Making it all come together...

Ok so one thing I've learned recently is that I'm definitely no Martha Stewart! I've been doing my best lately to pull my house together..decorate, paint, arrange furniture. I've lived in my house for a year and half already and it's amazing to me how long it takes to do all this stuff. The good thing is I totally enjoy doing it and I love to see the finished product. The downside is, my wallet and bank account do not look so kindly on the idea of sprucing up the diggs!! So I've been trying to look for great deals, and have actually had decent luck so far. My new best friend is Craigslist....I'm totally obsessed! I bought some porch furniture this weekend and I LOVE it! Now I'm trying to sell a bunch of my stuff from around the house that I don't use anymore (furniture, clothes, decorative stuff) to make these new purchases seem more justifiable!

I wish I was more of a Do It Yourself kinda girl. I love home makeover shows and looking through decorating magazines and books.....so yeah watching and tv and reading I'm good at. But actually learning and making something myself is totally another story. I think I'm just afraid to mess up so much that I end up spending more money than if I just bought something nice to begin with. Oh yeah did I forget to mention I can be majorly cheap sometimes!! haha! My husband and I are all about buyers remorse! I've learned that all this house work takes a lot of talent as well as a good bit of trial and error. And besides, I guess it's ok to muck some stuff up every now and then, after all it is our house!

All in all I feel like my house is becoming more and more of a home everyday. It's become our own as we add our little personal touches to everything. When I step back and just take it all in I really do just feel so fortunate to have everything that we do. It's definitely a blessing and one I intend not to take for granted. Rob and I are totally homebodies so having a relaxing space is important to us. I'm totally up for any decorating and do-it-yourself tips, so bring it on!!

I love these kids!

I recently went back home to Connecticut to visit my family. I hadn't been home since August 2007 . That was the longest I'd been away from "home". It still feels strange to call CT home now that I've lived in South Carolina for 5 years. But there's something about going back up North that stirs up so many old feelings inside me. It's like a time warp....stepping back into my life ten years ago. Life there is just so different - not better or worse - just different. It's a strange feeling when I'm back there. Comfortable and uncomfortable all at the same time. It's like I expect everything to be the exact same way that I left it. And it never is.

But no matter the changes, no matter the good memories or the bad, I have some pretty incredible people there that make me feel perfectly at home when I'm there. Some of the most important people in my life are in the two pictures above. I have two nieces and two nephews. They are amazing!!! Beyond amazing actually. They are so full of love and get so excited to have Auntie Amanda and Uncle Rob around to play with. The time I spend with them means the world to me. They make me appreciate so much about life and what it means to love.

It was a great trip home! I love my family!