Make Your Apartment a Winter Wonderland

Do you want to decorate your college apartment for the holidays?  Everyone wants to be festive, but you do not want to spend a lot of money when you will be home for the holiday.  Here are some great inexpensive tips on how to make your apartment a holiday wonderland.

• Personalize and hang stockings for you and your roommates – this can be a fun project and very inexpensive. Purchase plain stockings and paint, glitter, felt, etc. and create your own designs for your stockings. You could even include some school spirit and make University themed stockings.
• Remember in Elementary School when you used to make paper snow flakes in art class.  Flashback to those times and make your apartment a winter wonderland with this easy art trick.
• Hang ornaments from the stairs and or ceiling.  Just make sure you do not damage the walls or ceiling while doing this.
• Use some ribbon and ties to put around chairs and lamps.  This adds some festive spirit to even the smallest furniture.
• Make a giant present out of your door by using some wrapping paper and a bow.  It instantly looks festive and adds so much holiday spirit to your apartment.
• Use holiday cards that you receive to decorate the walls in your apartment.
• Play Christmas music on your ipod or on Pandora!
  
  

Happy Thanksgiving!

We hope everyone has a safe and Happy Thanksgiving! Spend some time with your friends and family and remember everything in life that you are thankful for.

Alternative Thanksgiving Plans

Do you not get to go home for Thanksgiving?  It is o.k if you can not.  There are still some great ways to enjoy the holiday, and get a break from the daily grind of classes.  Keep reading to learn some tips and tricks to enjoy your holiday away from home.

Many college campuses look like deserted ghost towns around Thanksgiving. The vast majority of students usually head home for some good food, R & R, and family time. But for those students who can't -- or don't want to -- go home, there are still some great options for how to have a fantastic Thanksgiving holiday.

1. Volunteer. No matter where you live, there are undoubtedly places nearby that could use volunteers on Thanksgiving Day. Check out women's shelters, homeless shelters, places that serve veterans, hospitals, and even local foster homes. Giving back can make you feel great while providing you with some great companionship -- and grub, of course!


2. Go home with a friend. If you live too far away to head home, try heading home with a friend or roommate. You can see an entirely new part of that person's life, have fun, and still get that fantastic feeling that comes from being "home."


3. Organize something on campus. Chances are, you aren't the only student on your campus not planning on heading home for Thanksgiving. Organize an event that includes a nice dinner, volunteering, or even a movie-watching marathon. It can be a great opportunity to meet new people and enjoy yourself while still feeling relaxed and like you're on vacation.


4. Offer to housesit for friends or others. Know someone -- a friend, a faculty member, an administrator -- who is going to have an empty house? Offer to housesit over Thanksgiving. You can enjoy the comforts of being out of the residence hall without having to deal with the inevitable drama that comes from having family running around. Additionally, you can always cook a nice Thanksgiving dinner in a great kitchen and have a few friends over for a nice, relaxing meal.


5. Take the day for yourself. There are some of us out there who enjoy being alone from time to time -- which is nearly impossible as a college student. Spend the day sleeping in, catching up on homework, watching movies, and doing whatever it is you wish you had time for when your schedule is crazier. Just make sure to treat yourself to some slow-cooked turkey and cranberry sauce in there somewhere!
   
   Learn more at About.com
   

Cabaret at East Carolina University

The East Carolina University theater and dance program will present the musical Cabaret from November 15th-November 20th.  The famous musical that has won many Tony awards will be presented at the McGinnis Theater.  The show is about a cabaret singer working a club where anything is possible.  Make sure to get your tickets now for to see this talented cast perform at the University. November 15 - 20, 2012 Book by Joe Masteroff Music by John Kander Lyrics by Fred Edd McGinnis Theatre

Berlin, 1930, Sally Bowles, an American cabaret singer/dancer is working at the "Kit Kat" club where anything goes. Under the watchful eye of the Master of Ceremonies, she is pursued by a rich playboy and a melancholy teacher but can only choose one. Cabaret has garnered many Tony and similar awards including Best Musical, Best Original Score, Best Direction, Best Choreography, Best Costume Design, and Best Revival. Parental advisory.

For more information see ECU.EDU
Campus Towers 

INDIVIDUAL TICKET PRICES

General Public	$15.00
Youth (18 and younger) Current ECU Students	$10.00

PERFORMANCES

Thurs	Fri	Sat	Sun Mat	Mon	Tues
Nov 15	Nov 16	Nov 17	Nov 18	Nov 19	Nov 20
8pm	8pm	8pm	2pm	8pm	8pm

Have Fun Around Your Apartment During the Storm!

