Goodbye 5301, Hello 4813: Moving to an Early 1900s Fourplex

If you’ve been keeping up with my move on social media, you’ll remember my moaning and groaning about packing up by 500 square foot apartment and moving shells into a much, MUCH larger one. We’re talking almost twice the space here, people. Would you be surprised if I told you I can fill it up no problem? Didn’t think so.

This time, I had the presence of mind to snap some photos of my very empty, but still happy looking, 5301 apartment. I was surprised at my lack of feeling seeing it so desolate. This was my first apartment. The place that allowed me to move to Dallas at all. The place I stood in front of on the sidewalk crying as I watched my family drive away, realizing I was really alone. The place I ran to when I was upset or depressed. The place I hosted parties and family and friends. The place I made a lot (a lot) of stupid mistakes. The place I first met Paden. The place I adopted Ginger. The place where Paden’s dog Butter peed on my Christmas tree. The place I had my first Christmas on my own. The place I realized just how dark loneliness can get and just how scary suicidal thoughts can be.

The place I reached out for help and the place I grew into who I am right now.

But when I walked around that empty place, I felt nothing. I didn’t want to cry, I didn’t want to stay there anymore. I wanted to move. Nothing about that place was begging me to stay anymore. Too much pain and tears and sorrow and not enough happy happened in that place and it was just time for me to go. I needed a new start. I needed a physical representation of letting go. And this move was that for me. I’m in a brand new (to me) place and I’m able to truly start over here. I don’t have to look around at those walls and see the pain or remember words that were said in those spots. I get to really let it all go and forget it. For real this time.

So. Just for the record, here are the empty photos of my 5301 apartment. It served me well.

But it’s not you 5301, it’s me.

DIY eye statement wallblush pink bedroom wallnatural light and white walls

 

So, there she is. Empty and ready for the next soul to inhabit it and make it their own. Oh, btw. The photos are straight the floors just really are that crooked. 😛

I loved living here because it gave me the opportunity to discover my passion for styling, DIYing and my desire to gut a place and start from scratch. (A literal dream of mine since I was young.) It allowed me to change things I wanted to and to dream of what the space could be. I feel like I did a pretty damn good job of turning it into home for the two years I spent there. I hope the next person loves it as much as I did.

 

 

Love you, 5301. Bye forever!

 

PSSST! Click HERE to see the latest apartment tour of this space!

xx

End of Summer Goals: Saving Money and Sleeping Better

goals
edgy plus size style

HAPPY HUMPDAY! It’s time for some goals, bbs! We’re almost there. So. Close. We can do this, guys! The closer we get to the end of the week means the closer we are to the end of July. And the closer we get to the end of July means the closer we get to August. And the closer we get to August means the closer we get to TEMPERATURES UNDER 100 DEGREES.

So because of all that and also because we’re literally almost halfway through July already (HOW?! AND YAY!) I decided to motivate myself a little bit and do a little goals post inspired by Valery Brennan and her small goals posts! Also, you should really check her out. If you’re into quirky feminist shirts she’s got a shop for that, too. The girl does it all!

I decided to share some small goals because 1. I love lists, and 2. I really love lists. I recently discovered I have pretty horrible A.D.D. and a suuuper low brain score (check yours HERE) (I know. This is such a wide range of topics, but WHATEVER. It’s my blog and I do what I want.) so lists help me stay “organized.” Which is my word for actually just makes me neurotic and stressed because I haven’t completed the whole list.

For the last eight months or so I’ve been waking up stressed. Like, can’t get it all done can’t have coffee because it makes me anxious daily overdraft notifications from my bank stressed. Last Friday morning I’d finally had enough. With my move and everything comfortable changing so quickly I decided I have to start taking care of myself. No more staying up super late and waking up when I should be leaving, flying by the seat of my pants with my money and eating whatever I want so none of my clothes fit. YOU’RE NOT FIFTEEN ANYMORE, MELODY.

So here they are. My small goals for the rest of July! (Vacation excluded.)

