Preparing to #Adult

Hey y'all!

Welcome back. Since college graduation last December, I've been slowly hoarding gathering items and decorations for my own apartment. It has been so fun finding little things in thrift stores or from family and friends. The very first thing I bought for my "own place" was a teeny, tiny footstool. If you know my mama, you know this was a fitting purchase. I have a corner of the guest room filled with stuff and it is not organized whatsoever. It's a pile o' junk honestly if you're just looking at it.

However, I do have some of my favorite pieces that I cannot wait to see in a place of my own! I wanted to share those with y'all. If you're needing some decoration inspiration of your own, maybe this will help. Every room I've ever decorated or have helped to decorate has had a theme. This imaginary apartment does not (yet) and I'm pretending like that doesn't bother me. We'll see how everything comes together in the end, but for now I'll keep collecting my little pieces. Also, be warned these are pretty ordinary pictures. Let's all focus on the big picture.

Teeny Wooden Footstool
This original purchase made so much sense for me. My mom and I were shopping at Habitat one afternoon and came across this little baby for $5 and I could not leave it there! It reminds me of home and how my mom decorates, we genuinely have a footstool in every room. Why? I don't know, but you would be surprised how it can pull a room together. I've linked some similar ones here, here, and here.

Welcome Doormat
Technically, I don't have this goody yet. I don't get it until my birthday next month, but I know it's coming and I'm super excited about it! My mom was at Roses (we are avid Roses shoppers, it's amazing) and found this mat for 12 whole dollars. She scooped it up for me! I stole it out of the trunk of the car for a quick snap. I believe it captures my personality perfectly. Nice undies! I have linked similar ones here, here, and here.

Diploma Frame

My brother graduated from college a few years before I did and ever since then I have been thinking about how I wanted to frame my own diploma. Silly? Maybe. I didn't just want a big, plain frame. I wanted something that was going to be a staple piece for a gallery wall! I found just that at my go-to, good ole faithful Hobby Lobby. It's rustic, hints of turquoise peek through, and it's shabby chic! Plus, there's always a 40% off coupon awaiting your usage! [Tip for upcoming graduates: do not buy an expensive diploma frame! An 11x14 frame is all you need!] You can find mine here, and two similar ones here and here.

Those are just a few staple pieces that are going to make my future apartment feel more like home. Find all of the linked goodies under the Shop the Blog tab! I can't wait to style these and show them to y'all again! Hopefully, these will be put to use in August! Keep your fingers crossed for me. Under the 'Shop the Blog' tab above, you can find all of these goodies linked. Check it out!

Preparing to #Adult: Shop the Blog

The linked images to my Preparing to #Adult post are below. Happy shopping!

Teeny Wooden Footstool:

$41.00 - Click here.

$12.99 - Click here.

$16.00+ - Click here.

Welcome Doormat:

$7.97 - Click here.

$38.00 - Click here.

$12.99 - Click here.

Diploma Frame:

$29.99 (use 40% off coupon!) - Click here.

$28.74 - Click here.

$7.97 - Click here.

Business Partner Jackpot

Hey y'all!

As many of you know, I am a co-owner of a small online business with my best friend, Sammy. Sam started Fineapple last year and I thought it was a great idea and sounded like so much fun! I soon hopped on with her and Fineapple officially launched in July of 2016.

I won't say this entire journey has been easy for both of us. Many days we are discouraged, we can't find the time or we feel like we're stuck, but we do a really great job at being each other's encouragers. My favorite thing about our partnership (and friendship) is that we get excited over the little things. The littlest victories keep us going. Every sale, rockin' product picture, Facebook or Instagram tag/post, handmade piece of jewelry, inventory delivery, office decoration, pop-up shop, and post office trip is celebrated. There's not a day that goes by that one of us doesn't text the other something positive about the business, even if we're frustrated with one another or the world.

My biggest pieces of advice, and I think Sam would agree with me, is to always have fun running your business and be each others' biggest supporters when things start getting a little cray. Fineapple has been more fun than I ever thought it could be. I think a huge part of that is because Sam and I work really well together. We know when something isn't right, whether it's personal or business related, but most importantly we know how to fix it, or at least how to help. We balance each other out because we are so opposite.

