Fifteen years of living, loving, laughing, crying, moving, parenting, cooking, eating, decorating, entertaining and crafting as a Navy wife have brought me to this place. In creating The Gypsy Wagon, I am envisioning it as a place for you to visit when you're looking for ideas or recipes for entertaining, when you want to see what's new on the craft table, or if you're looking for ideas for decorating from thrifty sources.
Our journey has involved 15 moves in 15 years - sometimes we've moved multiple times in one year, and then stayed in one home for two or more years. We've reincarnated curtains as tablecloths, daybeds have become sofas, and the sewing machine has whirred along on both coasts, and up and down the Atlantic seaboard. Taking cues from Martha, HGTV, and countless creative Navy wives whose paths we've intersected, we've heated up the glue guns, armed ourselves with paint rollers, and rearranged the furniture to make our space our home.
Along the way, we've had three children who depend on us to create the feeling of home no matter where we're living; and we've acquired a cat, a dog, and a Noah's Ark of lizards, hermit crabs, hamsters and fish who are no longer with us. Some species take to the gypsy life better than others!
Sometime after our 15th anniversary this summer, I began to look back at where we've been so far and was astonished to see how fast the years have flown. While the time during deployments seemed to stand still, the overriding feeling was amazement that so much time has passed in what feels like just an instant. I often tell people, that I don't know how all of this has happened - that just two weeks ago I was dating a young Navy lieutenant, and now here I am: 41 years old and married to that no-longer young Navy lieutenant with a teenager, a preteen who thinks she's a teenager, and a third grader!
Our adventures as we've travelled in our virtual Gypsy Wagon have been rich - the people, the places, the experiences and the food, have all contributed to this colorful life we've been fortunate enough to live. I look forward to sharing some of these experiences, some of the recipes, ideas for entertaining and decorating for the busy woman, as we continue the journey. Look for a generous sprinkling of Texas flavor throughout the Wagon because it's true: you can take the girl out of Texas, but you can't take Texas out of the girl!
I look forward to reading great things on your blog, particularly decorating for the busy woman!! I can totally relate to that.
And it sounds like the title of your blog fits in with the lifestyle you've led. Fifteen moves in 15 years....wow!!!
Posted by: Jeanette | September 01, 2006 at 09:32 AM
well, what exciting thing happened on the Yard today?
Posted by: Lara | September 02, 2006 at 10:17 PM