Moving out!

One of the things I was determined to do this year was move out. And it's actually (finally!) happening.

Ahhhh!

Sorry, just had to get that out of my system. I've been talking about getting out of this house since college (not that I don't love my parents or family but they've always had a tendency to smother me and invade my privacy) and it's starting to hit me that I'm really doing this. I started looking for apartments back in November and found the perfect place for me in January. Submitted my application by the end of that month, told my family shortly after (my mom and grandmother still don't approve) and then submitted/paid the lease this past week. I officially move out April 20th, which is exactly 40 days away. It's really exciting and just what I need in my life right now. But I am feeling a teeny-tiny bit overwhelmed. Because now I'm thinking about everything! I need to call gas/electricity/cable to get that set up, pack up all my stuff, figure out what I'll be bringing with me and what I'll be storing in my attic at home AND decorating. Decorating my apartment is probably what I'm most excited about. Then I started browsing online, went to IKEA and did a tally of my estimated costs. And my jaw just about hit the floor. Once I got over the shock, I did some more digging around and spoke to my cousin and this is totally normal. I feel like I've got a good game plan now. But before I get to that, here's some fun stuff.

I created a mood board (of sorts) for my living room. I drew inspiration from a picture I saw on Houzz.com and one on IKEA and came up with this:

I did the mood board mostly to see if what I pictured in my head would actually work and I think it does. I'm thinking super light gray walls, dark brown furniture mixed with the gray couch, purple rug and then purple/yellow accents. At first I wanted to do all white furniture (like in the pictures) but darker furniture might be easier to keep clean. I'm still thinking about it. Also, all my books will be on display in the living room (of course). 

Here's my plan: 

• A good portion of my furniture will probably come from IKEA but I don't mind spending more on my bed and sofa since I hope to have those things for a while. 
• My cousin's husband works at Room & Board and my younger cousin works at Target. Hello employee discounts. 
• Craigslist! I already emailed someone about a dining set that I saw at IKEA which is currently out of stock. 
• At first I wasn't going to take any of my furniture but my white dresser is still pretty new and I'm planning to do purple walls and white furniture for my bedroom anyway. So that'll fit right in. 
• I put together a spreadsheet of regular household stuff I will need to buy (with some help from Estelle!). 

Now, my questions for all you current home/apartment owners:

Is is worth it to splurge on a sofa and bed?

Dark furniture vs. white? 

Where can I find nice rugs? 

Does my current idea for the living room look ok?

Where can I find some cool, fun artwork? 

and.. 

Any advice in general that you'd like to share? :)

Thanks in advance.