Sorry for the slightly late post this morning — two of the three people in our house have the flu. Not fun!
For everyone asking about the February Superlatives, here they are. We were in Hawaii the week they were originally due, so they rolled over to this week. And honestly, we’re relieved February is behind us. Not the part where we finished the month basking oceanside in 80-degree weather, but the weeks of scrambling to finish a secret book project and a big photoshoot. After surviving that, preparing for a presentation in Portland, and juggling an ongoing kitchen renovation, it feels good to take a look back at what these 29 action-packed days held — yearbook superlative style. We even included a few never-before-seen moments for fun. If you want to browse our monthly superlatives going back to January 2011, you can find them in our monthly roundups for a quick glance at a year’s worth of projects in a dozen posts.
Most Hooked Up: Clara, who got a dedicated spot to hang her coat when Sherry repurposed an old brown rail hook and spray-painted it white as part of a “Dude, Get On That Already” challenge.
Brightest: The horse bookends, given a bold yellow spray-paint treatment as another installment of the Dude, Get On That Already series. The pop of color brought life to a simple shelf display.
Best Cover Up: The patch job on the holes in our ceiling where old fluorescent fixtures once were. Calling it “best” might be generous — the process involved more than a few globs of spackle and rather unfortunate splatters on Sherry — and yes, we captured the chaos on video.
Best Cover Up (Runner Up): The cover I built to conceal our range hood. Looking back at it raw and unpainted is kind of hilarious, but it does the job and the finished piece fits the space nicely.
Best Supporting Role: The brackets we selected to secure our open shelves. Not everyone is a fan of visible brackets (it’s a long-standing design debate), but they work perfectly for us and give the shelves the support they need.
Most Open Minded: Us, once we finally hung the open shelving in the kitchen. It was love at first sight — the shelves felt like the missing puzzle piece that pulled everything together.
Most Improved: Our open shelves after we filled them with dishes, glasses, serving bowls, and a few decorative pieces. Unloading the dishwasher became a breeze, and living with open shelving has been a pleasant surprise.
Biggest Quack: The wooden goose we finally mounted by the front door. It’s a quirky, cheerful touch that greets visitors and sets a playful tone right at the entry.
The Close Call Award: Reinstalling the crown molding in the kitchen, during which we almost ran out of matching molding scraps — a situation that would have forced us to rework the entire room. That would have been a major headache, so we were relieved when it all worked out.
Biggest Splash: The new colorful artwork we hung in the kitchen featuring a vibrant swimmer and some imaginative fish that both Clara and a few readers have spotted. It added a lively focal point to the space.
Blingiest: The light fixture we ORBed and installed above the kitchen sink. It had been waiting around the house for months, and finally found the perfect spot to shine.
Blingiest (Runner Up): The backsplash tile after we cleaned it up with a haze remover. It went from dull and hazy to sparkling again with a little elbow grease.
Freshest: A bouquet of tulips that brought a bright, almost-spring feeling to the kitchen and lightened the mood during a hectic month.
The “It’s About Darn Time” Award: Our dishwasher, which finally got an upgrade from bisque to matching stainless steel. Small changes like this make daily life feel a little more polished.
Biggest Potty Mouth: Me, for talking at length about replacing the wax ring under the hall bathroom toilet. Plumbing topics aren’t glamorous, but they’re satisfying to tackle.
Biggest Smash: Poor Ramsy, our ceramic ram head, which was the one major casualty of the book photoshoots. It’s always a bummer to lose a favorite prop, but we learned a lot during the shoot.
Most Organized: Sherry, who’s feeling streamlined after falling for a new non-grocery coupon sorting folder. Small organizational wins make a big difference.
Least Organized: Our tool drawers, still a bit chaotic, though at least they’re back inside a cabinet instead of scattered across the daybed. We salvaged an old wall oven cabinet, cut it down, and relocated it to the sunroom for tool storage.
Class Clown: The performers of the Richmond Comedy Coalition, who had us laughing during a Richmond Famous improv show where we guest-starred earlier in January. As for Sherry’s contribution, she might take home the prize for the oddest underwear story.
Most Flattering: The people of Portland, who went out of their way to make us feel welcome at the Portland Home & Garden Show. Meeting readers there and seeing how many made an effort to stop by was truly humbling — best readers ever.
Biggest Beach Bum: Clara, who couldn’t get enough of the ocean on our first-ever blogging vacation in Hawaii. She delighted in every sandy, splashy minute.
Longest House Guests: The book photography crew, who effectively lived with us for three weeks while producing amazing photos. Their presence created chaos, but the results were worth it. Our house is still recovering, but we’re slowly getting back to normal — hopefully well before the book’s October release.
How was your February? Did you squeeze a lot into the short month? Have you ever made a list of accomplishments to celebrate what you’ve completed? Leave a few highlights in the comments if you like. Taking a moment to acknowledge what you’ve finished — rather than immediately adding more tasks to the to-do list — is a great way to keep momentum going.