Looking at this picture above makes me want to rewind the days of summer, pull out an adirondack chair and stop time for just a moment to soak in this gorgeous view.  The only thing I would add to this photo is my very own pitcher of strawberry basil margaritas and a group of girlfriends to enjoy the sunset with on this luscious landscape.  I actually just tried this recipe this weekend for the first time and it was ahhhh-mazing! I’ll share that recipe with you all under my farm fresh recipes as soon as I publish this post.  It was a hit! And, a staple at any party I’ll throw in the future.  Drinking LOTS of margaritas is really the only thing that makes you feel good when you make that decision to stop “dairy-farming” within the walls of  your own home to feed your child…  Oh yes, it just got real. 😉

Now, before we roll our sleeves up and get really dirty, I thought I would share a little secret with you.  This is how we establish trust, right?  It’s the story of how this whole journey began.  What you see now is not what you got 20 years ago.  And, using the term of shy to describe myself, would be a little bit of an understatement.  True Story.  I was the one who got on the bus sat in the seventh seat, on the left, slid in all the way to the window hoping no one would talk to me because I was beyond intimidated of socialization.  So what did I do?  I drew… Not pictures of my family holding hands with a stick house in the background. But design plans of the home I would one day live in, my dream home.  Some girls dream up their wedding day, this girl dreamed up the stairway her daughter would walk down to her prom date.  Forget 12″ lined paper you tear out of your notebook.  This was the real deal.  I’m talking the paper with the squares that real designers (people who know what they’re doing) use.  Each square equaled 2×2 cubic square feet and every home had three levels.  I was a bit ridiculous but I needed a hobby and this fed my passion. I remember very little from childhood but this was one thing that always stuck with me.  So, forget the HGTV craze that’s bigger than ever these days… This passion for design has laid dormant in the depth of my soul since the 5th grade.  And, drawing gave me the confidence to slowly but surely step out of my comfort zone and become the woman I am today.  So cheers for being a little different and Amen for going against the crowd.  Moral of the story, not matter how big or small the dream, God will always provide. Today I have daughter, a stairway for her to walk down and a blog that shares my passion for design.  Welcome HOME.

Peace & Love,

Melissa 🙂