Did Greta's room need new curtains? Yes. Only because we had other plans for those white curtains that we snagged for 50% off a while back at Ikea. So, to replace them, I had plans to make my own curtains for her room and leisurely looked around for a patterned fabric that was playful, but […]
Chris and I had a few different ideas of how we wanted to spend our long weekend. I saw us painting the kitchen cabinets and he saw us just chillin' and barbecuing. So we compromised. I tackled a large painting for our dining room wall and he helped me build the frame and stretch the […]
Remember all that canvas Chris got me for Mother's Day? And now think about that big blank wall in our Dining Room we left white. It's about to get a splash of color.
We do more than work on our home. Ha! Tons more. And although it may seem like our life is revolved around fixing up our house--it really is just a hobby. I try to do one project a day and sometimes it doesn't happen until after Greta goes to bed, or there are some days […]
In the dining room (I didn't even drag you along in suspense). For now, at least. And wow, what a difference! And in case you can't remember how this room used to look, here's where we started: Then we painted everything a light, warm gray and DIYed a new light fixture and things looked a […]
This Giveaway is Now Closed. Congrats to ArtsyNina for taking home the area rug gold! A good quality area rug can transform a room--and we have a lot of rooms to transform in this house. So, when RugsUSA offered up a freebie of my choice, I jumped on that! Actually, I played it cool and […]
Something this blog is not--instant before and afters. I like to take you a long for the complete ride. Although the "after" pictures are definitely the most exciting, there's too much work that happens along the way and too many changes and decisions, I think it would be a complete injustice to not share with […]
Whew, where has the time gone, huh? I've been awol from the blogging world for the past, mmmm, 4 months. You'll have to forgive me because we have made some pretty rockin' meals in that time, none of which have been posted. Forgiveness please. Now that summer is here, I have some great meal ideas […]
1. Surprisingly it's not that most pants are capris on me. At least not this time. I am 6' tall and the fact that these skinny cargos are more like super-crops or capris on me is okay for the summer. I'm also not complaining that they were on mega sale, either. Originally $89.50, when I […]
Saturday morning, I woke up and decided to paint the front door. I kinda envisioned getting it painted that day, but deciding on a color took an entire day. I have been pinning yellow doors like crazy lately because I think they look so cheerful, but once I got the swatches up, I just wasn't […]
This week has been all about sprucing up our front entry. This front entry: While we are not quite ready to do a grand reveal (the door needs to dry before we hang it), there are a few other things that we changed that deserve some attention. Like our new house numbers. Those bright gold […]
The downward spiral started yesterday when Chris took both sets of keys to work, leaving me no way to get around. The funny thing is, I usually go nowhere, but yesterday I had a few errands to run, including picking up the paint for the front door. He quickly resolved to bring the keys home […]
Am I a little embarrassed that this is what is welcoming people into my home? A little. It's so boring. That blue welcome mat was there when we moved in and I never thought to change it. The door knocker has the previous homeowner's name engraved on it. There are discolored, dingy hangers everywhere that […]
Chris has been putting in 80 hour weeks for some time now. Remember when I mentioned he was busy?--I wasn't lying. He is the executive director of conferences for an e-learning software company and just got done with the biggest conference of the year on Saturday. He brought me home a shirt and I slipped […]
Have you ever read the book, If you give a mouse a cookie? There’s a little mouse that is given a cookie. As a result of eating a cookie, he wants a glass of milk and then a straw and a napkin and before you know it he is trimming his hair and mopping the floors […]
It took a few days for me to complete, but I finally finished painting our main staircase railing and spindles. I used the same color as I did to paint the smaller railing in the dining room: Benjamin Moore's Steel Wool. Chris and I each picked up a free sample and there is still a little […]
Greta and I just got home and it feels good. Actually, it feels a little muggy because the air hasn't been on for days, but just knowing we made it home safely is a good feeling. Greta is already tearing into things as if she is discovering our house for the first time all over […]
I took a quick trip to Idaho to visit my parents while Chris holds the fort in Utah and remains busier than ever. While there, I realized how much of my art my parents have on display in their house. While I tend to do more abstract pieces for our home, my parents have a […]
That's how I describe Pinterest. Everything I love--organized. I told my sisters over Easter that it has changed my life and they all kinda chuckled and made fun of me a little, and now they are hooked, too. So, if you haven't jumped on the Pinterest bandwagon, I urge you to do so. I would […]
Big shout-out, first and foremost, to Patty-Patty (my sis) for giving me the 30 second tutorial on how to make tabs for your blog. And I know--well, I think--I am one of the last people to figure it out, but just in case I am not the very last and you have been Googling for […]
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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