Fortress of Solitude

It's been almost a month since my last post and that has been intentional. After that thesis proposal defense and all of the holiday madness, I was feeling exhausted and vulnerable. I needed a break and a hiding spot.  I have to say that after the last month, I believe in the idea of hibernation. The day after my proposal defense I woke up and the first thought I had was, "I want to build a fort in my living room." I know that's a little weird, but part of the reason was that when I have these breaks between semesters, I give my thoughts over to Sixtwelve and the things that I want to see happen there. One of those concepts is the creation of forts!

In a previous post, I mentioned that I thought a fort would make a good reading space or place for kids to just get away if there's a need. So I thought I would just be practicing something that would be beneficial later. Plus, I was seeing all of my friends posting the fun holiday things they were doing with their kids, and I thought, "Why should the kidless miss out on all of the fun?" So I decided to create a little holiday magic of my own.  It turns out that I really needed that space for myself.  I rested, watched movies, ate delicious food and even entertained guests in the fort. Haha! I took it down for a gathering of friends I had at my house, but when the last guests left, I put it right back up.

Sadly, there's a leak in my aero bed, which was the foundation of the fort, so I think it's time to take it down. There's also the fact that I gained about 10 pounds over the break. Yikes! I don't regret the time I spent in what my brother called my, "Fortress of Solitude." It was good to hide and spend time alone for a while.  I think it's important for everyone.  It gives you strength and energy later to conquer all of your goals.  There has to be a balance in the time you give others and the time you give to yourself.

I guess it's no coincidence that the fort would have a malfunction at the exact time that I have seemed to find the energy and motivation to get back in shape and to jump back into the world.  I'm sure that everyone experiences this to some degree when the weather turns cold, so I don't think there's anything out of the ordinary in my experience.  But I'll tell you something, that fort was a magical place and if I get another aero bed (or if I get it fixed), I'm sure that I'll be building one again soon! :)

Here are some pics of the creation and some of the people that stopped by to visit!

The couches and aero bed were the fort foundation.

My heavy coat rack and the tv support on the opposite wall
 formed the perfect bases for the string that would hold up the sheets.

Voila!

Inside, I placed every spare blanket and pillow I could find in the house.
I stole a few pillows from my bed too. :)

I hired an IT guy (James) to set up my computer and projector inside so we could watch movies and shows!

Then Poppy, Chandra and Steve came by for a visit! They even brought me flowers!

I love this girl.  She snuggled under all of the pillows and we had a great time! 

Fort Flowers!

James introduced me to the show, "Community," and I loved it so much that I watched two seasons worth.
Glad I still have a little left to watch! :)

Did I mention that the fort was right by the fireplace?  This was usually great because it made everything so cozy and warm, but it was a problem when I didn't get the flue all the way open. Oh dear! I almost asphyxiated us! Thank goodness it was only for a few minutes. Learned a big lesson on that one. :)

Fort Flowers and Fort Sushi! Yum!

James and Dane joined me for lunch that day.

Another holiday gift that was perfect for the hideaway...treats! Have I mentioned how much I love homemade toffee? Haha!

Mad Men! Yes!

Chad was one of my last guests to stop by.  We had thai food and watched crazy youtube videos.  So much fun!

Guests not pictured (because I forgot to take the pics, dang!) were Colleen, Skyler, B&S, and Preston.  It was fun to welcome them into my little hiding space.  Now it's time to rejoin the world! I feel rested, more balanced and ready! Hello 2012!