Uncategorized
Newsflash: You can paint your railings any color you want.
Sometimes there is so much I want to tackle, I can't decide what to do next. My solution: I do whatever is free. And since Chris is working late every night, lately I have been picking projects that I can do easily by myself. In steps the stairway railing and her little sister, this […]
read more
June 7, 2011
Uncategorized
Sitter Swap
When we moved, we lost something very valuable: our babysitters. Chris's brother, Brandon and his lovely wife, Stephanie, eagerly watched little Greta whenever we wanted--and sometimes they even volunteered! Not only were they family, but they lived right around the corner from us--and they were free, although we tried to throw in a pizza or […]
read more
June 6, 2011
Uncategorized
The Gallery is now open
I finally have my Etsy shop up and running. I studied art in school for 3 years and I have finally decided to get back in the biz-naz. Just click on "The Gallery" to see what I am currently showing/selling. I will be updating it often. If you click on the pictures, it will bring […]
read more
June 3, 2011
Uncategorized
Above-the-couch Vignette
This morning, while Greta was busy dancing with her reflection in a full-length mirror I pulled out, I unrolled our zebra rug and gathered up some random things to fill that shelf above the couch. I had every intention of the items being temporary until I painted something else or had more pictures printed--but […]
read more
June 2, 2011
Uncategorized
It's HEEEE-eerrrre!!
Our sectional that we bought on Memorial day just arrived and it is perfect! I think I love it even more than our old one. Here's why: It's not as huge. Our last one was a U-shaped sectional which definitely fit more people, but not as many legs. Especially when our big ottoman was in […]
read more
June 1, 2011
Uncategorized
Meet ol' Master Bath
We are already dreaming of what we would love to change about the bathroom and the list is never-ending. Frost the window and get rid of those cheap, old, dirty blinds. Replace the floors. Replace the vanity with something less big. Frame the mirror. Change out the door. Install some shelving. Paint over all the […]
read more
May 31, 2011
Uncategorized
"Modern Family Blue"
Chris and I picked up a new favorite show recently: Modern Family. We laugh out loud through every episode and we have already caught up on the past two seasons. We have fallen for more than just the family members--their houses! Ahhh! We love. We love. In Phil and Claire's home, they have this blue […]
read more
May 30, 2011
Uncategorized
The opposite of a fashion blogger's post.
Remember this post about how I am a stay-at-home mom and enjoy the wardrobe that comes with it? Well, every Sunday is a different story. I get dressed up for church and I try to force myself to reach for the heels instead of the flats. And I usually end up wearing the flats. And […]
read more
May 29, 2011
Uncategorized
Money in my Pocket!
If I titled this post "Utility Bills" or anything including those two words, you probably wouldn't be here right now. But who doesn't love money? Or pockets for that matter?? We got our first FULL month's worth of utility bills. No one ever talks about utility bills, but for us it was a major thing […]
read more
May 28, 2011
Uncategorized
Jessie's Dilemma
It's the end of the week with a long weekend ahead of us. Bliss! Chris and I have a few home improvement projects on the agenda this weekend, including finding out where the water came from that was in one of the rooms in our basement. Wooohooo!! Okay, that's not gonna be that fun, but […]
read more
May 27, 2011
Uncategorized
Killer Gallery Wall is Served
Or, "Anything Looks Better Framed." Both titles definitely sum up our gallery wall over the staircase. After a few days of moving things around and digging through old art and making some new art, this is where we ended up. Which is a long way from where we started earlier this week. I am sure […]
read more
May 26, 2011
Uncategorized
Shrubs that make me Shrug
It's nice out today. Sunny and warm and happily, there's no rain in the forecast for the rest of the day. Greta and I took a looonnngggg walk earlier and while she is recovering with a nap, I turned my attention to our yard. I know zilch about gardening or flowers or trees or shrubs, […]
read more
May 25, 2011
Uncategorized
Club Cul-de-sac
The house we bought is in a cul-de-sac, did you know that? We are learning quickly that this has granted us automatic membership into a special club in our neighborhood. Everyone talks about the homes in the cul-de-sac--it's kinda weird. "Oh, you live in the cul-de-sac with all the fun people!" Or my favorite, "Anything […]
read more
May 24, 2011
Uncategorized
There's a killer gallery wall about to happen here.
It's no contest, a paint job did wonders for the staircase. It was surrounded by white, green AND yellow and that doesn't even include the carpet color and railing (which are both on the list to change eventually). After we painted, our eyes could finally focus on what we actually wanted to do with the […]
read more
May 23, 2011
Uncategorized
He's busy.
The biggest conference of the year is coming up. He's in charge. There's a long list of projects to do at home. He crosses something off every day. He is a stellar dad. The sweetest husband. And he hasn't forgot about all of you foodies either. He is cooking every night and taking pictures and […]
read more
May 21, 2011
Uncategorized
How to make your NEW favorite Dining Room Fixture.
Dreams come true when you DIY. One of my very first pins on my Pinterest account was this light fixture. I fell in love and wanted it for our dining room. I started tracing back the sources until I found where it was from and how much it was. The company that makes it […]
read more
May 20, 2011
Uncategorized
It's a pillow pod, ya know, a pilllooowwww poodddd.
I am calling it a pillow pod. I am not sure if that is what it is actually called, but "platform-to-place-pillows-on" is long and still leaves people with a question mark on their face--I tested that phrase out a few times. Now, when I say, "I found a pillow pod for $3 for my living […]
read more
May 19, 2011
Uncategorized
Tanya's Dilemma
Every once in a while, amidst several projects going on around here, I like to reach out and help a friend solve some design problems going on in their casas. I received an email from Tanya wanting some advice on the layout and vibe of her space. She writes: Jules, Thanks so much!!! There's a […]
read more
May 18, 2011
Uncategorized
Greta's Room: Before and...errr Progress!
Greta's room was maybe, at one time, a really cute little girl's room. The bow stenciling around the ceiling and the little border at the bottom were done with care. But over time, that ruffled little curtain got REAL dingy looking, the stenciling went out of style--like yeaaaarrrrssss ago, the home made corner shelves got […]
read more
May 17, 2011
Uncategorized
How we budget for all of these projects.
We DIY everything we can and we have been pretty open about how cheap we are and how we constantly hunt for deals (as-is sections, online classifieds, thrift stores), but our real secret is we sell our old stuff to finance the new stuff. We do this with even the smallest item, but the best […]
read more
May 16, 2011
