This post is not sponsored in any way. We paid full price and sought out all of these trips. All opinions and experiences are my own. I don't usually do travel posts because I'm such a homebody, but every now and then, we have an occasion worth celebrating that calls for a big trip. Most […]
This post is sponsored by Lowe's Home Improvement You know those projects that sort of linger in the background until someone is coming over? Like for instance, we knew we were going to eventually clean our outdoor patio furniture and prep the backyard for pool season. But it wasn't until we had a date on the […]
Cooking has always been one of my favorite things to do for my family. And what makes cooking even more fun? When you're cooking outside. That's why when we designed our outdoor kitchen, I wanted it to be a place where I could create the most tasty meals using all of my favorite tools and […]
It's hard to believe we're three years into designing our moody modern traditional home. Sometimes people will ask me, "What are you gonna do when you're done?" I can't think about that yet — I'm not even close! While I feel great about so many rooms in the house, some are still on the "to […]
This is a great mash-up of two of my favorite things: burgers and tacos. It's also one of my favorite ways to serve burgers in my house, since Jules has food restrictions, and I'm just not a fan of gluten-free buns (convince me otherwise!). So that's why if I'm serving burgers to my family, this […]
We divvy out chores in my household, and honestly, the kids have loved to help from a young age. When Greta was 2 or 3 she started unloading the dishwasher, just because that's what she saw us doing. Now it's Polly's chore to set the table for dinner because our older two girls walk the […]
We're ready to have people over in our backyard space now that it's so nice out in North Carolina, and it reminded me of the elements that I think really create that perfect outdoor setting for guests. Outdoor entertaining, to me, is really about making people feel comfortable and special. Here are a few things […]
It's been over a year since we started designing our bathroom. We were working with a company for the cabinetry, and they came up with two different layouts. We selected one, tweaked it a bit and chose a lot of the finishes...annnnnd honestly we could never quite give the final "go ahead." This led to […]
It’s been over a year in the making, but our exterior windows have been replaced and now painted!!! (The interior of the windows are black and the exterior we opted for paintable so we could paint them whatever color we wanted!) I have a slew of photos to show you, and I feel like the […]
If you're in need of a side dish that comes together in about 10 minutes, this cucumber crunch salad is your dish. The flavor is on point and it always gets rave reviews. Plus it can be made and served in the same bowl, making clean-up a breeze. Serving Bowl | Serving Spoon Set This […]
Full Kitchen Sources | Gold Barstools | Pot Filler | Workstation Sink | Faucet Today marks the start of Way Day, one of the best sale days of the year on Wayfair other than Black Friday! And the bonus? Everything ships free! I love seeing the prices drop on some items I've been eyeing (hello […]
We visited the Biltmore Estate in Asheville last month, and one of the first things that you see (that made me stop in my tracks) is the atrium. It's a grandiose space with curved wood beams and architectural elements overhead. It's lush with greenery and illuminated by the sun and rugged iron lanterns. It just […]
This year for Mother's Day, I wanted to share with you some delicious dishes you can make for your mom, your wife, or any mother figure in your life to show some love and gratitude. Now, since I do 90% of the cooking in our house, Mother's Day is just a regular day of cooking, […]
The alternative title to this blog post was "That's Armoir-e" to the tune of the Dean Martin song "That's Amore." What can I say? I just love them. Armoire | Pendant Light | Leaf Branch | Jules Lagoon/Brick Rug | Loafers Why I Love Armoires For years, built-ins have been the "gold standard" that people […]
It's been three years since we moved into our home and one year since we did our exterior renovation, but there are still a few outside updates to make. One of those is replacing the front porch lights. They are so massive — I've never had such big lights!! They came with the house, and […]
The health benefits of spices are nothing new, but I do love researching facts about them. For instance, recent research on turmeric has shown that one compound is associated with anti-inflammatory, anticancer and antioxidant properties. I've shared my golden milk recipe, which is of course based on the traditional Indian beverage that's been around for […]
The other day, I was talking to Chris about what I've learned about sunglasses over the years. I have a prominent nose with a hump, and I was today years old when I realized that I don't like my glasses to fit above the hump on my nose. So a low-bridge fit is best for […]
You know you're in April when every week I try to schedule our house tour to be filmed, we get clouds and showers. Plus, our contractors decided to start installing the windows on the same week we wanted to photograph, so we literally were working around ladders. (All the behind-the-scenes drama that you don't see!) […]
It's always so much fun to do a house tour video for you to see things you may not catch when looking at photos. It feels like hosting a bunch of friends over to see what you've done to the place — without the clean-up afterwards....only lots and lots beforehand. As much as this house […]
The way I love to express my adoration most is through gift giving. When I'm reminded of someone when I see something, I can't help but get it and sometimes I can't even wait for a special occasion. So to say, putting together gift guides — especially for Mother's Day — is an act of […]
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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