A New Direction

It has been one heck of a year. If you've ever PCS moved, you know that the month before it happens life kind of stops while you prepare everything to move. You can't shop, plan trips, schedule appointments, make business decisions, or make changes to your house, because in a month you will be some where else anyways. Then you PCS and life picks back up in fast forward to make up for the time you were sitting in limbo... Our recent transition was like limbo on steroids. We Murphey's Law'd the heck out this move, with four small kids in tow ((life is an adventure!))

Let's do a brief update on the last few months and then I'll tell you the new plans I have for this blog ((it's going places, people!)) Bug is getting ready to celebrate her fifth birthday and is less than two weeks from starting school ((eek! my baby!)) 2.0 is going to be three and recently conquered the potty. Baby J is going to be 2. She is our sweet, cuddly kid, and Cash-man is coming up on seven months. All of them are beautiful ((I'm totally biased)) healthy, and smart individuals, each with their own personalities and quirks. Sugar Bee's Engraving is doing well. June 15th to July 15th was my best month ever, I was recently contacted and asked to be a vendor at a major comic convention, and I have big SBE plans for Louisiana. I am about to start school back up, full time, after a long break from having Cash-man. It was a lot longer than I anticipated, but we found out we were ten weeks out from a PCS ((yes, ONLY ten weeks notice - it happens people!)) so I extended it until we were settled. And J is great. He's been my solid ground just about since we met. He's so much better about going with the flow of our "adventures" than I am. The last year has really taught me how little control I have over most things and I am a lot better about bending to the changes than I was, but it's only because I have my husband and prayer.

So here we are a PCS complete but not finished ((why does un-packing boxes make such a fat mess?)) One of the biggest transitions for me this move has been our housing. We moved from our big, beautiful, perfectly organized ((ok, mostly)) house, onto post ((womp womp.)) It wasn't a surprise. We knew it was going to happen. We even knew the floor plan, the square footage, the neighborhood, before we even arrived. But I would be lying if I told you that I was happy when we actually got to walk through it. It's small, dark, the layout is awful, don't get me started on the flooring ((I mean, who doesn't want carpet in their dining room and bathroom vanity area?)) and it's old. All of it. In fact, I'd wager that the last renovation was done before I was even out of elementary school. Here I am, a design student walking through a house full of problems that people will be paying me to fix in a few years, eye-twitch and all. Now, I know what you're thinking, 'it's "free,"' 'it's easy,' 'then just go live off post.' Blah blah blah. There is pretty much nothing in this town. It's ok. You can think that's an exaggeration, I did too, until we got here. House prices are inflated because it's a military town and no one wants to live on post. Rental prices are even higher because of the same reason, and I'm sorry ((not sorry)) but I refuse to spend $1600 to live in somebody else's (('nuff said)) three bedroom house as a family of six, even if it is *only* (("OOOOOONNNLLLYY")) for three years.


One thing that I understand is this isn't an issue with just this post. Much of Post housing is outdated, small, laid out in odd ways, and dark ((oh the darkness.)) From here on out this blog will chronicle how to accommodate less than desirable: floor plans, home age, and ((DUN DUN DUN!!)) poor lighting; using the furniture items that you have, up-cycling, a little paint, and a WHOLE lot of love!

We'll go, "From Base Housing to Home."

P.S. Please bear with me while I adjust, and make changes to, the blog. It's a mess!