8 where i've been for the last year+

...It's been so long I forgot how to log into Blogger. Literally!

It's been quite a while y'all...

Where have I been for the last year or so? Well, "Where haven't I been?" is a better question. In 2014, I was working full-time and in-school part time, I lived in 3 different residences, had 3 different jobs and lived in 2 states. Yep, I moved back to Raleigh, North Carolina in November and I am loving being back in my home city & state.

I started off the year finishing up the last of 13 episodes of Elbow Room - and got to see my work on HGTV! What an amazing experience. I still miss the crew and the fast pace of TV all the time.

I (finally) graduated from Meredith College with my degree in Interior Design & Studio Art. I cannot even describe the level of emotion I felt when I put on my cap & gown that day to walk across the stage. I wrote a little about it on Instagram, which you can read here. I participated in the graduation ceremony on May 3rd, but I still had one class to finish over the summer. By this time, I'd found a Designer position at a small architecture firm in downtown Atlanta and was already working there. The first episode of Elbow Room Season 3 premiered a week later. Talk about an exciting week!

Transitioning into corporate office design was a dream of mine since returning to finish my degree in 2013. When I was hired last year, I was still in school part time and had an hour+ commute each way to my little cubicle Monday - Friday. Getting accustomed to a new field, while tackling school and Atlanta traffic everyday was a lot.

With my commute, every day was a 12 hour day and most of the time, I still had homework to finish for school. My last class met on Saturdays from 8AM to 1PM, so it felt like I had a part-time job until August, when I was finally done. I also became a small group leader for a toddler class at my church, so my Sundays were spent teaching babies about Jesus. :) Blogging just got lost in the shuffle!

In October of last year, after months of stretching myself thin and not taking the best care of myself, my body finally MADE me stop. I spent 5 days in Piedmont Hospital, which I'll tell you more about later. I got sick the same week I was supposed to move to Raleigh to start working for the firm that I am currently with. With God's grace, I made it through that rough patch and was able to start working back at home with my family & friends that I missed so much. Now that I have my head out of the fog of all that, I feel like I can share my evaluated experience with y'all and get back to my normal blogging routine. This blog has always been just as much about my life as it has been about design inspiration, so I feel it's only right for me to keep it an authentic reflection of who and where I am. Last year, I just wasn't in a place where I could do it.

But for those who missed it, I just want to apologize for neglecting this blog for so long. I wrote a similar "I'm back!" post last year and although my intentions were good, I just didn't have the capacity or focus at the time to do it. I've recharged, researched and refocused and I'm ready now!

So, what can you expect moving forward? You'll still hear about what's going on with me, design tips and inspiration, some new technical tips and highlights on the Raleigh area.

What did I miss in your world while I was away? Leave a comment and let me know.