Singed a new lease!!!!!!

Yesterday we paid the application fees and got put on a wait list for our next apartment, we move in in December so we are #1 on the list!! lol. Any who, we figured that since we're moving around the holidays we just wanted to get it over with and not have to stress about where we'll be going next.

We've been looking for months now because we haven't been happy with the current complex. It's in a great location but that's about all it's got going for itself. Our AC is always broken and our electric bill has never been so high since we lived in our current complex. There's a hugeeee roach problem (my family knows all about this one.) Our neighbors aren't the best but we deal with that. One of the hardest things is doing laundry, there isn't a washer and dryer in the unit!! I'm ready for our new apartment already.

We will be living in the same city, 4.8 miles away from where we are now. The downside, we're going from 865 sq feet to 602 sq feet. That's going to be a huge change since our last couple of places had an extra room. So it will be like we live in NYC. hahaha especially since we'll be paying more as well.

Weighing out all of our options and must haves for the new apartment has been interesting. The one thing that was stressful was the location. Do we move back over by UCF (too much in tolls), Winter Park (the area we wanted was too expensive), Sanford (too far, but in our budget) so we stuck with Altamonte which is the perfect location since Ryan and I work on opposite sides of town.

Moving is always stressful, but we've done it so many times it's almost like second nature to us now :)

Current layout 

New layout (it's similar to our apartment in Palm Harbor)

Universal recap

Recently my friend Alicia moved to south Florida all the way from Scranton, PA! Since her moving down we had been planning to get together. Well, she came to Orlando Saturday so her, Ryan and myself hit up the parks. Even though it rained and was overcast most of the day we had a blast!

It was great catching up and remembering why we're friends. We had not seen each other since I moved back to FL 2 years ago. We'll be seeing each other in just a few weeks again!!

Total tourists

Finally a good fire breathing dragon pic

Cheers to being in Diagon Alley

It's so magical 

Beers on the Hogwarts Express :)

This one came out so good

After getting separated for a while we rewarded ourselves with adult beverages (stolen from Alicia) 

Of course we had to take a castle picture

Shake shack in Central Florida

Shake Shack recently opened in Winter Park (right next to Trader Joe's!!!!!!) Ever since we first went in NYC in 2011 I've been hooked. We were going to the city and I asked a friend for some recommendations and this happened to be the closest one to the train station that we had to use. Ever since the first time we went we made it a tradition to go back before heading home to PA.

I've checked the website on and off waiting for one to open nearby, other than Miami there were none in Florida. I was trying to figure out how we could go to that one when we were traveling back from Key West a couple months ago, yes that's how much I wanted to go again.

It's funny how I head about the opening in WP. I had been to Trader Joe's not too long ago and didn't see any sign of a SS until I got a Snapchat from a friend and immediately googled where it was..... literally down the road from us! Needless to say I'm thrilled I don't have to wait until my next visit to NYC!

Found this on FB from Sep 2011 from our first visit in the city

Winter Park location

Menu of burgers, shakes and beer

Love the theme throughout the restaurant

No line! You'd never see a queue like this in NYC

Huge open floor plan

The light up ice cream cone is so cute

Pager for when your food is ready

Burgers burned in the tables

Burgers, fries and shakes

The location we've been to many times 

Peanut butter shake, my fav

West coast weekend

Over the weekend Ryan and I went to visit my parents on the other coast of Florida to celebrate my birthday a little early (hey, when you work all the time you take what weekends off you can get.) Saturday we went kayaking with my dad on very choppy water which was fun! Later on while in the water Ryan got stung by 2 jelly fish which cut our beach day short.

At night we went to dinner with my parents, aunt and cousin on the water. Afterwards we did cake and presents. Celebrating my birthday without my Grandma there this year was a little weird. I've gotten used to my Grandfather not being at special events, so it's going to be hard this holiday season without her there.

Overall it was a great and much needed relaxing weekend away from the hustle and bustle of the work week.

I'll be 26 on the 26th this year!!!

Many many presents 

One of my fav's

Ozona Blue

Dinner on the water

Tis the season for my favorite flavored beer

Sunny FL

Dunedin Causeway Beach

Ryan was taking too long to get the camera ready

Action shot of putting the paddle together

Clearwater Beach ahead. We kayaked to the island ahead

Fall-ish decor around the house

Even though it's only the beginning of August the fall decorations have started coming out! Just a little here and there, mainly leaves and burlap accessories. This is my first year since I started blogging that I don't have a fireplace mantel to decorate which is extremely disappointing but living in FL there is no need for a fireplace so it wasn't a deal breaker when finding the apartment.

I love the look of a mantel, all the decorations are in one spot and you can really do a lot, so with that being said all of my decor is spread around the house. Mason jars with real branches and fake leaves are now on the side tables next to the couch and there's a monogram pumpkin in the bedroom!

My favorite part of the fall decor? Fall scented candles and wax tarts. My mom gave me a bazillion different scents from Yankee Candle months ago and now they can finally be used :)

Not even half of the scents I have

Burlap covered mason jars 

Wood circle with salted carmel candle on top

That pumpkin on the right is a wax tart melter

Pine cones from my great grandma's house. I've kept them since last year :)

Favorite pumpkin

Can you spy the "fall" decor on the pegboard headboard?

Since it's still so early in August once September comes around I'll put out the rest of the decor!