Casual

One of the hardest habits I'm trying to break is shopping for casual clothes. Now that I have a steady income, I can practically hear JCrew and Anthropologie calling "Come spend your paycheck here! Look at all the cute things we have on display!"

I hear this is not uncommon for young females...

The worst part is that once I bring that incredible sundress/pair of shorts/sequined top home, I realize how crowded my dresser and closet are with neglected items. Why? Because I now spend the work week in things with tags that read "dry clean only." When I get home and change, I'm 99% likely to reach for a pair of yoga pants and a hoodie, after all why waste a good outfit?

As a result, my casual clothing is on a very light rotation. The proper, prudent thing to do would be to spend the majority of my shopping budget on work clothes, as those tend to get more wear so the quality and fit are especially important. But hey, sometimes the proper and prudent things are hard!

So the next time I hear the siren song of a gorgeous mini skirt, I have to remind myself to stay strong. And maybe I can buy that darling pencil skirt instead...

Image Source (My favorite pencil skirt!)

Measure Twice

There’s an old saying that veteran seamstresses are fond of quoting: measure twice, cut once. In other words, it pays to be patient and have a complete set of information. I learned this lesson the hard way when it came to decorating my apartment. I was so caught up in the excitement of decorating my own bedroom that I may have gotten just a teensy, tiny bit carried away...

You see, first apartments usually happen to be pretty small. Which is fine at this stage of one’s life, really. I have no need for a personal study or an entertainment room. In fact, I would even venture to say that there are upsides to a small apartment, for example, it encourages you to get out and meet people!

However, small apartments should come with a warning label. WARNING: This room will not fit a giant bed, oversized dresser, bookshelf, desk, and chair – unless your intent is to build a furniture themed obstacle course.

Thankfully, I was holding off on a few of those purchases until after move-in day. Unfortunately, I bought a bed much earlier that is just a bit too large for the room. A disaster? No. But definitely something I would do over if I got the chance.

So, consider this a lesson learned. Throw a measuring tape in your purse while shopping and remember to think twice about oversized purchases.

Image Source

Learning as I Go

Six months ago, as I reminisced on the perfect burger and juicy watermelon I had devoured the day before, I grabbed two overloaded suitcases and hopped on a plane to start my first adventure as a “real grown-up.”

Ha. Grown-up?

In the meantime, I’ve learned a few things about furnishing my first apartment, updating my wardrobe to match my job, and making friends in an unfamiliar setting. The longest of journeys starts with a simple step. I’ve started this blog to chronicle some of those lessons and to remind myself there’s always something to learn when it comes to growing up.

Welcome!