Safe Haven

My escape here in Florida has been two fold...
One of these has been heading to the gym.
The walk there to just simmer down.

The actual gym which more often than not is empty.

My other safe haven is my room.
Which I made bright and sunny for Florida.
I wanted my room to feel like a happy vacation spot.
What's more happy than pink and green?

I picked the smaller between the two bedrooms (not including the master of course).  
I like how it makes it cozy :)

 I love the thick crown molding!

I love my clear lamp...and the random shiny pink parrot that I found.
I need to fill that green vase with some white hydrangeas I think!

I enjoy small details like how I can find a curtain rod that echos the lamp without it being from the same store.

It's definitely my escape.
Maybe I'll do a whole house tour for y'all.
It's just a small vacation home but I really like it.

Scattered

Y'all I'm feeling totally scattered.
In that weird mixed up way of feeling relief over a big stressful week at work last week and the influx of emotions/stress of the fact of the constant work stress that is all part of it.
The stress that makes me seriously consider going back to school.
But that is mainly because I'm feeling so darn scattered.

Which means it's time for the most random blog post of all time.

I feel like I need to go back to completing MyExboyfriendProject.
But how to do it.
The same way you would eat an elephant...one fork at a time.
So I'm thinking trying to add one "chapter" per week so that I can at least get it done.
And below is some hilarious good advice...just saying...

Pic from here

I get to decorate "my room" in our families new Florida vacation home.
Here is the room currently...


So so so excited!
I'm thinking something SUPER preppy.
Perhaps Lilly Pulitzer inspired (after all I am on a budget y'all).
Perhaps things involving bows and stripes???
Any suggestions out there???
Here's the bedroom set I've picked out already because it was very "Floridian" to me.
I hope it's more white than in the picture.
And clearly it is super duper reasonable.
I also am hoping to trade out the dresser for a tall 5 drawer dresser because I'm not a huge fan of the attached mirror to the long dresser.


I love to match my shoes to my outfit.
Like here.

And recently I'm super obsessed with wearing cardigans with my dress shirts.
I feel like the way it blocks a line in the middle makes me look skinnier
I know I know I'm probably being silly but this is the way my weirdo mind works.

And I totally have a KimKardashian butt.
Seriously even in work dress clothes.
Seriously I totally have a shelf...see how my cardigan folds in in the back?!
Ridiculous!

I just looked over at my empty frames Taylor gave me (see here).
I so need to order pictures to put in them.
Maybe this weekend.
I totally suck at having pictures printed.
It also makes me want to organize a photoshoot.
Heck I know tons of people who do engagement photos etc.
So you know what I want to do.
Get hair and makeup done and do a bestie photoshoot.
Get pictures taken by someone who agrees to photoshopping my butt down a size or two haha.
Something I would love to use as a facebook profile pic and someone who is able to capture a bestie friendship very well on film.
How to make this happen???...

From this previous post

I had the WEIRDEST thought today.
Because I'm such an overthinking nerd.
I missed TheBachelor Canada castings/applications.
(Not that I seriously would go in...imagine US weekly breaking the scandle of Spencer etc).
Anywho my crazy thought of the day on why MrDentist perhaps disappeared....
I was thinking maybe he is the new Bachelor!!!!
Just saying and if that is the case ....holy moly and I have a time stamp on my prediction haha.

Pic from here

I mailed out Taylor's surprise today (that I talked about here).
I wanted to add some extras but I thought I could just send them at a later time instead.
Because I was too darn excited.
And I can only hope I didn't over-hype it (huge potential for this!)
We shall see.

I need to get of my butt and sign on to my EH account and get dating.
I'm just obviously for some reason procrastinating.

Will may come to visit this month!
So super excited to see him.
I wrote about him (here) if you don't know who he is.

I need to get a little more strict with my workouts.
Especially with a Florida trip coming up (yipes bathing suit!)
Need to have some renewed focus/energy there.

Could I be any more of a jumbled up rambly bunch of thoughts...
I think not.

Moving to the TDot Take Two...

So last weekend I packed up my stuff and got ready to move again.
Here is the disaster of the old place as I packed up.
What a pain in the butt to pack after feeling like I barely got settled and unpacked.

Getting a little more organized...

Almost ready to go...

My room all packed up.
And yes I totally moved my clothes and linens just like Angelina from Jersey Shore.
Straight up trash bag styles...classy haha.

So I'm going to gloss over the fact of the disasters of moving that I briefly mentioned here.
And thank goodness I am officially unpacked less than a week later.
Below will be way too many pictures of way too many details of my second new place.
Without further ado welcome to my second new place in the TDot...

The entrance.
I hasten to give it a word like "grand" because in reality it is a 570sq ft tiny apartment.
But it's mine :)
And I swear one day the mirror story will occur.

