DIY
Staining our Douglas Fir Shelves--A Different Ballgame!
DIY
December 18, 2013
Staining our Douglas Fir Shelves--A Different Ballgame!
We actually expected to have these shelves hung and posted about today, but we really wanted to make sure we were 100% happy with our stain and we just weren't on our initial test piece. So we have tried and tried and tried again until we found a method that worked and we were happy […]
December 18, 2013
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DIY
White Mosaic in the Nursery
DIY
December 16, 2013
White Mosaic in the Nursery
When we bought this home in the summer, we had plans to turn this room into an office, but we're so much happier to transform it into a nursery in the coming months. We have a direction for this room, but not a complete mood board put together yet. I think that will be one […]
December 16, 2013
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Toolbox
Gift Guide for the DIYer + Home-Lover
Toolbox
December 13, 2013
Gift Guide for the DIYer + Home-Lover
1. The Wagner Flexio 590 paint sprayer recently changed our lives and our minds about paint sprayers in general. Chances are, your DIYer has had a similar experience and now you get to blow their mind with this one that works, oh so well! 2. A really great soy candle that lasts for 50 hours […]
December 13, 2013
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Recipes
Slow-Cooked, Tender Ham
Recipes
December 12, 2013
Slow-Cooked, Tender Ham
There are lots of ways to cook a ham. By far the most popular Christmas ham is a baked, spiral-cut ham with the bone in, coated with brown sugar and/or a range of spices. Why wouldn't this be the favorite? It's delicious. But for my ham this year, I decided to try something a little […]
December 12, 2013
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Decor
The Art of Gift Hiding
Decor
December 12, 2013
The Art of Gift Hiding
When I was growing up, after I uncovered the truth, you know the truth, and suddenly came to the realization that all of our Christmas presents HAD to be in the house somewhere--I got curious. I never remember hunting for them or anything, but I might poke in my parents' closet with a terribly pounding […]
December 12, 2013
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Art
DIY Christmas Gift: Family Tree
Art
December 11, 2013
DIY Christmas Gift: Family Tree
While I still have some shopping to do before Christmas, I have found that homemade gifts are always well-received so Chris and I have tried to incorporate that into our holiday gifting plans each year as well. This family tree project took me 20 minutes and is as sentimental for anyone as it is pretty […]
December 11, 2013
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Chris Cooks
5 Gifts a Foodie Would Totally Love But Might Not Buy For Themselves + A Wüsthof Cheese Knife Set Giveaway
Chris Cooks
December 10, 2013
5 Gifts a Foodie Would Totally Love But Might Not Buy For Themselves + A Wüsthof Cheese Knife Set Giveaway
Most people have things they want that they can't justify buying because they can get by with something not quite as good, that's still functional. Well, I use Christmas as an excuse to buy people the things they really want, not just the practical versions. So while browsing Williams-Sonoma's website the other day, I found […]
December 10, 2013
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DIY
Cedar & Moss in the Reading Room
DIY
December 9, 2013
Cedar & Moss in the Reading Room
The last time we visited "project shelving," this is where we left off: In a whirlwind weekend plus a few late nights, we built a wall to house some library lights for what we're calling the reading room. The whole thing involved lots of trips to the small attic to run the electrical, drywall, texturizing […]
December 9, 2013
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DIY
The Easiest Way to Paint a Crib + Giveaway!!
DIY
December 6, 2013
The Easiest Way to Paint a Crib + Giveaway!!
We weren't planning on starting the nursery until after the new year, but here we are--painting the crib. I feel excited and sad at the same time. Especially when I watch old videos of Greta jumping around in her crib, like this one from 19 months:< Oh squeeze that girl!!! So, about the crib--it's so […]
December 6, 2013
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Recipes
My First Crack at Italian Wedding Soup - Success
Recipes
December 5, 2013
My First Crack at Italian Wedding Soup - Success
Before marrying Jules, I had never heard of Italian Wedding Soup. Julia's mom is full Italian, and there's a lot of heritage that comes along with that. Honestly I feel like I won the lottery when I married into Julia's family, but that's off topic. This post is about soup. And darn good soup. It's […]
December 5, 2013
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Art
The Best Calendars for 2014
Art
December 4, 2013
The Best Calendars for 2014
When we were growing up, every year for Christmas, my sisters and I always got a calendar for Christmas. We were a big calendaring family--which I guess you kind of have to be when you have 5 kids with 5 different activities going on. Every Sunday night we all had to break out our calendars […]
December 4, 2013
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Lifestyle
It's A....
