Hidey Ho Readers! Thanks so much for stopping by. Let me tell you a little about myself…
I inherited artistic genes from my mom and grandmom, and they both have inspired me in countless ways. Among my friends in college, I became the one they’d ask with questions about cooking, simple sewing repairs, laundry stains, and various household maintenance concerns. They soon started calling me domestiCate.
I met my husband at a magical summer camp where we both worked in 2001. We started dating the summer of 2004, and at the end of that summer we moved to Park City, Utah together. I vividly remember pulling away from the curb in front of his parents’ home in my car, packed to the brim, following him in a U-Haul, packed to the brim, and thinking “what in the hell am I doing!?” We had been dating for about 6 months and were moving across country to a place I’d never been. I felt in my heart that it was the right thing to do, and now I’m so glad I trusted that instinct. We lived there and worked at Deer Valley Ski Resort, until 2007. I went from a beginner skier to an intermediate/advanced, and will forever be spoiled by the immaculately groomed runs, abundant high-speed lifts, and gourmet food at Deer Valley. It was a fun few years!
We moved back to the mountains of North Carolina to be closer to family, and to enjoy more seasonal weather (It was either cold cold or warm and muddy in Park City). I scored a year-round job at our beloved camp, and Frank worked as a builder. A few months after we moved, Frank proposed by stringing the ring onto our cat’s collar. While I was changing laundry over, the cat wandered into the laundry room, and I looked over to see Frank down on one knee! Simple and romantic!
We spent the year planning the wedding, and I loved just about every minute. I planned and created many of the details for the big day, and am so happy with how it all turned out. One day I’ll write up a post or two about some of my favorite details. We were married on November 1, 2008…best day ever.
In March of 2011 I gave birth to our baby girl, Elizabeth Bennett…what a miracle that was! Another post for another day. And another best day ever! We named her after Elizabeths on both sides of our family (and Bennett is a family name, too), but wanted to give her a more unique nickname. Elsie is an old nickname for Elizabeth, from the late 1800s, early 1900s, and we both love it. We usually call her Elsie B. (It had nothing to do with Pride and Prejudice, though I do love Jane Austen.)
I stopped working full time when she was born, and have been staying home with her ever since. The plan is for me to stay home for a year or two-ish, then to go back to work. The exciting thing is that I’ve finally given voice to the urge that’s been within me my whole life. That is to be a designer. You can read more about that (and my previous jobs) here. Soooooo, I’m currently looking into starting classes in an Interior Design program at a university nearby. Maybe just one class at a time for now. Elsie goes to sleep at 7pm and sleeps like a champ ’til morning, so I could start soon with an online class or a night class. I’m super excited about that!
Around the time I was planning our wedding, a friend thought I might like to read this blog that she was following. I had never even seen a blog before, but I checked it out. It was Young House Love, and I was hooked! I read through their archives voraciously, and it was through their posts I found other blogs to follow, then found more blogs through them. Soon my Google Reader was filled with DIY, interior design, and mom blogs. As creepy as it may seem (to folks who don’t love blogs), I feel like I know these women. I have learned so much and been inspired by so many, I decided to contribute to the blogosphere myself.
I have to thank you for reading this far, and would just love to hear from you! Please leave a comment and let me know about you! If you like what you read, become a follower and friend my page on facebook (both in the column on the right).
