New Apartment Reveal

     Two weeks ago I made my big move for school and was so excited to start putting together my new apartment!  Unfortunately, August in Arizona is really not the time you want to be moving furniture up a set of outdoor stairs.  None the less with the help of my parents and some friends we got everything into my apartment within a few hours.  Then came the fun part of unpacking and organizing.  This actually seemed like more work than actually moving the stuff!  

     Now that I\’ve finally settled in, I decided it\’s time to show off the final product!!  I still have some frames to hang, but I haven\’t decided where yet so the walls are a little bare.  Other than that, everything is complete!  

     This is my living room, and definitely my favorite area!  I love how much light sliding glass door to the patio lets in.   I lounge on the couch a ton while I\’m studying because there\’s so much room to put my laptop, iPad, and snacks around me!  I went with a big piece of art over the couch rather than a gallery wall to give the area a more mature look.  The coffee table and TV stand are both from IKEA, and thankfully my mom put it together so I wouldn\’t have to, but they weren\’t terribly difficult once you understand how to start.  I love the box cubbies under the TV because they hide my wifi box and wires, while still displaying my personal items since I don\’t really have any shelves.  I haven\’t got around to fully decorating the bar cart yet, but soon it\’ll be fall themed 

 

     Next is my patio!  This was a deal-breaker when I was looking for apartments, I knew I wanted some sort of outdoor area of my own and I got super lucky because this patio is huge!!  I\’ve spent some time reading out here and it is so relaxing.  We shopped for the furniture during the Memorial Day sales and I highly recommend waiting to purchase outdoor furniture until it\’s on sale because otherwise it\’s so expensive.  Definitely look this weekend if you\’re in the market because the Labor Day sales seem to be equivalent to the Memorial Day sales.  Plus, lots of things are on sale for the end of summer.  I bought the chair set and pillows first, then based my colors off those browns and blues, which ended up being perfect because I absolutely loved the rug when I first saw it.
   

     Right next to my living room, is the kitchen.  I\’m trying to make myself cook more now that I\’m on a really strict budget, so far I usually just go with Costco raviolli, salads, or frozen meats my mom makes for me haha.  Luckily, even though I haven\’t made anything extravagant yet, my kitchen is fully stocked and has plenty of space for when I do.  My favorite parts are the rooster (necessary in every kitchen to bring good luck) and the cupcake baking books I picked up in Spain that are next to the canisters.  Since I am still in school, I replaced my dining room with an office area to study and added bar stools to create a little breakfast bar.  

     My desk area is basically the same as it was last year, except now I don\’t have to keep my makeup on it since I have my own bathroom!  That made is so I could put the printer on one side and still have my computer on the other side.  I condensed all my supplies into the gray crate and keep any files I need in the folders next to it.  I think having a desk area is really important, especially while I\”m still in school, to help get work done and minimize distractions.  I decorate my bulletin board with lots of pictures of my friends and family and souvenirs from places I\’ve been to help keep me motivated while I\’m working on things.    

          
     My apartment came with a washer and dryer in the unit, thankfully! It\’s right off my kitchen in a little room.  I wanted to make the most of this space so I keep my hamper in here and decided to hang my hats on the wall to keep them in pristine condition.  I just used a Command Hook for each one.  I also did a DIY for the sock sign since the one I bought didn\’t have anywhere to put the missing socks, though they do sell ones with strings already.  I hung some twine from two nails and put five clothing pins on it for any solo socks that come along.