(Name that movie! Hint: think vultures channeling the Beatles.) Okay, I'm all about utilizing what I got, but having the same fabric in three different places was a little much in our two-bedroom/one-bathroom apartment. I used the same fabric to cover a lamp and three mirrors. And then I took two of those mirrors and […]
Last night, Chris and I stole 2 hours for ourselves. The babysitter came when Greta was already asleep and we slipped away for a much needed date night. It's been a very long time. Definitely months since Chris and I went out on a date, just the two of us. Hence it being blog-worthy. We […]
A George Foreman grill is useless for cooking meat. I kid you not, useless. The commercials always show this nice, juicy piece of chicken taken straight off the grill, but that's a crock. Every time I've cooked chicken on the Foreman (or any other kind of meat, for that matter), I see no grill marks, […]
We had some good laughs reading through all of the things you guys would put in the giveaway basket. I didn't realize how many chocolate loving, snake charming, innovative people we were reaching. Although, I am pretty sure NO ONE is getting an umbrella or dirty laundry into this thing--we appreciate your effort in making […]
Isn't it so fun checkin' out other people's houses and getting ideas for your own? I hope you have taken away lots of notes from Meagan and Jenessa's decor dilemmas because, although their mood boards were for specific rooms in their homes, they can be adapted for anyone's space. This week's reader redo is no […]
I thought for sure today was the day when I would finally be able to have the picture in my home (specifically, the master bedroom) that I have wanted for so long. But now, I am not so certain. I am feeling defeated and tired and frustrated. I am second-guessing my artistic abilities--it has been […]
Today, I took a hideous pillow and I made it absolutely gorgeous. Swanlike. Really, it may be my new favorite throw pillow. And the idea hit me just as I was putting Greta-girl down for her morning nap--which was the perfect time to execute my plan to make one of those expensive and totally posh […]
I did it! I finished my very first sewing project. Thanks to those sewing classes I have been attending on Friday nights, over the weekend I finally felt confident enough to sew something without my instructor holding my hand (figuratively of course, someone holding your hand while sewing would be quite challenging). I purchased six […]
It's no secret that we are obsessed with Ikea. But what may be a secret to some is their "as is" section after the showroom...and the market place...and the warehouse--in the front corner of the store. We visit this section OFTEN and always walk away with a steal and a half. After all, we can't […]
Whenever I hear the word "lettuce wraps" my mind jumps to P.F. Changs. I love P.F. Changs, don't get me wrong. But the problem with a lot of Chinese food places is the salt. Every time I eat something with soy sauce my saliva turns into dust and I feel like I need to get […]
Ready for another re-do? Woooohooooo! Jenessa and Spencer live in Rexburg, ID and are parents to two little girls (they are A-DORABLE!). They are renters and are in need of a little living room inspiration. Here's her plea: Hey Jules! So I took a few different pictures so you can get the full effect. We […]
When we were going to buy that one house, we had already picked out the art for the front room. The room had a huge wall with very high vaulted ceilings and we were saving our pennies to put this oversized canvas there: Not small: Width 78 3/4" Height 55" We love how it hints […]
We're no strangers to placing an area rug on top of the drab and boring wall to wall carpet in our apartment. Afterall, we are renters and it is a great way to spice up your living space. But whether you have wall-to-wall carpet or hard woods (lucky!) or you are a renter or homeowner, […]
Looks like we may have to come up with an award shelf somewhere in our home, because we are the recipents of our SECOND "Bloggie Award." That's right, two years in a row, our humble blog has won an award. But, we can actually skip the shelf display because there's no statue a la Oscar--but it's still […]
Do you see Chris in that mirror? Do you see how he is holding our cute, little girl all wrapped up in her bath towel? This is the part when (after lots of little kisses) I eagerly took off for my three hour sewing class! When Chris surprised me with a sewing machine for Christmas, […]
You wanna know why people don’t like eating healthy (speaking in generalities, of course)? Because it sounds restricting. Doesn’t it? We all get so jazzed about starting the new year off right, so we eat nothing but raw carrots and boiled raisin skins for 2 weeks until one day we find ourselves passed out in […]
We have this black bookcase in our living room/dining room area that has moved multiple times since we got this apartment last year. From the living room, to the office, to the living room, back to the office...except by this time it was the nursery. Then back to the living room, and today I moved […]
I got an email from one of my besties in need of some inspiration in the home decor department, specifically in the master bedroom. They are renters (just like us!) so they can't paint, but that definitely doesn't mean that you can't introduce a lot of color and warmth. Here's her e-mail: I was trying […]
Remember that little problem we had with Chris's clothes not having a home? Well, problem fixed! Saturday, we took a little trip to our favorite store--well, maybe it is just my favorite store--IKEA! They have a slew of amazing wardrobes, some of them are close to $1000, and we were definitely NOT looking to spend […]
Brandon is Chris's brother and Steph is his lovely wife. For the three Christmases that they have been married they have always delivered a hilarious card, usually involving them (and their cats!) in some seriously questionable sweaters. One year there was even a fire made of construction paper in the background keeping the family cozy. […]
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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