The Best Collage

        I don’t know about the rest of you, but I still have to fantasize about my dream home–I don’t have it quite yet. Reality is that I am living in a (thankfully renovated) 1970’s rental. Although it works for my little family right now, it has us itching to own our own home. We don’t necessarily need more space at the moment, but like everyone else on the planet–we want it. If we plan to have little kiddos in the future (which we are) and we want those kiddos to have a bedroom to sleep in (which we do), this little rental won’t fit our family for much longer.
        Don’t mistake what I am saying, we are SO thankful to have a roof over our heads, cars to drive, and food to eat, there’s no doubt about that. However, it can be difficult to see “everyone else” relishing in their shiny new car and grand, beautiful home. I understand that not “everyone else” has those things, but it can definitely feel like it sometimes. I have to keep reminding myself that yes, I am paying someone else’s mortgage, which sucks, but for most of us, it’s a necessary step. It’s one step in achieving a life goal of owning an authentic three dimensional home where you can actually grow a family in, not just a home that I pretend is mine on Zillow. Am I the only one who does that?
        I know that I have a lot to be thankful for and I am not in any way attempting to belittle what I do have. All I’m saying is, I’m ready to own a home that I can legitimately call mine. But, it isn’t going to happen tomorrow so in the meantime, I have set out to make my little rental a place that I can love. Sure if you touch the banister you might get a sliver and the floor relentlessly creaks but, that doesn’t mean that I can’t find things about this little place that I love or find areas to really make it mine. Why can’t this be my home? Although not a permanent one, I can make this little place my temporary home–and I have. I have basically decorated and redecorated every inch of this rental. I can’t think of a single thing left to do.
        One area that really needed some sprucing up, was the walls (bleh). I decided that I wanted a collage wall, but I wanted it to have an identity with my family. It was actually my husband’s brilliant idea. After my relentless searches for wall decor where I repeatedly turned up empty handed, my husband suggested that I might look on Etsy for prints that would share something about us as a couple. Genius! As I searched through the plethora of Etsy boutiques, I began to find shops that made creative prints that really identified with us. I found prints of my home town, quotes that we liked, and other places where we both had lived. I was ecstatic! Now every time I look at my collage wall, I feel proud. It uniquely illustrates to anyone who enters our home a sense of who we are and how far we have come.

 

Photography by Natalie Searle