 Are you stuck in your apartment, while we wait for Hurricane Sandy to finish her wrath?  Here are ten great tips from Apartment Therapy on what to do while you are waiting for the storm to finish.  We hope everyone at Campus Towers stays safe.



1. Take some time to focus on the the simple things that can make your home a happier place.

 2. Take some photos of your home and send them in to us!

3. Use an online program to make a plan to rearrange a room.

3. Take just a few minutes to clean one or two of these easy-to-forget about spots around the house.

4. Organize your books and choose a good one to re-read while you are at it.

5. Make some easy, bright new wall art. (Yes, you can!)

6. Cover a pillow

7. Get comfy and watch a few great documentaries on Netflix.

8. Do the laundry

9. Cook up something delicious.

10. Check out these great sites for DIY projects and get one started.

Stay safe, everyone!

DIY Fall Crafts

 Fall is a great season to craft and decorate your house.  Here are five great do it yourself craft ideas to make your apartment ready for the fall and winter seasons.  Try them out this weekend to decorate for your Halloween party.

While it's hard to deny the appeal of this season — the swirls of colorful leaves drifting down to the ground, crisp air outside and cozy fires inside, warm, spicy baking smells and the return of my beloved Pumpkin Spice latte — I am and always will be a beach kid from the golden coast and as such, you will always have to drag me kicking and screaming away from my beloved summer.
In an effort to embrace the season at hand I've rounded up five great fall DIY projects. There, I'm feeling cozier already.




1. Acorn Wreath from Martha Stewart

2. Flaming Foliage Candles from Martha Stewart

3. Burlap Pumpkins from Thistlewood Farms

4. Wax Paper and Crayon Leaves from V and Co.

5. Maple Leaf Wreath from Chez Larsson via Apartment Therapy 

For more information see Apartment Therapy.

Halloween Party Decorations

Are you having a Halloween Party for your friends this year?  If you do not have a lot of money to decorate, you can still have a spooky apartment for the party.  Here are six cheap do it yourself Halloween decorating ideas.

 This Halloween, get creative and use supplies found in your home for green-friendly Halloween decor.

 Planning ahead for Halloween will allow you to budget, as well as reduce the environmental impact of the festivities. Rather than purchasing every Halloween décor piece from the store, consider making your own by reusing supplies found right in your home. To go green this Halloween, read on for our suggestions of taking old things in your house and turning them into new, spooky decorations.

Mason Jar Pumpkin
If you have canning jar lids laying around, this project will give them a new purpose. Gather together lids of the same size. String the lids together, tying the string tightly. Evenly spread the lids around. Next, stick cinnamon sticks in the center. To create leaves, cut some out of burlap. This goes perfectly as a centerpiece on your dining room table or coffee table. It can also be placed on a shelf on top of books.

Head in a Jar
If you’re looking for creepier decorations, this one is perfect for you. Use a wide mouth jar for this project. You’ll also need a great picture that goes in the jar. It needs to be a flattened image of a head. Run a quick search on a search engine, and you should find some great examples. Print this image on thick and slick paper, making sure it will fit into the jar. Roll the picture and place it in the jar, making sure it fills up about ¾ of the circumference of the jar. Fill the jar with colored water. This can be placed in the fridge to creep out the midnight snackers. On Halloween night, drop a few glow sticks in the jar for added ambiance.

Tin Can Luminaries
To upcycle old soup cans, use them for luminaries. If you have several cans, create a design in the cans, from ghosts to spelling out “BOO.” To start the project, fill the cans up with water and stick them in the freezer. This allows you to hammer a design into the cans without denting the cans. Use a nail and hammer to create the design. Once the ice melts, dump the water and place tea lights into each can.

Mummy Cereal Boxes
Old bed sheets in your linen closet that don’t fit any beds in your home are perfect for this DIY Halloween craft. Cut the fabric into thin sheets. Then, take empty cereal or cracker boxes and cover with the white sheets. Once the box is covered, tuck the end in. Optional: attach googly eyes.

Halloween Garland
Take old cardboard paper towel rolls and paint them pumpkin orange. Then, slice them into thin strips and create pumpkin shapes. Use twine to string the pumpkins together and hang on your wall.

Bat Mobile  Head out to your backyard and pick up one or two sticks from the yard. You’ll also need clear thread, or fishing line. For the bats, you use thin cardboard, such as cereal or cracker boxes. Cut several bats from the cardboard, and hang the bats to a branch. Hang in various lengths.

For more information see Apartment Guide.