Hi guys, this post is a bit delayed due to a sad lack of internet here in paradise! Another "internet" friend, Brooke of Pure and Noble is here from Texas to give us her take on going home. Brooke and I met over email eons ago, and although we are at different ends of the continent, we somehow formed a true friendship over email and blogging. Someday I hope we get to meet in person! Brooke has a great perspective on our topic, since she is currently between homes as her new place gets renovated (it will be the stuff of legend when it's done, I have NO doubt).
Hi you guys! Brooke here from Pure and Noble. I am so excited to be here at Wicked and Weird today. When miss Lisa asked me to do a guest post for her while she visited home I was over the moon and completely humbled. I have been reading W2 for a long time and just love everything that Lisa shares with her readers. I’m pretty convinced that she and I would be fighting over lovely things if we ever lived closer to one another and shopped together. For now, I’ll be grateful that we are separated by miles and borders - because it means that I may one day get to visit her amazing home and sit in that awesome nook of hers to drink coffee and chat for hours.
When I think of home I’m not reminded of a place or of material things. I don’t know why that is, and trust me I’ve thought about it a lot in preparation for this post. Perhaps it’s that my folks have nothing other than old photo albums from my youth. Maybe it’s because we moved at pivitol times in my youth. I’m not sure really. But honestly it makes me a little grateful because the things that remind me of home can be experienced anywhere.
When I was little, we lived in North Carolina. Beautiful trees, amazing weather (with actual seasons - four of them!) and that white stuff that falls to the ground, ummm... snow. Nestled in my front yard, right out my bedroom window, were two of the most amazing trees - a dogwood and a cherry blossom. Any time I see one of those trees I am instantly reminded of home. 
In the fourth grade, we moved to Texas. To me, Texas is home and I have come to embrace Texas pride. I love my state and the “little things” that make it home - Tex Mex, lakes and road trips. Texas summers are hot. I’m not talkin’ August heat wave hot. I’m talkin’ all the time, throughout the whole Summer - HOT. Because of that, I love margaritas, especially when they’re accompanied by a patio and a bowl of chips and queso. For you northerners, Tex-Mex queso is a bowl of melted cheese with spicy chilis/salsa mixed in. I could pretty much eat it with a straw. I also love lake life. Ever since I was a little girl I’ve gone fishing with my Dad. He’s a fishing guide here in North Texas and when he fishes... you. catch. fish. It’s so much fun when he finds that honey hole and the fish practically leap into the boat. But I can also remember sitting in a boat for hours with my Dad, poles in hand, waiting for “the big one.” It was boring then, but now I remember those times so fondly. 
Lake life isn’t just about fish, it also involves floating for hours with friends (just to cool off), jet-skis and tubing (being pulled on a big inner-tube behind a boat). Nothing compares to a weekend at the lake. Nothing. And because Texas is big enough to be a country (and sometimes we think it is) road trips can lead to all kinds of wonderful adventures... Tiny towns that almost seem forgotten, weekend trips to Austin and day trips all over, it’s awesome.
Since having littles, I have to admit that the Texas heat gets to me. When I was younger the heat didn’t bother me because I was working during the hottest times of the day and then “play” at night with friends when it was cooler. Having littles in the dead of summer can be a chore, but we are slowly learning how to manage our summer days and make the most of it. Ironically, this summer has been the greatest challenge regarding schedules and the like because we have NO home. 
Yup, I’m writing a post about “Home” and we have been nomads for 2.5 months while remodeling our new house. This summer, my little family and I have lived in 6 different houses. Six. Packing and unpacking. We are weary to say the very least. This reno business is tough stuff. (I pray that we never move again.) There have been challenges at every turn from city push backs and permits to new cement floors and moving walls. And everything affects the next thing. There is no jumping from point A to point C and then going back to B, without a lot of headaches and more money. If this remodel has confirmed anything, besides the fact that moving and remodels suck, it’s that home is not a place. Home is where your family is - period. And this handsome little group of guys is my home, no matter where we are.
I hope I haven’t bored you to tears today. I wish I could have shown you some amazing interior shots of my home or some precious keepsakes that make you say, “awww” and “ohhhh” but my house is in shambles and our keepsakes are all packed up. If you’d like to check in on our progress and see our journey unfold as we make our house a home, you can visit me at Pure and Noble. I’d love to have you pop by and say “hi”.
Lisa, I can not thank you enough for having me here with your sweet readers today. I wish Canada were a little closer so that we could share decorating tips in person and salivate over amazing jewelry and rugs together. But since I don’t plan on moving again - ever - I will have to be okay with reading Wicked and Weird every day and catching up via instagram and email! xo
Wow, you have some amazing photos of your family Brooke - funny how home seems to always come back to the people we love! Thanks so much for sending this along, I cannot WAIT to see your gorgeous new digs (although I have a feeling your anticipation may be a tad greater than mine...) :)
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