And so it begins...

It seems not long ago there was a time that I did not even know where my kitchen was.  I shuddered at all things domestic.  My idea of cooking dinner was dialing the nearest pizza place that delivered.  And had you told me I would be involved with raising two teenage daughters and then move to the country with a bunch of chickens, well, I would have told you you've gone and lost your mind!  Boy, have times changed!

Fast forward almost 12 years and here I am living with four dogs, yes, a bunch of chickens, (well, they live in the vicinity), and a man that after all this time still gives me that lusty butterfly feeling in my tummy every time I see him, yep, it's true!  About 5 years into our relationship I divulged to him a secret.  I had always dreamed of building my own house in the country.  Now, when I say BUILDING my house, I actually meant telling some guys what I wanted it to look like, and of course, they would do the building.  And so it began...The hunt for the perfect land, designing and building the house, decorating the house, and living happily ever after.  It was in this process that I learned of a passion and that passion is in the design.  I scoured through piles and piles of books and magazines, tearing out and tabbing all of the pictures that appealed to me and placing them in the appropriate files.  Boy, where was Pinterest when I really needed it!

We put a lot of thought into the design of our simple home.  Through my research, it was in the details in decor that I decided to put the most emphasis on and I found that this is what I felt most passionate about... and now am just down right obsessed!  One of the most influential resources in our design process was an architect by the name of Sarah Susanka.  In her book, "The Not So Big House", she talks about building a house for "quality, not quantity".  I took from her many things, but most importantly was to not build a house so big that you cannot afford to decorate it and that you should be able to use every room in your home on a daily basis.  I feel we were successful.

Our house is not considered big by any means.  A little under 2000 square feet, but feels and looks very spacious with the open design.  It is simple in that it is a ranch home, but not ordinary, because of all of the details that I hope to share with you through my blog.

Anyway, back to my new found passion.  I am passionate about design and decor of the home.  Once living in our new home, I quickly learned that I also loved to entertain.  I have become enamored with the "art" of party planning.  I am all about details and presentation and I love to cook and bake!  I love to feed people good food that they enjoy.  Oh, and I also love to photograph the food.  My nearest and dearest family and friends know not to take a bite until pictures have been taken!

I love to shop and collect things for my home.  My preferential palette is very neutral.  I love the color gray (in any shade), burlap, nailheads, and anything with a vintage modern vibe.  I like to "collect" things for my home, instead of buying 'matchy' sets,  mixing old with new and some things that are new and made to look old.  I am insanely crazy about cake stands and platters and baking dishes, cannot get enough!  I read cookbooks like novels and I collect more recipes than I can possibly keep up with!

I have been told by many that I have talent and maybe someday would like to make a career out of this in some way, shape, or form.  In the meantime I just feel the need to document and share my passionate obsession that is the creation of Barefoot Finds and Designs.

Hope you enjoy!

Stacy K