Hey guys! I have some exciting news - I recently moved to Charleston! After internally debating the move (I have wanted to live somewhere warmer for a while) I took the leap last weekend and packed up my car, put everything that didn't fit in a storage unit, and embarked on this adventure. I left Massachusetts with about $50 in pocket, no job, and not knowing anyone in my new home-town (besides my cats obvi). Currently, I'm living in summer sublease and love the other two girls in the house and (brace yourself this is super exciting!) I already landed a great job! Its safe to say that so far things are going pretty well. The city is beautiful, the people are nice, and the weather is amazing - my only issues are that I do not have enough summer clothes and my hair is still adjusting to the humidity (aka frizz-central), oh and shorts are like a year-round thing here so it looks like I'll have to start shaving more frequently.

If you are planning a move here are some suggestions I have.

1. Uhaul U-Boxes. Since I am living in a fully furnished sublease for the summer I have a lot of stuff I don't need right away, but even if you do need your things pronto I would look into this option for moving your items. If you need to store the U-Box it costs about $100 a month (kinda pricey), but moving my U-Box from MA to SC only will cost about $1300, which compared to PODs and other similar products is a savings of about $2000. Also, with the U-Box you don't have to drive a big trailer or box truck - they transport it for you and they offer pretty cheap moving help. For me the affordability and convenience was exactly what I needed.

2. Vacuum Seal Bags. A few different companies make these, probably most notably Ziploc Space Bags, you can find them at any Wal-mart, Target, K-mart, etc. I had initially packed my clothes in trash bags and could not fit myself, my cats, my shoes, and my six trash bags of clothes in my little Chevy Cruze (yes, I did downsize my wardrobe prior to packing by donating a few trash bags of clothes and putting anything for cold weather in the Uhaul - I just kinda have a problem, so lets not judge). I ended up buying 4 Jumbo vac-seal bags and was able to fit all six trash bags, as well as a comforter, two pillows, and my towels into these bags and then fit the bags into my car (they each weighed like a million pounds, but I fit them nonetheless). So if you want to keep your clothes clean and get the most of your storage space these bags are exactly what you need.

3. Find a short-term living or a sublease. This way you are not tied down to a part of town you may end up not liking. I chose to sublease for a few reasons: Firstly, I would live with a few other people and in a place where you know no-one this is comforting. Secondly, I would be able to choose a long-term apartment based on what parts of town I liked and where I ended up getting a job. A few of the apartments I blindly considered before seeing the city I now know I do not want to live in - getting a feel for your surroundings first is definitely the way to go.

4. If you're thinking about it - just do it. When people ask why I would want to move somewhere I don't know anyone and don't have a job I simply replied that it was something I wanted to do and that I didn't want to look back and regret not taking the opportunity. A lot of people have said I was brave and that they are envious that they are not doing the same - if you want to move then just do it. You are never too old or too stuck to start over, make new friends, and explore new places.

I am ashamed to admit I've spent the last couple of weeks looking pretty haggard - but I haven't posted in ages so here are a few of the outfits I had worn before my lapse of fashionability.

I had also been trying to master the beach waves. Here are a few pictures of the outcome (and yes you may notice that I am still very in love with the Covergirl Lipstick in "Spellbound"). To get these waves I use Loreal heat protectant, then curl starting half way down my hair using a 1" curling wand, but I don't curl all of my hair (just chunks). Next, I brush out the curls and spritz with Not Your Mother's sea-salt spray to get the messy texture. I am not great with hair - so if I can do this then you can too (in fact you will prob have better results bc like I said I'm not great with hair).