What Makes a House a Home

I missed this yesterday due to a virus on my computer but I'm determined to share this with you so here goes.

Last week A Perfect Gray posted an adorable growth chart from her home. It's things like this that make a house into a home. Not the perfectly styled vignettes, beautiful rugs, and spot on wall colors. Although we all love looking at those things we should get real with each other and show what makes our homes truly special. I have to admit this was a bit of a challenge for me for several reasons. I have only lived in my home for a little under 10 months now. I'm making the rough(and expensive!) transition from apartment decor to home decor. But more importantly I'm building a home with my husband. We will be married a year on April 18th. So for now at least, this is what I feel makes our house a home...

This is our back patio. With the beautiful Spring weather this is where I spend my afternoons decompressing after a long day at work. My husband and I like to sit here and watch the dogs play and the cat roll around in the dirt and talk about how our days went. It's truly lovely to have this outside space I desperately craved after bouncing from apartment to apartment for the past 7 years. I didn't style this picture whatsoever. This is what it looks like all the time (depending on the days events). Sometimes the pillows are in the yard due to the wind or certain other four-legged companions treating them like a toy. But for today, it's my sandals, Scott's crazy vibrams shoes and the new Anthropologie catalog. What makes your house a home?

*Edit: I forgot to mention another reason I like this space. My mom made me these pillows from discarded window panels I got at work and I had them along with the loveseat set up as a lounge area at my wedding. So cute!