Independent Independence

I'm moving out! I've moved out before but I've never officially done it on my own, lived by myself, became... a grown up! The story of how I got my place is actually such a testimony in itself! I had decided that it was time to be a big girl and get my own place for a few weeks but finding somewhere seemed impossible. Everywhere I could afford was sketchy (someone cussing at me from their car while I'm doing a drive by of one apartment, that one definitely got crossed off the list fast). I was really disappointed at first because I looked at so many places and went from excited to defeated in about a day. But I looked on the bright side and just figured it wasn't the right timing. Randomly, I remembered Matt (our youth pastor) asking me if I was looking to rent a place in the Summer because he had a buddy that was looking for renters. At the time I said "No thank you, I'm fine mooching off my parents and saving for now." First of all, it was a miracle in itself that I remembered Matt asking me that months  ago... second I actually remembered to ask him when I saw him in person, miracle number 2! It was such perfect timing! He told me that he wasn't sure if his friend was still looking but he actually had just ran into his old neighbor the day before and she had said she was going to rent out her studio in January! He said the place she has would be so much better and that I would love it! He was going on and on about how it felt like a New York loft and how cool it was, wood floors, brick... so I was sold! he texted me a little later and told me he talked to Kass (his old neighbor) and she would love to meet with me and that I could have it for $450 a month!!! Miracle number 3! I was praying for $500 and anything even close to that was scary!! 

So I met with Kass that weekend and was so excited because I had done a drive by and looked it up on google and already fell in love with the outside! It looks like a little Spanish cottage with palm trees in the front! I have even always said that I want a yellow house or Spanish styled house... hello... can you say perfect! Logan came with me (for protection of course, haha) and the minute we walked in I was sold. Kass kept saying oh don't mind the mess all this will be cleared out (because she was initially hoping to open an antique store in it so it had all this awesome old furniture and nick nacks all over the place!) I was like I wouldn't even care if everything came in it, it's perfect I love it so much! It had dark hard wood floors, french doors, a little old school kitchen with an old old stove (that looks just like the one in breakfast at Tiffany's!), an old tub and sink, and to top it all off... one random brick wall with an archway that was hand laid in the 1940's! It's a registered historical landmark! When Kass asked me what I thought I said, "It's everything I ever imagined living in, I'm in love with it!" She told me that she loved it so much that she couldn't bear to sell it even though she wasn't going to end up opening the antique store and that she just wanted to find someone who would love it as much as she does! Here comes the next blessing, Kass told me that the reason she was offering such a steal of a price (my words, not hers) was because back when she was starting off on her own as a single mother someone had given her a really good deal and never raised the rent on her for 12 years and she had always wanted to be able to do that for someone! I told her that anywhere I could afford was scary and she said, "anyone I offered this price to was scary!" haha! I was so thankful and appreciative! I just love her too! She has such great taste and is so sweet! She even let me come over to pick out whatever I wanted before she had a huge sale to get ride of everything she had been collecting! (I got a beautiful black table, an old suitcase, dresser, and old movie projector! I was a very happy girl) The timing of moving in could also not have been any more perfect because it gave me time to find stuff on craigslist and buy things like dishes and silverware when I could afford it while not paying rent! AND it let me wait out things being sold on Craigslist so I could be more choosey and wait till I saw something for really cheap! Ok I have one awesome story about my table I got on Craigslist I just have to share! I wanted mismatching chairs anyways so I had seen this table that I thought I could make work, with no chairs, so I was going to pick it up and then I was looking at Anthropologie pictures from room decor inspirations and I saw the most amazing table of my dreams that even had little drawers that pulled out with utensils on them that the kiddie table next to it could use! I thought, that's exactly what I want, "oh Lord I would love a table like this" I kid you not I get right back on Craislist just kind of trolling when what to my wandering eyes should appear but a table with drawers like the one I had just seen in the anthropologie magazine... for only $60!!! chairs included!!!!! AND it was the color I was going to paint whatever table I got! I screamed I was so excited, called immediately and they said it was still available! I drove all the way to Dixon for it but it was soooo worth it!! Here are some other awesome finds of mine...

The Anthropologie table I saw...

The one I found on Craigslist! I think mines even better!

An item I snagged before Kass' sale! I thought it looked perfect right where it was!

Another awesome piece I had to have from Kass' collection!

 Fast forward to December 24th! Move in day! I got to move in early cuz Kass was going out of town for a few weeks and as long as I didn't mind cleaning up the mess (dust, cobwebs, etc) it was a free week and a half! Also, there's some kind of accomplishment in making a shower and stove slash entire kitchen that no one has used in YEARS, full of dirt, rust, cobwebs, transform from disgusting to bright and shiny! I was so thankful for all the help too from my dad, brother, Shane, and my mom! I feel like they're always helping me move haha! This ones for a while though... well at least I think so ;)

First night moved in… someone tries to break into Shane’s car… awesome! But God is so good at reassuring me of what he has given me! I had forgotten that Joe (one of the guitarists at our church) lives across the street! I was feeling a little nervous about being there if a group of guys tries to get into someone’s car and I only just moved in that afternoon, and then I hear someone honking and see someone waving at me in a car that is backing out and I’m like who is that? And it was Joe! I felt like it was the Lord reminding me that he blessed me with this place and he will protect me here and has people looking out for me! Barbara came over and blessed my house with her awesome prayers as well and even though her and Chris were telling stories that scared me before I spent my first night there, I felt safe, peaceful, and good in my new place!