Lifestyle
December 2, 2013
It's A....
Last Wednesday morning, at just over 20 weeks, we went in for our anatomy ultrasound for our little bebe. It happened to also be my birthday. Total happenstance. I always have my appointments on Wednesday morning, but what better day to find out if we would be adding a little boy or girl to our […]
December 2, 2013
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DIY
Project Shelving: A Wall for The Sconces
DIY
November 27, 2013
Project Shelving: A Wall for The Sconces
Our reading room shelving project has officially taken off and has changed a little bit since the last time we talked about it. We discovered a legit lumber yard down the road a few miles that made it too hard to turn down wood shelves instead of painting them white. But before we even get […]
November 27, 2013
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Recipes
Thanksgiving Leftovers - Cranberry Turkey Sandwich
Recipes
November 26, 2013
Thanksgiving Leftovers - Cranberry Turkey Sandwich
Well here we are. The week of Thanksgiving. This is what we've been preparing for! I'm taking it a little easy this week, and getting stuff ready to celebrate my wonderful wife's birthday tomorrow, but I wanted to leave y'all with this quick little gem. Last month, one of our readers asked me for a […]
November 26, 2013
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DIY
A Neighborly Pantry
DIY
November 25, 2013
A Neighborly Pantry
As I mentioned here, one of our favorite things about being on the Ace Bloggers panel is that there is a real focus on the neighborhood. In fact, we recently had the chance to do a whole project for one of our neighbors. It's not like we're hurting for projects to do around here, but […]
November 25, 2013
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Chris Cooks
Proper Knife Care: Best Storage Options for Kitchen Knives
Chris Cooks
November 22, 2013
Proper Knife Care: Best Storage Options for Kitchen Knives
Well now that we all know how to properly clean and sharpen a knife, the last and possibly most important is storage. The way you store your knives will have a major impact on how sharp they stay, and how long they last. First, the bad. The worst thing you can do for your knives […]
November 22, 2013
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DIY
Our Advent Calendar + Ideas
DIY
November 21, 2013
Our Advent Calendar + Ideas
Last night I finished our advent calendar that will hopefully be in our family for years and years: As a reminder, this is how it looked when I bought it on clearance for $20 from our local craft store (Porter's for anyone close) As a reminder, this is how it looked when I bought it […]
November 21, 2013
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Chris Cooks
Proper Knife Care: The Best Way to Sharpen Your Kitchen Knives
Chris Cooks
November 20, 2013
Proper Knife Care: The Best Way to Sharpen Your Kitchen Knives
Don't you hate it when people try to tell you, "You're more likely to cut yourself with a dull knife than a sharp knife"? You just want to smack them, I bet. That doesn't make sense, right? How can a dull knife cut you worse than a sharp one? It seems so obvious that sharp […]
November 20, 2013
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Lifestyle
Happy Wednesday and an Update!
Lifestyle
November 20, 2013
Happy Wednesday and an Update!
Is it only Wednesday? This week has been insane and packed full of projects and deadlines that it feels like it could be a Saturday. I don't have any finished photos to share with you of all these said projects we're juggling, but I thought I would give you a run-down of what we're working […]
November 20, 2013
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Chris Cooks
Proper Knife Care: How to Clean a Knife
Chris Cooks
November 18, 2013
Proper Knife Care: How to Clean a Knife
I'm a firm believer that the right kitchen equipment makes a huge difference in the food you're able to prepare, and the most important equipment is, indisputably, your knives. They are the backbone of your kitchen, and just as important as your oven and fridge. Even still, I have people often say things to me […]
November 18, 2013
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