Note: This is a retroactive entry I put together in December 2011 to create a month-by-month recap of our first year in the new house. I admit I’m a little Type A. Below is a look back at what we worked on in January—think of it as high school yearbook captions for home projects.
Best Deal: Somehow we scored an energy-efficient front-loading washer and dryer for a total of $638 after stacking discounts. We then knocked another $75 off with a county energy efficiency rebate. Win.
Most Likely To Include A P-Diddy Reference: Our post about rearranging the built-ins. It was a tough project, but the result made the effort worthwhile.
Best Looking: Our tall, dark, handsome built-ins after a few coats of deep teal paint—they really transformed the space.
Most Outdoorsy: The leafy duvet we added to the bedroom. It looks especially cozy with a child and dog sprawled across it.
Most Hilarious: Realizing we consistently tackle our biggest, most disruptive house projects at the exact same time each year—over the holidays. Why do we do that to ourselves?
Most Calming: Removing crowded corner shelves so the fireplace could breathe. That post also included helpful caulking tips for patching wall holes.
Most Likely To Involve Secret Demo: Me, while John watches Clara. I couldn’t stand the granite lip around the bedroom sink, so I quietly removed it, then caulked and painted to make the sink read more like furniture.
Most Reflective: Hanging a mirror in front of a window to make the sink area more functional. Now we can see ourselves straight on when brushing our teeth instead of craning our necks toward the medicine cabinet.
Hardest To Remember: The soft blue-gray-green paint color we used in the bedroom—its name always slips my mind.
Most Disturbing: The post about the mirror that used to hang on the back of the guest room door—yes, it reflected your whole body while you sat on the toilet. Cringe.
Most Popular: A surprise favorite: a post about the names we almost had. It received a huge number of comments that month.
Most Overdue: A long-awaited video tour of our new house. If you’re on a smartphone you may need to open the video directly to view it.
Most Welcome Additions: Our new energy-efficient front-loading washer and dryer—yes, the buttons are conveniently located and easy to reach.
Most Romantic: Painting the mirror frame above the sink white. It added a soft, romantic contrast in the evenings.
Best Supporting Napkin: A single napkin inspired our entire house color palette; sometimes inspiration comes from the smallest places.
Sweetest: Finally hanging items on the walls in Clara’s nursery, including the careful, secure installation of a mirror above her crib so we never have to worry about it falling.
Biggest Fail: A very regrettable choice of shower curtain for the guest room. Thankfully returns exist.
Biggest Tools: We laid out every tool and DIY supply we own and photographed them like enthusiasts—an admittedly nerdy but practical post.
Most Indecisive: Choosing a soft gray paint for the living room, hallway, and dining room involved painting large test swatches, but ultimately that approach worked.
Most Cloud-Like: Painting the large living room and extra-wide hallway a chosen soft platinum gray. It took a lot of rolling and cutting in, but the results were worth it.
Best Discovery: Finding a thoughtful note hidden in the hall bathroom left by the previous owners—an unexpected and touching surprise.
Most Sore: After painting all the wood trim in the living room white, our arms and shoulders paid the price.
Most Likely To Result In A Giant Furniture Delivery: Our long hunt for the perfect oversized sectional—when you start measuring, you know a big delivery is coming.
Most Swatch-Happy: Bringing home a pile of fabric samples while looking for the right material for bedroom curtains. It’s a messy, color-filled process.
Weirdest Post I Ever Wrote: A silly post about new Target pillows—yes, I own my dorkiness.
Most Rambunctious: Our dog Burger going wild on the new bed pillows—he made them his own instantaneously.
Most Domestic: My curtain project for the bedroom. It didn’t involve sewing, but there was plenty of ironing and careful measuring.
Creepiest Inanimate Objects: The cabinets—because sometimes it feels like they’re silently watching us.
Biggest Surprise: The arrival of our giant Ikea sectional (nicknamed Karl, short for Karlstad). Putting him together was a memorable event, and we captured some of it on video.