My Walls are Bare and White.

Some people's home are lovely. Pretty colors on the walls. Picture frames full of their family's precious memories. Decorative plates hanging around, big initials of their last names behind the TV, centerpieces, candles, all kinds of pretty things. And every time I walk into the home of someone with a beautiful, cozy, homey home, I admire their pretty walls and pictures and candles, and wonder why in the world my home doesn't look this way? Now, anyone who knows me knows that housekeeping is not my strong suit, so maybe I should be more focused on getting the dirty clothes off the floor, but this blog is about my walls, not my floor.

I want pretty walls. I have spent my entire life renting, so maybe that has something to do with the white. The only time I remember painting was when I was pregnant with Emily. They would let you paint as long as you painted it back to white before you left. Her room was more of an alcove, and I didn't want it to be all pink. I tried a green, but Aaron said it looked like a hospital, so I picked blue. My parents and sister all helped us. We painted the whole thing blue, with big fluffy clouds, green grass, butterflies, bugs, and a big yellow sun. , I loved that room. It was beautiful, and everyone who loved my baby had contributed. We never did have to paint over it, because they decided to tear down the married student housing and no one would be renting after us. I remember the day I drove past and it had been torn down. I cried, and I tried digging through the rubble for a piece of the wall, but it was too deep. Maybe that's why I never put my heart into decorating again, because my little Betsy heart was so broken by my baby's room's destruction.

My mom never really decorated, either. The only thing I really remember hanging on the walls were these candle sconces. They were black wrought iron, with these little orange glass votive holders. I loved those things.

For spring break, I visited my friend Laura. Laura's home is beautiful! She has a big "P" on her wall behind her TV. She has end tables that match the TV stand. Her dining room is this lovely shade of green, and she has pictures everywhere; on the walls, on the tables, in the guest room. Her home is just lovely! She just has an eye for decorating. She can go to Hobby Lobby and randomly pick something out that will just go. I'm so jealous of that! I don't have the eye like she does. I'm so afraid of putting a bunch of stuff on my walls and having it be a big discordant mess. I was talking about this with my friend Tosha. We both talked about how we don't have that eye and we are jealous of those who do. But at least Tosha has some nice stuff on her walls! I have nothing, except the guidon that 5th Group gave Aaron when he left. It's great, I just need more.

I know we are moving in two months, but I figure now is as good a time to start this process as any. We are a military family. We move a lot; at least every few years. It's time to stop treating our homes as temporary, and time to make each place we live feel like what will be our home, for however long it is our home. And this is our home, for the next two months. It's time to make our home feel like a home.