We have officially moved into our new apartment and both of us feel so grateful for this incredible place. We have a washing machine (which I’ve already done 7 loads), stove, freezer, beautiful natural light and amazing views of downtown. I wanted to share a few sneak peeks today because we found some pretty special pieces this past weekend! We arrived to Chicago on Sunday and unloaded everything (which was a lot of wedding gifts and our mattress/box spring). Since our old place was fully furnished, we did not have any furniture to make the place feel cozy. On Labor Day, we took our U-Haul and explored Chicago for some fabulous finds.

After mapping it out, we planned to stop by 3 Home Goods, a Target and Best Buy. Honestly, I was nervous for furniture shopping because I am typically not one who makes impulsive decisions. I like to do my research, find my best options and know in my head what I’m looking for (which I had no idea), especially when it comes to home decor. It’s typically a slower process to add those pieces you know you will love and want to keep down the road. Chas and I prayed before we even left that we would find furniture in our budget, and things I truly loved…

Our first stop I immediately saw this sweet little white bench and fell in love. Chas made fun of me when I pulled out my tape measure because he knew that “meant business.” It fit the measurements I had so we snatched it up and headed to the second Home Goods where we found the farm table. I love the organic light color of the wood and knew it would look perfect with the bench so we bought it. Now all we needed was chairs! At our final Home Goods stop, Chas saw one of these chairs and asked if I liked it. At first I thought it would be too much wood going on, but we found a second one on the other side of the store and decided it was too good to be true so we snagged them!

In case you’re thinking, “wow, what a perfect day!” It was pretty perfect until the afternoon when we ended up in the Best Buy parking lot for 2 hours in the rain waiting for roadside assistance to help us get our keys out of the locked U-Haul which was still running (ooops). It became quite comical when the guy could not unlock the door with his fancy tools and then explained he needed a bathroom break so while he was gone Chas tried to use the tools to unlock it himself and that wasn’t working so I gave it a whirl and you better believe it the door unlocked and the guy came out shocked. So if hygiene doesn’t work out, I’ll just become a locksmith.

Chas finishes his first week of orientation today and his mom is coming to help us get even more settled which we are excited about! We are planning on taking the Architecture boat tour of downtown and maybe riding bikes along Lake Michigan because the weather is supposed to be beautiful this next week! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! Xx

bloom & grow forever,

Madeline Rose