In the first installment of this ongoing series, I covered why and how I moved plus what I want out of this new place. In volume 2, I’m gonna give y’all some of my top tips for unpacking your shit, lament about why moving into a new place can be mentally trying for those of us with both obsessive and impatient tendencies (@ MYSELF), and SHOW Y’ALL SOME OF MY NEW HOME PURCHASES THUS FAR (all anyone really cares about, tbh)!

HOW TO UNPACK

You’re not gonna like this, but the key to getting your place setup quicker and feeling more like home faster is to UNPACK EVERY. SINGLE. BOX. IMMEDIATELY. I know. It’s the worst news you’ve heard all week, but it’s the ugly truth. Ellen reminded me of this tactic the second she stepped foot into my new place. “When we moved to Dallas, the movers unpacked every box and said ‘You aren’t gonna like this, but it’s the only way you’ll actually get moved in and deal with putting things away,’ and they were right.’” And yeah, you are absolutely playing mind games with yourself with this technique; i.e. purposely cluttering up your brand new space, full well knowing it’s going to drive you insane and force you to deal with it, BUT IT WORKS. Otherwise, you’ll be living amongst and out of boxes until JVN knows when and that is not a good look for anyone, henny. Sure, every single piece of counter space and tabletop I have was covered and stacked with a random assortment of my possessions and was driving me fucking insane, but that was the point. Because of the ugliness and disorganization of it all, I dealt with it and, within a week, almost everything was put away.

PATIENCE IS HARD

Honestly, that should be the title of my book. Patience is Hard: A Young Woman’s Lifelong Journey To Not Fucking Lose It Every Day by Emma Golden. Patience is something I’ve struggled with for forever. When I want something, I want it NOW. So moving is always a trying experience for me because my impatience combined with my obsessive tendencies is a DEADLY combo for my brain to handle. This move in particular is more intense than usual because I’ve sold so much of my old furniture and am in the market for all new stuff, which means it’ll be a very slow process since, ya know, money. For three weeks now, I’ve had no couch which isn’t the end of the world, but without anything to lounge on in the living room, I’ve been more or less confined to my bedroom and kitchen, and it’s made me a bit… stir crazy. I’m just so excited about my new setup and want to utilize every inch of the new space I’m in and can’t just yet, BUT IT’S COOL. I’M FINE. No, really. I am. I know it’ll all come together in time, I’m just really bad at patience. And as of now, most everything else is in its right place, and I know exactly what I’m going for as soon as I get my couch, so it’ll alllllll be okay.

SPEAKING OF WHICH. Now, it’s time for everyone’s favorite part of any home-centric blog post: PICS OF WHAT I’VE BOUGHT!

PURCHASES SO FAR

In this new place, I am absolutely going for a mid-century boho aesthetic. I want the clean lines and minimalist effect, but with bold pops of color and all the cozy comfort in the world. However, that second part (the fun one with color and whatnot) can’t happen until I lay a neutral base (as my sister keeps telling me). So, first thing’s first: a couch.

Couch shopping is the pits. Like it’s fun, but it’s also incredibly overwhelming (not to mention expensive AF). It’s sort of like dating apps — there are too many options in too many shapes, sizes, and styles, and you like a bunch and save a bunch but have no true idea of how you’re going to make such a large, pricey, and possibly life-changing decision, so you sorta wanna give up all together.

So, here’s how I approached it: I narrowed it down to two couches and two couches only, went and sat on both of them in person, compared the numbers and the wait time, and finally got to a decision. The two couches I was considering were the Lounge II Sofa from Crate and Barrel (93”) and the York Square Arm Deep Seat Upholstered Sofa from Pottery Barn (94”). Both are DEEP seaters (absolutely pivotal), comfortable as fuck, offer zero interest financing (because ya girl was NOT about to buy the entire thing upfront), and are offered in a plethora of materials and colors. HOWEVER, it ultimately came down to wait time. Even though the Pottery Barn couch would’ve been 30% off if I had waited until Labor Day, I would’ve had to wait another 5-9 weeks to receive the actual couch. On the flip side, Crate and Barrel’s Lounge II was in stock and available within 1-2 weeks AND, with their upholstery event happening now through Labor Day, I saved 15% and was able to open a Crate and Barrel credit card and finance my new couch for 12 months!

