Green Plaid Button Down + White Dress


I'm finally moving into a new apartment on Thursday, and I can't even begin to describe how happy I am to get to say that. Actually, I can. This will be my fourth time moving in the past year and a half or so, and it will be the first time since then that I'll feel completely comfortable where I'm living. When I graduated college, I moved back home with my parents, as most do. In February of last year, my parents sold that house and moved to the house on the lake an hour away from Orange County that you see in so many of my photos. Still struggling to find a full-time job after my internship had ended, my brother and sister-in-law kindly took me in temporarily, and I moved into my brother's office, which they had converted into a bedroom with a pull-out couch for me. Right as I was moving in, I was lucky enough to get hired for a full-time job, and I started planning to get an apartment. Three months later, none of my friends were looking for roommates (and frankly, I wasn't sure about the prospect of ruining a friendship by living with a close friend), so I searched online when I had saved up a bit. I found two roommates through Reddit, and we moved into a fairly nice three bedroom. Finally, I thought, a place of my own.

If you've followed my blog or my Instagram posts, you know how that turned out. One of the girls turned out to have a husband who had recently gotten out of prison and made a scene whenever he showed up; the other was a slob and a total hoarder with a dog who wasn't house trained (by that I mean, he peed on my bed and she never offered to help clean it). As luck would have it, they both hated each other after not long. The cops were at my apartment more than once, and I did everything I could to mind my own business and be home as little as possible. After I came home one night to find that the cops had been called and one of them had kicked a hole in the other's door, I searched for a way to get out. With what little money I had, I found a room to rent with a very nice family and the intention of staying for a short time. They've been wonderful, but it's not my home and their dogs bark loudly every time I enter the house, making it difficult to be in the kitchen without drawing too much attention to myself. 

Nine months of saving money later, I'm finally finding a real home. No living with scary roommates, being in someone else's way, feeling like a burden, or finding ways to avoid being at home. This time, I get to live with my best friend who I'm in love with and in a place that's just ours. It's impossible to talk about it without getting ridiculously cheesy or sentimental, but as you can tell, things have been a whirlwind for me since the start of 2015. The idea of settling into a place with my favorite person and getting to put my own things in the kitchen and living room is impossibly dreamy to me. We found cute one bedroom in a safe area, that's fairly central to Orange County and the perfect distance from our friends and work. Am I avoiding packing to write this? Yeah, of course I am. Is it worth it to get to gush about my excitement? Absolutely it is.


Tatum Bradly Co. sent me this bracelet a couple of years ago, but it seemed fitting to wear now. It has the coordinates of the house I grew up in that was sold last year, and it's a nice reminder of the last place I felt truly comfortable in. Plus, I mean, it goes well with comfy plaid button down paired over a white dress. So it's really just a win-win.

Top: H&M
Dress: TJ Maxx
Sandals: OC Swap Meet
Sunglasses: Madewell
Bracelet: c/o Tatum Bradley Co.

3 comments

  1. Exciting, congrats on getting your own home!! <3 And this outfit is all kinds of adorable, your tied plaid shirt couldn't be more perfect with that dress, must try this look too!! xo

    www.girlandcloset.com

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  2. Congrats on getting your own place!! I recently moved into my own place for the first time and it feels pretty amazing!

    Lee - leethrifts.com

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  3. My goodness Elana- I am SO HAPPY for you! I know how unsettling a stable living situation can be (honestly I don't know how you've been functioning..? And still blogging..? And seeming happy..?) I can even imagine how relieved you are. Sounds like you've found a super solid roommate as well as place. Congrats, friend!

    ♥ perfectly Priya

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