We are always bouncing ideas off of one another and trying to figure out how

we can better the business as a whole. Since it is the two of us running the show, our opposite traits really aid our decision making. For example, Sam and I have very different styles. You can usually catch her in jeans, a t-shirt, and checkered Vans. I love a good pair of boyfriend jeans, simple sandals, and a flowy top. This helps in giving us a variety of clothing in the shop. We are close, so it's no big deal for one of us to say, "I don't think that will work" or "That doesn't sound like a good idea." Most of the time we bust out laughing when we disagree, but some days we need to take time to individually think about the tougher decisions or how we feel about something. That's okay too. We're not afraid to tell each other exactly what we're thinking and I think that has worked wonders for Fineapple.

These things help to make Fineapple successful in it's little corner of the internet. All-in-all, I'm so thankful for Sam, her business partnership, honesty, and her friendship. I couldn't imagine pulling this little business off with anyone else. Each high-five, 'YAY!' text message, disagreement, lunch coffee date, conversation, business meeting, joke, happy dance, photoshoot, and "You're my best friend" line is appreciated more than you know! Tough weeks and decisions happen, we get frustrated, but we know how to turn it around.

New blog, who dis?

Hello, hello, hello!

If you've been around this part of the internet before, then you know the blog has undergone a little makeover. Figuring Out Post-Grad, formerly Because College, has a whole new look! There's also a new URL, so if you bookmarked the last one, that's time for an update too!

Each new post will be "filed" under one of the new tabs at the top of the page and the new URL links directly to the updated homepage (insert heart-eyed emoji here) that I am so in love with! My goal is to post at least once a week on different things, but we all know I've said that before. We'll see how this goes.

For now, I want to introduce y'all to the "new" blog on the block. Browse around, see what you think, & then comeback when there's more!

Meet Messi

Hello!

It's been a hot second since I've posted (the usual). Last time I left y'all, I had one month of student teaching left...now it's over! Student teaching went by faster than I ever expected it to. I formed such a bond with my class and my CT, my last day was probably the most emotional I have ever been! Tears and tears and hugs and tears. That's pretty much how the day went.

I was able to gain so much experience and knowledge from my time at Hidden Valley and in Charlotte. It's crazy to think graduation is TOMORROW! I graduate from COLLEGE in ONE DAY y'all! Crazy, crazy.

Photos by Laura Miller Photography (the best!!!)

As many of you know, I've always wanted a pup for graduation. It's always been at the top of my list. Who needs something to fill an apartment when a pup can fill your heart?? Amiright? So, immediately after moving my stuff out of my LAST dorm room, I went straight to the animal shelter! This is where Messi comes in...formally known as Misty.

A few weeks (probably months) before graduation, I had been sorting and searching through tons and tons of pup names. You can ask any friends, especially my sweet Mama, who had endured texts upon texts of name suggestions and "What do you think?" questions. The only thing missing was a dog! Obvi.

I settled on the name "Messi" (from 'Mesi'), because it means water. How perfect for my mermaid soul. From the start, I wanted a puppy. Fresh out the womb and ready to go. BUT, let's be honest- that wasn't realistic for my transition into "adulting" from a college student. 

My mom had sent me a "do something nice everyday in December calendar" at the beginning of the month and it just so happened to be "donate food to the local animal shelter day." How fitting! So off to the shelter we went! When I went into the shelter for the first time that day, Messi wasn't in her cage and she was being walked outside, so I didn't see her. I saw a few dogs that were super cute, but not for me. Mom and I donated our food and we left. A little disappointed, mom pulled up the animal shelter website for me and there Messi was! I wondered where she was, or if she had been adopted, so I called to double check. She was still there!

I rushed home and grabbed Harley (our Chihuahua) and we were off to the shelter for the second time that day. Messi and Harley met each other outside and they got along perfectly! When I say perfectly, I mean they sniffed each other and no growling or biting happened. Harley is still adjusting to a new dog at home, but Messi has settled in like she owns the place.

She had been on adoption row just shy of two weeks. The deputies there said she is a mix of Labrador and Golden Retriever, which I can see both. However, she has a bark like a hound dog and teeny tiny ears. So we think there is definitely something else in there! She is a new 3 year old and was an owner surrender. 

It's crazy how many tricks she knows! She's house trained and loves a good belly rub. She doesn't like the vet (especially the scale) and isn't a big fan of a harness either. She walks you, you don't walk her and she is strong! She can jump as high as I stand and loves treats. She's perfect in the car and the crate. Do I sound like a proud dog mama??

So there she is! She has settled in nicely and is already a part of the family, just ask MiMi and Pops how much they love her already. Our next big adventure is the beach when we can catch a warm day. Hopefully she lives up to her name!

