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A Hosting Home

Styling and Inspiration + Handcrafted Designs

Coffee with Cathy

What We Learned Our First Year of Marriage

We’ve been married for one year!

If you’ve had the chance of reading about our story you’d know that, technically, we were married for one year back in April because we eloped before our big wedding. Nevertheless, it’s been a big year for us! We moved across the country for Rob’s career, I’ve been hustling hard with my business, and we’ve been making plans for the future of our little family. To be honest, I feel even more like an old married couple than we already are. At least my overgrown toddler of a pup keeps me young!

This is a different kind of blog post.

Not different in any way other than that Rob wrote this blog post with me! It was the classic end of an evening with pillow talk. We realized that we had started dating that day three years ago. And as embarrassing as it may sound, we were looking back at all our old Facebook photos together! We both couldn’t believe how much we had changed over the past 3 years, both physically and mentally. We dated during year one, we were engaged during year two, and married during year three. That’s a lot of change in a few years! As we were both drifting off to sleep I found myself asking the big question.

“So, what have you learned our first year of marriage?”

I’m not afraid to say that I learned a lot over the course of my relationship with Rob. Not only have I learned about him and this thing we call love, I have learned a lot about myself. I’m confident enough to say that I am a much stronger woman than I use to be, and I wouldn’t be where I am today without him. He’s taught me that I could no longer float and tiptoe around in life in order to go unnoticed. My feet must rest squarely in the area in which I reside, look people in the eye, and own the space I occupy. Because if I don’t believe I belong, I never actually will.

Inn at Quarry Ridge Wedding // Atlanta Wedding Planner // Atlanta Wedding Coordinator

Kati Hewitt Phography

Marriage is work.

I don’t mean to say that to scare you out of marrying the man of your dreams. Work isn’t always a bad thing. I can confidently say that even great marriages are work. I mean, it had to get great somehow, right? You’re working together towards the common goal of your forever together. Naturally you’ll have differences of opinion or grumpy attitudes some days when your significant other eats all your chocolate. (True story. He now labels it so I don’t touch it!)

The sad reality is that if marriage was really that easy, there wouldn’t be so many broken families in this world. A wise woman once told me that it takes a lot more than just love to make a marriage work. It’s all the things that stem from your love working together. Kanye’s lyrics will start to take on a new meaning, and what doesn’t kill you truly does make you stronger. Together.

(or Kelly Clarkson. She sings pretty much the same lyrics, right?)

It goes by fast.

If you think your wedding day will fly by in a blur, try marriage. It honestly feels like we got married just yesterday. When I think in terms of the past year, I often go back way further. It just doesn’t seem possible that time has flown by that fast. As if moving twice, hustling in a business, and everything else that comes with a new marriage wasn’t enough.

One of the things I cherish most are the photos that we have together. They’re some of my favorite things in the whole world. Not only do photographs capture memories, they capture the emotions. While I overflowed my iPhone with experiences and photos of the little things, my biggest regret is not taking more photos of us over this past year. I can only hope that I take the time to actually print the ones I do have. I feel like before I know it, another year will have gone by.

It’s a lot of giving, less taking.

When they say that marriage is a lot of give and take, it’s actually a lot more giving than taking. I don’t mean it in the sense that you’ll be begrudgingly putting your spouse first in everything. What I mean is that your decisions aren’t impacting just you anymore. It’s about putting your spouse first in everything. It’s about putting your spouse first because you genuinely care about their feelings and input. You’ll find yourself asking, “How would ___ feel about this?” before even minor decisions that you make. You’ll be putting their needs and wants before your own.

For example, there’s a good portion of the population who things it’s strange that I ask my husband for permission for just about everything. I don’t ask permission because I have to. I’m not a suppressed woman caught in a power struggle. In fact, nine times out of ten, he sarcastically answers me by saying that he doesn’t care or asking why I’m even asking in the first place. But rather, I ask because I care about what Rob thinks, and he does the same to me.

Dating is still just as important. 

I’ve preached this before, and I will always continue to do so. Dating does not stop at the wedding day. Nevertheless, it’s actually more important after you’re married. You’re living together, you’re spending all your waking moments together, and you may feel like ‘everyday is a date day.’ In reality, you get caught in the routine of life, the trap that a busy schedule equates to success, and chasing time that isn’t there.

Time is a precious commodity in the world. Making time to date your spouse in a season of life that shows no signs of slowing down is saying “You are important. You are worth my time.” 

Lastly, in the words of Rob, “No one really cares if you leave the toilet seat up.”

