i'm in my new digs!

Oh my heavens, where to begin!
It has been a crazy last couple of days as I start my new job TOMORROW. To recap quickly:
-I spent all of Thursday night packing up the U-Haul, dad's truck and mom's SUV with the help of Jason, my brother and my parents. -We took off early Friday morning and spent all day moving into my new apartment (which I love!). -I drove to Osceola (Jason's hometown) Saturday morning and went to the BVU vs. Simpson football game with the Ehrhardt's. -Jason and I went to the Keith Urban concert in Des Moines last night (more on that below). -Then I drove all the way back to Davenport today..... and here I am, IN MY NEW APARTMENT!
I already love the feel of relaxing on the couch and watching TV. The things I loved most about this apartment are that it felt like a home (crown molding, tan walls, new kitchen cabinets/appliances, walk in closet, etc.). I didn't feel like I was in a white-wall jail cell. It feels warm here. And I love it.
Anyway....
Like I said, Jason and I went to the Keith Urban concert in Des Moines last night and man did he put on a show! I was able to see Florida Georgia Line in Cedar Rapids last weekend and I thought they did really well and were good about interacting with the crowd. But that was EASILY topped with Keith.
I base a good concert on a few things, but the main one is probably the artist's interaction with fans. When a singer says "You guys are the best crowd I have ever had!" I immediately call BS. They say that to everyone. Ain't nothing special about an Iowa concert (sorry y'all). So anyway, back to Keith. If you haven't seen him in concert, GO. Go now.
He loved the fan signs and even grabbed his own spotlight to shine on them so he could read them all. One young fan had a sign stating it was her first Keith Urban concert and she got pulled on stage! Her mom went with her and Keith took pictures with them and even took a selfie on her phone. HELLO, IT WAS MY FIRST KEITH URBAN CONCERT, TOO!!! 
But I digress.
He also had a miniature stage in the back of Wells Fargo Arena and to get there he walked throw the fans, twice. So cool. He then came up real close to where Jason and I were to greet fans, and he even signed his guitar and gave it to one VERY lucky lady (whom I am quite jealous of).
Not to mention, he's gorgeous.
. . . . . . . . . .
This week, you can expect a few things from the blog. I will be sharing one of the DIY projects I did for the new apartment as well as sharing a lot more pictures of the new place and what I've been up to lately!
Tomorrow you will see the start of a new MONDAY TRADITION on the blog. So be on the lookout for that!
ALSO, before leaving. Can I just say how awesome the feeling is of friends from all over the country texting/facebooking/tweeting me about the site?! The point of my blog was to help me share my life/stay in touch with so many friends I have made in the past, especially through my travels. I love all of my friends, whether they're in New York (Mary), Virginia (Jillian) or even Minnesota (Tonya). So THANK YOU!

packing is such a chore!

Before I begin, I wanted to let you all know that the "photos" page has been updated. There are some photos up of places I've been, things I've done, and people I adore. More will be added in the future so keep checking!

Now on to the real post --

Holy moly. I knew packing was going to take some time and some thinking (since I have to fit everything into a one bedroom apartment), but I didn't think it would be THIS tough. I literally have boxes everywhere from years ago. Why?

Well.............

Notice the giraffe toilet brush cleaner! Thanks, Hattie! 

When I interned in Cincinnati, OH during the summer of 2012, I took a lot of stuff. From there, my parents had to pack all of my stuff that I needed to take to Towson, MD for NSE (I went straight from Cincinnati to Maryland without coming back to Iowa).

By the time I left Maryland I had random stuff still from Cincinnati. So I boxed everything up and drove home last December. I never really unpacked because I wasn't sure how long I'd be home and where I'd be going next.

I moved Colorado Springs, CO in January. This time I took even more. I was living with two guys who fit everything in their cars, while I had my car packed to the top and my dad's truck with the whole backend full. Whoops. Anyway, I left Colorado Springs in February. Brought everything home, in boxes.

Once again, didn't know how long I'd be here, so I didn't do much unpacking, except my clothes.

I moved to Cleveland, OH in March. This time I was living somewhere furnished and was going out alone so I had to make sure to fit everything in my car. Not too bad, until I bought some maybe too much stuff while out in Cleveland.

When I moved out of the house I rented from in Cleveland, I was headed to Cincinnati. I packed it all in my car (three different trips on three different weekends) and unloaded boxes, clothes, etc. into Jason's Cincinnati apartment in June.

By this time, I knew I'd be in Cincinnati until mid-August to help with the Western & Southern Open. I flew home for two weeks in July and since I was flying I obviously couldn't take much. I brought enough clothes to look decent in public for a few days, dresses for the two weddings I attended, and a swimsuit for a day in Cedar Falls with my best girls.

In mid-August I came home (to Iowa). This time I had nothing lined up for a next step. I unpacked my clothes and put all of the boxes downstairs.

As I'm starting to pack now for my move to Davenport, I realize I have boxes EVERYWHERE. In my room, in my brother's old room, in the basement, everywhere! I don't even know what's in half of them.... so I dig through and think if I need it or not (I usually rationalize somehow and side with "yes, of course I need it!").

NOT TO MENTION, this is my first "real place" that I will be in for longer than a few months and my first place that is completely unfurnished. I can't thank my parents enough for being so generous in the process and helping me with things such as a couch, chair, bar stools, a bigger TV and SO much more furniture. They're the greatest. On that note, thank goodness we are picking up the couch and chair in Davenport at the furniture store so we don't have to fit it the U-Haul along with everything else! To get a visual, look below.

In terms of decor, I have been working on some DIY projects (thanks to the help of my handy dad) that I am in love with. I will share them as soon as they are all set up in my new digs!

Where my life has taken me so far.... and now I'm going to the little blue X. See why packing has been crazy? ;)

moving up (and east) in the world!

Have you heard the news that I shared last week? If not, I'll let the clipboard do the talking!

It's true. I got a new (also my first) "big girl" job. Starting next Monday, I will be the new Leadership Experience Manager with the Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa & Western Illinois in the Quad Cities office (hence moving east... to Davenport!)

For those of you who know me, you know that my love for non-profits is second to none. I was heavily involved in the American Cancer Society Relay For Life throughout my time at UNI and loved every second of it. When I graduated this past May, I didn't want that to end. I wanted to stay in the non-profit field and stay in the realm of planning events for others, raising money and awareness for organizations and empowering others.

SIDE NOTE: My degree in Sports Marketing is obviously very relevant to what I'm doing with my life! It's funny how life works.

My position with the Girl Scouts is just that. I get to plan events for girls to take part in to teach them more about education, finances, real life and more, as well as how to be a leader and make a difference in their community. Fun fact, I was a girl scout back in the day and rocked that brownie sash and junior vest like a true fashionista. Okay, maybe I didn't really look that great. If I had pictures handy maybe you'd be lucky enough to see for yourself (hint, I had big wire rim glasses back then).

With all of that said, I'm spending this week doing a lot of packing, shopping for furniture/home decor, and multiple DIY projects to save a little cash. More to come soon as I move on FRIDAY!