diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index f0406eff8..9392057f7 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -2,4 +2,5 @@ auto-save-list/
 elpa/
 ac-comphist.dat
 eproject.lst
+.smex-items
 \#*
diff --git a/funcs.el b/funcs.el
index b501adfb1..b7d525620 100644
--- a/funcs.el
+++ b/funcs.el
@@ -13,14 +13,13 @@
       (set-register '_ (list (current-window-configuration)))
       (delete-other-windows))))
 
-;; from http://stackoverflow.com/questions/2905575/emacs-pass-arguments-to-inferior-python-shell-during-buffer-evaluation
-(defun python-send-buffer-with-args (args)
-  (interactive "sArguments: ")
-  (let ((source-buffer (current-buffer)))
-    (with-temp-buffer
-      (insert "import sys; sys.argv = '" args "'.split()\n")
-      (insert-buffer-substring source-buffer)
-      (python-shell-send-buffer))))
+;; from http://github.com/technomancy/emacs-starter-kit
+(defun esk-paredit-nonlisp ()
+  "Turn on paredit mode for non-lisps."
+  (interactive)
+  (set (make-local-variable 'paredit-space-for-delimiter-predicates)
+       '((lambda (endp delimiter) nil)))
+  (paredit-mode 1))
 
 (defun z:set-transparency (value)
   "Sets the transparency of the frame window. 0=transparent/100=opaque"
diff --git a/host/Qiao-MacBook/editing.el b/host/Qiao-MacBook/editing.el
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f121b204a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/host/Qiao-MacBook/editing.el
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+;; font size
+(set-face-attribute 'default nil :height 100)
+
diff --git a/init-package/init-find-file-in-project.el b/init-package/init-find-file-in-project.el
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..700abae40
--- /dev/null
+++ b/init-package/init-find-file-in-project.el
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+(global-set-key (kbd "C-c f") 'find-file-in-project)
+
diff --git a/init-package/init-paredit.el b/init-package/init-paredit.el
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..79d65039f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/init-package/init-paredit.el
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+(eval-after-load 'paredit
+;; need a binding that works in the terminal
+'(progn
+   (define-key paredit-mode-map (kbd "M-)") 'paredit-forward-slurp-sexp)
+   (define-key paredit-mode-map (kbd "M-(") 'paredit-backward-slurp-sexp)))
+
+(dolist (mode '(scheme emacs-lisp lisp clojure clojurescript))
+(when (> (display-color-cells) 8)
+  (font-lock-add-keywords (intern (concat (symbol-name mode) "-mode"))
+						  '(("(\\|)" . 'esk-paren-face))))
+(add-hook (intern (concat (symbol-name mode) "-mode-hook"))
+		  'paredit-mode))
diff --git a/init-package/init-smex.el b/init-package/init-smex.el
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a1b2ac810
--- /dev/null
+++ b/init-package/init-smex.el
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+(setq smex-save-file (concat user-emacs-directory ".smex-items"))
+(smex-initialize)
+(global-set-key (kbd "M-x") 'smex)
diff --git a/init.el b/init.el
index 033dd179c..0c06ef767 100644
--- a/init.el
+++ b/init.el
@@ -17,6 +17,10 @@
   (expand-file-name (concat user-emacs-directory "extensions/"))
   "Additional extensions.")
 
+(defvar host-directory
+  (expand-file-name (concat user-emacs-directory "host/" system-name "/"))
+  "Host specific configurations")
+
 (add-to-list 'load-path user-emacs-directory)
 (add-to-list 'load-path user-extensions-directory)
 
@@ -36,3 +40,9 @@
     (dolist (l (directory-files user-post-directory nil "^[^#].*el$"))
       (load (concat user-post-directory l)))))
 
+;; Host config ================================================================
+(progn (when (file-exists-p host-directory)
+    (dolist (l (directory-files host-directory nil "^[^#].*el$"))
+      (load (concat host-directory l)))))
+
+;; TODO refactor auto-loading functions for configuration files
diff --git a/packages.el b/packages.el
index 991aee6da..047aa735d 100644
--- a/packages.el
+++ b/packages.el
@@ -16,16 +16,20 @@
     erlang
     evil
     fill-column-indicator
+    find-file-in-project
     fuzzy
     highlight-symbol
+    ido-ubiquitous
     ipython
     jedi
     key-chord
     p4
+    paredit
     powerline
     popup
     rainbow-delimiters
     smart-operator
+    smex
     solarized-theme
     surround
     yasnippet
diff --git a/pre/editing.el b/pre/editing.el
index 90a04b034..defcb07d9 100644
--- a/pre/editing.el
+++ b/pre/editing.el
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+;; font size
+(set-face-attribute 'default nil :height 110)
 ;; whitespace-mode
 (setq-default show-trailing-whitespace nil)
 ;; When point is on paranthesis, highlight the matching one
diff --git a/pre/ui.el b/pre/ui.el
index 55dbf375b..225aa8b53 100644
--- a/pre/ui.el
+++ b/pre/ui.el
@@ -3,8 +3,6 @@
 (menu-bar-mode -1)
 (scroll-bar-mode -1)
 (fringe-mode 0)
-;; font size
-(set-face-attribute 'default nil :height 110)
 ;; number colon mode
 (global-linum-mode t)
 ;; Show column number in mode line