Humble Beginnings in Married Student Housing: Our First Home

Welcome to the 16th Metamorphosis Monday!

For this Metamorphosis Monday, I’m sharing “Before” pics that are really, really old. These are the “before-est” pics I will EVER be able to show you for a Met Monday!

It was 1978, I was 21 years old, my husband, 23, and we were newlyweds having just married a few weeks before. We were living in “married student housing” on the campus where we were attending school. I had one year left in undergrad and he had one year left in law school. These little one-bedroom apartments were very much in demand and there was often a long waiting list. Rent was $105 a month and included all utilities except the phone.

This pic was taken shortly after we moved in and LOOK, I see a tablescape!  Of course, I’d never heard the word tablescape when this was taken. Do I at least get points for using placemats? Apartments in married student housing were tiny and this was the only dining area…just large enough for a table and chairs. And there it is, the requisite pitcher of sweet tea. You know us Southerners, we gotta have our sweet tea.

 

I placed a big yellow “S” on the wall in the kitchen. Remember the huge “M” on the wall in Mary’s kitchen in the Mary Tyler Moore show? Yup, I wanted to be just like Mary. Notice the macrame plant hanger, macrame was a popular craft around about this time.  It really helped to pass the days when I was trapped in the attic of the wicked witch’s house.  (You’ll find that story in this post: A Christmas Tablescaping Story.)

 

This is the only shot I have of the bedroom. The comforter was in earth tone colors…rust, brown, gold…very popular for that time period.  I have no idea what I was taking a picture of since I missed most of the bed.  lol

 

Since we were poor college students with only part-time jobs, all our furniture was handed down to us by various family members. The black chair had belonged to my sister.  The matching sofa is in the room but not visible in this pic. The table beside the chair was bought unfinished at a crafts fair and my hubby stained and polyurethaned it so we would have an end table.  We were so proud of the old record cabinet you see with the ship model sitting on top. It was the first piece of furniture we bought ourselves.

 

Didn’t everyone have a macrame lion on their wall in the 70s?  You can’t see it very well, but below the lion was a huge floor-standing television we bought used that summer. I can’t remember what we paid, but it was too much. Everyone looked a sickly shade of green on that TV, but it was better than nothing. The books just visible on the bookshelf weren’t decorating books in those days. Back then our shelves were mostly filled with textbooks: Psychology, Literature, and Art for me…law books for him.

 

I saved the best pic for last!  I think this photo more than any other, is the perfect example of that first college apartment. We desperately needed bookshelves for hubby’s stereo and other “stuff.”  We happened upon some discarded bricks, so he bought some boards, stained them and…ta-da: bookshelves.

The lower shelf is filled with college annuals and more textbooks. The bust was of my husband, he sat for me while I sculpted him in an art class along with the sitting figure on the top shelf.

 

The little wooden airplane was a gift from a friend. I took flying lessons during my sophomore year and after I soloed, my friend’s father carved the airplane for me as a gift. Such good memories!

 

We only lived in this little apartment for a year, just until graduation. But it was a very good year, and one I’ll never forget. These were humble beginnings, a now treasured “before.” I marvel at the fact we even thought to take pictures. That tells me we must have been proud of this little nest, our own little haven from the outside world. We had each other, a place to lay our weary heads, sweet tea, food to eat, books to read, and a television with little green people to watch.  Really, when you think about it, what else do you need?

Do you remember your first nest?  Was it furnished as humbly as ours?

Looking forward to seeing all your Before and Afters for this Met Monday!

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Comments

  1. someplace in thyme says

    Oh Susan, I am not part of this group, but just have to say that I do remember the bricks and boards from early college days and the early days of marriage. Brings back lots of great memories. We have been married going on 36 yrs and I wonder what ever happened to all the cool stuff we had back then? I can tell you one thing, we don’t have it anymore!!! Great post, Char

  2. Tamara Jansen says

    I just LOVE going through old photos and seeing the changes that happen over the years!

  3. Susan… you are so cute to post those 1978 photos… I was 24 with our first child in tow and # on the way… We had just bought our very first house… and my color scheme… about the same as yours…

    doesn’t time just fly by so quickly… where did it go!

