Chris Cooks
10 Essential Cookbooks (Chris's Favorites)
Chris Cooks
January 30, 2022
10 Essential Cookbooks (Chris's Favorites)
Chris reads cookbooks like most people would read a novel. His library of culinary tomes have a handsome home in our new kitchen, and I asked him to recommend his 10 favorites for the food lovers in our following. - Julia Copper Bowls | Ceramic Bowls | Wood Bowls | White Canisters | Tagine | […]
January 30, 2022
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Casual Friday
My January Favorites
Casual Friday
January 28, 2022
My January Favorites
And just like that, January is nearing an end. This month we've seen our first snow fall in North Carolina, and it's melted away just as quickly. We're getting used to unexpected "snow days" and just taking in the crisp, cold air, always thinking of how much colder it is in Idaho. We've been focusing […]
January 28, 2022
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DIY
DIY Custom Layered Wainscoting
DIY
January 27, 2022
DIY Custom Layered Wainscoting
The wainscoting in the study is finished! When we do a project like this, we always like to bring it back to our DIY roots and share a tutorial! The fun thing about wainscoting is that there's really no wrong way to do it, and you can customize it however you'd like. We've done wainscoting […]
January 27, 2022
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Projects
How Much Is It To Install A Gunite Pool? (And How we Budgeted for it)
Projects
January 26, 2022
How Much Is It To Install A Gunite Pool? (And How we Budgeted for it)
This post is sponsored by YNAB. Click this link to try YNAB for free for 34 days, no credit card required. A lot of you know or have been following along with the pool and have asked questions about how much it costs, how we're budgeting, and some of the logistics behind it. When we […]
January 26, 2022
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Cleaning & Organization
My 8 Favorite Things the Professional Organizers Did
Cleaning & Organization
January 25, 2022
My 8 Favorite Things the Professional Organizers Did
Right before Christmas, Chris gifted me the most unexpected and incredibly needed gift maybe ever--he hired professional organizers to come unpack* and organize our entire house. *Due to our moving debacle, we had a second round of boxes stacked in nearly every room (and filling the guest house!) and our kitchen never got unpacked because of […]
January 25, 2022
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Design
The Music Room Becomes the Study + a Mood Board
Design
January 24, 2022
The Music Room Becomes the Study + a Mood Board
When I tell you my jaw hit the floor when we rolled out the mural wallpaper...I mean I squealed out loud! The music room in our last house was kind of a pass-through room. It was small, and the only thing that could really fit in it was a piano and guitars, so we added […]
January 24, 2022
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Chris Cooks
Cauliflower with Anchovy Panko | Chris Cooks
Chris Cooks
January 23, 2022
Cauliflower with Anchovy Panko | Chris Cooks
Anchovies get a bad reputation. I blame the 90s Ninja Turtles movies, but whatever the reason it is unjustified. Just because they're fish, doesn't mean that what you add them to will taste like fish. They are a seasoning, like garlic powder. If treated right, they add depth to a dish without drawing attention to […]
January 23, 2022
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Casual Friday
My Early Morning Routine
Casual Friday
January 21, 2022
My Early Morning Routine
Something I'm working on this year (besides having more fun), is dialing in on my routines! I've learned that any time I want to start implementing a new habit or resolution in my life, it's most likely to succeed if I attach it to my already successful routine! Routines over resolutions! Years ago, I started […]
January 21, 2022
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Design
TRENDING: Appreciating Other Home Styles
Design
January 20, 2022
TRENDING: Appreciating Other Home Styles
In January it's really common to talk about upcoming trends, and I have done this in the past (2021 trends here)! It's fun for me to see what's up and coming, and to experiment with new patterns and colors that excite me. Being a trend forecaster can be tricky when I really try to preach making […]
January 20, 2022
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Design
The 5 Times We've Done Wainscoting
Design
January 19, 2022
The 5 Times We've Done Wainscoting
The very first thing on our 2022 Project List is "install wallpaper and more in the music room." We’re installing a 360º mural in here (this week!), and in the meantime we've been hard at work building in wainscoting and chair rail on the lower part of the walls. I was actually toying with the […]
January 19, 2022
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Gift Guides!
Valentine's Day Gift Guide
Gift Guides!
