Home.

What does your home mean to you? Do you decorate it? Move the furniture around? Do you get excited each time you walk inside? Do you really feel comfortable there?

To me, a home is a place to express myself. I have always had at least one entire wall covered in every single place I've lived in. Usually there are photos of friends and family, musicians, artists, etc. Anything to make me feel inspired.

And I love to be crafty so I always manage to sew some pillows and cut up some fabric to liven up my room(s).

I love my home. This past 1 1/2 years was the first time I lived by myself. No roommates! Though I hated living alone at first, I ended up loving it. I learned so much about myself. I felt like I was actually working for a reason. I would walk in from a long day of work and collapse on my bed or couch and feel so grateful that my work paid for my freedom and independence. I definitely think everyone should live alone for at least one year of his/her life. And by alone I also mean fully supporting yourself. There is just this great level of appreciation, independence and self-awareness that comes along with it.

To my surprise, a couple weeks ago, there was a rather startling knock at my door and a man presented me with foreclosure papers. Apparently Mr. Landlord stopped paying his mortgage and so I decided to immediately give my 30 days' notice and get out. I wasn't too happy about this at first. I tried to remain calm but inside I was a bit panicked because I am still digging myself out of my financial hole and therefore have absolutely no money saved. I did try to tell myself there must be a reason this was happening.

To make a long story short, I ended up going to my brother's house to show him the papers and ask for advice. Then on my way home I happened to see this For Rent sign. I had noticed the sign a couple weeks prior to that day but I hadn't really thought much of it. This time I immediately called and made an appointment to see it. Fast forward a few days and I end up deciding to rent it. I still had mixed feelings but tonight I realized how excited I am about moving.

Sure, I will be living with another person, but I think it's going to be good for both of us. We both happened to need a place at the exact same time and maybe we can start playing music together again. I really see good things happening. We haven't lived together in years.

Tonight we picked out our bedrooms and started moving a few things. And so starts a new chapter of life.

Goodbye to my first 1-bedroom place. I love you and I will forever remember you, but it's time to move on.

If you happen to be bored of your home, here are some fun ways to make it feel new again:

Paint a few walls/rooms. You can even sponge paint or use stencils. Be creative!

Cut out inspirational pictures from magazines. Or just cut out any pictures that you happen to like. Then tape them on the wall(s) or make a collage. You can buy cheap picture frames at Walmart to display your collage.

Rearrange your furniture! Rooms always seem to look so much bigger when you first rearrange them.

Restore a couple pieces of furniture. You can buy cheap tables/chairs/desks from places like Big Lots, consignment shops or yard sales. Sand them. Mosaic them. Paint them. Spray paint them. Write quotes on them. Make tablecloths. Use your imagination. *Photo on left is a mosaic table I made from a broken mirror. Fun!! And it looks really pretty too.

Spring cleaning. It doesn't have to be Spring. If you feel like your place needs a makeover, you can always first attempt to clean it. And clean it thoroughly. Empty the entire refrigerator. Clean it out. Clean the oven. The entire bathroom. Do the floors. Clean the fans. Vacuum. Shampoo. Mop. Clean the windows and screens. You will find this might liven up the place a little.

IKEA. You can check out the super cheap furniture downstairs, next to the checkouts. Or you can buy the other stuff upstairs. Even if you don't buy anything, you can at least walk around the showrooms and get ideas of different ways to make your space work.

Garden. You can always plant a garden. If you don't have a yard, try buying a plant.

Silk flowers. Buy some silk flowers at a craft store or the flea market. Arrange them in a vase and/or accent them throughout your home.

Basically, just remember to make it your own and have fun!