Show & Tell Tuesday: My Hometown

Lauren, blogging on a Tuesday? It can't be! Oh but it is, my friends! I've been on a blogging roll this week and why jump off the train? I thought it would be a great opportunity for me to share a little about my hometown, the town that raised me, and link up with Andrea for Show & Tell Tuesday!

So at the beginning of my blogging life I blogged about my move and what brought me to Charlotte but I never went into depth about my hometown of Irmo. Oh yes, my hometown has such a beautiful name...Irmo. Sigh. But before I get ahead of myself a little bit of background on where I grew up.

So I technically wasn't born in Irmo, I was born in Raleigh, North Carolina. My parents built a beautiful home there and planned to have roots in Raleigh forever until life had different plans. When I was 4 years old we packed up and moved to Irmo for my Dad's job. I don't have any photo albums in Charlotte with me so I have to work with what I have via Facebook, but this is a picture of 3 year old (sassy) me and my cousins on the front steps of my Raleigh home...

I cannot get over my sassy stank face or that dress haha! In case you're confused I'm the one on the right ;) There's very little I remember about our time in Raleigh, which is why Irmo will always be home to me. Irmo is a suburb that is right outside of Columbia, SC. There's not much there other than neighborhoods, a mall, chain restaurants, and lots of schools. It is a popular area for people to live who commute to Columbia for work. Irmo is admittedly a horrible name. It originated from the two city founders first two letters of their last names combined. Irmo sounds like a hick town but it really isn't haha!

After only a couple of months of living in Irmo, I started elementary school and quickly became acclimated to a new city.

Here's a picture my Mom snapped of me getting off the bus...

 

My neighborhood was up and coming and full of young families with kids my age. It was an incredible place to grow up because you always had a friend to play with. We always had a ton of fun! P.S. I'm the stinker on the right.

It's crazy to me because even after all these years I still stay in touch with my friends from my neighborhood in Irmo even though we all split in our different directions...Charleston, San Diego, Charlotte, etc. 

As I grew up and went on to middle and high school I started to make friends outside of my neighborhood. I think when I look back at my years in Irmo the memories that will stick out to me will be Friday night high school football games...

...spirit week...

 

...just goofing off with my friends...

...school dances...

...being a nanny...

...and graduation.

I think a common thread of all of this is that in the end, my hometown really isn't a particular place, it's where I have all my memories. My hometown is truly when I'm with my friends and family. It sounds cheesy but it is so true. I didn't have this realization till after I graduated college. What I missed the most about going home was being with the people I love, not the geographical location. And here I am now, typing this in Charlotte, North Carolina. I would've never expected this but alas life always has a way of surprising us. Will Charlotte become my new hometown? You know, I'm not sure. I would love to dig my roots in deeper but I can't do that yet, I have a lot to figure out first. In the mean time, I'm loving Charlotte and taking it one day at a time!

Well, there ya have it, a little bit about the towns that raised me! Not to mention, a lot of not so cute pictures of Lauren growing up haha! I hope y'all have a terrific Tuesday and see you back here tomorrow for Workout Wednesday! xo

My Move & Thank You!

I wanted to start off today's post by thanking everyone for their kind words, encouragement, and prayers yesterday about my exam. I felt so loved! Unfortunately, I was one of the 55% who fail. Of course, I'm so disappointed. I've worked really hard and put a lot of time in but instead of testing God, I'm trusting him. He has a lesson he still needs to teach me through all of this. In a little over a month, I get my second try at taking it. (My company gives us 2 tries) Time to do work.

So on to today's scheduled post. I wanted to give a little background about my move for those who just "met me." My About Me section is a little lackluster because it feels a little uncomfortable to just talk on about myself. I'm more of a story teller. So here's my Charlotte move story.

I was born in Raleigh, North Carolina. I don't really remember Raleigh very much. I moved to Irmo, South Carolina when I was 4 years old and lived there till I moved to college at 18. Irmo is my home and always will be. When someone asks me where I'm from I always say South Carolina.

Then I moved to Clemson, South Carolina for college. The best 4 years of my life! Clemson is a small town that wouldn't have much without the University. It is small, safe, familiar, and my second home. I love Clemson and I hope to visit for years to come but it isn't somewhere I would want to settle down.

Senior photos with my girlfriends!

My senior year I started the mind-numbing  fun process of looking for a job for after graduation. I didn't want to limit myself to a particular area but in the back of my mind I had 2 ideal locations: Greenville, South Carolina & Charlotte, North Carolina. I mostly liked the idea of living in a bigger city than I was accustomed to but still maintaining the southern feel I adore. Both of these cities fit that bill. 

 I received a job offer in Chicago but in my heart I knew it wasn't the right fit for me so I turned it down. Then I got deep into the interview process with 2 companies ironically located in Greenville and Charlotte. When it came down to it I knew the job in Charlotte was better for me long-term so I accepted the offer in January of my senior year.

After I accepted, I mentally moved to Charlotte. I was constantly thinking of things I can do there, how to meet new people, looking at apartments, searching for a roommate, looking for furniture, etc. I was so excited about living in an actual city and really having a fresh start while still being close to home!

Charlotte skyline...love!

And just for fun...here's my apartment building from the outside. I absolutely love it!

Camden Southline

So less than a week after graduation I moved to Charlotte to get settled before I started my job. So here I am. In the Queen City. I can't wait to see where my new home will take me. And just for fun here are a couple pictures from graduation...

Bedroom Inspiration

I love decor and decorating but have never really had an outlet to decorate. When I moved into my apartment and had the opportunity to decorate from scratch I was thrilled! To me, the most important part of my bedroom was the bed. 

My theme for my bed was neutral with feminine touches and lots of textures. I wanted my bed to be relaxing and comfortable, like a hotel room. You spend a third of your life sleeping, why not have a comfortable bed???

Here were some of my inspirations for my bedroom: 

I love the headboard, animal print, & gold lamp that pops with the neutral comforter.

I love the neutral textures in this one. 

This really captures the feminine aspects I wanted. 

How my room is arranged it's hard to get a good picture of my bed but here are a few...

Source List

1. Comforter (Similar)

2. Quilt in taupe

3. Shams

4. Throw Pillow

5. Bed frame

I love how it all came together. It definitely encompassed what I was looking for in my new room. What are some features you like in decorating a bed?