the Domino Design Blog Awards + a lot of emotions.

So… you might have heard on my social channels yesterday that I was nominated in the Small Space category of the Domino Design Blog Awards (shameless plug, please vote for me). I’m having so many emotions about it and, really, just had to write a post about it. Some of you may not know the full story of how I came to live in #mytinybungalow. Essentially, a year after my grandpa passed away I found out that he had willed me the money for a down payment on my first house. I had never even considered owning a house up until that point because I was a bit of a wanderer. I’d moved across the country 3 times, I didn’t own a sofa, I never thought I’d ever be able to afford a house in Seattle. But now I do own a house and it’s been utterly life changing. This beyond-generous gift from my grandfather has truly changed my life and I’m totally overwhelmed by the impact of it.

But this home has become so much more to me than a house.

This is where I really came to understand my personal style.

This is where I learned to re-skim drywall, restore shiplap, strip paint, and so much more.

I waged a war against rats here (and maybe won?).

This is where I found my niche, both on the blog and on social media.

It’s where I grew my small business and brainstormed new ones.

This is where my dog had his first yard.

This has been the backdrop for soooo many tears and triumphs.

I fell in love and now live here with my favorite human.

This is where I’ve planted my first garden and ate the best tomatoes of my life.

This is where I’ve raised chickens.

This is where I healed after the most traumatic experience of my life.

This has inspired me to make smarter and smarter financial decisions.

It’s where I sing and dance to Beyoncé without caring if anyone can see or hear me.

This is where I nest and meditate and dream.

This is where I celebrated my first Christmas in my own home.

It’s my favorite place to entertain and cook for friends.

And at the risk of being really cliché and mushy, this is where I’ve really learned about just how strong I am. The lessons of being in this home and truly loving it are so much bigger than if I win an award or not. In buying this home, I took on the biggest project of my life and have been astounded by my strength every step of the way. Owning a fixer upper is not an easy task, but it has been so deeply gratifying. Being nominated for this award really put me in an introspective place today, thinking about my grandpa, his amazing gift, and just how overwhelmingly grateful I am — grateful to him, to everyone I’ve worked with to blog about my home, to Sean, and to you guys for reading and supporting me. What a journey it’s been.

photography by Ellie Lillstrom, styling by Jojotastic.