  1. Get to sleep by 10:30
  2. Get up by 7:00 (I know this may seem late for some, but it’s honestly a really big challenge for me!)
  3. No more having the TV on in the background when I fall asleep
  4. Drink at least 150 ounces of water daily
  5. Walk the dogs five days a week for thirty minutes
  6. Keep frivolous expenses to a minimum

 

I know these may not seem super hard to some, but they’re a daily, hourly, minute-ly (?) struggle for me. I’ve made these goals before and just given up the first day. But I feel like utter $hit daily and Paden is tired of me complaining so these are some very small things I can do to make my quality of life better.

A bonus goal I already completed is using the Clarity Money app to comb through my monthly subscriptions and cancelling what I didn’t need or use! I saved myself $30 a month and countless dollars in overdraft fees for subscriptions I forgot to budget for. (Not sponsored! Just a super cool app!) Yay for no more overdraft notifications when I wake up!

 

What do you hope to accomplish by the end of the summer?

 

 

 

xx

A Girls Weekend Thrifting in Round Top, Texas

Thrifting in Round Top, Texas

If you’ve read any post on this blog at all, you know I love thrifting. What’s better than second hand cool junk? So naturally I’d hit up Round Top, Texas. The sale Emily Henderson, Junk Gypsies and Joanna Gaines hit up to buy antiques and vintage items and then, in some cases, duplicate and peddle to the masses for three times the cost. Ever heard of it? The Round Top sale doesn’t have a name. If you want to go you ask your friends, “Hey, you wanna go to Round Top?” and if they’re cool they’ll know exactly what you’re talking about.

Hey idiot! What is Round Top?

Round Top is a vintage/antique sale that runs for a week twice a year. It’s free, unless you want to go into The Red Building, but I and my six friends recommend that you do not do that. We paid $10 to swiftly walk through a building with items running anywhere from $100 for a piece of paper up to $30,000 for a crystal punch bowl. HARD PASS. Instead, park anywhere in the literal 90 person town and walk around looking at all the booths. We highly recommend stopping at Royers Pie Haven for sustenance.

Thrifting in Round Top, Texas

I don’t like to thrift. Should I still go?

The town of Round Top is an anomaly to me. It only has 90 residents and every single building there is literally from the 1800s, but twice a year thousands of people flock to it to thrift the sale. It’s a beautiful part of central Texas and I highly recommend you check it out if you’re ever able! Even if you don’t like junk, it’s an experience all in its own. Take your significant other and drive through parts of central Texas gandering at the livestock. Get some fresh air walking around this tiny town! See old buildings and meet the vendors that literally travel the entire country for months on end setting up booths and selling their stuff. It’s a cool place.

Thrifting in Round Top, Texas Thrifting in Round Top, Texas
Somehow we all made it to the sale living all across the state. These friendships are wonderful and I cherish them, even though I hate that word. We bond over thrifting junk. What can I say?

Thrifting in Round Top, Texas Thrifting in Round Top, Texas Thrifting in Round Top, Texas

 

There’s a 110% chance I took one of these longhorn skulls home with me. FOR $80. My mind exploded I think when the guy told me these were only $80. It looks incredible hanging above my bed. While I can’t let my mind wander where these were sourced, I’m just glad I finally found one.

Thrifting in Round Top, Texas

Also, what would a friend trip be without (non-thrifted) cheese fries? The stand with the couple from Philadelphia has the BEST CHEESE FRIES ON EARTH. Hand cut potatoes, fried and topped with liquid cheese. Yum. Visit them and try their lobster roll!

 

Have you ever been to Round Top? What’d you think? Would you go?

 

 

xx

Life Lately

Since I’ve gotten out of the (horrid?) habit of posting my eyeballs out on every social media platform known to man and thus giving myself much needed brain space, I’ve amassed quite the collection of photos that no one has seen. And what’s the fun of taking photos if no one sees them?


Started dating this dummy and added he and his dog Butter to our pack. We are crazy.

Outlast Youth hosted their first successful event! We held a mixer for volunteers and for the community to get to know us. So grateful to be a part of this and for the community’s support. Truly amazing.

Visited Lubbock for a work trip and saw my first tumbleweed.

Shaved my head, dog sat a real life muppet and burned the remnants of my old wedding DVDs in the sink while Paden lit the match.

Dog sitting for some clients of mine, I opened the garage door and that GORGEOUS fully restored baby was staring me in the face. Baby pink? Yes please.

