A year ago, I sent an email to about 40 friends and family members announcing that I was starting a renovation/interior design blog, It’s Great To Be Home.  I didn’t know what to expect, but no matter how things turned out I knew that I would have a great time sprucing up my house, trying new projects, and sharing all of it with anyone that might be interested.  I’ve been so thrilled for this little ol’ blog to grow from 40 visitors to tens of thousands each month – how cool is that?

During the past year, tons of things have changed.  I left my job as an attorney, started a new career in real estate, flipped my first house, started working from home instead of driving 45 minutes to an office, began sprucing up the homes of strangers over the web . . . and it has been such a delight to get to share all of these changes with you, even the little ones like making our backyard a little less ugly and sewing some new pillows for the den.  Who new that there was a whole community of awesome people that are into the same things that I am?  Let me tell you, it’s been awesome to get to hang out with you guys.

Since it’s IGTBH’s first blogiversary, I thought it was only appropriate to share a video with you guys that we shot the day we bought our house – the house that started it all, way before this blog was even a twinkle in my eye.  Want to take a tour of our home and see how it looked before we renovated the heck out of it?

If you weren’t busy getting seasick from Jason’s camera skills (sorry babe!!), here are some things you may  have picked up on from the video:

~ This was during my brief stint as a blonde – so weird to see myself like that!!

~ Our house had the most hideous collection of drapes ever known to mankind.

~ We pretty much stuck to our entire renovation plan!!

~ I say “Alright” at least 30 times.

~ Our breakfast room used to look like a circus tent.

~ I really think that was a gun cabinet in the laundry room – it had locks and everything!

~ I clearly had no idea that the “craft room” would ultimately turn into my office.

~ I’m hoping you weren’t blinded by the original fireplace – sorry about that.

~ Can you believe how dark our den used to be?  And that was with all the lights on!

~ Did you recognize those bookcases in the den that turned into my salvaged craft cabinet?

~ I’m pretty sure Jason’s closet is bigger than mine – don’t know how that happened!

~ Burglar bars were apparently “in” in 1968 when our house was built.

~ After watching this video, I’m going to burn those pants I was wearing.

Anyhoo, thanks for hanging in there with me this past year – I’ve loved every minute of it!!  Here’s to another great year!

If you want to see how our house turned out after the big renovation, be sure to check out the Home Tour page of IGTBH.