We’re taking one last look back at December to spot anything that might have slipped by—and to remind ourselves that we didn’t spend the whole month horizontally, living on Christmas cookies. Pausing to appreciate the things we actually finished each month motivates us to start new projects, so these little roundups serve as a “you did it—now keep going” boost for our DIY momentum. If you want more retrospectives, we’ve summarized each month from past years in archive-style roundups.
Before the highlights, here’s something we haven’t shared: our New Year’s Eve photobooth picture. It was taken in a classic old-fashioned booth, so the processing came out a bit, well, vintage—which conveniently hides the fact that I was making a “2013” with my hands in every frame. Clara, however, is clearly a photobooth pro. Just look at the expression range she delivers.
Most Undone: Our gradient Christmas tree. We enjoyed building it (and even made a time-lapse of the process), but it was taken down a few days after the holiday. We’re already dreaming about how to dress it up differently next season.
Most Improved: The mirror in our hall bathroom. We gave it a simple wood frame that instantly made the space feel more polished and finished.
Most Linked: The community link-up where readers shared projects inspired by our book. There are nearly 200 reader projects linked there now—such a great collection of creativity and inspiration.
Most Overdue: Meeting Nicole from Making It Lovely in person. We finally connected during our Chicago tour stop and, in December, shared photos from the day we toured her lovely home.
ORB Victim of the Month: All of our doorknobs. We freshened them up with a coat of our favorite spray paint—oil rubbed bronze—and the uniform finish made mismatched, worn knobs feel intentional and cohesive.
Most MacGyver-y: Painting the extra-tall sunroom presented some reach challenges, so we improvised: a paintbrush taped to a pole became our edging tool for awkward spots around the ceiling fan and other high places. It was low-tech, effective, and kind of satisfying.
Most Magnetic: The ornament magnets we made years ago and brought out again. They held our holiday cards and added a festive touch to surfaces around the house; we photographed them alongside other small seasonal decorations.
Most Graphic: Our how-to guide for changing outlets, presented in a single long infographic-style image. The single-image format—with captions—made the steps easy to follow at a glance.
Most Likely to Want World Peace: Me—temporarily crowned as acting Miss District of Columbia at one of our book signings in the Virginia/DC area. It was a fun, slightly surreal moment during a busy travel and event schedule, and that same stop included a holiday crafting session we led at LivingSocial.
Most Unimpressed: Burger, our ever-unfazed family member, when we painted the brick wall in the sunroom to match the rest of the room. The fresh coat unified the space beautifully; Burger was unimpressed as always.
Most Back-to-the-Future-ish: Sherry’s imagined do-over of our first house. While actually moving back and changing original choices is unlikely, it was fun to list what she’d redo and what she’d repeat now that our taste has evolved over the years.
Most Giftable: Our three holiday gift guides—curated lists for kids, ladies, and guys. We enjoyed putting them together and always love hearing if readers gave or received any of the items we suggested.
Coolest: The homemade play fridge we built for Clara for Christmas. Paired with a thrifted wire cart and some new play food, it expanded her pretend-play kitchen in a really sweet way.
Most Gifted: The spirit of giving was everywhere in December. We were especially proud not to buy any new wrapping supplies this year—reusing bags, paper, and tissue saved money and reduced clutter, and our outdoor lights made the house look festive.
Most Vertically Challenged (Plant Edition): Our tabletop tree, decorated with a mix of non-matching ornaments meaningful to our family, including a few made by Clara. We also added a simple felt garland that we put together from discounted ornaments.
Most Vertically Challenged (Human Edition): Sherry, who used a discreet box behind a desk to gain a little height during one of our live TV appearances in Richmond—helpful for camera framing and definitely a cheeky fix.
Most Dedicated to Their Craft: Clara and Burger, who were naturals when it came time to “steal” Santa’s treats for our Christmas card shoot. Their performances were adorable and surprisingly convincing.
Most Nerve-wracking: Hosting Christmas dinner for the first time. We stressed a bit beforehand, but everything came together, and Sherry got to use cloth napkins and magnolia leaves from the yard as place-setting accents.
Most Handsy: The makers we met at Richmond’s Handmade Holiday craft show. We came home with a few treasures—like the little wisdom cards Sherry keeps nearby while she works—and left inspired by the craftsmanship on display.
How about you? What did you get done last month, or what did the holiday rush postpone that you’re excited to tackle this year? We’ve got a few big projects on the list—a girl’s bedroom redo, an unfinished basement, and a sunroom that we can’t wait to dive into.