"It all started one day last summer..."

That was the headline for my blog post one year ago today. My first ever!

I started this blog last April 2 to tell the story to friends and family about our new house. Frankly, I was sick of telling the story! So I thought it would be easier to just jot down an abbreviated version. Plus I was excited to show off the first room we completed to them, and was hoping to update the blog every now and then with photos of new projects, the crap treasures I picked up on my Jersey Shore adventures, and the random musings of my (admittedly plain) life.

And a blog was an easy way for me to do all that.

And I started visiting more blogs, and leaving comments. Then, those people would find me here.

And, here you all are!

You got to see shore house rooms made over...

...many (most!) times on the cheap.

We had a visit from Cat Woman:

Dear Laura:

Thanks for the glorious compliment. You're right about sharing garden ideas. A half-hour walk in my garden is like a two week vacation in Hawaii.

With generous love.

Julie Newmar

I planted my very first seeds.

And experienced my first gardening successes.

And then those friggin squirrels came around and stole my corn.

I learned that wisteria grows really, really fast. Then tries to eat you.

I’ve taken you shopping with me. Many, MANY times.

And a lot of those times, we found some GOOD deals.

I’ve taken you inside the famous Ocean Grove tents (I think that was my favorite post of the last year).

We’ve baked.

We’ve burned.

You’ve helped me raise money for a cause very, very dear to me.

We’ve celebrated holidays together.

We’ve shared smiles.

And some tears.

But all in all, it been a pretty fabulous year of discovery for me in so many ways.

Nesting Instincts was one of the first blogs I happily stumbled upon, and Courtney was super supportive of me from the get go. So it seems only fitting to welcome the newest chick to her nest this week, her gorgeous son Caleb. I actually got a little misty when I saw his photos on her blog. Because this woman clear on the other side of the country has come into my life and my home -- through a BLOG! And now she's a little part of my extended family out there.

As are you all.

Because of a BLOG!

Wow.

I can't thank you enough for making the shore house a part of your day.

With love from "the shorehouse,"

Laura