diff --git a/hosts/darwin/cen-it-07/configuration.nix b/hosts/darwin/cen-it-07/configuration.nix
index d170d25..bd4eae1 100644
--- a/hosts/darwin/cen-it-07/configuration.nix
+++ b/hosts/darwin/cen-it-07/configuration.nix
@@ -11,27 +11,22 @@
     ../default.nix
   ];
 
+  # import home grown host specific home-manager modules
+  home-manager.users.blake.imports = [
+    ../../../users/blake/hosts/cen-it-07.nix
+  ];
+
   # base system package install list
   environment.systemPackages = with pkgs; [
   ];
 
-  # set timezone
-  time.timeZone = "America/Chicago";
-
-  # allow proprietary packages
-  nixpkgs.config.allowUnfree = true;
-
-  # enable flakes
-  nix.settings.experimental-features = ["nix-command" "flakes"];
-  users.defaultUserShell = pkgs.zsh;
-
   nix-homebrew = {
     enable = true;  # install homebrew
-    system.stateVersion = 6;
     enableRosetta = true;   # install homebrew for rosetta as well
     autoMigrate = true;
     user = "bhelderman";  # user owning homebrew prefix
   };
 
+  system.stateVersion = 6;
 
 }
diff --git a/hosts/darwin/default.nix b/hosts/darwin/default.nix
index 4c06f11..294228b 100644
--- a/hosts/darwin/default.nix
+++ b/hosts/darwin/default.nix
@@ -24,9 +24,21 @@
     vim
     lf
     btop
-    powertop
   ];
 
+
+  # define home-manager user
+  home-manager = {
+    extraSpecialArgs = {inherit inputs;};
+    backupFileExtension = "bak";
+    useUserPackages = true;
+    useGlobalPkgs = false;
+    users = {
+      "bhelderman" = import ../../users/blake/home.nix;
+    };
+  };
+
+
   # set timezone
   time.timeZone = "America/Chicago";
 
@@ -35,6 +47,5 @@
 
   # enable flakes
   nix.settings.experimental-features = ["nix-command" "flakes"];
-  users.defaultUserShell = pkgs.zsh;
 
 }
diff --git a/users/blake/hosts/cen-it-07.nix b/users/blake/hosts/cen-it-07.nix
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0e425d9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/users/blake/hosts/cen-it-07.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+{
+  config,
+  lib,
+  pkgs,
+  inputs,
+  ...
+}: let
+  home_dir = config.home.homeDirectory;
+in {
+  imports = [
+    ../dots/core
+  ];
+
+  dots = {
+    lf.enable = true;
+    nvf.enable = true;
+    zsh.enable = true;
+    ssh.enable = true;
+    gpg.enable = true;
+    git.enable = true;
+    xdg.enable = true;
+  };
+
+  home.packages = with pkgs; [
+  ];
+}