    I thought I’d join in this week… need some help on a chair redo…

    have a wonderful week. Dixie

  4. Gosh, what a sentimental ending to your post! It’s those little “normal” things in our daily lives that really do make a LIFE! And so many memories! The macrame, the shelves (I had those too except they were lovely concrete blocks!), and the signature “L” on my wall that “really” said “I’m independent and this is MY first place”! LOL
    The record cabinet is beautiful!!! What happened to it? I noticed it right off the bat!
    Great post! It’s made me think of my own beginning into the world! 🙂 Love ya! L~

  5. now Susan this is to me your best post ever!, all the good memories and the good times…loved it,and you were really pretty then just like today:-)

    Silvia

  6. Does bring back memories..love the yellow “S” !
    My gosh girl you have long legs!!
    The macrame plant holders I remember very well..everyone had them!
    Thanks for the trip down memory lane..and I think your first nest was adorable, you definitely made it your own!

  7. Elizabeth (blue clear sky) says

    Thanks for sharing Susan. I was only 12 at the time, but as the seventh of eight children I do remember my older siblings first homes and apartments. The colours, the macrame, and especially the infamous shelves with bricks (although theirs were made with cinderblocks~~see, even then you were creative.)Our first home together was an apartment in 1992 and my brother was our roommate. We bought our first home that Christmas.

  8. Diane @ Four Paws and Co says

    Susan,
    This is such a fantastic post & you are so pretty & adorable! I remember macrame. I started one & didn't finish it either. We did buy a couple of big ones from a friend though. We had the same color scheme in 1978.

    We just celebrated our 38th anniversary on the 1st. I have no idea where the time went!

    ♥ Diane

  9. What a wonderful first nest. It looks great and so nice to have pics of those fabulous times. My first nest was a small tiny little apartment and all the furn. was also hand-me-downs but I loved it. Those first days and times have such great memories. Thanks for sharing your pictures and memories. They gave me a smile. Hugs, Marty

  10. Oh Susan what a wonderful post. You look the same, simply adorable. I had to smile when you talked about the macrame plant hanger because I thought that was just the touch for my apartment that was gold and green along with a bright orange shag carpet and orange curtains too. We could not afford a camera or an Atari in those days and I had one cookbook. We had lots of parties at our apartment with friends and I thought I was a great hostess serving jello molds:) Life was sure fun then. Thanks for the memories.

  11. Oh, Dear Sweet Susan! What a precious post! I remember those early days of marriage too! First of all, you’re just a cute as a button! Look at your sweet little smile – it’s still the same one! And all of that long gorgeous hair! I think your little apartment was the cutest thing! We had macreme owls on our walls! Thanks for sharing this sweet time in your life! Be sure to come by and visit – I have Stella at my house!
    Be a sweetie,
    Shelia 😉

  12. Hi Susan
    I loved your apartment…how cute. I remember the macrame holder I made one or two myself. I remember the colours you showed as well. I’m a couple of years older than you are. I remember our first home too thought it wasn’t in residence…I remember having some hand me downs and being so proud of our place.

    Thank you for sharing…and it brought back some of my own memories.
    have a lovely day
    Judi

  13. a blast from the past…we had a ship like the one in one of your photos…I think everyone did in the 70’s…my husband and I married in 1982 and purchased a mobile home…we had the furniture that came with it and pieces passed down from family members…it was a great place!

  14. Penny @ The Comforts of Home/Lavender Hill Studio says

    What great pictures and wonderful memories! You were more decorator inspired than me! I used cement block and painted lumber for my book shelves. The bricks are much better!!!

    I remember making macrame plant hangers too!

    Thanks for the trip down memory lane.
    Penny

  15. Penny @ The Comforts of Home/Lavender Hill Studio says

    OH! And I remember getting our kids Atari and playin Space Invaders and Pacman forever!

  16. Those pictures are priceless. Maybe you’ll inspire more of us to share our ’70’s pictures. We got married in 1970, and I think I may have one of me standing on the balcony of our first apartment in my hair rollers. What was I thinking?

  17. Susan,
    This was such a sweet post and it brought back lots of memories for me. I rented my first apartment in the fall of 1978 with my college graduation money. I didn’t even have a permanent job yet, just couldn’t wait to have a place of my own. It was furnished with lots of hand-me-downs and, you’ve got it, several macrame plant hangers. I must not have been as proud of my humble abode, though, because I didn’t take a single picture of that first apartment. Brown was the color of choice back in those days, I do remember that. Thanks for the walk down memory lane!

  18. Ahhh…I just loved your post. It reminded me of my hubby and me starting out ourselves in 1981. I think everyone back then had the brick and plank shelves. Really brings back a lot of memories. Yes, macrame was very popular back then. I had many macrame plant hangers too! Thanks for sharing your sweet post. Amy 🙂

  19. Before I got to the last picture I was thinking “what…no 2×4’s on concrete blocks!!! 🙂 And there your version was in the very last picture. BTW your hair was good for 70’s hair! Thanks for sharing your first nest! And the bust is great!

