All right, Jules is out for the rest of the week and I'm hijacking this blog. You're all mine for the next 4 days, so buckle up. Little known fact about ol' Chris here, I worked as a bartender (no, I don't drink - it was a non-alcoholic bar and yes, I realize that doesn't […]
Chris and I love to have people over a couple times a week. Greta goes to bed pretty early, and Chris will cook up a storm and we'll talk or play games (or watch The Bachelor/ette--guilty!). Since we moved into our house 2+ years ago, we have been brainstorming a way to keep a record […]
I've been asked, not infrequently, how to grill corn. Unfortunately, the explanation is so long and intense that, unless I have a ton of spare time, I'm usually not able to explain it to them. Enter Blogsville. I can finally put it here, one time, and not have to go through hours and hours of […]
When I posted this photo a few days ago, when I was discussing our incoming tile, I got a few questions about those jars hanging out under the cabinet on the left. Those are Chris's most used, favorite spices. The cabinet above them holds the rest--he has a lot of spices. We originally had a […]
A man was living in Italy, doing some volunteer work. He had a particularly trying day and decided to visit a friend. The friend could immediately tell that this man had a rough day and asked the young volunteer to describe how he was feeling. The young man described his feelings of frustration, burnout and […]
We added a new member to our family. Meet Charly: She is a three year old St. Bernard/Pyrenees mix and we're head over heels. A true, gentle giant. You can really see her size in this photo I snapped with my phone: We have talked on and off about getting a dog, but I wasn't […]
We mostly try to respond to comments and questions as they pop up in email, the comments section, on Facebook and even Instagram, but there are always a few that get asked so many times that we feel like we should make an official declaration. And lately, I'd say in the last month or so, […]
Heyo, e'rbody! It being Memorial Day, we're spending time as a family and enjoying the freedoms others have fought for. We feel so blessed to live where we do, and pray we don't take it for granted. We hope you're able to spend some time with family and friends, and maybe get together for a […]
All right, here's a quick one for ya. And, as promised, it's a bit on the lighter side (as opposed to the ribs and chicken wings this week). Barbecued chicken lettuce wraps (enough for 2 people - multiply as needed). That's right, lettuce wraps don't have to be Asian. Let's go. I start with boneless, […]
I've been on the hunt for a coffee table for the living room since we sold our round collapsable one. We've been making due with our plant bench--but it looked a little silly and heavy for a coffee table. I discovered West Elm's Box Frame coffee table and loved the airiness and simplicity, but $350 […]
Some projects are just laughable. This was one such project. As a part of our exterior makeover (that has been severely thwarted from rain, rain and more rain) we wanted to switch out our back patio light. You can kind of see the old one in this picture from when we stained the patio. Squint. […]
These are not the world's greatest ribs. Is that a strange way to start? Let me explain. I'm convinced that the best way to cook ribs is for about 3 hours at 225 in a smoker (depending on the type of rib, with a proper rub and stuff). Do I own a smoker? You bet […]
This is, technically, the first pillow cover I've ever made and I'm excited and proud and ready to whip out 5 more, at least. In 8th grade home-ec, a friend of mine finished sewing my pillow project for me while I was absent and I was so grateful. There were so many pieces (three), and […]
About 3 years ago I was in training at a previous job, making $11.50/hr. We had a new baby, lived in a new town, and were what could only be described as "dirt poor." We often look back and stand in awe at the self-control we had with our budget, and also all the great […]
Back in 2011, I gave two lamps a major makeover for our room, including making the shades from scratch. They still work great, and actually, with our bed higher (we recently put our box springs back in place after one of our support slats broke. oh dear) those really big lamps might have finally been […]
Confession time. Sometimes, there are things I make that are so great, I just want to keep them to myself. I've always thought that every cook needs a few things under their belt that just blow people away, and everyone comes up to you and is like, "This is amazing! Can I have the recipe?!" […]
I bought a calendar two weeks ago. I realize we're almost halfway through the year, but after trying a few electronic calendars on my phone and my laptop--it just wasn't working. (How old am I?!) It could be because growing up, my sisters and I got a calendar every year for Christmas and we had […]
I have recently retired from offering mood boards after making them for hundreds of clients for the past two and a half years. There just isn't enough time these days and I would love to focus on other projects. In those two and a half years, I've learned a lot. I've hunted a lot. And […]
I've received a few questions about olive oil lately that I thought I'd take today's post to address. See, whenever I'm explaining my dishes, sometimes I say stuff like, "Use light olive oil - not extra virgin" or "Use a fruity extra-virgin olive oil." The question I've been receiving is, "What's the difference?" This is a […]
This weekend I brightened things up in our formerly dark gray-brown bedroom. Now that we are getting settled into our style, we are revisiting rooms that we painted/decorated quickly (and cheaply) when we first moved in and...tweaking--which I actually highly recommend. Yes, you might end up painting a room twice, but when you're just getting […]
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Welcome to our online community where we've posted home, DIY, style, renovations, and family since '09. Renovating our #cljmoderncottage in Idaho and headed for new adventures in Raleigh, NC. #cljfam #cljtransformations
