Here we are. The time has finally come. It has been a long time coming, whether you’d like to believe it or not. Years of discussing, debating, name-changing, nay-saying, and yay-saying, it all stops here. Whether you stumbled upon this blog or if you are a near and dear friend of mine, I hope you stick around.

Don’t think of this as your every day ‘foodie and wine’ blog. And don’t you dare think of this as your go-to spot for the latest Pinterest do’s and don’ts. I’ll be honest, you’ll read about food and wine and by golly you’ll read about home improvements– but there will be more. Much more.

Before I go any further, let me introduce myself.

My name is Cate. I have an undeniable, uncontrollable, and sometimes embarrassingly overzealous love for dairy products, specifically cheese. It all started back when I was a wee little lass, trying to find my way in this crazy world. My mother told me that I never stopped talking, even as a baby, I would just make noises and ‘talk’ non-stop. (Being a teacher to 9 year olds, I have since apologized to my mother, profusely.) Eventually I started making a little more sense and I began to repeat a single word from my highchair which my parents discovered meant ‘cheese.’ (I’ve checked the baby books, no record, unfortunately, of what the word actually was). Years passed and my love for cheesy foods only grew stronger. After a childhood cheese themed birthday party, cheese clothing and accessories, and the introduction of wine and cheese pairings into my life, the fact was real: Cheese is my passion.

Now there is more to me than cheese, just so we are clear. I am a teacher of small minds, a reader, a camper, a concert-goer, an explorer, and a mother to the cutest four-legged mutt in the world. I prefer the toilet paper to be rolled over, not under. Music is a must in my life, as well as laughter and corny puns. I love being outdoors, but don’t mind a night in with my sweatpants, some wine, and catching up on Scandal. I married my partner in crime in November of 2013. He’s the epitome of a best friend and one hell of a writer. Not to mention he is incredibly good looking. You can learn more about Derek later.

“So what is this blog?” You may be asking. Well, it is a little bit of everything. My dream for this blog is to teach, inspire, and to make you laugh, my dear reader. A Cheese + Lifestyle blog that includes just that: cheese and life. It may mold (see what I did there) and change as we grow older, as our family grows, but that’s life, with cheese.

-C