January 18, 2022
Valentine's Day Gift Guide
You want to know what I love about Valentine's Day? It's in February. And a couple months after the holidays, when it's still so cold out--I really appreciate something to look forward to and celebrate. I used to think that it needed to be a day of grand gestures, and bouquets of flowers, but Chris […]
January 18, 2022
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Design
The Modern Day Appliance Garage: A Moveable Backsplash to Hide Our Small Appliances.
Design
January 17, 2022
The Modern Day Appliance Garage: A Moveable Backsplash to Hide Our Small Appliances.
It's been a minute since we checked in with the kitchen. We still have a LOT of finishing touches to tackle here, but I couldn't wait another day to share our appliance garage with you. This appliance garage was Stoffer Cabinetry's brain-child. There used to be a kitchen desk there so it was a very […]
January 17, 2022
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Chris Cooks
Basil Beef Pot Roast | Chris Cooks
Chris Cooks
January 16, 2022
Basil Beef Pot Roast | Chris Cooks
When trying new recipes, I love taking a classic favorite and weaving its flavors into a different dish. I love basil beef stir-fry, and this pot roast came out of having all the ingredients for the sauce, and a chuck roast in the freezer. One of the most important parts of this dish is the basil. […]
January 16, 2022
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Casual Friday
All the Hair Products (and Hair Extensions) I use!
Casual Friday
January 14, 2022
All the Hair Products (and Hair Extensions) I use!
If I'm being honest, one thing I was dreading with moving was finding a new hair person... Little did I know that I would quickly fall in love with the first hair person I went to (found her on Instagramthe first hair person I went to (found her on Instagram)! Combine that with the humidity […]
January 14, 2022
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Decor
Design Tip, but also Dilemma: Where Does the Mirror Go?
Decor
January 13, 2022
Design Tip, but also Dilemma: Where Does the Mirror Go?
I've been in a real pickle in our bedroom when it comes to the mirror arrangement. Across from the bay-window is a large wall that would generally absorb so much light throughout the day! That's what walls across from windows do--absorb the light so much that they can appear flat. It's because there are generally […]
January 13, 2022
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Lifestyle
The healthiest go-to meal we keep stocked in the freezer at all times
Lifestyle
January 12, 2022
The healthiest go-to meal we keep stocked in the freezer at all times
Thanks to Daily Harvest for sponsoring this post. Use code CHRISLOVESJULIA to get up to $40 off your first box. Our kitchen is officially in working order! We're waiting on a few appliances and some paint and finishes, but Chris has been cooking up a storm. And I've been — well, heating things up when […]
January 12, 2022
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Design
Deciding on Toile Wallpaper Over Stripes in the Dining Room...kind of.
Design
January 11, 2022
Deciding on Toile Wallpaper Over Stripes in the Dining Room...kind of.
If you're subscribed to our Love Letter, you've seen that I've been on a wallpaper journey last week. I had the downstairs back hallway (that connects the kitchen to the bonus room to the garages to the laundry room!) in mind when I ordered grasscloth wallpaper samples from Spoonflower (launching next month), but when the […]
January 11, 2022
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Design
Picture Lights and Where to Find Them
Design
January 10, 2022
Picture Lights and Where to Find Them
Picture Light | Midnight Art | Sofa | Tree Art (digital download) | Lantern Fixture | Table | Chairs Lately, we've been getting a lot of questions about picture lights! Chris hung this picture light up in the living room a little while ago, which actually moved with us from Idaho. It didn't ever make […]
January 10, 2022
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Casual Friday
Casual Friday: What I'm focusing on this year
Casual Friday
January 7, 2022
Casual Friday: What I'm focusing on this year
Sources Over the holiday, Chris's brother and his family stayed with us for a week and it felt so good hosting family. Their 4 children almost perfectly align in age to our 3 girls, plus they have a little baby--which I held as much as I could while they were here! On New Year's eve, […]
January 7, 2022
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DIY
All About Our Plastered Range Hood
DIY
January 6, 2022
All About Our Plastered Range Hood
Counter Stools | Pendant | Sconce | Faucet | Sink | Drawer Pulls | Knobs The custom range hood was intended to be a massive design element in the kitchen. The show-stopper and also a sort of resting place in the kitchen. Also, it's massive in size too! Notice the size of our temporary 30 in range […]
January 6, 2022
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