It's today, it's today!

"The time has come," the walrus said, "to talk of many things."

Although I won't be talking about cabbages and kings, or why the sea is boiling hot or whether pigs have wings.

I feel like lately all I've been talking about and thinking about is money. About investing money, budgeting money, spending money - ugh, the word is just annoying to even look at!

What the walrus is talking about is - shocker - moving out. We get the keys TODAY (errrmehgerrrd) and I will officially be moving in this weekend. What comes with moving out? Fees on fees on fees. $250 to turn on electric...what do you guys do, like flip a switch or something? Let's get real. And then of course, rent. Get ready to roll your eyes but I've never actually paid my own rent before. Ouch. Oh and I just dropped another hundo on wall paint and painting supplies...for a rental. Who am I?

On top of that, I'll soon be paying my gas, car insurance and grocery bills. STOP ROLLING YOUR EYES AT ME, I KNOW. I was very lucky growing up and my parents insisted on paying for necessities while I was going to college. But I've been out of college for a year and now I'm moving out of their house and it's great because I want to be independent and I want to be able to pay for everything on my own, but ooooof why did I decide to move out the same month I'm going to NYC?!

Well, at this point I'm kind of rambling, so I guess I'll put you all out of your misery and stop. But I'll tell you what: July is going to be one monetarily celibate month for me. So please refrain from asking me to go out to dinner, go out for drinks, go shopping, whatever...because I don't have the willpower to say no. XO 

Barefoot blue jean nights ahead!

My sister is an outdoor enthusiast. And no, I don't mean she's outdoorsy in the sense that there's nothing she loves more than a good hike. Having said that, she's always down for a hike, but I digress.

What I mean is that she probably spends more than half of her day on her patio, will always opt for outdoor seating at a restaurant, bar or cafe, etc. I used to find this borderline annoying, but as I'm getting older, I'm discovering how much of an outdoor enthusiast I am.

Lately I've noticed how often I'd rather sit outside when I go out to eat, when I grab a drink at Starbucks or a fro-yo with my boyfriend. I've especially noticed how excited I am to decorate my outdoor patio at my new apartment. I've been actively pinning my favorite ideas (surprise, surprise) here and here. I even bought this bad boy last weekend:

Half the ideas on my "Perfect Garden" board are out of reach for a rented patio, but these are some of my favorites:

I love the idea of an outdoor rug. I think it's an easy way to make a small space look homey. Having said that, rugs aren't exactly a cheap thrill, so we'll see where I'm at on funds with that. I think the wine bottle lighting is an awesome idea - these are obviously pictured inside, but I think it would be cuter in an outdoor space. I'm also really into gardening lately...okay, so I have one succulent and a growing tomato plant which slightly resembles weeds. But anyway, growing an herb garden in mason jars sounds like the perfect DIY project. 

I'm so excited to see how everything comes together! Here's to plenty of summer nights on the patio! XO

Onward and outward!

                                  

                            

Okay, it's official. Kaylee and I signed our lives away to my first big-girl apartment (and by big-girl apartment, I mean an unfurnished apartment #studentlivingprobs) (I'll never hashtag in a blog post again).

ANYWAY. After a lot of going back and forth, wanting to save money but wanting my own space, we asked ourselves, "if not now, when?" and took the leap! Thankfully we both have really good credit, so fees were minimal. I was a bit nervous about a reservation fee/signing fee/deposit/etc., but so far there's been no surprises.

You bessssst believe I've been blowing up my Pinterest boards after the move became official. How could I not? I'm so excited to buy my own furniture and create my own little space. I even found myself thinking, "I wish I didn't have to wait another month to move out."

I stopped myself there.

I find that I spend too much time wishing time away. Wishing for Friday, for a weekend trip, for a vacation. Yeah, moving out is gonna be great; being closer to my boyfriend and to work will be awesome...but to be honest, I'm going to miss living with my parents. I'm going to miss coming home from a long day at work to a kettle of hot tea. I'm going to miss eating at the dinner table with them on weeknights and drinking coffee with them on the occasional Sunday morning that I'm home. I know I'm not moving far away or anything (20 minutes...let's get real here), but I want to enjoy every moment I can while I'm still here. After all, this could be the last month that I'm a permanent resident of my parents' house...forever. That's a crazy thought for me!

So here's to breathing in every moment; appreciating everything we can to the utmost extent. It's easier said than done, but I want to enjoy life - not wish it away. XO