At Home, At Peace

Welcome to my blog! This is my first post and I am so excited! Blogging about my passions is something that has been on my "to do list" for quite some time now. I am elated to finally start a diary of pictures, thoughts, and ideas that help me savor my home and my life. I am even more excited to share them with you. I will primarily focus on food and design. But from time to time, I will divulge on other topics that I am enjoying at the moment.

In a few weeks, I will be 31 years old. The old adage is so very true, "With age comes wisdom." The older I get, the more comfortable I am with myself and the closer I get to learning who I am. I can give a defined and detailed answer when someone asks, "What do you like to do in your spare time?" Over time, I have developed passions for interior design and cooking- two things that I loathed when I was a kid. But with time, good, bad, and new experiences, new friends, several apartments, and a new house, I can't imagine my life without good healthy food and comfortable design.

I can honestly say that my love for food started by observing other people cook. I have been an avid viewer of The Food Network since one of the stars of the network were the Two Fat Ladies- which means I have been watching it for years. I would watch chefs like Giada de Laurentiis, Paula Deen, and Ina Garten for HOURS! My parents and friends would tease me because I was mesmerized only by watching- not doing! I never cooked anything I saw! I'm a bit of a perfectionist and I think I was a scared of screwing up a meal that looked so perfect and good on TV. But like I said, "with age comes wisdom," which means I've learned that eating out everyday is not cheap and skipping breakfast and having a bowl of cereal for dinner is not the healthiest. So over the last few years, I have stepped out of my comfort zone, cooked a few really good and really bad meals, and have developed a whole new relationship with my stove. We are now BFF's. I look forward to sharing some of my favorite recipes with you in future posts.

My love for design started the same way my love for food started- by watching others design. When I was a young teen, the walls of my pink room were covered in magazine pictures of my teen heartthrobs. But thanks to Ken Lowe, founder of HGTV, all of that changed. I loved watching House Hunters and Designer's Challenge. After "watching" so many shows, my room went from Barbie pink walls to soft cream walls. I filled it with my grandmother's antique furniture. I had a beautiful four-poster bed with pale yellow bedding, crisp white sheets, and carefully positioned photos of friends and family on the walls. Oh and the colors of my bathroom matched. Everything was perfectly placed. After that first transformation, I felt like I could breathe and truly relax in my room. Since then, I have put a lot of thought into the rooms that I spend a lot of time in. My college dorm room was a perfect example. I had carpet installed on the concrete floors, the bedding on the beds matched, and my mom made curtains for the windows that matched the bedding. My roommate and I were serious. Now that I have a better understanding of design, I am not so matchy-matchy. I love a cozy room filled with different textures and styles. There is definitely an art to "putting it all together." I have studied that art form from watching shows like Divine Design and Sarah's House and from reading magazines like Traditional Home, Elle Decor, and House Beautiful. I also have some favorite designers, which I plan to profile in future posts.

I hope this has given you some insight into how this all got started. I am at peace when I do the things that I enjoy doing. Savoring happiness, home, family and friends, and most importantly life is what makes everyday worth living. So I look forward to sharing with you how I savor all of those things. See you soon!

Image: Sarah Richardson Design