Oh and my family came to visit and my parents are adorable. <3

 

What have you been up to lately?

 

 

xx

Family Photos

 

Bet you thought I meant my human family, lol. NO. THIS is my family. Dogs. If it makes you feel any better, we took these after we took human family photos over Christmas. Notice I’m not wearing a sweater because Texas decided it would just kinda gloss over winter this year and head right into what it thinks is “spring.” Which, I mean, is fine I guess if you don’t own 62 sweaters and velvet leggings you want to show the world.

This was pre haircut in February and it was having a DAY. I could NOT get that turn out to tame and it was flat and weird and ugh. Even with short hair I still have issues.

You wouldn’t believe how difficult it was to get these girls to hold still for a minute while we took some photos. They were too excited to not be in a fence and wanted to get loose and play with my family. Crazies.

I’m wearing: jeans-American Eagle, booties-Shoe Carnival, shirt-stolen from Shelby, velvet kimono-local boutique

HAWT FIRE. My mom is adorable.

 

Anyway, happy finally Friday! I’m going to the enormous Round Top sale with friends for a girls’ weekend. I AM SO EXCITED. Sometimes I look back on my life and say, “God, no wonder I was depressed. I had no friends!” And then I think about all the cool stuff I get to do and the people I get to love in a healthy way and just get the warm fuzzies. Life is cool and hard and weird! That should be the tagline of this blog.

Did you see my collab post with Infinity Jars? Check it out!

 

Love you!

xx

 

* 2 0 1 7 *

goals

2017 goals

Is February to late to post a goals list? Asking for a friend. Trust me, if I don’t write it down it won’t happen. Even though I’ve made goals lists before and completely ignored them, but this time is different, I swear!

If you’re alive, you’ve probably seen goals posts out the wang this year. This list started out as a birthday goal list. The idea is to make a list of x number of items to complete before your next birthday. (x=your current age. #MATH) It gets tougher the older I get and I seem to put off big goals I have out of fear. For the last few years I’ve had the same few things on my list to complete, but after my 26th birthday I’m-seriously-getting-older-and-not-younger-what-am-I-going-to-do-with-my-life crisis I’m making strides to get these done. Like I talked about in one of my recent posts, I’m the most balanced I’ve ever been and arguably the most motivated. So lez do eet.

2017 Goals
  • Start retirement fund
  • Save an emergency fund
  • Save $700 cushion fund Well, I did this and then I used it for emergencies! Back to square one!
  • Get a credit card (See #27.)
  • Finish decorating my apartment and be done I did, and then I moved. So I’m starting over, lol
  • Buy a new computer Welcomed a new iMac to the fam.
  • Budget an entire year and stick to it This is literally impossible.
  • Start a band
  • Redesign blog
  • Travel to two new places
  • Develop a core group of friends (wanna be friends?) I already have a core group of friends. I just didn’t realize it.
  • Get first tattoo
  • Get a second tattoo
  • Meditate more
  • Find a part time work from home gig I LOVE working for Rover! I can literally set my own schedule and I love all of my clients.
  • Lose thirty pounds (I KNOW)
  • Don’t dip into the negative. Ever. (already screwed this one up!)
  • Love yourself more
  • Keep your house as minimal as possible Got rid of SO MUCH STUFF in the move!
  • Visit fifteen Dallas spots on your list
  • Mark off three bucket list items
  • Wear sunscreen every day for a week
  • Complete Whole 60!
  • Go camping
  • Take another friend vacation Heading to the beach in July!
  • Be bold
  • Pay off credit card every month

If I wanna be extra…

  • Buy a bike!
  • Learn to put on false eyelashes
  • Buy good tennis shoes and start running again
  • Paddle board or kayak on White Rock Lake
  • Run a 5k without walking

 

The good news is I’ve already crossed off a decent amount! The bad news is some of these are abstract and can’t necessarily be measured in a year and some may seem like easy challenges. Like going camping? Easy. Getting a second tattoo? Done. Others are tough, like completing a Whole 60 instead of a Whole30 this go round is going to be difficult, but I can do it! Starting a band? Woof. I look forward to having a benchmark for myself to look back and see how I’ve improved. Crossing something off is the most satisfying thing to me!

 

Here’s to the next 182 days!

 

xx