  20. Susan,
    I love this! I think we are the same age…I graduated college in ’78 and got married! These pictures inspire me to go look through mine…we too had a cinder block and wood book case. That was THE think to do then!
    Blessings!
    R

  21. I love your post this week. I remember having bricks and boards as book cases we I was young. Thank you for the trip down memory lane!

  22. Such a sweet trip into the past. You and I were doing the same things at the same time, lol–brick-and-board bookcases, macrame–except I’m not nearly brave enough to fly a Cessna! Wow! I love your sentiments about nesting; your words and pictures clearly show that our our homes leave fingerprints on the heart.
    Hugs,
    Gollum

  23. Painter's Place says

    This was a wonderful post. It brings back so many memories from long ago. It’s so nice to have pictures of back-then…..our kids would never believe us if we didn’t!

  24. Michelle@Fromhousetohome says

    What a great post Susan! I was born in 1978 but I know what Atari is! lol

    Your first place was very cute. Love the S on the wall. Isn’t it true how things cycle? Letters and words on the wall are back.

    ~Michelle

  25. French Cupboard says

    I like to skip over the “ex-husband years” and pretend that my first nest was the first place that felt like home (besides my parents home). When I re-married, we bought a darling tudor on a hill. We refinished the attic and and replanted the garden. I loved that house. And now I love the 100 year old farmhouse that we share with our 4 children!

    Blessings.. Polly

  26. The Raggedy Girl says

    What a lovely post. I used to love to do macrame. We lived above a cleaners and each room had one electrical outlet good for one plug. Our bathroom in that place was bigger than our present kitchen, you could have had parties in there. Great post!

    The Raggedy Girl

  27. mbkatc230 says

    Susan, this is one of my favorite posts you’ve done! How fun to look back on how we’ve grown over the years. And the Atari – brings back some great memories. Thanks for sharing this. Kathy

  28. We had the bricks and boards bookcases in our first apartment as well — and we thought we were so clever painting the boards red! I don’t have pictures of that apartment but wish I did — it had the BEST kitchen — old and I didn’t appreciate it! I wanted new and modern!

  29. Domestic Designer says

    Your apartment looks a lot like my husbands and mine. Including the macrame! I wish I had pictures, but I feel like the images are permanently embedded in my mind. You are so lucky to have these to share with your family. Thanks for bringing back some really good memories!

  30. English Cottage in Georgia says

    Goodness, I had forgotten all about macrame:-).
    We share the same early decorating style; hand me down furniture, placemats, and bookshelves using bricks.
    Would not want to go back to that early decor 🙂

  31. Anonymous says

    Susan, I LOVED this post because I think when we start in humble beginnings we are more grateful people for the “stuff” we accumulate along life’s journey! Just one question…..are you sure that wasn’t OUR apartment you were photographing??? We were married in 1973 but had a cool pole lamp like yours and yes, a board and brick bookshelf and macrame hanging plants which I too made myself! We WERE WAY cool back then!
    Blessings, Toni

  32. Thoughtfully blended hearts says

    Great memories…you left out that lamp in the corner…I think they had springs in them to stand from floor to ceiling…yep…I had one too…
    Thanks for the memories…

  33. Barb~Bella Vista says

    Susan, dear lady….you are such a delight! Loved your sharing with us.

    Barb

  34. cedwards55 says

    Hey, what’s wrong with macrame? I used to give those handmade plant hangers for wedding gifts back in my first post college days.
    I have only one thing to say…. YOU’VE COME A LONG WAY BABY!

  35. Cynthia says

    Hi Susan,
    Just love this post! I too was 21 in 1978. I was married and living in a little 1 bedroom apartment with the macrame plant hangers and the bookshelves out of brick (of course). I remember we had a mattress on the floor for the longest time before we could afford a real bed. We used some sheets for curtains and I was so excited when we bought a bentwood rocker and plastic coffee table. Oh my, how times have changed! You look so cute in those pics, thanks for the trip down memory lane. Cindy

  36. All your pictures bring back many memories of long ago. Thanks for the memories. Also, sorry that I’m on here twice, I messed up on the first one. Was trying to link directly to the post and wasn’t sure how. If you could let me know for the future, I would appreciate it. Thanks, Debbie

  37. Charlene says

    You were brave to show your "Pad". We got married so young & lived on an Army Base in a mobile home that shook when I washed. Oh those were the days! thanks for jogging my memory… I think. 🙂

  38. Miss Laura Lu/RMS4291960 says

    I was 18 in 1978! “Those were the best days of our lives!” what song is that from?! Oh well, look at you with your long hippie hair! You are so cute! And mighty creative then too! Love the macrame!!! (LOL) God Bless! Lauralu 🙂 P.S. If you’ve got the time…I did 2 posts of my trip to the Biltmore!

