Ack. It’s August, which means September is just around the corner, summer is winding down, and somehow the calendar is hurtling toward the end of the year. Maybe that’s dramatic, but the months fly by. To keep our momentum and avoid burnout, we like to pause and look back at what happened the previous month—sharing highlights, little victories, and some behind-the-scenes moments. It won’t stop the Earth from spinning, but reflecting tends to recharge us and keep the projects moving forward. Plus it makes it easier to browse through archived posts and see how far we’ve come.
Most Likely To Go Mad: That would be me, after digging endless holes for the deck. Between the physical labor and dealing with a county inspector who didn’t pass our first round of holes, patience has been tested. Still, progress is progress.
Best Lungs: Katie Bower—she’s got an impressive scream in the video where she introduces the Summer Pinterest Challenge. Whether she’s cheering on a waterslide or hollering from a tractor, her excitement is contagious.
Sexiest Accent: A simple but bold detail in Jae’s kitchen—she painted the window sash black for a striking contrast. It’s the kind of small move that adds a ton of character and makes a space feel curated.
Most Shameless: Sherry and Katie Bower, who filmed a video in the middle of a busy Goodwill. They didn’t flinch as shoppers wandered into frame; the energy of the thrift-hunt moment carried the clip.
Modern Shakespeare Award: For the Sisqo reference we worked into a post about a crayon-holding truck we found at Goodwill. Sometimes a catchy one-liner or throwback song just fits too perfectly to resist.
Oldest: The Craigslist sideboard we picked up for a steal. It reminded us why every room benefits from at least one older piece—character and history that brand-new furniture can’t replicate.
Most Challenging: The Summer Pinterest Challenge results. It was our fourth go-round and this time Sherry tackled DIY abstract art while readers contributed over 600 inspiring projects. The variety and creativity were amazing.
Least Challenging: The simple wood frames I made to showcase Sherry’s Pinterest Challenge artwork. They were intentionally straightforward—minimal steps, maximum ease—so the art could shine.
The Math Geek Award: For the arithmetic-inspired art we admired during a window-shopping trip. We always notice little unexpected design moments that spark ideas for our own home.
The Zoology Award: To the readers who gently corrected us about the creatures we rescued from the deck holes—it turns out they were toads rather than frogs. Scientific accuracy appreciated, and sorry to any offended toads.
Most Welcoming: Julie’s breezy, bright entryway. When we toured her house, her warm, thoughtful styling made the whole space feel inviting and effortless.
Grossest: Me, after crawling around an uncomfortably hot attic to center a light fixture in the bathroom. I emerged grimy and exhausted, but the finished result made it worth the discomfort.
Most Improved-ish: Our bathroom mini-makeover. With small improvements—a new toilet, lighting, and an accent tile—we wrapped up the update for about $230. It’s enough to tide us over until we plan a larger overhaul.
Sneakiest: Us, for slipping away to the beach for a week earlier in the month. Blogging from a phone is its own kind of challenge, but a little getaway did us good.
Biggest Heart: A tie between Sherry’s Aunt Kay Kay and the readers who left kind, comforting comments after Sherry shared the news of her aunt’s passing. Community means everything during tough times.
Most Angelic: Clara, who looks absolutely bathed in light in photos Sherry took of our newly dressed-up sideboard. Kid photography magic never gets old.
Most Decisive: Us, when choosing a paint swatch for the bedroom. We tested two grays and picked the winner quickly—sometimes the right choice is obvious.
Most High Tech: Our improvised time-lapse setup while repainting the bedroom a deeper gray. A laptop balanced on furniture, taped into place—low-budget ingenuity for the win.
Thriftiest: Sherry, after a thrift-store tour while on vacation. She always manages to find the best scores and creative possibilities in unexpected places.
Messiest: My sister and I after running the Color Me Rad 5K—smeared in colored powder, exhausted, and grinning. Sherry even turned some of the leftover color into a canvas project.
Most Unusual: An egg-shaped swiveling chair found at the Salvation Army for $30. It needed TLC, but its quirky silhouette was irresistible compared to pricier modern versions.
Most Secret-tive: A post about design foreshadowing around the house that got readers debating whether it was subliminal taste, manifestation, or simply pattern recognition. The variety of opinions made it a fun conversation.
Best Moves: My little celebratory jig on the newly joist-filled deck—finally starting to feel like real progress, and that alone deserves a happy dance.
Most Animal Friendly: The thrift-store egg chair after Sherry painted it white; somehow it seemed to invite a parade of small animal friends in photos, from stuffed rhinos to toy chihuahuas. Cute and cozy.
Most Tedious: All the prep work for the deck, like adding blocking for posts, that had to happen before we could lay the decking boards. Tedious, but necessary.
Most Likely To Make You Crave Waffles: A recent post about registry dos and don’ts sparked a surprising waffle debate in the comments. Even though we didn’t register for a waffle maker, now we’re kind of craving one.
Most Stylish: Whoever wins our upcoming Monday giveaway. We’re keeping the exact prize a surprise, but it’s something stylish—stay tuned.
How was your July? Any highlights, setbacks, or unexpected discoveries—frogs or toads included? We’d love to hear what made your month memorable.