Vinyl!

I remember growing up and seeing pictures in the hallway that lead to our bedrooms, they were school photos, updated each year. I used to think it was silly, seeing myself up on the wall, but as I got older, it made our house feel like home. My mom had decorations hanging on the walls in the kitchen, I remember, they were brooms. I thought they were ugly, in case anyone was wondering. Anyway, I loved the little touches (even if they were ugly), and vowed to have something similar in my home for my kids to remember.

Dustin and I lived in a teeny tiny little 2 bedroom apartment when we first moved in together. To say Laila was a surprise would be the understatement of the century, so we'll leave it at that. She wasn't planned, so the spacious second room we thought we had was quickly filled with baby items and my dreams of an office space diminished quickly. I was so disgusted with that apartment complex, I vowed to never hang a single picture in that place, and I never did. It never felt like home.

From that itty bitty apartment, we ventured across the country to another apartment, just a smidge larger. I convinced Dustin to hang a picture above the couch we received as a wedding gift just months prior, but eventually I took it down. I hated that place almost as much as the first apartment we had. It never felt like home there, either.

Once I finally agreed to move to Arizona, Dustin promised me we'd never live in an apartment again. He found us a house to rent and vowed it would feel like home. We hung that same picture from the apartment, and even decorated the girls' rooms a bit. Still, something was amiss. This wasn't my home, and it sure didn't feel like it.

Over 3 years ago we were in a rush to leave that house, our lease was up and we needed a place to go. Little did we realize in a few short months we would become homeowners! From the moment I walked into this house, I knew this was it. It was home.

Immediately, we painted the rooms we chose colors for, decorated the kids' rooms, and even hung some photos in the living room! Still, sometime felt like it was missing, that final touch. I'm not big with hanging objects on the walls, photos are fine, but I'll steer clear of the brooms for a few more years, then I found it. Vinyl! I saw someone in Maricopa had listed a bunch of extras online for a discounted price, and what started as one turned into 4, with plans for more! The girls haven't decided where they want to place theirs, so they haven't been ordered yet. I have plans for 2 more for my room, one for the kitchen, and one for the spare room. I have successfully hung the vinyls I purchased and am in love with how they look! Finally, after all this time, 3 kids, 2 apartments, 2 houses, and 3 states later, I've found a place for me and my family to call home.