Storage in the teeny apartment is a premium to in my front closet the shelves are dedicated to things like kitchen, paperwork, things to return to the girls, work out supplies (ie. non skid yoga towel), and cleaning supplies.

And toilet paper/paper towels and detergent.

Just call it my random closet of storage.

Right beside that one is a deeper closet where I keep the shoes/good purses and jackets.

Right beside that closet is the ensuite laundry.  So happy I don't have to trudge to a basement to do it.  Some of the apartments I looked at in Toronto had some SCARY laundry rooms.

And yes that is a dryel bag so I can try and do dry cleaning minimally.

Just past the hall there is my kitchen/dining room/entrance to bathroom.

Straight ahead the living room.

My obsession over the desk.  West Elm lacquer white.  I'm still loving it.
Plant courtesy of the girls.  I hope I don't kill it. 

From the living towards the entrance and kitchen.

And from the other corner. 

The tiny bathroom.

From the bathroom into the bedroom.

Purse organization. 

This closet is half the size of the other new place in TDot closet. 
And I'm doing laundry hence the empty hangers.

Oh and did you see in the living room.

The glasses Taylor gave me.

Just WAITING to be used when she comes back here in January.

I'm totally counting the days!!!

So that's it.

It's my second place.

And there is so much more to tell you.

Of third dates (MrFinance), birthday celebrations, car trouble, Jacob trouble, work drama, overseas job offers, and the generalized chaos that is my life.

More updates to come.

But for now...what do y'all think?

The New Place Official Tour

Sooo finally got around to organizing the place for it's first official tour.

Are you excited?

Here we go...

The grand entrance.

Mirror panelled closet...you know every girl needs a last quick check before stepping out the door.  And you better believe the MOMENT my dad entered the condo he installed an extra bolt thingy because then someone can't come in even if they have a key hahaha.

Safety first.

(Fingers crossed not to be charged for damaging the interior).

From further away you can see the bigmothermirror.

I know I keep meaning to tell you all about it.

Maybe this weekend k?

And no I'm not that narcissistic.

I just loved it the moment I saw it.

Okay since I'm accustomed to living in small spaces.

I think organization is key.

Especially for things you love.

Like shoes...

And boots...

And the essentially sticky roller thing because the dog totally sheds.

And guests also appreciate it.

Hooks are a must for me.

Especially for two essentials like the leash and keys.

I detest having to look for keys because they have found their way to some tucked away extra fold in my purse.

Problem solved I never have to look for my keys.

And here is where I perform my culinary arts.

Also know as making cakes for cake class or salads for lunch.

I know I live at extremes people!

And I totally consider the dishwasher a luxury.

Have not lived somewhere with one for more then two years almost.

And yes you can see pretty much the whole apartment from the kitchen.

The L shaped kitchen from the main area. 

And you can see the gray chairs from this post.

And in case you are wondering no

I have not figured out how to reattach the bar support thingy.

Right beside the kitchen I have the standard Ikea big bookshelf.

Holding books, family pictures, liquor, my fav wine glasses and a wine decanter...you know the important things.

The couch and THE DESK!!!

Notice the coffee table.

My parents brought it with them when they immigrated from South Africa.

I used to get in trouble as a toddler for sitting on the glass.

I'm going to try and maybe dig up a photo of that from my parents place this weekend.

Spot the dog?

The TV...present from my parents.

Who basically couldn't fathom me lugging my huge box TV here

(it is a TV I've had since grade 4!)

And yes I had somehow convinced my parents in grade 4

I absolutely needed a TV in my room to do homework.
Wish I was still that great of a negotiator.

My Laundry "room".

I totally crammed everything I could in there!

The bathroom.

I find it kind of creepy that I can take a picture without catching myself in the mirror.

Well almost I think you can see my elbow.

It's the small details.

Like a daily reminder that I need to get to Paris at some point soon.

And Fleur de Lis on the towels.

That are totally crooked.

Should have fixed that haha.

And finally where the magic happens.

Errrr would happen.

If there was someone magical.

There is not...in case you are wondering.

Trying to stay organized.

The "good" purses are on the top shelf.

The others line the back of the door.

This is how I organize my jewellry.
I'm sort of obsessed with 3M hooks.

And I find if I have things easily accessible I actually rotate my jewellry.

I spy my Lilly Bag that Taylor brought from Dallas for me :)

And that's it folks.

Well in case you wondering if I am always so super neat and organized.

For the most part I am.

Minus the messy corner waiting to head back to my home town this weekend.

My little "corner of chaos".

Oh well no one's perfect.

And if I didn't show you it maybe you would think I was perfect.

haha

I have crooked towels and a corner of chaos.
I'm sooooooooooo not perfect.

And I'm trying to be getting better at being okay with that.