   

4 More Mondays

Hello babes!

I am sitting here in awe of these last 3 1/2 years in Charlotte. As cliché as it sounds, it's amazing how fast time goes by. I only have 4 more Mondays of student teaching left. I've gotten my cap and gown and have taken my senior pictures. I'm tying up strings here and there as my time in Charlotte is coming to an end. It's crazy.

I've started getting my résumé together for potential future jobs and sifting through the DPI website for job openings. I'm beginning to mentally sort through my things that I can go ahead and take home before I officially move-out of my dorm for the last time in December. Things are getting real, y'all.

Student teaching has been a crazy, emotional, and rewarding learning experience. I've learned so much about myself in these last 2 1/2 months and I know these last few weeks are going to carry a lot of weight. I have grown very attached to my little 4th grade babies and my Cooperating Teacher has been extremely helpful and supportive! She has gone the extra mile to make sure I have everything I need and I could write a book with all the awesome advice she has given me. Literally, I should've been writing it all down for future reference. I'm so grateful for my student teaching placement! I'm wrapping up another chapter of my life and it's coming to a close: College is over in 34 short days.

*QUICK SUBJECT CHANGE TO PREVENT FURTHER SADNESS*

As usual, my BFF and forever roomie, Laura took my senior pictures! They say you meet your best friends in college and I would have to agree with "they." I'm crazy grateful for her (best)friendship and she is in almost every one of my college memories. If you're a Charlotte friend and need professional pictures taken, she is the one for you! Lar always does such a wonderful job and I think my mom has about 47 of her pictures framed around the house? Give or take. 

Back to reality I go, just wanted to pop-in for a tiny update.

P.S. If you see my parents, let them know I want a puppy for graduation. I have a hint my mom already knows, given the amount of pup posts I've tagged her in on Insta and Facebook. But, just to be sure.

Hurricane Matthew

I've debated and debated with myself about posting this for the last hour, but this is my personal platform and my voice. As most Southern girls do, I even called my mama to get her opinion as well. This is not a post to attack anyone or a post to step on anyone's toes, because y'all know I'm not one to post about any kind of touchy subject on social media. Here goes nothing...

I'm so thankful that Charlotte wasn't as heavily impacted by Hurricane Matthew as many other cities in NC were, as well as other states along the coast of the US and other countries. I'm also thankful that my parents and other family members were safe back home at the beach, around the Ocean Isle Beach area and in Wilmington.

However, I am not thankful for the complaining I've been seeing all over social media about restaurants, grocery stores, gas stations, etc. being closed back home. I'm guessing the complainers decided to sit this hurricane out and will the water and wind away from their houses this go around, but quite a few people were directly hit by Hurricane Matthew, especially the islands of Ocean Isle, Sunset, Holden, and Oak, the ones where many of us spend most of our time at during summer break.

I need everyone, complaining or not, to stop and think for a second where the employees of those establishments live, how they were impacted by the hurricane, how far they had to drive to get to work, or if the roads they live on were passable, to name a few thoughts. These places are closed for a reason, most likely for the safety of their employees, not just to make customers angry.

Did you know that over 800 people in Haiti have died from Matthew? Did you know that down the road in Cherry Grove 5 condos went up in flames from Matthew? There were almost 900 water rescues in North Carolina alone due to flooding from Matthew according to WBTW News13. Are my eyes deceiving me or am I really seeing complaints about the gas stations being closed when Hurricane Matthew had been making its way toward NC for how many days now? The limited menu at a restaurant when most of the grocery stores were open up until the day-of Hurricane Matthew hit the area?

My response to the complainers, and what my response is to most things if I'm being honest, is "I can't even." This is ridiculous y'all. I'm going to sit here and be grateful my car isn't submerged under water right now and I can drive to that closed gas station or to that closed restaurant. Oh yeah, and be grateful for my life.

I'm focusing on the praises and thanks I've seen being given to the firefighters, police officers, community volunteers, and electricity companies within the past 24 hours. I'm focusing on my dad who has been riding around helping people clean up their yards and checking on their houses. I'm focusing on the people who are already on their way to countries, like Haiti, that were almost demolished from Hurricane Matthew. I'm focusing on the good that's coming from this unfortunate weather.

This may be a pointless post to some of you, but like I said, it's my personal platform and it was not intended to point fingers at anyone. Some may see this as complaining about complaining, touché. I'm sorry if you feel like your toes were stomped on and I hope you're focusing on the bigger picture.