Since today is a holiday here in the US—America’s birthday, no less—we’re spending time with family. Before the day gets away from us, we wanted to pause and share a recap of June. We’re a little late with our monthly summary (sorry!), but to make up for it we’ve linked a few past Fourth of July posts for inspiration and tossed in a couple of things you haven’t seen yet, like a new family portrait Katie B snapped for us while we were in Atlanta. If you’re feeling sentimental, you can also browse our monthly roundups going back to January 2011 to see a long list of projects and progress. Happy Fourth of July!
Most Refreshing: The new sightlines around the house now that the bush fence has been replaced with grass. It’s a great change—especially when the lawn is green—though summer heat has already started to change the palette a bit.
Biggest Surprise: How straightforward it was to take down the old balcony that blocked the future deck area. It came off more easily than we expected, and we’re glad we didn’t try to keep using it.
Most Worth the Wait: The scalloped kitchen rug we finally found at Urban Outfitters after an extensive search. It brought the look we wanted and made the time spent looking feel worthwhile.
Biggest Pop (Indoor): Painting the kitchen stools was a small effort that delivered a lot of cheer. A little color along the peninsula makes the space feel friendlier and more finished.
Biggest Pop (Outdoor): Introducing a tomato-red accent with our new Adirondack chairs. We saved for them the old-fashioned way—cash in a jar—and the color livens the patio.
Biggest Tearjerker: A custom plate we had made as an anniversary gift for my parents. The simple family dinner scene printed on the platter brought a few emotional moments when my mom saw it.
The “Never Thought I’d Do That!” Award: Using a power saw on our brick exterior as the first step in building the deck. It felt strange to cut into the house, but it was an important step toward the new outdoor space.
Messiest: The bathroom floor during the demo to remove the outdated tree-border tile. Demo is always chaotic, and that day was no exception.
Most Worldly: A colorful window-shopping trip through our local World Market. We loved gathering inspiration from the fun and eclectic items on display.
Most Sparkly: New glass subway tile we installed in the bathroom to replace the old border. The tile brightened the space and added a bit of shine.
Most Technical: A detailed post about some favorite Photoshop tricks for photo adjustments. It got a bit nitty-gritty, but sharing our process and learning from readers in the comments made it worthwhile.
Most Sentimental: A small gallery of frames in the bathroom featuring photos from each of our wedding anniversaries. We left one frame ready for our fifth anniversary photo—hoping to fill it with a decent picture soon.
Heaviest: The auger we rented to dig holes for deck posts. It was a hefty tool, but manageable in the end.
Shiftiest: Rearranging the bedroom furniture to break up an overly symmetrical layout. The new arrangement flows much better; took us a while to pull the trigger, but it was worth it.
Biggest Risk: Cutting the posts off “Ed the Bed.” It seemed risky at first, but the modification gave the bed a lighter, airier feel that we love.
Biggest Sourpuss: Me, after our first deck inspection failed and two days of work seemed wasted—until we received better news a few days later and were able to move forward.
Shakiest: The camerawork in our recent outdoor tour video—courtesy of Sherry. It was a little jittery, but the tour still gives a good feel for the space.
Most Well-Rounded: The new rug in our office. It’s a solid addition to the room, even if the two workaholics in the background still manage to steal a cameo.
Most Helpful: Clara—especially when we enlist her help at the home improvement store. She’s surprisingly game to help push the cart and assist with even large loads like the lumber we used for the headboard project.
Most Improved: Our bedroom, which has come together nicely thanks to a new upholstered headboard and a few layout tweaks.
Most Unresolved: The towel-bar disagreement that ended up at Goodwill by mistake. We wrote about it partly to hear what you all thought. Some readers sided with me, some didn’t—so the case remains open.
Most Likely to Make Things Awkward: Us—Sherry especially—at the Haven Conference. We gave the keynote, met other bloggers, let our kids (including Burger) run wild, and generally had a blast despite a little awkwardness here and there.
Most Disappointing (To Some): That our post titled “The Vow” wasn’t about Channing Tatum. Instead it featured Fourth of July tablesettings that Sherry put together for fun.
Friendliest: A set of whimsical “Twenty Northern Friends” that were part of a Father’s Day gift. As a side note, I was once voted “Friendliest” in high school band superlatives—small-town glory, but fun to remember.
Smiliest: The three of us in a family portrait Katie Bower captured during our visit. She somehow got all of us smiling at once—miracle worker that she is. Yes, Sherry is holding Clara’s hands to keep her from flailing, but the photo turned out sweet.
That’s June in a nutshell—along with a hefty round of book proofing that will go to print soon. It’s helpful to stop adding to the to-do list for a moment and celebrate what’s finished; it keeps the momentum going for bigger projects like the deck, bathroom and bedroom updates, and other outdoor work. What are you most proud of accomplishing this past month, and what are you aiming to complete in July? It feels like 2012 just started and suddenly we’re halfway through—where does the time go?