We needed nightstands, bad style. We had one that we had been using on my side of the bed (I always claim the side away from the door) that was actually used as an end table in our last apartment. It is from Ikea and too tall and looked a little pinkish against the gray-brown […]
We are suckers for Halloween. Suckers. This year we decided to take the opportunity to dress up and party into our own hands by throwing a costume party at our place. So last night, we decided to put some costumes together and snap a few photos for the invitations--that way we would drive the message […]
A couple weeks ago, we toyed with the idea of painting our bed frame and we got lots of support from you. So, over the weekend I dove in and got it done and I am here to tell you all about it. There were a couple reasons we wanted to paint the frame of our […]
Giveaway is now closed. Congrats to Laura--lucky number 28! Today I am wrapping up your memories in a box with ribbon and handing them to you. You're welcome. Let me start off by saying, I am not a scrapbooker. The thought of cutting out pictures and adding a slew of embellishments is not my cup […]
Fall is my favorite. Then Summer. Then Winter (until after New Years, then it is terrible). Then Spring....sorry Spring. In the spirit of the favorite season starting today, let me share a few of my favorite things and sure signs that the autumnal equinox is upon us: 5. The leaves change colors. In Pittsburgh, where […]
It may seem like we are always entering contests, it isn't far from true. Chris and I are pretty competitive, but more than that, we look at it as a fun way to earn some extra dough to fund even more projects around here. However, in the case of Chris's recent cooking competition--it was purely […]
We are all pretty under the weather here at Casa Marcum, but I didn't want to let this roaring stomach bug leave you hanging. I am sure some of you will not approve, but I painted over our big orange painting. By now you should know that I am not afraid to redo things or […]
Saturday morning, we headed up to Salt Lake City for the first annual FüD Feud. Chris (with a little coaxing from me) registered to compete in the amateur "home cook" contest. There were 4 possible categories: appetizer, main dish, side dish and dessert. After some thought, Chris went with the appetizer category....and then he took the […]
Our first video is live on True Value's facebook page! There will be 5 videos total and each one is just a few minutes long. Go check out the video here. (Scroll down to "Part 1: Twilight to Tranquil). In this first video, you get to see:1. Us introducing ourselves.2. Me not knowing where to […]
I am in the process of updating our House Tour Tab. Things change around here so quickly, it is hard to keep that page 100% accurate. However, with my new camera in tow, I have been making my way from room to room--tidying things up--and snapping a few current photos. We have now lived in […]
This morning Greta and I had to get out of the house. Every once in awhile, I get a bad case of uninspiring cabin fever that forces me to get dressed and get out and get the creative juices flowing. We went to a few shops and ultimately landed in JoAnn fabrics. The goal: […]
Chris got me a shmancy camera last week and I am thrilled! I am not a photographer, so this entry level Canon T3 SLR was perfect for my needs. What are my needs? Why the camera if I'm not a "photographer"? Easy, I like taking pictures and I take a lot of pictures. I am […]
We finally did it. After 5 months of living in this home and sprucing up spaces, we finally turned some attention to our bedroom. I know I mentioned that our guest room/office is our next big project, but because the filming of that project is a little spaced out--we thought we could also give a […]
We got a new dishwasher! And we learned a thing or two along the way. The major thing we learned: just pay to have it installed. Although, we saved ourselves $50 by installing it ourselves, we STILL would have rather had the pros do it. Dealing with water and electricity at the same time fa-reaks […]
About a month ago, I submitted a video of me (Chris filmed it) talking all about our basement room (the one with the splattered paint) and how we wanted to turn it into a guest bedroom/office. I went through the details of what we wanted to do from re-drywalling (because of the splattered texture) to […]
Here's a little hump-day quiz for you from Home Goods. It's only ten questions and then they give you a pretty lengthy analysis of your answers. They even sound off a few tips on what you could improve on...(um, thanks). I was deemed "Earthy Casual" which I am totally gonna start owning. The description was […]
Giveaway is now closed. Congratulations to our 12 winners: Annmarie W. Christina D. Amber W. Amy H. Jessica C. Donna C. Allison L. Missy G. Colleen M. C. Park Madeline B. Katie S. A couple weeks ago, when our new refrigerator arrived, there were few less-than-ideal details that came along with its arrival (read all […]
There's a big secret behind those smirks. And a fresh new haircut for me. And a car-full of new tools for Chris. We can't wait to spill all and tell you how exciting of a day we have had today. Hopefully all those details will come early next week. Until then, we are sworn to […]
I am busy taking measurements, sketching out potential layouts and building a mood board for this space: This former tortured teen's room is getting a completely new look and will serve as our guest room and office. Here's a few sneak peeks at what we are currently thinking of for this room. Acid-stained concrete floors […]
Every once in a while, I get the urge to purge all of my current pet peeves into one "Things that Bug" post. Yesterday, I was faced with two totally opposite situations that both left me really bugged. While shopping for a new dishwasher (the time has finally come), at one store we were faced […]
Looking for our favorite things? A place to shop our home room by room, or just catch up on what Julia's wearing / loving right now? Browse the CLJ shop
Another way for us to stay in touch! Joining our weekly newsletter gives you access to exclusive content, never-before-seen photos, your questions answered, and our favorite DIYs. Sign up below!
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