fall semester!

I was definitely inspired to share my vanity with my study area by a specific line from the Legally Blonde musical, a song called “Chip On My Shoulder”, in which Emmet recites to Elle,

  “Ya know, this vanity’s real picturesque but it started it’s life as a desk
Clear it off, and find some room for books instead ”. 


My whole return to schooling has been to the tune of the Legally Blonde musical soundtrack, and that line stuck with me and definitely persuaded me to modify my vanity to be my desk.

So, let me give a rundown of what creates my study space!


My main tech is my iPad Pro and Apple Pencil. I not only use it to take down my notes, but I create my PowerPoint presentations, write my papers, access my courses and submit all my assignments though it. I decided I enjoy a tablet more than a laptop and have successfully been able to complete my first 2 semesters using it.

I do have my own portable keyboard, but I decided I wanted to have a beautiful at home keyboard that gives me joy to use at home and for my long papers and assignments. With endless searching all this year I finally came across the Penna keyboard by Elretron. I immediately donated to their fundraising campaign and got my keyboard mid spring semester and it was just as wonderful as promised! Its a beautiful soft pink, I opted for mx cherry blue switches, which make for an amazingly satisfying click with each keystroke, and diamond keycaps that look similar to my ideal keyboard from the movie Populaire. I may have been heavily inspired by the movie Populaire this past year too, if my keyboard and iPad background doesn’t give that away. Excitingly, the Penna keyboard smashed their fundraising campaign and is now available on Amazon HERE!

To store my keyboard, and to raise my iPad to a comfortable level, I commissioned a riser from  ThePaperSkiff on etsy. I realized this year that I find it more comfortable to view my screen if it’s at eye level to me, so a riser was a necessity to maintain my concentration and tolerance working for hours seated in front of a screen.

Additionally, I use an Element Digital stand to support my iPad upright, which has a convenient gripped base, and adjustable neck to tilt my tablet to a comfortable viewing position.

I also decided to invest in a desk mat, from Empressionistar, to keep my area clean and protect the desk from my makeup. An additional note, the Penna anti-grip pegs like to stain my white tables a yellow color, the mat helps to protect against that and acts as it’s own stabilizing surface to keep items from sliding or rolling off my vanity.


Behind where I sit, I contain my other supplies within easy reach. Usually, I may move aside other things on my vanity when I need multiple things laid out in front of me, but when not in use, its nice to have things put aside and not creating extra clutter.


The switch from study area back to vanity is quite simple. With removal of my tablet, I conveniently can place a small mirror on the stand which helps with small detail makeup like lash application or eyeliner. The riser I have also serves as pretty storage for my keyboard (it fits fully under but I forgot to move my extension cord behind it, oops), but also works as a nice display surface for my makeup brushes. 

Since I’m taking photos of my desk set up, I can also take this time to give a light tour of what is inside my vanity!   


On top of my vanity, store my most used items, my main skincare items [comprehensive blog post on them here], and also my most beautiful makeup pieces which I like to display for aesthetics.


My top drawer, I keep items I like to have quick accessibility too, which would be hair clips + ties and other hair accessories, my favorite false lashes, lash glues, lash curlers, tweezers and pencil sharpeners.



Taking a peek into right terminal of drawers, I store accessories, more skin care, eye care, ribbons, and all my hair tools. 



In the left terminal of drawers, I store all my makeup, perfumes, hair oils, deodorants, sheet masks, and a whole drawer of lashes. 

I find that with drawer dividers, organization of my vanity is much easier, I bought mine [here]. It was definitely a game changer in regards to my tidiness!  


I hope that the look into how I created my study area was insightful, maybe something that was a bit more unique in choice of set up. Maybe down the line things may change and evolve, but for now I find my desk to be ideal in what I need and for my lifestyle.

<3CarisseIris  



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