Living in My Childhood Home

Moving into my childhood home at age 29 felt like coming home. And maybe that's how it would be for a lot of people, but I truly believe my childhood home is special. It's just a small, three-bedroom, two-bath house in a lower middle class neighborhood, but I fit here. And so does my husband.

I moved out of my childhood home just after my 13th birthday, so my memories of my time here are mostly good. The tumultuous teenage years happened elsewhere, in a house that never felt like my home. I'm sure that makes a difference.

When I was a kid, I always imagined I would live here as an adult. Actually, I imagined I'd have my childhood home plus the two-story next door, joined by a tunnel ... or something equally silly but totally realistic in my optimistic, imaginative, young mind.

I'd have around seven kids with my handsome husband and be very well-off, of course. I'd drive a 64.5 Mustang and raise an assortment of rescued animals. And I'd write in a room surrounded by Barbies.

At 30, I do have the handsome husband, but my Mustang is a temperamental 95, and we just have the cat, dog and ball python. No kids, but my older brother does live with us. I do have Barbies in my office, but nothing like Little Laura pictured.

I also envisioned a house full of antique and beautiful furniture. I've always loved furniture. Breuner's Furniture was one of my favorite stores as a child. I kid you not.

Today, I've furnished my childhood home with select antique pieces, cheapo Craigslist finds and some special pieces passed down from my grandparents. Most everything in my house is second-hand and either given to me for free or purchased for very little.

My style is very much my own -- a hodgepodge of my varied interests and tastes. I'd never want my home to look like a Pinterest replica. That's just not me. It's taken some time, but room by room, space by space, every little item is finding its perfect place.

My Childhood Home, Furnished by Craigslist: The Living Room
My Childhood Home, Furnished by Craigslist: The Family Room
My Childhood Home, Furnished by Craigslist: The Kitchen
Outdoor Oasis: How to Turn a Futon into a Porch Couch

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Halloween Decorations: How to Stuff a Life-Size Michael Myers

Image
Michael Myers is our grand finale of decorations, the big kahuna. The Michael Myers tradition started our first year in our first home. Aaron had the brilliant idea of stuffing Michael and placing him in my office window, which faced the yard. You had to walk right past the window to get to our door. You couldn't miss Michael; even people driving by on the street would slow to check him out. On Halloween, Michael amused many and frightened some. A few groups wondered out loud if he was real. Suddenly Michael would move (thanks to Aaron hididng in the office) and screams would ensue. Eventually, Aaron closed the blinds, quickly un-stuffed Michael, stuffed himself inside and hid behind the front door. I would answer and Aaron would creep out or jump out. More screams. The next day, we had a knock at our door. A group of kids asked Aaron if he could put the costume back on and chase them. But of course! The group waited outside, expecting Aaron to come out the front door
Keep on Reading on

Top 10 Tips for Packing Early for a Move

Image
I think I'm having the most organized move of my life, and that includes all future moves. I should be; this move is taking forever to actually happen. The tenants at my future home stopped paying rent over two months ago, and apparently that's how long it can take to evict someone in California. It's a frustrating saga I won't get into it. I thought I would, however, share some of my tips for an organized move, especially tips on what you can do well in advance of actually moving. 1. Create a box or basket of moving supplies. You want one place to hold packing tape, scissors, your labeling pen, etc. You also want an organizational system for all the pins, pens, screws and batteries you'll come across. (Make sure to separate the working batteries from the dead.) I like to use little jewelry boxes and small plastic containers to hold these items. After each box is sealed and labeled, the packing tape and Sharpie are immediately returned to this baske
Keep on Reading on

Outdoor Oasis: How to Turn a Futon into a Porch Couch

Image
I refer to my back porch as my outdoor oasis, not because it's the most beautiful or detailed, but simply because the furniture is comfortable and the atmosphere is peaceful. It's where I go to unwind, relax and read. And now thanks to a recent project to turn a futon into a porch couch, I have the ultimate reading and napping spot. Last year, I wrote about getting rid of my busted up outdoor furniture, updating the salvageable and buying a futon to to use as my new outdoor couch . Shortly after I painted the $20 queen-size, solid-wood futon with outdoor white paint, I got busy getting ready for my move and never updated with the final result. I love it.
Keep on Reading on