Let’s talk about DIY haircuts, shall we? This post isn’t about home projects, but it came up so often that I decided to share: how I cut my husband’s hair at home. I never trained as a stylist—my experience began in high school and continued through college, where I practiced on friends and family. I’m … Read more

Everyone knows that besides a fresh coat of paint, curtains are one of the fastest ways to add polish and style to any room. They bring height, drama, and a soft, billowy feel, so we finally installed long, floor-length $5 Ikea panels on either side of the bamboo shades in the den—just like we did … Read more

Happy Friday! We’re painting the foyer today (photos on Monday), but before that I wanted to share two bathroom updates — one of which was a bit of an oops. First up: the vanity. We decided to remove the little side slab that felt unbalanced against the right wall. It’s a common detail on older … Read more

After a few “settling in” months, we’re now in that stage I jokingly call the What We Really Need (And Don’t) Phase. Like many people after a move, we tried to donate, sell, or give away the obvious items we wouldn’t use anymore so we wouldn’t waste time or energy moving things only to store … Read more

***This giveaway is no longer accepting entries.*** This week we continue with an eco-friendly theme featuring a giveaway from Bright and Bold. Bright and Bold is an online shop offering sustainable home goods, including popular Envirosax bags, jewelry, gifts, and other eco-conscious items. Everything on their site ships to the US for free, which makes … Read more

We made some simple Valentine’s Day goody bags for our daughter’s classmates. First we wandered the aisles at Target—checking The Dollar Spot, the Valentine’s candy section, and the kid’s party aisle—to see what was left. In The Dollar Spot we found a set of 20 small clear bags for $1. They were perfect, so we … Read more

All aboard! (Can I get a choo-choo?) As promised in our Instagram and Facebook sneak peek, here’s the story of how we built a train board for Clara. Why a train board? Clara is absolutely obsessed with the one at Barnes & Noble: a large track secured to a pedestal board that kids swarm to … Read more

Which eyesores? The glaring ones in our hallway, of course. After spending the time to install board and batten, we didn’t want a bland light fixture, a dingy ceiling vent, or a gaudy doorbell distracting from the finished look. Here’s an overdue recap of the small but impactful updates you might have noticed in last … Read more

Our freshly painted laundry room feels bright and cheerful—so much so that it makes me want to sing and dance. I started by repainting all the trim with an off-the-shelf Olympic No-VOC semi-gloss white and painted the brown quarter round near the baseboards so it would blend with the trim. I applied three thin coats … Read more

We spent the weekend crossing off several hands-on projects in the girls’ room at the showhouse. The space still feels a bit sparse and is far from done, so it will likely keep evolving up to our deadline. The bed needs to be raised and we’ll add a colorful throw. Linens need ironing and we … Read more