Happiness is just outside my window

Posted on June 14, 2013 by Carrie

(instagram.com/josevilla)

I don’t often use the word “happy” to describe my state of mind, and I wouldn’t say I’m someone who’s constantly searching for happiness. But right now in my life, I’m feeling particularly happy, and I think it has a lot to do with the recent move.

I guess you can say happiness for me exists in the subconscious. It’s something I don’t think about, but it’s there and I feel it. But lately, it’s been on my mind and on my heart. I know what it’s like to feel happy, but sometimes I forget to be happy. To wake up every morning where I am and just feel happy is a strange yet intoxicating feeling.

Last week found me living for nothing but deadlines

Posted on June 7, 2013 by Carrie

1. Nothing quite like a walk after the rain
2. Biking home along the Bow River pathway
3. Back to eating healthy homecooked meals
4. Fresh flowers from our sweet friend, Crystal

This past week has been a lifestyle change for me. Since the move, I’ve been determined to change a few things in my life, starting with my commute to work. Our new location is better situated for walking and biking, so on Monday, I walked to work in the rain and biked for the rest of the week. I also signed up for summer boot camp classes at work. Because of my strange work schedule, I haven’t been able to stick to a regular workout routine, so this is a first and small step to getting back into shape. I start flow yoga this coming Monday as well.

Another change is my sleep schedule. I’m used to sleeping in and staying up late, but I’m trying to sleep early and wake up early. Since Husband gets up pretty early for work and now that we live in a studio, once the coffee grinder goes off, my sleep is pretty much over. It’s still an adjustment, but so far, I like the change. Plus, having big windows to enjoy the sunlight in the early morning is pretty awesome. And fresh French pressed coffee made by Husband. Oh how I love thee.

It’s all about creating a lifestyle that works for you. We all have stuff we want to do and try, but it’s not always possible depending on circumstances and opportunities, which is why I feel so fortunate to be where I am right now. More on this in my next post.

Home should be the treasure chest of living

Posted on June 4, 2013 by Carrie

- Le Corbusier

I’m happy to report we survived #movingweek. Husband took off work on Monday to begin moving stuff into storage. I left work early on Wednesday evening to continue packing and cleaning. A few friends came over on Wednesday and Thursday night to help move all the big stuff. And all day Friday, Husband moved stuff into our new place with the help of Jackson while my mom and I cleaned the entire condo. Needless to say, when it was all over, we felt on top of the world, and to celebrate, we went to Calgary Court to indulge in some of our favourite Chinese food.

We moved into a little studio apartment with tall windows, high ceilings, and big dreams. There are only two doors: the entrance/exit and bathroom. The kitchen, living room, and bedroom are combined into one big room, and although it’s quite the downsizing, we absolutely love our new space. Best of all, it’s located in the heart of Inglewood, a community we’ve grown to love over the last few years.

We spent the rest of the weekend unpacking and making several trips to Ikea. We sold a bunch of our furniture and used that money to purchase new furniture. Some would consider this a waste of money, but that’s the cost of moving around when you’re young. We’re not quite ready to settle down and live in a big house with expensive furniture. Instead, we’ve having fun buying disposable furniture, experimenting and adjusting to our own tastes and our new space.

On a similar note, I’ve been thinking a lot about how stability is much more favorable, but every now and then, it’s good to shake things up. The decision to move wasn’t easy, because we were so comfortable where we were, but once the disappointment passed and the excitement kicked it, we knew we had made the right decision. I realize this is the only time in our life to rent, move around, and try out different spaces (refer to this post). Once we buy a house, we’ll be locked down for a number of years, so this short time in our life has been a good opportunity for us to enjoy condo living and, for the next year, studio living.

We’re still unpacking and settling in, but I hope to share some pictures later this month. Thank you to all our awesome friends who helped us move and thank you to those who offered a hand. We couldn’t have done it without you.

Here’s to making new memories with my love.

Sleepwalking through the summer rain

Posted on May 27, 2013 by Carrie

J. Crew chambray top; J Brand pants; Joe Fresh motorcycle jacket; Gap scarf; Tiffany & Co. pearl earrings; Nike mid top shoes; Marc by Marc Jacobs bag

Husband and I spent the weekend in Edmonton catching up with friends, some whom we haven’t seen since the wedding. We’ve been stressed about the move, and although it probably wasn’t the best time to leave town, it was good for us to take off and just forget our responsibilities.

This week we’re gonna be pretty preoccupied with packing and moving, so you might not see or hear from us. I’ll try and check in at the end of the week to let everyone know how we’re doing. ’til then.

Standing on the edge without a prayer

Posted on May 23, 2013 by Carrie

Ecote top; TNA shorts; Vintage blazer; Tiffany & Co. pearl earrings; Brandy Pham ring; Daniel Wellington watch; Marc by Marc Jacobs bag; Aldo sandals

A few weeks ago, Husband and I met with our bank to take care of some finances. We also got a pre-approval for a mortgage, but we’re not buying a place just yet. Initially, we were hoping to buy a place by the end of this year, but after looking everything over, we decided we would be in a much better position to buy a year from now.

Which brings me to some exciting news: WE’RE MOVING! After looking over our budget, we concluded our current rent is our highest expense, and in an effort to save more money for a down payment, we’ve chosen to break our lease and move. As I mentioned previously, we were planning to stay at our condo until the end of the year, thus our decision to move happened very abruptly. But we couldn’t be happier.

Everything happened really fast. We decided to move on a Sunday night, starting looking at places on Monday and Tuesday, informed our landlord on Wednesday, looked at a couple more places on Thursday, and got the place we wanted on Friday. CAM ON CHUA. We move at the end of this month.

Right now we’re in the middle of packing. We’re also trying to sell some of our stuff, and we just secured a storage unit as our new place is almost half the size of our current place. I have more I want to share about the move, but I’ll save it for another post.

Thanks for reading, you guys.