We can’t believe we’re already halfway through February (January was a bit of a blur). To celebrate the progress we actually made—so we don’t get stuck in that “we didn’t get anything done” mindset—I put together a yearbook-style roundup of January. If you want to dig further back, we summarized every month from the past two years in earlier roundups, but for now here’s what stood out this month.
First up: a few things we haven’t blogged about yet, plus one eccentric theory involving bacon and mustaches.
Most Likely to Sport a Mustache: Anyone who dropped by the FLOR store in SoHo for our signing and posed with the homemade mustache photo props. I declared, half-jokingly, that “The mustache is the bacon of the face.” Bacon and mustaches have both been trendy and show up on all kinds of random items, so why not? Conversely, I also said that “Bacon is the mustache of breakfast.”
Most Intrigued: Clara, when she opened the homemade latch board we gave her for Christmas. Her first reaction—“oh wow man!”—made us laugh, and she’s been fascinated with it ever since, especially the colorful carabiners we added.
Biggest Relief: Finally revealing our new lighting collection at Shades of Light. We’d kept this side project under wraps for over a year, so it felt great to show a colorful, budget-friendly line that actually felt like us. We were proud that nothing in the collection topped the $99 mark.
Worst Speller: Me. Sherry caught a typo—“resoltions”—in every one of my graphics moments before we posted our 2013 blogging resolutions. A quick Photoshop fix and no one was the wiser.
Most Handsome: Burger. It would’ve been awkward to give this to anyone else—he looked so dignified next to the pillow I gave Sherry for Christmas. We also shared a post rounding up the gifts we exchanged, complete with silly faces and a few unexpected items.
Most Text-y: Both of us. Sherry introduced me to a thrift-store media console via text, and she’s known for long texting threads with friends far away. Those conversations keep her social life lively even on busy days.
Biggest Nerd: Sherry, for the clever cleaning formula she came up with to restore a dingy thrift-store media console. Her little experiments are part of what makes DIYing with her so much fun.
Most Talked About: Sherry’s bangs, which she impulsively cut herself and which have sparked plenty of conversation at Instagram posts and book tour stops. People are oddly fascinated by when the bangs appear or disappear.
Most Compact: Our system for storing Christmas decorations. We outlined how we packed everything away so it stays organized for the other 11 months of the year.
Most Quotable: Clara again. Her little sayings inspired our annual DIY calendar, which features her quotes and Instagram photos—plus Burger makes an appearance too. We also shared a free template for anyone who wants to make their own calendar.
Most Trendy: The art above the daybed in our sunroom. I even made an animated GIF to show the wall’s progress—proof I’ve jumped on the GIF bandwagon.
Most Addicted: Me, to the oversized bike prints in the sunroom and the simple DIY frames I put together for them. I’m happy to be caught cheating on a few pieces of art for these favorites.
Most Colorful: Our whole-house color palette. The post wasn’t about bold, splashy hues so much as seeing how colors flow from room to room through fabrics, rugs, and accessories.
Most Helpful: My newest DIY assistant, who helped operate the power drill while we assembled a new shelving unit for the sunroom. Power tools beat allen wrenches any day.
Most Revealing: The glass-doored bathroom in a Miami hotel we stayed at during our recent tour stops. It was one memorable detail among many stories from the trip.
The “Clean Slate” Award: Our playroom/junk room, which we finally cleared out and repainted. It feels great to use the space rather than close the door and hide the clutter.
Most Honest: A behind-the-scenes look at how the book business works for us. We shared that publishing a book didn’t turn us into millionaires—thankfully we did it for love, not riches.
Most Excited: Clara, for her “big girl” room. A daybed, bright bedding, and a play table cut down to her size made the room feel more grown-up and more hers.
Most Likely to Be Pregnant: Our friend Lori, who happened to be expecting both times we stopped by her home. Her new house drew attention for its beautiful built-ins in the family room.
Most Likely to Keep Instagram in Business: Us. We recently ordered prints and magnets for personal projects, proving that the app fuels plenty of real-world uses.
Most Fudge-ing Awesome: The response to our unofficial Macklemore thrift-shop challenge. We feared we were the only ones obsessed, but the enthusiasm you all showed made it a blast.
Most Debated: A dresser we found on Craigslist for Clara’s room. We’re still undecided about refinishing it or painting it—thanks for all the suggestions.
Most Organized: The pegboard in the basement, now complete with both decorative items and functional storage pieces.
Most Likely to Get Lots of Action: The pink polka-dot ombré rug in Clara’s new room. It’s bound to see jumping, tea parties, and energetic stuffed-animal mosh pits.
Most Likely to Miss the Memo That Christmas Is Over: The white ceramic houses Sherry kept on the mantle. They were a holiday item, but they fit so well they’ve stayed put.
How was your January? Did you travel, finish a big project, or just hunker down and try to stay warm? We’d love to hear what you accomplished.
P.S. We shared a collection of hilarious kid quotes about houses on our family site—those kids are unexpectedly insightful and very funny.