While he may think that no one really cares, they do. In actuality, I’ve learned it’s more about picking your battles when it comes to your marriage. It’s about asking yourself what really matters in the grand scheme of things. Is it really worth picking a fight over? Sometimes it is. Fighting can be healthy. But, chances are the little things aren’t a question of your spouse’s character. Leaving the toilet seat up doesn’t mean Rob is an awful person – it means that men are just dorks! Save the fighting for battles that need to be fought. Hopefully, there won’t be too many of those.

June 23, 2017

« What Your Wedding Guests {Really} Care About
Live Painting is the New Wedding Trend You’re Going to Love »

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Atlanta based Award Winning Interior and Event Designer and Home Blogger Cathy Nugent

Hi, friends! I'm Cathy, a nationally published award winning designer of spaces to gather and southern belle writer based out of a small(ish) town outside of Atlanta, Georgia. However, most people know me as the Monica Geller of my friend group – a coffee connoisseur and dog mom with a huge heart for hosting and an eye for design. The heart behind what I do is simple. I want to help you be intentional on creating spaces to gather and celebrating life's precious moments - whether that be weddings, parties, or something as simple as having loved ones in your home. Living Simply, Loving Generously, and Hosting with Heart.

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Spring gardening is right around the corner, and I Spring gardening is right around the corner, and I’m already starting to get ours prepped thanks to @walmart Lawn and Garden! #AD With a newborn and a toddler, running errands can be quite the task. But thanks to #WalmartLawnandGarden, I’ve been able to get everything I need to kickstart our garden this year in one place — from the convenience of snuggling my babies on my couch with Walmart.com and the app! The time it saved me from running all over town, I got to spend making core memories with John as we taught him how to start his very first set of seeds in the @jiffygroup seed starting tray. 

Here’s a look at what we got to kickstart our garden this year:
- The @jiffygroup Seed Starting Greenhouse Kit: to grow our own seedlings and get a head start on the season by starting them indoors! 
- The  @ferrymorseseed Seed Starting Heat Mat: to give our seeds the best chance possible to promote germination and improve transplant results 
- Ferry Morse Seeds (flowers, tomatoes, and peppers!) 
- @pennington Rejuvenate Potting Mix and Garden Soil: to give our seedlings the nutrients they need once transplanted into our garden 
- Pennington Rejuvenate Tomato Plant Food
- @scottslawn Landscaping Fabric: to keep our garden clean and free of pesky weeds
- The @flexonhose Flextreme Advanced 100ft Hose: to keep it all watered without fighting kinks as we move easily around our raised garden beds

Add this kit to your cart now ➡️ https://click2cart.com/59600bc

Get a jumpstart on your spring and summer garden this year by shopping everything you need at Walmart, in-store or online at Walmart.com. And stay tuned to see how our garden comes together and grows this year! 

#GrowYourGardenatWalmart #GreenThumbAndGardenVariety
Tired of constantly charging your Dyson? (Or reall Tired of constantly charging your Dyson? (Or really, are you tired of forgetting to charge your Dyson?) Because I was. 🙋🏼‍♀️ Enter in: a DIY-er’s solution ➡️ stick a @dewalttough battery on that thing and vacuum for weeks on a single charge. 

But really, I’ve been using the same battery charge for a couple weeks now on vacuuming the downstairs of our house — and with two kids and two dogs, I do a quick vacuum every single day (sometimes multiple times a day!) The best part? Can rotate and charge with all our other Dewalt tool batteries. 

Comment LINK 🔗 for a DM with links to shop or shop via @shop.ltk ➡️ https://liketk.it/432TF

#ahostinghome #ltkhome #diy #diyhacks #diyhack #diyprojects #diyproject #amazonfinds #dyson #ltkfamily #ltkfind
Wait for it… ✨ Still can’t get over this stu Wait for it… ✨ Still can’t get over this study transformation we finished right before baby got here! Officially my favorite room and project in the house right now. 😍 #ahostinghome 

Color Details: Tricorn Black by @sherwinwilliams mixed in @behrpaint (Marquee, Eggshell) from @homedepot #swcolorlove #tricornblack #tricornblacksherwinwilliams 

Wallpaper : @wall.blush (See the full mural on the other wall on my stories saved to the ‘STUDY’ highlight bubble!) 