So this beautiful beast is being delivered next week along with its matching ottoman (for a makeshift chaise and storage), and I could not be more excited and ready for this baby to shack up in my home.

I feel great about this purchase and my ability to pay it off within the 12 months, so ALL GOOD THINGS!

Now that the couch saga is out of the way, let’s move onto what else I’ve acquired for my new abode over the last three weeks!

For the past several years, my TV has been mounted on the wall in my living room. This time around, I wanted to do it differently and leave it standing atop a cool console, so that’s exactly what I did. Ellen found this awesome piece for an amazing price at Nebraska Furniture Mart, and I absolutely love the build and look.

I also finally have a real kitchen island with a bar-level counter, so some bar stools were in order. After ordering one set and hating them as soon as I opened the box (ah, moving. So much buying, opening, hating, and returning), my sister found these beauties via Target.

They are magically comfortable, the PERFECT height and so pretty. I mean, JUST LOOK AT THEM! I am obsessed with sitting at my counter and eating dinner there (also because I hate my dining table situation and need to upgrade it but that’s way down the list of things to get and do).

My favorite minor transformation so far has been my dresser. I’ve had it for YEARS and desperately want/need a new, bigger one, but in an effort to continue saving money, I just keep messing with the hardware on it. I thought I was being so Anthro and cute when I picked out these turquoise knobs and handles for them years ago, but realized it needed a serious (albeit cheap) upgrade. Enter these amazing brass knobs and handles my sister and mom found collectively.

BEFORE

AFTER

Pretty insane what something so small like hardware can do, isn’t it?! I love this small yet major upgrade, and it makes me feel better about waiting on getting an entirely new dresser, so WIN-WIN!

And speaking of small yet major purchases, I’m incredibly proud of my dish and hand soap kitchen dispenser, paper towel holder, and kitchen drawer organizers that I got for my new home. I absolutely love all three, especially the dish and hand soap dispenser. So efficient. So organized. So clean.

Of course, the first thing I bought for my new place was the massive “influencer” mirror I’ve been lusting after for a while but had no place in my last, old, very poorly lit home.

Standing at 6’5”, this mirror is fucking LEGIT. It’s heavy-duty, looks incredibly chic casually leaned up against the wall and is only $130 (an incredible price for such a massive mirror. MIRRORS ARE FUCKING EXPENSIVE, GUYS). I HIGHLY recommend it if you’re in the market for a full lengther and have the room for it (also, if you’re into yourself and often take mirror selfies).

Speaking of mirrors, upon seeing the boring, silver rectangle the owner had hanging in my bathroom, I knew I needed a big, round, gold one in its place and fast. Ellen found the most insane deal on this perfect guy from Hobby Lobby (and, as I write this, it’s on sale again!), and we bought it and hung it faster than you can sing “Whoooo is that girl Iiiiii see?”

While we’re in the bathroom, we haven’t talked about Command shelves as shower shelves in a few years, so let’s revisit.

Yes. These are those Command shelves that are held up by crazy insane sticky tape, and they are a fucking lifesaver in terms of keeping your shower clean, organized, and chic AF. Did I just blow your mind? Probably.

Lastly (and most importantly), after not having a bathtub for 5.5 years, I treated myself to a bathtub tray just to be extra as possible while taking baths.

Yes, it looks a little sad right now with it’s half-burnt, teeny tiny candle on it. But soon (preferably when it’s not triple digits outside), it will be filled with wine, my phone, a book, and maybe even a snack. Baths, to me, are one of the most comforting and soothing experiences, and I plan to fully utilize this tray as often as possible.

WHEW! As you can see, I’ve definitely done some damage these first few weeks in my new place, but there’s more to come. My amazing sister is on her way into town for the weekend for the sole purpose of helping me set up my place (she’s a designer and has an incredible eye) so for the next installment of this series, I’m hoping to share all her touches! Next time we meet, my living room (with my couch and rug and everything) should be in place, and who knows what else. Stay tuned!

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