Gettin' Comfy

Moving out.. and moving out of your comfort zone isn't always a walk in the park. Not for everyone at least. I'm definitely more of a planner than the spontaneous type, that I can't deny. So moving for me wasn't too terrible of a nightmare. I also didn't move far from home, but hey, I'm on my own, and that's something I'm proud of.

Anyway, a few people have asked me about how I got settled so quickly and how both my cat and I adjusted to a new place. So I figured I'd share with you guys my own personal tips and tricks.

1. Do your research

Whether you are researching where you want to live, the area, the commodities you want, or even reading articles like "advice on moving out", I highly recommend this. The more you know, the better.

2. Plan ahead

This was the best thing I could have done for myself. I had known for a long time I had intentions of leaving the house when I graduated college. So for many, many months before I moved out, I started buying things I knew I would need and want. I did one room at a time - I started with my bathroom and bought what I needed. Moved on to kitchen basics.. etc. That prevented me from having to buy all my necessities at once. And it made it much more homier by the time I moved in! Of course people's taste changes over time, so my advice for this is if you see it and love it, buy it. 

3. Mark your territory (or your pets)

I knew my cat would have trouble adjusting so I wanted to make the process as easy for her as possible. Once I picked out and bought my rug, instead of putting it away with the rest of my "apartment stuff", I laid it out for her in our basement. This way, she could get her own smell on it so when we moved, there was something familiar for her there - among other things. But of course, I made sure to give her plenty of attention and love. 

4. De-clutter

 I honestly think this was one of my favorite parts of moving out. I'm a neat freak and I clean to relax but that's besides the point. Moving out means you get to bring what you love and want the most. Take the time to organize so you can start with an (almost) clean slate. 

5. Plan your budget and save

Money. The root of all evil. This one is pretty self-explanatory, but so very important! Prior to moving, save as much as you can. Give yourself a monthly budget for when you do move out, and don't stress yourself out. 

To say the least, Pumpkin and I are pretty happy. I don't have everything together yet, but I keep reminding myself not to rush it all. I'm a lot more settled than I imagined myself to be. I hope this little bit helps.. and feel free to reach out with any other questions or anything :)

Hey Good Lookin

It's been a really fun 6 weeks. My place came together pretty quickly and even better than I imagined. I knew my first apartment wouldn't have absolutely everything I wanted or be perfect but this is pretty dang close. I'm over the moon for my 649 square feet.

My boyfriend got me this succulent planter in spite of the fact I have killed two already. Third times a charm though right? you can shop more here :) 

 

It's so fun to be able to decorate the way I want to and call all my rooms my favorite space. I can't think of a better way to end 2016 and start a new year. If you guys have any suggestions on anything about moving out, first places, ways to save ect - feel free to leave any! Or if you want to know where I bought anything or my own process, don't hesitate to reach out. Pumpkin and I are still ecstatic about our new bachelor pad, ha !

I Want You To Know

There's something very calming, yet unnerving, about having time to yourself. I think it's very necessary to have alone time, allowing yourself to unwind and recenter. I'm the kind of person who definitely needs it, and needs it pretty often. I've always known that but the passed few months I was pushing it aside, which resulted in me pretty much becoming the worst version of myself.

I'm only writing this because I know I'm not the only one who has been here. And I think it's important for people to realize it is natural and it happens to the best of us. But the best part about coming to terms with that?
You can better yourself.

The last couple of months have been the absolute best I could imagine in 2016. I got my second job promotion, one of which I'm extremely grateful for, I started dating the absolute best guy I've ever met, and I moved out of my mom's house. Leading up to those things I encountered my fair share of difficulties, but great things take time. Nothing worth having comes easy. They are all wonderful milestones for someone to take on in such a short amount of time, but I never fully let myself process all of my emotions. I kept pushing the pressure, the fear, the nerves, all of it aside. I took on an important roll in my company, I opened my heart to someone, and I moved into a place all by myself (and my cat of course). I'm sure some of those feelings were written in bold, black letters across my forehead, but I kept myself busy and pretended I was fearless. All these changes took a leap of faith for me and I can't tell you how much I pushed myself. It was all rewarding, of course, but sleep is not my friend as of late.

That being said, I won't diminish the happiness I've felt in the last few months. You get to a place in your life you thought would never come and it's the best feeling in the world. Walking into work feeling like people see your potential, waking up next to someone you truly care about. Those feelings I'll never let go of.. but sitting in here on my own couch, in my own place, typing this, I know there are parts of myself I have to work on. I have to remember to take the good with the bad,  to stay positive, and to just take a step back and take a deep breath.

I know you can't change yourself overnight, but there's something magical about a few days to yourself and endless cups of tea.

p.s. apartment photos soon to follow :)



written with love for the people who have seen me at my worst, and have never let me go.

A Head Full Of Dreams

Words cannot do justice for how amazing it was to see Coldplay live. It definitely made the top ten best experiences I've had so far in my life. I've seen a lot of my favorite bands and some really great performers but this.. AH. Sometimes my spur of the moment decisions really pay off.

Music has always been a really big part of my life and I think one of the reasons I am so passionate about it is the way it gets everyone to feel something. There's always that one song that makes someone finally stand up, gets someone to dance, has someone crying or jumping with excitement. And I love when you hear that song come on and see those things happen for the people around you. It makes the show that much better. I can tell you when Yellow came on I turned to my sister and was like OH MY GOD THEY'RE PLAYING IT.

We decided to make a last minute trip out of driving to Philadelphia. Once we checked into our hotel, we took (the longest) walk ever to a really popular steak and cheese place called Geno's. I'm not a big fan of steak and cheese but the water was REALLY refreshing and the cheese fries hit the spot. It's all about the experiences, right? Oh, and we saw a lot of really cool art along the way. 

Sunday morning we had breakfast then started our tourist-y day. I never really enjoyed history in school, in fact, I was never even really that great at it, but when National Treasure comes on, I'll be the first to plant my behind on the couch to watch it. So obviously, I had to go see the Liberty Bell (even though the movie is filled with a lot of false information) I was still beaming with excitement. I also got a photo with the bell which my sister made me keep because it's actually so hilarious how dorky I look (but we'll save that for another time). 

Followed was the beer garden. If there is anything I want to do when I go to a new place, it's go to a coffee shop and try new beers. I got the "victory summer love" which was a golden ale and it was absolutely delicious....I want more. It was such a cute, quaint, little place. They played good music and had oversized checkered boards and Jenga. Hands down recommend if anyone goes up to visit Philly.

The rest of the day was spent wandering the city, doing some shopping, a lot of walking and taking photos.. you know, just some of my favorite pass times :)

On the way out of Philly.. we stopped at a diner and on the street one of my sister's favorite movies was filmed.. Silver Linings Playbook. but to see the photos, you'll have to stop on over to her instagram @kayladecriscio.

until next time PA !