2 minute read Hi Reader! Today I want to tell you the story of my poor old cedar chest. How (for years!) it had been banished to the most hidden and forgotten corners of our home, only to be fully restored and given a brand new purpose and place of honor. This is a “glow up” story far too long in the making; and I’m not even sure I should share it, as updating old/antique pieces is always somewhat controversial. But I think you’ll see how the decision to (finally!) paint this chest is...
7 days ago • 1 min read
2 minute read Hi Reader! There are lots of home decor things I can do well. Picking out artwork is NOT one of them. And picking out a full set of gallery wall prints that all go together with some sort of color, tone, or thematic cohesion? Gah - talk about design paralysis! When I found myself with six identical frames to fill, I fell deep down down a rabbit hole of Etsy shops and independent artist sites. I even considered watercoloring my own (which is a bit laughable since I don’t paint)....
14 days ago • 1 min read
2 minute read Hi Reader! The universe is funny sometimes, isn’t it? Out of perpetual quiet, there can suddenly be consistent, pervasive, and even loud “themes” that come into your consciousness from lots of different directions. Over the past few months, I’ve had several women in my life experience personal turmoil. And without my prompting or even suggesting it, almost all of them have, in their own way and own time, turned to fixing, changing, and updating their home spaces as a way to...
21 days ago • 1 min read
2 minute read Hi Reader! If you’ve been reading my blog for any length of time, you likely know that I have a thing for kitchen organization. Pantries, in particular. There are no less than 8 unique pantry posts on my site already, but I can’t help but add another one. Because after years (years!) of hating my pantry canisters, I finally upgraded; and I am beyond smitten. I try not to push too many products on you guys (and this is NOT sponsored!). But if you’re in the market for pantry...
28 days ago • 1 min read
5 minute read Hi Reader! Over on the blog, I'm diving deep into HDX boxes. You know…those black and yellow bins (well, now in other colors too!) that have seemingly taken over every home improvement store, garage, and campsite. We went ALL IN on these bins for our garage storage and learned a ton in the process. If you’ve been wondering if these bins are worth the hype, here’s everything you’ll want (and need!) to know before you make the switch! See It: Everything You Want (& Need!) to Know...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
5 minute read Hi Reader! I am so excited to share today’s project with you. Because while it may seem like I crank out project after project with ease, very few come together flawlessly and exactly as I imagined. In our new home, I had a huge wall and only one frame to put on it. So it was time to get creative. This wall project was quick. It was easy. It was affordable. And it was wholly transformative in all the best ways! Read It: Filling a Big Wall with a Single Frame More Like This...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
2 minute read Hi Reader! As I’ve been recounting the details of all our recent moves (4 in the last 5 years), there is one question I’ve been getting a lot lately: “Surely, the landlord (or next tenants!) must appreciate your changes! Why do you always take everything apart?” Unfortunately, over our 20+ years of being renters, we’ve been able to leave behind only a very few of our projects. In this month's Coffee Break, I’m breakdown why and sharing how it doesn’t really stop me from doing...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
2 minute read Hi Reader! When moving into a new house, sometimes you are lucky enough to connect with the existing/previous residents. Oftentimes they’ll give you pictures and videos (and even answer all your nagging questions!); but every now and then, they’ll offer you something specific to the house that they no longer need. The folks previously living in our new house offered us a shoe shelf they custom built for the master closet. At first glance, I wasn’t interested. But upon further...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
2 minute read Hi Reader! Have you ever tried to figure out a room layout and thought, “Man, I wish that window wasn’t there!” Yea - us too. For the past 20+ years of rental living, we’ve had to deal with the placement of windows, outlets, doors, vents, nooks (and more!) that we can’t change. Early on in our rental journey, I’d let these features dictate our furniture placement. But as time has gone on, I’ve grown more bold in ignoring, changing, of “fixing” these “permanent” features to...
2 months ago • 1 min read