Comment LINK 🔗 for a DM with a link to shop sources or shop via @shop.ltk ➡️ https://liketk.it/42XaB

#diy #diyprojects #diyproject #diyhomeprojects #diyhomeimprovement #diyhomedecor #diybuilds #diybuild #diybuiltins #builtins #builtinshelves #bhghome #bhg #mybhg #bhglivebetter #whodatwithponderosa #hgtvmagazine #hgtvhome #diyideas #diylikeamother #diyhome #homedecor #homedesign #interiordesign #ltkhome
James Kayleb Nugent January 20th, 2023 💛 James James Kayleb Nugent
January 20th, 2023 💛

James was born last Friday morning, and spent the first 5 days in the NICU for some breathing issues and fluid in his lungs. While those days were extremely rough, trying, and brought back a lot of emotions from Layne’s birth — God is so good, and my heart is just overwhelmed by His faithfulness. My favorite moment in life thus far was surprising John before bedtime the night we were finally discharged to come home. I’ll never forget the look on his face when I walked through that door. Thank you, Jesus, for my babies. 🦋💛 #ahostinghome
10/10 recommend just going for it and painting the 10/10 recommend just going for it and painting the entire room black. ✨ #ahostinghome

Color Details: Tricorn Black by @sherwinwilliams mixed in @behrpaint (Marquee, Eggshell) from @homedepot #swcolorlove #tricornblack #tricornblacksherwinwilliams 

Wallpaper : @wall.blush (See the full mural on the other wall on my stories saved to the ‘STUDY’ highlight bubble!) 

#diy #diyprojects #diyproject #diyhomeprojects #diyhomeimprovement #diyhomedecor #diybuilds #diybuild #diybuiltins #builtins #builtinshelves #bhghome #bhg #mybhg #bhglivebetter #hgtvmagazine #hgtvhome #diyideas #diyhome #homedecor #homedesign #interiordesign #traditionalhome #traditionalhomemagazine #modernfarmhouse #modernfarmhousestyle
✨ STUDY REVEAL ✨ I got a lot of nervous respon ✨ STUDY REVEAL ✨ I got a lot of nervous responses when I said I wanted to design an all black formal study right off my entryway, but I’m completely obsessed with every detail of this space. Rob has always wanted a study, so my goal with this space when it’s finished is to have almost like a moody, swanky cigar lounge feel. When we moved into this house this spring, I told Rob I was done playing it “safe for resale” with designing projects. Here’s to more of doing whatever the heck I want design wise in 2023! 👏🏼✨ Next up: let’s get this space styled and furnished! #ahostinghome

// Paint Color: Tricorn Black by @sherwinwilliams mixed in @behrpaint Marquee (satin on built ins, eggshell on walls) at @homedepot #swcolorlove #tricornblack #tricornblacksherwinwilliams 

// Wallpaper: @wall.blush 

// Light Fixture linked via @shop.ltk ➡️ https://liketk.it/3Yy4l #ltkhome 

#diy #diyproject #diyprojects #interiordesign #homedesign #builtins #diybuilds #diybuild #diyideas #diyhomeimprovement #diyhomeprojects #diyhomedecor #diylikeamother #diydesigntherapy #traditionalhome #traditionalhomemagazine #traditionalhomedecor #traditionalhomestyle #homerenovation #bhg #bhghome #mybhg #bhgcolor #bhglivebetter #bhgstylemaker
It’s been a year. ✨ & I can’t wait to see wh It’s been a year. ✨ & I can’t wait to see what the next one holds. #ahostinghome
“And with that, the 2022 season comes to an end. “And with that, the 2022 season comes to an end.” ✨🎄 When do you take your Christmas decor down? The Christmas decor got put away earlier this week, and the house always feels so empty every year when it gets taken down! I was going to wait till next week to take it down, but with only 3 weeks left until baby arrives I’m finding myself in total nesting mode right now. Behind the scenes we’ve been putting finishing touches on the study while Rob was off work for Christmas, so I’ll be sharing all the photos and updates on that to the feed soon. In the meantime, who wants to come organize closets and baby stuff with me?! 😜 #ahostinghome

#bhghome #bhg #bhgholiday #bhghowiholiday #bhgchristmas #bhgcelebrate #homedecor #christmas #christmasdecor #christmastree #traditionalhome #traditionalhomedecor #traditionalhomemagazine #homedesign #interiordesign #tablescape #tablesetting #tabledecor #tablescapes #centerpiece #tablecenterpiece
✨ Christmas Karen-ing ✨ It’s like caroling, ✨ Christmas Karen-ing ✨ It’s like caroling, but from your least favorite neighbor. #ahostinghome 

#christmas #funnyvideos #funnymemes #funnyreels #momsofinstagram #christmasdecor #christmastree #christmastime #karen #bhghome #whodatwithponderosa #bhgholiday #bhghowiholiday #bhgchristmas #bhgcelebrate #sourhernliving #hgtv #hgtvmagazine #hgtvhome #countryliving #momlife #momreels #christmaskaren

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