  39. niartist says

    Susan, thanks for inviting my screen door post to join your met monday posts! I’m so glad you liked it as much as I did. Course – I’m not sure that my fascination with it is healthy – I’ve spent more time walking back and forth across the front of my house admiring it than I’d like to admit! 🙂 LOL! Your before pictures look like my childhood home! I think my mother had the same wallpaper in her kitchen. Thanks for the memories!

  40. Sherrie says

    Susan,
    Thank you for sharing your memories. I know looking at old photos of my first apartment brings back soooo many happy memories. It’s comforting to look back and see how far we have come.
    ~Sherrie

  41. Oh Susan, you were so cute! I do remember those days too. We had no furniture so we used a sewing machine for a dining table. My sister had bought me a sewing machine because I had to sew her a matron of honor’s gown and my other sister’s wedding gown. Otherwise, we wouldn’t even have a sewing machine to use for a dining table. But it was fun and very exciting to buy a piece of cheap furniture at a time, LOL. Thanks for sharing, I really enjoyed this…Christine

  42. Dana and Daisy says

    did macrame go out and no one told me? hee hee!
    I’d love to sip some sweet tea on your porch sometime! thanks for finding me!

    Love, Dana and Daisy

  43. FOR THE SAKE OF TIME says

    Fantastic. And they call those the good old days! Honestly, there is something so wonderful remembering where we came from and the changes that have taken place. Most of us have been there and done that but you put it so beautifully. You have a wonderful way of sharing the familiar in a unique way. Thanks for sharing with al of us.

    Charla

  44. Susan, these pics are too cute!! I sure do remember our first apartment!! We took our 4 girls there a few years ago on a trip down nostalgia lane!! They loved seeing our previous “homes”!!

    This is my first week participating! I hope to do more as I have several projects I’m winding up!!

    Thank you for all you share with us!! Your blog is always such a delight!!
    Blessings,
    Becky

  45. Barb @ GritsandGlamour says

    Wow Susan! You guys must have been RICH!! Bricks for shelves. We only had cinder blocks. LOL

    I love that last shot, you are so proud, and even then you were acessorizing. 🙂

    Loved the pics from the past…

    Thanks for being such a great host!

    Hugs, Barb

  46. Michelle says

    I loved your pictures!! You look just the same too.

    I still have my giant “M” and it’s now on my wall in my office.

  47. Mary Ellen (megardengal) says

    Oh Susan your post was great! Our shelves were made of cinderblock posts and I had plenty of macrame hangers!!

    blessings
    mary

  48. 9405018--Pat says

    Oh Susan, we also had great bricks & board bookcase. This bring back lots of memories. We have been married 40 years in June. I have no ideal where the time went….Great Post……Thanks Susan. Pat H

  49. Susan,
    I loved reading your story and seeing your first place!!! My husband and I have a very similar story and yours brought back very sweet memories!!! We are celebrating our 29th wedding anniversary in a few weeks. Time flies when you are in love!!!

    Thanks again!!!

    Have a wonderful Met Monday!!!
    XOXO
    Cathy

  50. Lorna ~ Lace and Ivy Cottage says

    Susan,
    This is one of the sweetest posts I’ve read! It brings back so many memories of our humble beginnings. Like you, I’ve been building my nest from day one! It makes me want to dig through those old photos. Thanks for sharing your sweet memories!

  51. Lisa (aka) French says

    Susan you have no idea how I have missed doing this on Mondays but things have been just crazy busy as you will see by my post;) How fun to look at all the old pics! What a wonderful story;) Hugs French

  52. I love your story.. how abt macrame owls? or drift wood macrame hangers…the thrift store I manage a few weeks ago got a bunch of macrame books in – what a trip down memory lane that was (yes, I did own ones just like them – not that I’d admitted it to my workers ) I also had cinder block bookshelves but theyw ere painted black. I used tie dyed and decorated Indian bedspreads to decorate my walls and ceilings to add “color” to the room – some times I really miss those days………..Jo

  53. Fifi Flowers says

    GREAT memories!

  54. What precious pictures…I’m so glad you saved them. Thanks for sharing.

  55. Life on Bonnie Lane says

    Shades of the 70s! Oh my goodness! This brings back so many memories. I also got my first apartment in 1978, and yes, it was even more humble than yours. It was an apartment over a garage that I rented for $125, utilities included. It was a terrible apartment but I loved it so much because it was mine! Oh, how I remember the macrame! I couldn’t believe that painting on bamboo in your bedroom. I had one exactly like that, lol. Wow, this sure brings back memories!

