The last few weeks of work on our beach house have been intense and anything but smooth. This week we’re sharing the story of three setbacks that happened almost back-to-back: a missed deadline, a mysteriously absent water line to the house, and an unexpected medical scare. Renovations are rarely straightforward, and we’ll be honest about … Read more

When Dana sent us her simple, budget-friendly stencil project, we had to share it. Below is her note in her own words: I just wanted to pass along a quick and inexpensive project that you inspired! A while back you featured the knot stencil from Sunny’s Goodtime Paints in a mood board and I immediately … Read more

Recently we’ve had dozens of requests to share our favorite remaining shelter magazines. After the steady loss of beloved glossies such as Domino, Cottage Living, Country Home, InStyle Home and O at Home, many readers have asked which publications we still rely on for fresh ideas and inspiration. Below is a curated list of the … Read more

After my tile-laying extravaganza, the remaining tasks—grouting and sealing—seemed small by comparison. I had taken the entire week between Christmas and New Year’s off and planned several days to finish them, yet I found myself dreading the grouting. My dad called it “the pits,” and friends admitted it was the hardest part of tiling for … Read more

After sharing our guides for Charleston with kids and Palm Springs with kids, we received a lot of requests for more family travel ideas. So here’s a recap of our three-night trip to New Orleans. It was our first visit to the Big Easy, and we were pleasantly surprised by how family-friendly the city is—there’s … Read more

Back in 2006 we named our first dog Hamburger — aka Burger — when he was a tiny puppy. That moment sparked a long-running obsession with creative pet names. Over the years I’ve worked as a product namer, offered to name babies and pets for friends, and compiled lists of favorites like 200 Girl Dog … Read more

We enjoy sharing small household traditions because they’re an easy, inexpensive way to celebrate special dates and give your home a more personal, meaningful feel. Simple projects can turn everyday memories into visible keepsakes. For example, we once created vacation jars to hold little souvenirs and ticket stubs, a tidy way to display the highlights … Read more

Picking the perfect white paint can feel overwhelming. After testing many options, we settled on our one true favorite: Sherwin-Williams Pure White (SW 7005). It delivers the crisp, clean white most people want without common pitfalls like appearing too bright, too gray, or too yellow. Pure White is versatile enough for almost every surface in … Read more

We learned the hard way after our first house purchase, so this time we decided it was worth spending a few hundred dollars to have radon testing done as part of the home inspection. A local radon company performed a multi-day test to check for hazardous levels. We deliberately chose a tester that only conducts … Read more

Discovering a 1950s Dryer Manual During Spring Cleaning What began as an ordinary session of spring cleaning unexpectedly turned into a small archaeological discovery when Sherry found a relic from the past tucked away in a filing cabinet. Buried among papers and paperwork was an installation manual that turned out to be much older than … Read more