Home away from home...

Hopefully this will be the first of many posts. I find myself currently living in a home away from home. Staying with my best friend while I get divorced. Slowly buying my way through almost every Goodwill here in Indianapolis. Wanting desperately to have a home already to decorate for my children and me. Something that they will always remember fondly, something they walk into after school and feel safe and loved. There are a few things I didn't have growing up, my mom was an alcoholic and had her own issues she couldn't deal with. Aside from that she did try to be the best mom she could, and through everything I still love her. Growing up I remember always being in a house that didn't match or had a ton of white or brown. It felt cozy only because it was home not because the colors were soothing, the pillows comfy, or the couch the best place to be.

Fast forward to my adult years, joining the Army, I end up again in rooms filled with very little color. White walls, gray desks, brown furniture and green blankets, all very blah and not at all cozy. While deployed to Iraq in 2008 I was determined to make it feel like home. Even though the home I knew was crashing down around my ears since my spouse and I had come to the conclusion that we should get divorced. And so hot pink curtains adorned my only window, a matching fleece blanket that was so very soft covered the bed along with a colorful comforter thanks to Target. And teal sheets brought some of my favorite color, blue, to the room.

Now I find myself back in Indianapolis, trying to scratch my creative itch. Scouring every Goodwill I see, it's become a treasure hunt, you never know what you'll find. The excitement of seeing something that others do not is a driving force as well as finding pieces that I feel represent me and my uniqueness. While also finding objects to create rooms that my children will love and help to decorate. My many loves for thrifting include milk glass, depression glass, furniture I can paint, vintage silverplate, vintage teacups, and colorful dinnerware to replace the old that was in my cupboards when the husband was with us. Part of my drive is due to the fact that once I came home from Iraq, a good portion of the furniture as well as all the kids' things were gone. And now it's time, time to rise up like a phoenix and start fresh. Banish all reminders of the past life and build a new one.