    I’m participating in my first Met Monday!

    Kady

  56. I’ll be joining soon, but I would have to say our first apartment, we had enough to stock a kitchen but furniture wise not so much! His dad got us a couch that our church had in the foyer plus my dh’s futon that used to be his bed.
    I was a single mom when I married hubby so I had my own bed but we had to borrow my in-laws’ craft table so we have a dining table. The few pieces of wall prints we had were clearance finds from K-Mart. No Walmart yet… I decorated mostly with live plants that I would find practically dead at Home Depot or Kmart and start growing them in pots. I even transplanted an iris plant from my mom’s house so we had some flowers in the front, lol!

    Great post! You look so young and happy!

  57. Susan, This is a great post.
    Loved your long hair! You were one of the lucky ones that had straight hair and could wear it the length you did. My hair was too curly so I wore a short curly shag.

    This post brings back to remembrance alot of memories of how things were for so many of us young thangs out there setting up our homes.

    You’ve come along ways babee…

    In my early days as a married lady, we had a real tree stump for our livingroom end table and pull down maps of the world for diningroom window treatments. LOL Oh my goodness, am I ever glad this is now a sweet memory.

    God Bless and shine on!

  58. Blondie's Journal says

    Susan,

    Well, this post just convinced me that I will never tire of coming to your blog! You always have an interesting twist on things and this post surely brought back so many memories. You may be a few years older but my sisters and I shared a room and so I grew up a little before my “time” with the macrame and concrete block/bookshelves. Later on in my life I think I always tried to do what I could with what was at hand and still do. Don’t we all?? Time and circumstance change but not what we feel in our hearts and what surrounds us is always reflected. 🙂

    Thanks for a great trip down memory lane!!

    xoxo
    Jane

  59. Paula Bee says

    Dear Susan,

    My husband and I were married after our Junior year in college and we lived in “married housing” our Senior year. Our apartment had been old army housing during WWII. It was soooo tiny, but like you, we took pictures of it with pride. Of course we had the brick bookshelves as well as TV trays hung from the wall as art! I was impressed with your kitchen table. We ate off a card table and chairs the first four years we were married. Humble beginnings yes but weren’t they wonderful! We have been married for 36 years now. Thank you for a wonderful trip back in time. Love Paula Bee

  60. Valerie@travelingthrough2 says

    So sweet, we had concrete blocks and boards!
    Valerie

  61. Mary @ Boogieboard Cottage says

    Hi Susan, I do indeed remember the 70’s! We had green shag carpet, a lot of plants and yes, macrame everywhere! lol I really enjoyed reading your post. :O)

  62. abeachcottage says

    oh I loved reading this, what a wonderful post and some fab memories…it really made me think back to ours

    loved the photos

    sarah

    p.s. thanks for hosting I’m off to look at the fun!

  63. Michelle says

    Great post Susan…I wasn’t nesting in 1978 but my mom was a great decorator…thanks for the flashback!

  64. Susan…I felt like I was in a flashback to my own life!! I totally recognize the macramae, I had a couple of those. Our first “bookshelf” were two boards set on cinder blocks! LOL…I also remember how popular earthtones were. I had rust shag carpeting. I thought it was so in!! I’ll have to dig up my old photos and reminisce. Thanks for the memories!

  65. Sweet*Daisy*Mae says

    Visit me for my whitewashing weekend.

  66. Marie Reed says

    Wow! What a GREAT meme idea! I’ll join up next week! I just love seeing your first groovy nest!

  67. Marie Reed says

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  68. Marie Reed says

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  69. Marie Reed says

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  70. Marie Reed says

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  71. Marie Reed says

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  72. Marie Reed says

    Wow! What a GREAT meme idea! I’ll join up next week! I just love seeing your first groovy nest!

  73. Marie Reed says

    Wow! What a GREAT meme idea! I’ll join up next week! I just love seeing your first groovy nest!

  74. Marie Reed says

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  75. Marie Reed says

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  76. Marie Reed says

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  77. Barbara says

    Susan, I think we all have a similar story and pictures that would look very much the same. Thanks for sharing.

  78. That could have been our first apartment- same year! We had those shelves and even a ship!! Sure wish I had taken pictures! Thanks for sharing.

  79. Suzann @ Lavender and Roses says

    This is such a sweet post. I remember my first apartment and I was so proud of it. Nothing was new (well, practically nothing), I had turquoise appliances, but I was full of pride and joy. Goodness I wish I could find that same pleasure in the home I live in now. But, you do have me thinking.

