What Apartment Life has Taught Me

Hey y'all!

I've been working on this post for 3 weeks, AKA the same amount of time I've lived in my new apartment. I love doing these type of posts to pass on a little knowledge for anyone who is about to take this step as well on their own!

1. Stick with your gut.
My biggest piece of advice y'all! I toured and looked at a few apartments and I had a checklist of what I wanted. My #1 thing was to be able to see all of the walls in my apartment. I know what you're thinking, she's nuts. However, I know how I am as a person and how easily I get freaked out (literally, I don't watch any kind of scary movie and try to avoid all scary commercials at all costs), so I knew it was more of a need than a want.

2. Make it comfortable. 
Most apartments are temporary or gateways to home ownership, but make it feel like "home" while you're there. I know I'm going to be here for a while, plus I have never been one to keep a wall empty, so I immediately started decorating upon move-in.

3. Get you a Messi.
By now, if you're an avid blog reader of mine, you know that Messi is my adorable 3 year old pup. I knew I wanted a dog before I moved out on my own and she really does give me that extra peace-of-mind, plus she's the best kind of company! 

4. Get used to poo bags.
With number 3 being said, it's only natural for me to put in this one. Get used to picking up dog poop. *Insert eye roll emoji here* It's gross and I'm not saying I'll ever be comfortable or "okay" with it, but it has to be done, if you're a considerate human being that lives in an apartment complex.

5. Don't obsess over every little thing.
Y'all, this is where I need a taste of my own medicine. I have been obsessing lately over every light and drop of water, the AC, the washer and dryer, basically all of the energy. Don't make it complicated. You're going to have to pay the power and water bill anyway. I haven't my first water or electric bill yet, so I don't know what to expect. I think that's why I'm stressed out the most. Once you get your first couple of bills, you'll get on a routine. At least that's what I keep telling myself, fingers crossed for my sanity!

6. Get rid of ALL of your moving boxes ASAP.
Today is the day, y'all!! I'm FINALLY getting rid of all of my empty cardboard boxes and it. is. the. best. feeling. I finally feel "moved in" and like I live here. 3 weeks in and it's getting checked off the list. Really though, it's one of those things that lift a weight off of you for whatever reason.

7. Set a routine.
I have a cleaning day and a laundry day, I try to do dishes everyday (LOL) and I try to vacuum as much as possible (again, LOL). Just set a routine that works for you. Again, a clean apartment is one of those things that lifts a weight off of your shoulders.

8. You're adulting!
Don't forget to enjoy this time. This is my first real step into adulthood and I sit on my couch every morning so excited that this is "my" place and "my" couch and I'm drinking coffee out of "my" coffee cup. You see where I'm going with this. 

I think of news things to add to this post everyday, so I'm going to try to keep it updated as much as possible. All-in-all, you're doing it baby! You've got this.

Little Corner

Hey y'all!!

Back again with some apartment updates. I'm steadily getting things on the walls and this little place is feeling more and more like home. I've come across some super cute things I want to share with y'all at some really great prices! Here's a peek at my fav corner of the living room.

           

Y'all might recognize some of these things from previous posts. My Instagram has a little more behind-the-scenes as well! Mom and dad gave me the slip-covered club chair, which perfectly went with the color theme I was going for. Both throw pillows came from previous dorm rooms ('hello' pillow still available at Hobby Lobby) and the striped throw is from Goodwill. My rustic diploma frame is from Hobby Lobby and the beige triangle wall decals are from Etsy ($8!!!). The wicker footstool was picked up at a yardsale for $5. Such a good find. The tobacco stick blanket ladder is from a local thrift store for $18.

My absolute fav thing about this corner is the macrame wall hanging. Y'all are going to die when I tell you the price...$5!!! It's still available too! I have been looking and looking for one of these for less than $20. TJ Maxx has them for $17 and I was debating and debating with myself on whether to scoop one up or not. Bestie Sammy came to the rescue last week when she told me about these $5 macrames and I ran to the computer and ordered immediately! I couldn't believe it. I was skeptical too, but it. is. so. well. made. It's thick and sturdy, plus the best neutral color!

I live for the natural light in this apartment. It's crazy bright all the time and I'm in love. It picks up all of the tans and neutrals I have going on in this space so well!

   

25 (updated) things, plus a few more.

Hello friends! I always love, love, love reading "things about me" posts from other bloggers and friends. The last time I did one of these was over three years ago!! It was during my Freshman year of college and I thoroughly enjoyed going back and reading it today- especially seeing what's different now since then! I wanted to update it a little, so I tweaked the original. Here we go!

