1st Blogiversary

Can you believe it!? One year ago I officially began blogging, and it has been one fantastic ride! 

Although my blog is only a year old, it does sport a year and 3 months worth of archives. I made sure to retroactively publish several months of posts so you would have something to read when I started the blog. I intended to release Home Made by Carmona blog January 1st of 2013, but impatience (and a few mysterious mistakes) led to giving myself a bit of an early Christmas gift, and presto, my blogiversary week was decided!
In reality, I don't know the exact day my blog went public, just that it occurred sometime between the 22nd and the 26th... I know, I know. I can hear you saying "Seriously Carmona, HOW?". Well, let's just say when I started blogging I was a bit technologically daft. Hee hee. Until I decided to blog I'd never held anything besides a point-and-shoot camera, never owned a laptop, never known what twitter was, and thought HTML must have been short for hotmail...actually, what is it short for? Well, you get the idea. The point is, I had to figure everything out the hard way in order to start this wild endeavor. And yes, plenty of behind-the-scenes mistakes were made along the way! Well, it has all been worth every effort!

Why I Began Blogging
The biggest reasons I decided to join the wonderful world of blogging, was to force myself to action while still being able to enjoy the creative world of others. I have spent numerous life hours marveling at everyone else's accomplishments. It is easy to get sucked into the black hole of other people's amazing creations, or accomplished life. Then a novel idea hit me, duhh, why not allow the said "inspiration" I spent countless hours pinning or reading about actually be...well, inspiration? Now don't get me wrong, it's not as if I sat around doing nothing and never actually applied anything, but when you examine how many hours are spent browsing online compared to how many you actually spend living those things, it can be horrifying! The time I spent being "inspired" I could have already had the perfect space, become a skilled builder, or learned photography, etc.
That being said, I don't want my blog to become just another spot you browse through on your online travels. I have committed to always sharing the before and the how as best I can, and hopefully inspiring you to action. If I can tackle my dreams without any special skills or knowledge, then I have no doubt you can as well! 
And that leads me to my second reason for blogging...you!
I had just moved to Ohio, I had no extended family, friends, or any real support group to help me as a mom and wife. Is it strange to say that you have been my support group and friends? I share with hopes of impacting you in a positive way, and in turn having an outlet to share with those who have similar interests and dreams! And may I say, you have been lovely! All your kind feedback has warmed and encouraged my heart! After all, this isn't just a blog for me, it is a window into my endeavors and dreams. You know me, I take the job description "home maker" seriously! *grin* I dream of making a home where everything is well ordered and it's occupants are happy and well adjusted! 
Thank you for being with me in my adventures, and encouraging me along the way! I am looking forward to yet another wonderful year of challenges, growing, learning, and creating! 

Happy Holidays!