  80. Busy Grandma Elsie says

    What happy memories you have…
    I remember my first apartment but no pictures I 'm afraid.
    I also remember Atari…We got my kids one for Christmas but I could flip the board on Pac man & none of the kids could.

  81. Christi @ A Southern Life says

    Great memories! What ever happened to the macrame lion?

  82. What a trip down memory lane! I may have to do a post like this some day too. It would be great if we all did one about our humble beginnings. 🙂

  83. Kaye at Kaye's Kreative Korner says

    Love the pictures! I enjoy Met Monday. Hope you can visit me soon.

  84. Oh what wonderful memories of your first home:) I remember our first home. So cozy:)
    I love love that first song on your playlist “Home”
    Sandra

  85. The Muse says

    What touched me most is that even though times were tough…we still find ourselves smiling when we are in love..and we have the spirit to look forward. Isn’t hope a glorious thing?

  86. Smilingsal says

    My first place was a furnished apartment!

  87. Glenda/MidSouth says

    Love it – Boy do I remember those decorative touches, brick & board shelves, pole lamps, macrame, the colors, etc. Thanks for the trip down memory lane.:-)
    Glenda

  88. Oh Susan! I think you may have hit on a whole new theme for a special edition post ….. old photos of our homes/us/anything that provide clues to the people we have become … I loved looking at your ‘story’ in photos and discovering a bit of how you became you.

  89. Envoy-ette says

    It is telling that even then, you took pride & care with your nest! It doesn't look as if you have changed very much either! Your smile..it's the same! I remember our first apartment together, and the only worry was waking up in time for work! Everything else, was easy!

  90. HI Susan! I am just getting to this cause we had guests for dinner last night. Oh what memories you have brought back to me! In those days I had been married for 10 years! Got married in ’67! I worked ion a MACRAME SHOP!!!!! It was called knot Just Beads….too funny, huh? So, of COURSE I did macrame, had the hangers, and all KINDS of things! Had sales, gave things as gifts, oh the memories. Our first “nest” was an apt. also and we LOVINGLY and INEXPENSIVELY fixed it up by buying a package of Rit dye and dying a bedspread (brown) a pair of hand me down curtains (brown) and a slipcover……BROWN!!!:):) We, too had the brown, gold, rust combo going. Thank you so much for this trip down memory lane. You looked adorable in the pics! Love, Pinky

  91. ~ ~ Ahrisha ~ ~ says

    Susan, you really got me to thinking. Yup, our first apartment
    looked just like yours except I was already on my way deep into the decorating world. Before we got married we purchased a victorian love seat for a few bucks and refinished it and had the upholstery redone. It was a very nice piece that we eventually sold.
    I was one of those kids who moved my bedroom furniture around every 2 weeks in an attempt to express my personal design skills!! Mom would hear me pushing the furniture around and come up to see what I was up to. What fun, thanks for the memories.
    ~ ~Ahrisha~ ~

  92. I love your vintage photographs. We’re just emerging from the single life, college decorating phase…transitioning into something more mature. Fun times. 🙂

    Thank you for sharing your wonderful photographs! I love them.

  93. The Liberty Belle says

    Your home was filled with the richness of love. Thanks for sharing your treasured photographs.

  94. Darlene - Our Creative Life says

    I just participated in my first Met Monday. I hope to participate more often as I’m hoping to get the kitchen finished soon as well as a few other projects!

  95. Andrea at Opulent Cottage says

    Such priceless photos… they are just wonderful. You look really happy!

  96. shirley says

    How wonderful that you still have the photos to share. I was married in 1972 and my 4 room apartment had hand made Macrame wall art hangers. I took a night life course and could not stop making them. Just disposed of them last summer when they didnt sell at my yard sale. Guess they are just no longer in vogue haha.

  97. I am so glad I came back for another look at the list because I realized I forgot to leave my comment here last night.
    Maybe it was because we are in Canada but the macrame was usually an owl not a lion. Then you had to have a Boston fern in a macrame hanger.
    Now don’t limit yourself with the brick and board shelving. Cinder blocks worked too. The plastic milk crates were also popular.
    You often hear people speak of those days with such fondness. Then they fire up the espresso machines and sit back with a latte and smile. Personally I wouldn’t go back for nothing.

  98. Melissa Marie says

    Love the pictures! And LOVED the fact that you soloed a Cessna 150. I did my first solo in a Cessna 172 two years ago. By the way, I think you have the most adorable house ever. 🙂

  99. Mid-Atlantic Martha says

    Oh Susan! Look at you and your cute college self! We got married in 1975 and took as many attic “treasures” as our families would allow! Still have one a few here and there — what a fun trip back to the 70’s!

