As you might have noticed... my blog got a little makeover! Which is why I've been lacking on some posts.. Transferring almost 5 years of posts and  categorizing and formatting to my liking took some time! I'm pretty excited about the outcome though and hope you are too. 

Here are some of the main changes you'll see

• New server: Have you seen or heard one of the many Squarespace ads over the last few months? Well they got me! Up until now I've been hosting my blog on Tumblr and I decided to take the dive and make the change so that I have a little bit more options. And if you subscribe through Tumblr, don't worry I'll still be posting so you won't miss out on anything!
• Categories: I've written a lot of posts over the last years and I wanted an easier way for you to find the category of posts that you like.  Now you can click on the categories on the sidebar to be directed to the posts of your liking.
• Search/Archive: I also have a search and full archive button on the sidebar in case you're looking for something super specific.

Another reason I made the switch over the Squarespace is because of some features I've been working on behind-the-scenes that will be live soon. Here's your peek at what is to come.

Coming soon features:

• Oh Sweet Lovely: One of the biggest reasons I switched over to Squarespace was the eccommerce options for my new print shop. Something I've become really passionate about is creating fun typography prints and I'm really excited to bring my print shop Oh Sweet Lovely to you this summer! 
• Freebies: Who doesn't love things that are free?! Yeah me too. I have so much fun with my design projects that I wanted to share some of the goods to make your life a little prettier. Think desktop wallpapers, Iphone wallpapers and the occasional printable. 
• Guides: This feature will be launching toward the end of the year, but I'm excited about it so of course I wanted to fill you guys in. My moving series was such a hit that I want to provide you with some more information through guides.

So lots of exciting stuff coming up and I'm so glad to have you along for the ride! Cheers to that!

Coming off of the end of my moving series it only seems appropriate that I shared a little decor inspiration, right?! That’s what I thought too! Which is why when the crew over at Chairish reached out to me with a design challenge, you know I couldn’t say no! 

Living in a rental can be a little challenging with design sometimes because you have more restrictions in terms of what you can do. Simple things like painting and fixtures are generally out of the picture so you have to get a little bit more creative with your furnishings to highlight your space. Not to mention you don’t always want to buy pieces that might not work in a future space. 

So what’s a renter to do? Focus on the things you can customize and have fun with your space! Whether you’re going to be there a year or 5+, I think it’s so important to make a space your own and make it really feel like home. There are so many awesome ways to get inspiration these days too! Whether it’s blogs, design magazines (like my favorite HGTV magazine), TV, Pinterest, there are so many great options to get ideas from for a starting point! Take a look around and get a good idea of what really is or isn’t your style.  

My advice is to find some key pieces that are versatile. I love color and pattern, but I’d prefer to buy a neutral couch that I can jazz up with different pillows than something too crazy that I might not like as much a few years down the road. By mixing neutrals in with statement pieces, you can really make a space your own.

My style tends to be bold and colorful. To me, there’s nothing better than walking into a fun and brightly decorated space. For this reason, I picked out some fun key pieces from Chairish’s Mid-Century collection for my inspiration board to bring out color as well as some texture. Something I really like about mid-century design is it’s pretty structured with clean lines, which makes it easy to work into your design no matter what your style is. 

Atomic Geometric Print | Tufted Sofa | Industrial Painted Bar Cart | Bar Stools | Mori Shizume- New York Skyline Silkscreens | Yellow Ceramic Pendant | Vintage Liquor Bottles | Lucite Barware Set 

I picked the neutral blue couch because I love the tufting on it along with the color. Pair it with some fun throw pillows and a faux fur along the back and the couch would be the perfect spot to get cozy on! Plus, it’s big enough to double as a bed if you’re living in a studio like I am in the city. Next up, I picked the awesome geometric chair. I love the coloring and pattern on this one and think it would be the perfect statement piece for a living room. With bold throw pillows and the chair, I’d probably suggest rounding out the space with simple coffee tables and a neutral rug.

Another trend I refuse to get over is bar carts. My bar cart continues to be one of my favorite pieces in my studio and I love the industrial flair that this one from Chairish has. Bar carts are so much fun because you can display fun glasses (which I totally have a glass buying addition – yes, that’s a real thing) along with all of your party essentials. I just think it’s such a fun way to display your things, no matter what they on such a timeless piece.

My last set of choices include the bar stools, which are perfect for city living. Space is tight and chances are you probably won’t have room for a full dining room table so bar stools can be perfect for your built in bar or if you have a pub table. Wrap it all together with some other fun mid-century accessories and your apartment is already on its way to looking colorful and fabulous! I hope this sparks a little home decor inspiration for you or gets you thinking about your style!

We’ve made it to the end of my moving series with FlatRate Moving! Phew! We’ve made it through all of the tough stuff and now you can let the fact that you indeed live in NYC now! Oh heyyy, let that sink in for a minute or two. ;-)

Once you start to get your things unpacked here’s a couple of things to get squared away before you can be completely done with the moving process.

Update Your Address: If you haven’t already, make sure to change your address so your mail from your old address starts coming to your new home. You can do this super easily these days on the USPS website.

Electricity and Gas Services: ConEd manages the electricity/gas in buildings in NYC. I’m not positive if they cover every part of the city but every building I’ve lived in has been managed by ConEd. Give them a ring and let them know you’ve moved in so that they can start your billing and make sure your services aren’t interrupted.

Cable Services: If possible, I suggest setting this up before you move so you don’t get hit with a week or two wait, but find out your cable options and give them a call to set your services up. Every building I’ve lived in has been managed by Time Warner, but make sure you check because you might also be able to get services through Verizon FiOs, DISH orRCN.

Make Copies of Your Keys: Some apartments allow you to change the top lock on your apartment. The building usually just requires that once you change the lock you make an additional copy and provide it to your Super in case they need to fix things while you’re out. 

Get Familiar with the Garbage/Recycling: Your building should have a designated spot where you’ll drop off your garbage and recycling. The city has several garbage and recycling days that your building has to adhere to. Usually you will put your things in the appropriate areas and then the building will take care of putting it on the sidewalk. When you move you’re probably going to have a lot of extra boxes. Be a peach and break down the boxes and then tape them together flat. Your Super will appreciate it. Also, if you decide you don’t have a use for a piece of furniture or any large items make sure to contact your Super. There’s different protocol and days that large items go out and the building can be fined if it’s not done right so make sure to follow the rules!

And that should do it! Once you have all of those things taken care of it’s onto actually living here and my personal favorite… DECORATING!!! 

A big thank you to all of you who have tuned in for my series! I’ve had so much fun sharing my tips and I hope that it’s been helpful! Feel free to reach out if you have any other questions about the moving process or anything else about living in NYC.