Hello there.

If you’re new around here, I thought it was time for me to re-introduce myself and tell you the story behind the blog.

I’m Caitlin, creator of Caitlin Houston Blog. I started this blog, formerly Confessions of a Northern Belle, in 2008 after my long time sweetheart proposed. Since Brandon and I were living in Atlanta, my blog would be a way for family and friends to follow my wedding planning process. I also loved the social network blogging can create!

Eleven years later, Caitlin Houston Blog is still going strong. The content has evolved just as life changes over time. From planning a destination wedding to life as a newlywed, from my adventures as a teacher to pregnancy, my story has taken many twists and turns. If not for me, but for my children, I hope that someday my posts serve as a little peek into my past.

Marriage

In 2009 I married my spring break sweetheart – yup, we met on a cruise our senior year of high school. You can read how C met B here in 2003. Our wedding was a four day party at the beach in Destin, FL with all of our family and friends.

After our wedding, we lived in Buckhead in Atlanta – it was so much fun! I worked a normal office job, but really wanted to be in a classroom. So, in 2010 I became a first grade teacher through a teaching residency program in Baltimore City, Maryland. We lived outside of the city until the summer of 2013 when I found out I was pregnant and we decided to move back to Georgia to buy our first house.

Motherhood

Annabelle Claire was born in December, just twelve days shy of my favorite holiday. She made our lives better than we ever imagined with her incredible sense of humor and pure wonderment of the world around her.

I stayed home with Annabelle for 8 months before going back to teaching. I taught first grade for a year and then moved up to third. I LOVE third grade, but when I became pregnant with Ailey, we knew the best choice for our family was for me to stay at home after she was born.

Ailey Leighton entered the world (with a little help) on a hot summer Monday evening. August 15th will forever mark the day sweet smiley Ailey made our family of three the happiest family of four.

Caitlin’s Life

I love being a SAHM – even with all of the challenges of having two kids (one who hates sleep), taking care of our home, and trying to maintain this little blog. It’s a constant struggle to find balance and I try to be truthful in my posts – my life isn’t a perfectly posed professional photograph. It’s messy, crazy, but everything I could ever want in a life.

Who is the Northern Belle?

When asked to describe my old blog name, Confessions of a Northern Belle, I’d have to say it’s exactly what it sounds like. I’m less of a Northern Belle and more of a Mom these days. Even though I was actually born in Michigan, I will always say I was born and raised in New England. I went to the University of Connecticut for two years, but transferred to the University of Tennessee in 2005 to be with my boyfriend-now-husband. Leaving my family was so hard… but I was pretty smitten.

For 12 years we lived in the South. During that time, one may say I struggled with an identity crisis. Surrounded by Southern ladies, it has been hard to not conform to ways of a belle… but the Yankee in me comes out mores than often. I talk fast and curse a lot, call myself a pizza snob, and say funny words like “grinder” for sandwich and “package store” for anyplace that sells alcohol.

In 2017, something kind of huge happened. My family and I moved to Connecticut.  I’ve brought my southern traits home to New England and my nickname “northern belle” couldn’t be anymore true.

I rebranded my blog in 2019 – want to know why? Here is why Caitlin Houston rebranded her blog. 

I am a lover of the little things.

There is so much that makes me happy – SNOW, Christmas, sunsets and starry nights. Cape Cod and Destin, being with my family, dancing in the kitchen, and pizza night. I love laughing and being silly, but am a rule follower who earned herself the nickname Deputy Dog.

I’m a bookworm with no time to read, a terrible baker, and even worse gardener. I love Dave Matthews Band because it reminds me of being 17, songs that make me cry, and any jam that makes me shake my booty.

Sometimes I’m nostalgic to a fault and others I’m fast forwarding to the future – but mostly I just want to live in the moment.

I ask a billion questions and crave details in a story. I’m terrible at remembering names, but can recall how to get anywhere I’ve been once. I have a bad temper, but a lot of patience with my children. I love fiercely and argue passionately. I hate loud chewers and messes I don’t make.

I like organization, but have a lot of hidden chaos in my home (trying to figure that out these days). I am who I am and try to own it, but just like most girls, I’m always striving to be a better person.

For all my new readers, I hope you stick around. For all my old friends, thanks for being loyal followers.