  100. Hi Susan, this has to be one of my favorite blogging posts EVER!!! You certainly took us on a trip down memory lane. I soooo remember macrame, those golds and greens and browns, Atari!, and so many other things in your photos. We were so young, with the whole world ahead of us. And I love the fact that even then, you were doing tablescapes, that is precious!

  101. Susan, You know what? We had a record cabinet like yours, and let me tell you what we did. At the time, we thought this was a great idea – we cut the legs off and put a top on them and used it as a “stand” for our daughter’s dollhouse. The upper part became a lower cabinet, which we painted and antiqued and it was lovely. Then I lost my brain and we gave it to our nephew!!!!! Argh!!! I wish we had it – it would be lovely painted white or black for today’s style…plus it had such beautiful embellishment on it. Anyway, it brought back memories! Linda

  102. Girly Stuff says

    I had a “hooked” rug of a lion and a “hooked” pillow of Wonder Woman. My mom had a macrame Santa Clause we hung each Christmas until the early 90’s.

    You guys look happy.

  103. puddin07 says

    Susan, I remember all the things you were talking about and you were so cute! I was so happy to hear from you on my sunroom at Laurie’s. Thank you so much for the sweet comments, as always you are a doll! Yes, I am puddin07 from RMS, and I miss those days too! Love Ya! Connie

  104. I’m not in the group but you sure brought back memories especially the lion. Great blog!

  105. Hi Susan, I really love this post, probably since I can totally relate! We had cinderblock and board book shelves that also housed our turntable and records.I love your stories and of course your blog. Thanks for sharing,
    Karen at Pine Cone Retreat

  106. Neabear says

    You must be about the same age as me. I was 21 for most of the year in 1978 then turned 22 in December. Except we were married in 1979. Hubby 34 and I was 22. I remember our first apartment too. We used cinderblocks and boards as well. And handed down furniture. I used to do macrame back then too. Seeing your pictures brings back memories.

  107. at the cottage says

    Ih my goodness, a southern girl in the 70s, a Canuckian girl in the 70s – everything looked so familiar! I remember it all so well. LOL. And my tablescapes were much the same.

    Now I have to go back and find some old shots Susan .

    BTW I have a D!! My friend, Debbie also, got a D for Christmas and had one made for me. I still have it up.
    She said I reminded her of Mary Tyler Moore. I wish.

    Thanks for the memories.

  108. Carol-Ann says

    Hi Susan, I just had to laugh. We also had bricks and boards in the 70s. For end tables we refinished a couple of those spools that cable came on. Our kitchen table was a picnic table and 2 benches painted bright yellow. We were stationed in California in the Air Force. When my husband was discharged we could ship our wonderful furniture home free. Back to Massachusetts. Our apartment was on the second floor. The moving men wanted to put all our wonderful furniture in the yard. They were pretty upset when they realized that the heavy boxes were bricks. Oh and I had a macrame owl. We didn’t have much but it was fun. Carol-Ann

  109. This is just dear. We were married in ’80, and your pics really brought back memories. Thanks so much.

  110. Wow! We got married the summer after I finished undergrad in 3 years. My husband had a year to go. We lived two blocks from Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa in an upstairs apartment of his great aunt and uncle’s home. They were both in the nursing home, but had housed several other family members during their college years. Rent was $100/month including all but our long distance phone calls. We had a bath, bedroom, living room and kitchen. He used another upstairs apt for his study.

    We are moving to Americus, Georgia in two weeks, and I found your blog while looking for ways to decorate the lovely screened-in porch on the back of our new home. Thank you for assembling this website. So many wonderful ideas. I’m starting to get excited about the move. Come see us!