1. I collected snow globes when I was little. I used to get them from everywhere.
2. Don't get me wrong, I'm big on Starbucks, but I think drinking coffee at home is special on weekends. I do have a cup here and there though. WOW...I don't know what I was thinking..or maybe my coffee addiction is just that much stronger now? Literally drink coffee every single day.
3. I graduated high school on my 18th birthday. I went to a sandwich place afterwards with my best friend because everything else was closing. I did have a party, don't worry. My 13th birthday fell on Father's Day, that was pretty cool too.
4. My ideal wake-up time is 10 am, but that rarely happens ever. I wish me-then knew how rarely me-now gets to sleep in until 10 am. LOL at adulting.
5. I feel naked without earrings, I always have a pair in!
6. In a perfect world, everyone's handbags and shoes would match. That drives me crazy!
7. In high school, I won the Cheshire Cat award because I smiled all the time. I like to think I still do. More than ever, I truly believe this. Happiness and laughing are so important to me!
8. My parents will be married for 24 years this April, I think that is amazing and rare these days. 27 years now! I love them.
9. My car is named Ferg. Why? When I was a freshman in high school, she played Fergie's The Dutchess CD the best. The bass was so good. Still plays London Bridge like a boss.
10. I like to think my birthday is the exact middle of the year because it's June 15th, but I'm a little off.
11. I have to wear my retainer every night or I get paranoid. Is that weird? The paranoia is still real.
12. I want a Yorkie so bad when I graduate from college! (Mom, I know you're reading this.) Y'all, I wanted a Yorkie for YEARS for a college graduation present. Everyone knows about Messi right?
13. This first concert I went to was Travis Tritt, but I had to leave before he even came on stage.
14. The best (basically first)concert I have been to is Train/Mat Kearney. Train was amazing, Mat Kearney was rained out. Still one of the best concerts ever. 
15. At anytime, I could have up to two monograms on me. Don't judge. A little different nowadays. I still do love a monogram though.
16. Not to sound like such a girl, but Nicholas Sparks' A Walk to Remember will forever be my favorite movie, Nights in Rodanthe was SUCH a good book.Bridesmaids is pretty far up my list, too. Forever my favorite movie.
17. I could eat breakfast at anytime of day. 24/7 - 365.
18. I could rock out to 80's music all the time. I think my mom and dad have really great taste in music - Hall & Oates especially. #Hall&OatesForever
19. I have to charge my phone every night. It's a pet-peeve. Let's be honest. I don't know why this is on here?
20. I have 7 pillows on my bed at the moment, but I usually sleep with my head on the mattress. Still like a good no-pillow sleep. Still have 7 pillows though, which is weird. Maybe it's a standard?
21. I was a cheerleader for 7 years, then I danced for 5.
22. My favorite thing to eat when I go home is Shepard's Pie or spaghetti. Also fried pork chops.
23. My favorite Pandora station is my Christina Aguilera one. I only 'thumbs up' her old music, so I get to hear N*Sync, Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears, and Destiny's Child all day. Again, don't judge. Currently love my TLC Pandora station.
24. I know all the words to Paul Revere by the Beastie Boys. It's a talent the whole family shares.
25. I hate getting my nails done. I feel like it's torture.

Now for some newbies:

1. I graduated early from UNC Charlotte in December of 2017 with a degree in Elementary Education.
2. I just moved into my very first apartment! So much adulting is happening right now, y'all.
3. I start my first teaching position in two weeks!! I will be a first grade teacher to some sweet, little babies!
4. I am a co-owner of a precious small business with my best friend, Sammy. If you like cute clothes and accessories, check out Fineapple Boutique! Come and hang out with us THIS Saturday for our first birthday pop up shop!! It's going to be a good time. You can find the info on our homepage!
5. As previously mentioned, I'm a new dog mama! Sweet and sassy Messi, no not named after soccer player. Honestly, didn't even know there was a soccer player with that name. Clearly I closely follow sports.

DIY's have started!

Hey y'all!!

I have officially spent my first weekend in my new apartment! *squeal* This is such an exciting time. I moved in this past Saturday with the help of my awesome family and of course Sammy! I may be biased, but I want to say it was record time. I think we had everything moved in about an hour? Maybe two? Then the real fun began!

Mom and Sam stayed to help me unpack and begin decorating, which we all know is my favorite part. We went to the store and picked up some of the essentials (mainly creamer and sugar for my morning cup of joe) and began digging into some of the decoration boxes. I knew I wanted to get things done in my bedroom first. The walls are still a little more bare than I would like, but I couldn't look at white walls for too long without feeling like I was in a jail cell. I'll be sharing the bedroom a little later on. I'm still searching for a couch, so I haven't really touched the living room. I have a big chair that was slip covered and a foot rest in a corner, but that's about all. 

This post is mainly dedicated to a new addition I just put up last night in the kitchen. I'm too excited about it. I wanted something to hang my keys on, but also be an accent piece on the wall. I had this image in my mind from Pinterest:

I knew this was a little too elaborate for the space I had to work with and the book shelf boxes up top were completely out of the question. This was really just a dream space and that's not the kind of space I had to play around with. What I loved the most about this was the layering of pieces on the shelf. A simple shelf on the wall made such a statement! I wanted to put my own spin on it.

I showed the picture to my mom and I scoured the Internet for a shelf like this to buy. I couldn't find anything that I just loved and most of them were overpriced and out of my budget. My wonderful dad came to the rescue and made one for me! I'm in love with the way it turned out and everything came together perfectly.

