Note: This retrospective was assembled in December 2011 to create a monthly recap for our first year in the new house. Here’s a look back at what we tackled in April—high-school-yearbook style, with a few proud, messy, and memorable moments.
Most Outdoorsy: Digging out the liriope that had taken over nearly 80% of the future patio area. Clearing that mass of groundcover was a huge, satisfying step toward creating usable outdoor space.
Most Domestic: Transforming “Sue the Napkin” into Sue the Pillow. A small sewing win that made a cozy corner feel even more welcoming.
Biggest Crybaby: Sharing Clara’s terrifying—but ultimately miraculous—birth story. It was an emotional, life-changing experience that we felt compelled to recount honestly.
Most Likely To Result In Cursing: An epic battle with the sewing machine while trying to crank out a party banner. Sewing can be meditative—until it’s not.
Hoppiest: Crafting an Easter basket for Clara. Simple, handmade celebrations felt especially meaningful that month.
Most Illuminating: Finishing the freshly built console table and styling it with lamps and accessories. Seeing the piece in its final form was hugely rewarding.
Most Eco: Installing a rain barrel for Earth Day. It felt good to add a practical, water-saving feature to the yard.
Most Mature: Distressing new wood to make it look aged. It’s a small trick that adds character and a sense of history to fresh materials.
Most Likely To Result In Paint In Your Hair: Helping John’s sister paint her apartment—along with creating a photo wall for another relative and making a DIY baby book. Family projects inevitably involve paint dust, laughter, and lots of hands-on time.
Biggest Relief: Completing the big console table build. After many steps and revisions, finishing it felt like a major victory.
Best Editing: Removing one of the most oddly placed lights in the house. A small change, but it dramatically improved how the space looked and functioned.
Most Festive: Designing party invitations and custom Clara fabric—thanks to John’s scanned handwriting and the magic of Spoonflower. Personal touches made the celebration feel unique.
Most Well Hung: Finally completing our hallway’s double-sided frame gallery. Filling the walls with photos and art gave the hall a finished, welcoming vibe.
Most Type-A: Mounting two mirrors converted into dry-erase boards in the office for compulsive list-making. Organization meets obsession in the best possible way.
Least Type-A: Admitting a goo-related secret and then fixing it with some good old-fashioned elbow grease. Sometimes the messy stuff happens—and sometimes you have to roll up your sleeves and make it right.
Most Likely To Take A Few Installments: Beginning, continuing, and further continuing the console table project. Some projects naturally unfold over multiple posts and many weekends.
Biggest Metal Heads: Tweaking a large set of iron keys and displaying them with twine as wall art. Unexpected materials can make charming decorative statements.
Most Rebellious: Attempting to paint a chair—only to discover the experiment didn’t work out as planned. It happens; not every DIY is a triumph.
Biggest Procrastinator: Organizing our closet—four months in the making. We finally tackled it and felt the relief of reclaiming that space.
Biggest Slob: Sharing a tour of our not-so-perfect, pretty-darn-messy house. Real life doesn’t always match the glossy photos, and we embraced that honest glimpse.
Least Successful: Trying to repair my severely damaged ceramic dog. The attempt wasn’t a success, but it was worth trying to save something we cared about.