  111. Today’s article was fun; I’m sure most of us remember things about our “First home”. We moved into our first home March 1967. Paid $18,000 for it. It was a 3 bedroom, 1 bath rambler that had originally been one of the model homes for that specific development. The people we purchased it from had 5 or 6 kids of their own, plus they were Foster Care parents. The original layout of the house was to have a half wall with spindles to separate the “dining area” from the living room. No central A/C but window unit was in living room window. Kitchen was a galley kitchen, the couple had added on an large addition to the kitchen which they used as a dining room for their large family. It had book shelves made of knotting pine paneling on one entire outer wall, which was nice and it had an area for the portable tv but I’m sure it was meant as a small desk area for the children. Two large picture windows with side windows added a lot of light to that room. Had ceiling tiles ceiling; an outside entrance with small porch or maybe it was a stoop and we might have built the small little porch on to it. The house had a basement/rec room with one bedroom for older teenager kids and a workshop for the man of the house, large laundry room area with freezer. Hodgepodge tile on floor, dark dungeon I called it. I only went down in the basement to do laundry and iron. The refrigerator that was in the kitchen didn’t have a freezer..only a compartment for 2 ice tray and that was it. They had an upright freezer in the laundry room that they used. Never seen a refrigerator like that one ever! Was always filling ice cube trays. The bedrooms had some hideous paint colors on the walls…they had gone to the local paint store and purchased “opps! cans of paint” cheap! There had been wall to wall carpet in the house since it had been a model home but with that large family, it had worn out and they never replaced it but there were hardwood floors underneath the carpet evidently. When we went to settlement, the sellers told us they had not finished cleaning the living room out because they had to put one of their foster kids in hospital the day before for pneumonia and still try to move so they promised us that it would be cleaned up by end of day. At that time, we were in an apt. about 15 miles away and our lease wasn’t up until end of month..We made settlement on our son’s first birthday (1967) so we didn’t officially move into that house until end of March. After settlement, we went by the house and there was a pile of swept up dirt and trash in the middle of the living room floor. I am not kidding you, that pile had to be about 6-8 ft. in diameter and about 4 inches deep with debrie, dirt swept up from all the rooms. They had promised to have the floors sanded and refinished the next week, although it was not a part of the contract, at their expense. They turned out beautifully and that family was very nice to deal with and we used two of their daughters for babysitters for a few years. The wife had made up a list and left for us of service people they had used over the years that they highly recommended, even the egg man. The egg man came weekly from near Gettysburg, Pa area. He sold fresh eggs, and in the winter time home made sausage. He delivered to regular customers in our city two days a week for 21 years. When gasoline prices started rising, he cut his delivery date down to Fridays only. If you were not going to be home, he would leave the eggs on the stoop with a bill. He would collect it the next week or you could mail a check to him. There was an elementary school next to our house which our children would attend. A Church of God behind our house, with the long driveway running along side of our property and the elementary school. We were Prebyterians but our children eventually attended Sunday School and VBS at that Church of God until we moved 11 1/2 years later. It was a good neighborhood to raise children in and we had wonderful neighbors. One couple are still our friends to this day but have moved about 2 hours away. We sold that house for $61,950 and became very good friends with the buyers of that house. Still friends with them but they retired to New York where the husband inherited a Lake front home from his Father. We hated that dark dungeon of a basement, the kids would play downstairs when it was rainy or winter weather only. We never remodeled it because we hated it so much. We installed central a/C and a new furnace and put a new roof on it while we lived there and of course, painted the exterior several times over 11 1/2 years we lived there. There was a chain link fence surrounding the property…the thing to have when you had small children. We repainted that fence silver several times while we lived there. Replaced the “Royal Rose” brand gas stove in the kitchen and had a dishwasher installed and purchased an upright freezer while we were there. My daughter has just rented a house around the corner only a block away from our “First House” and is happy to be back in the old neighborhood again. She never forgave us for moving from there.

  112. Too cute! I remember those days too. Somewhere I have pics of my first apartments and always said they were decorated in “Early Mother”

  113. Oh how I remember my first apartment. It was in 1968 and my mom gave my new husband and me a sofa which we had slip covered with side panel draperies to match. My parents bought us a Lane coffee table with two matching end tables (Mediterranean – the “big thing” at the time) for a wedding present. Our “dining set” was a card table topped with a big piece of round plywood which I covered with a sheet to the floor surrounded by two bridge chairs. We bought our own Mediterranean style bedroom set somehow. It was a whopping $105.

    Later, I acquired a taste for antiques and much of my house is now furnished with antiquities and a mix of patterns which I love.

  114. I remember macrame! I wasn’t particularly fond of it then, and I have expected it to make a comeback because of the current trends. I don’t expect to like it much better next time around!
    It is fun to look back on the early years and to see the next generation there now! (Getting married, buying first homes, starting a family, all on a tight budget.)

  115. Gayle Kesinger says

    I loved this post. I moved back to Texas to Dallas in 1978. I think I had so much like you did – macrame, same colors. One thing I did not have was a very good instinct for decorating…it has much improved over the years thanks to inspiration from others and lately from blogs and your is a real treat. Thanks for sharing again.

  116. Such a great story and love the way you write your memories! Is your husband still with us?

  117. I love this. Brought back many memories of early marriage, motherhood, and life. Some good and some not so good. Are you still married?

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