Our exterior lighting has been a bit underwhelming, as shown by the tiny fixture outside the back door of our garage (and yes, that grimy green brick could use a good scrubbing). The door itself is a little rough, too. We recently removed a rusty, loudly-banging storm door, and we’re planning to repair the trim … Read more

This post started from a casual Instagram comment: someone asked if I’d ever filmed myself styling a bookshelf so they could watch the process. A lot of people replied “yes, please,” so I decided to record and share it. Here it is. My friend Teresa recently added built-ins to her living room and invited me … Read more

Did you know you can give your brick fireplace a fresh, whitewashed look using paint you already have at home? We transformed our fireplace wall in less than a day without spending a dime. We don’t mind exposed brick, but in many of our homes it’s been that unattractive orangey-brown color rather than the deep, … Read more

Behr Paint Giveaway Winner: Laundry Room and Entry Hall Makeover Back in April we announced three winners in our Behr paint giveaway. One of those winners has returned with photos and details of her finished project, and it’s a great example of how a single free gallon of paint can make a big impact. Below … Read more

Clara started preschool last week. Who took our baby and replaced her with this confident little girl? After some careful consideration, we enrolled Clara in a nearby preschool that meets two mornings a week. Each session is three hours long, just enough time for structured play, songs, art, and a little playground fun. Since she’s … Read more

Today we’re sharing two recent “treat yourself” moments at our house that didn’t go exactly as planned, and what they taught us about when to splurge and when to take a step back. One of the stories involves a long-dreamed-about bathroom feature that sounds wonderful in theory but has been harder to justify in practice. … Read more

Wool Honeycomb Area Rug: A Living Room Upgrade I don’t usually get excited about finds from JC Penney, but this time I’m genuinely thrilled. I just brought home an area rug that completely changed the feel of the living room. The pattern—what they call “honeycomb”—is subtle but interesting, and the fact that it’s real wool … Read more

John once joked that I’m “genetically one-quarter egg chair” (he wrote that in this post), and as silly as it sounds, I laughed because it’s oddly accurate. Between my tendency to collect dog fur and ceramic animal knickknacks, the egg chair vibe feels appropriate. Now that we’ve added a sofa and coffee table to the … Read more

Our deck project had been pushed to the back burner while we focused on party, dollhouse, and bedroom projects, but we finally made a firm decision: we’re going with pressure-treated wood, much like both of our parents chose for their homes. Making that choice wasn’t instant. We weighed several options, gathered a few quotes, and … Read more

We’re excited to share that True Value invited us to join their DIY blog squad, and we’re thrilled to be included. It still feels a little unreal—we’re happily pinching ourselves. The squad includes some talented creators, and we’re honored to be in such good company. Meet the other members of the group: All Bower Power … Read more