About

Hi, I'm Katie and that's me on the dinosaur! 

  

About Me

 I was born in Greenville, SC but did most of my growing up in Boone, NC. I have had a love of architecture and design for as long as I can remember and even helped design the house my parents live in to this day. When it was time for college, I decided to follow my dream of becoming an architect and moved to Charlotte, NC to attend UNCC's SoA.

After a couple of semesters and a lot of soul searching, I realized I would lose my passion for design if I actually became an architect. Even with the change in career plans, anything related to houses, design, décor, and architecture is pretty much my life's calling.

I tackle way more than I should all by myself. My dad and brother are the type of guys who know how to fix everything and I learned a little bit from them and a little more from other blogs and Google. My brother is close enough to come help me with day-projects and I am not above bribing my friends: food for labor. I'm not the handiest chick in the hen house, but I do have overinflated self confidence and a serious case of  "I think I could do that."

I have a passion for dad jokes and I guarantee any play on words, pun, or double entendre was definitely intended.
 

I spend my 8-to-5 hours as a recruiter and love every minute. I spend my non-work hours browsing blogs, reading catalogs, and taking on DIY projects way out of my skill set.

Pets

 

I believe that pets are just as much a part of making a home as any decoration or organizing, so in addition to normal shelter blog topics, I blog about my pets and general petkeeping.

I am that crazy lady with four pets: two dog and two cats.

Boone is a Golden Retriever and is named after the town where I grew up. He is the highlight of every day and my best friend. I'm more attached to this dog than any person should be and am constantly covered in a layer of blonde fuzz because of him. I have a really unfortunate habit of speaking Boone's thoughts in a lispy voice. I've tried, but I just can't stop.

Boone loves his Chuck-It Super Ball, Milkbones, and anything he can pull the stuffing out of.

Boone's number one girl is the precious Rosie Posie. She is the girliest dog to ever walk this planet and is, truly and undoubtedly, a princess. You may be thinking to yourself that dogs don't have gender identities the way people do. If you are thinking that, you need to spend a day with Ms. Rose, or as she is affectionately called, "Potato." (Yes, she's wearing a bow).

Rosie is a rescue from Ohio, where I dragged my mom over Mother's Day Weekend 2015. The rescue originally believed her to be a purebred golden puppy - and she looks so much like one, she constantly fools other Golden owners. Out of the more than 100 applications they received on Rosie, I was the lucky winner.

As she aged, it became obvious that she was mixed with something, maybe a Beagle or a Toller. Clocking in at 45 lbs, she's just over half Boone's size but looks just like a mini-Golden. To this day, people are constantly asking how many months old she is and will she get as big as her brother. #no.

Like any little sister, she loves everything Boone does. She also has a bad case of "the nibbles." It's this really annoying/adorable thing where she chews on fabric really quickly, almost like a suckle with teeth. It doesn't hurt, nor does it damage whatever she's nibbling on, but it will definitely take you by surprise.

 

Now that you love Brosie (their celeb couple name), it's time for the shameless plug: you can follow Boone and Rosie on Instagram!

I also play roommates to two grouchy cats, Atticus (grey) and Leo (yellow).

I adopted Atticus in college, and he was my first baby. Atty has had a multitude of health issues his entire life resulting in my being well versed in everything from Coccidia (don't Google it) to seizures. Most recently, his chronic UTIs with struvite crystals have put both cats on a very expensive prescription diet. Thanks Att!

Leo came next and is named after my first true love, Leonardo DiCaprio. When I brought him home, he was six months old and - while I don't know what happened to this little guy in his first life - he is still scared of almost everything except his baby brother Boone.

 

Little Grey House  

 

 

The Little Grey House is my second real estate endeavor. My ex and I built the Woodward Place in 2013 that we shared for about three years. Once we split in early 2016, I knew it was time to move on. We made a ton of money off the sell of the Woodward Place, which allowed me to buy a much nicer home than any single twenty-something should. Not to mention I have FOUR animals, so there really was no better option than a single family home on a decent chunk of land.

 

Little Grey House is my She-Shed, Bachelorette Pad, or whatever you want to call it. The location is amahhhzing (who gets the reference?!); I'm lucky enough to be in one of Charlotte's best neighborhoods - Ballantyne - and within walking distance to a greenway. On top of that, this quaint beauty sits on one of the best lots I toured while looking for either of my houses.

 

All that good stuff comes at a steep price: she was over budget and a fixer. Am I nuts? Probably. But I know I can do it. (I've never been too concerned with money, but that's probable because I've always been blessed to have enough.) Now I'm solely responsible for my financial well-being and my decisions have to be more conservative; with my new budget, price has gone from being a back-burner concern to center stage. I still like what I like and prioritize quality/value, but this girl's trying to save a dollar. Hopefully this blog will be a testament to what I can do with a little budget and a lot of determination.

 

Please enjoy this piece of my home and my family,

 

Love, Katie

Note: for the time being, I'm a blogger without a camera (it's a complete suicide mission). After posting "forgive the crappy pictures" about 22,000 times, I decided to just add this disclaimer. I know the photography here could be better. Someday it will be. I also know y'all are as tired of the iPhone pics as I am of posting them; please bear with me for the time being. Soon, my darlings. Soon.