It's 24 inches long and has a large enough shelf to layer a few pieces, including my beloved letter board. I dry brushed it with white craft paint and added 5 cup hooks to the under side. I'm thinking about getting some fancier hooks, but these will do for now! I found the two prints on Pinterest, here and here. The wreath and gold mirror came from dorm rooms and the 'L' tag came from my bedroom at home. I'm going to get so much use out of this!

Things are coming together slowly, but surely! I'll be updating y'all along the way, of course. Happy Monday, friends!!

New Apartment Buys

Hey y'all!!

I've been slowly, slowly getting things together for my new apartment. Did I say slowly? It's definitely been a process and the train has stopped at Procrastination Station. I'm in the middle of painting all of my furniture to match and deciding what I'm taking and what I'm leaving behind.

I'm "shopping the house," as my mom put it, and I really just want to take it all honestly. I recently made a few new purchases that I'm excited to bring into my first place. I wanted to share with y'all in case you needed a little inspo for a move! 

Apt Sweet Apt Turquoise Key Tag

I'm squealing over how cute this keychain is! I am an Etsy lover lover lover. I think it's so awesome when people curate and make their own things and having a place for them to showcase their work is that much better. I was looking for an apartment keychain and my mom brought this one to my attention! It's $6, the perfect shade of blue, and exactly what I was looking for. I can't wait to put some keys on it!

Better Homes and Gardens Camrose Farmhouse Industrial Chairs

I scooped up two of these chairs from Walmart last week and I. Am. So. Excited. These chairs were on sale for $20 a piece! I couldn't find the individual link for the chairs or them on sale online, but I believe they are still on sale in Walmart stores right now. Half price!! I'm going to place these beauts on my balcony with a couple of super cute cushions or pillows.

Triangle Wall Decals Set - Set of 30 Triangles

I know what you're thinking...why is this a nursery pic? Well, apparently people only put these triangle decals in children's rooms. *shrugs* I had these triangles in gold in my junior year dorm room in college. It was by far my favorite dorm room ever. I didn't buy them my senior year and I regretted it everyday I looked at my door room walls! I ordered these triangles in beige for my new apartment, a little more subtle than gold. They are 3 inches and come in a pack of 30. My vision is to put them on the couch wall in the living room and carrying them into the kitchen for an accent wall. Possibly the bathroom? 

Junior Year dorm room:

These are just a few new things I can't wait to actually style and see come together! A little apartment update, as I am less than two weeks away from moving now. Yikes! Everything is linked through the titles.

Yes way, Vacay

Hey y'all!

Sammy and I are back in North Carolina from a beautiful, wonderful, magnificent, (insert every positive adjective here) trip to Jupiter, Florida! We had so, so, so much fun and it was so, so, so needed.

We were blessed with a free place to stay and we still can't get over what an actual blessing it was. Shoutout to you, Ms. Kathy, for being such an awesome host and letting us live in your home for a few days!! You made our whole entire trip!

Chase, Sam's husband, is in Florida for the summer for an internship at Roger Dean Stadium, so we went to visit him and see what he's been up to! He's basically a local now. He showed us around and took us to so many yummy places to eat! We went to a beautiful place called Blowing Rock Park and the view of the ocean was gorgeous. We did not want to leave.

While he was at work, Sam and I spent most of our time by any body of water we could get to! We went to Juno Beach, the Blue Heron Bridge, and the pool. I wanted all. of. the. sunshine. The Blue Heron Bridge was my favorite! We were able to swim in the clear water and see tons of fish and a few starfish. Sam and her family dive there every year, so she took me to see the area. It's amazing. The only thing that wasn't ideal was the parking, but we made it work! We were all able to catch fireworks at Roger Dean Stadium and doing a little shopping around town. Naturally, I brought home the perfect little pair of mermaid studs.

The plane rides there and back were quick and they totally beat driving 10+ hours there! We got back home around 11:00pm last night and we were hit with reality fast...setting an alarm clock for work last night was not fun.

I didn't get a load of pictures, but I managed to snap some. I also linked the two suits I brought with me because they are the comfiest and perfect for any beach vacay! I hope y'all had a safe and funny 4th!!

(P.S. Thanks for snapping all those pics of Sammy and I too, Chase!!)

 Navy + White suit // Similar Mermaid suit

Blowing Rock Park

               Juno Beach Café - YUMMY

Summer Sandal Fav

Hey y'all!!

Coming at you with another summer sandal favorite. These White Mountain beauts have been on my feet everyday since I've gotten them. I was excited to share with y'all because they are on sale now! *squeal*

They are super comfortable and have the cutest detail- look at that braided side strap! They're available in 6 different colors...which is super dangerous because now I want them all! Mine were scooped from Famous Footwear and that's the site they're currently on sale at. I've linked them below!

[click here for your new fav sandals]

Life Updates:

Hello 207

I'm a first grade teacher!