New Email Subscription Format! SIGN UP HERE! I’ve been working on a blog redesign to make the site cleaner, faster and easier to enjoy. One of the biggest improvements is that the blog is now hosted on its own server, which should make pages load much more quickly and reduce downtime. There are still a … Read more

So, I’m tiptoeing in here with a quick kitchen progress update. I promise I’m not holding out on you — I even used my real camera this time instead of my phone to share the latest photos. You guys, the seventh try was the charm for the window trim. It still needs a coat of … Read more

One of the things I’ve learned as a homemaker is that small, consistent efforts add up to the bigger changes we dream of for our homes and families. Finding joy and contentment with what we already have—right where we are—is often all we need. For readers who are new here, I wrote a book called … Read more

Wow — a few days passed without a post. If you’ve ever wondered what bloggers do when they’re quiet, for me it usually means life projects are happening offline. It’s hard to both blog all day and get things done around the house. I also spent some time pinning, which is definitely easier than writing … Read more

Lovely kitchen by Pretty Handy Girl // Photo via BHG Cleaning and Housekeeping Tips Summertime should be about enjoying sunshine and downtime, but the house still needs attention. You don’t have to spend all day cleaning to keep your home comfortable — a little planning and efficiency can make your home “clean enough” and leave … Read more

Now that the new year is here, I’ve been focused on design choices to make our new house feel like our own. I’ve always loved lantern-style lighting—remember the copper and iron lantern we used in our Craftsman lake house dining room?—so choosing a lantern for our bedroom felt like a natural first purchase. Below I’m … Read more

I was browsing inspiration photos this week and came across a slideshow on Better Homes & Gardens showcasing creative repurposed furniture. I love bathroom designs that have character, and these transformed vanities really stood out. Each image made me think about pieces I already own and how they could be reimagined as a vanity. You … Read more

Ive been puttering again — it’s my form of creative therapy and it always relaxes me. I enjoy rearranging accessories around the house, mixing old and new pieces, and balancing texture and shine to create a fresh tablescape. A few weeks ago I brought home a new coffee table and it instantly added a rustic, … Read more

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 If you’re updating your kitchen, add a little pizazz. One of the simplest, most cost-effective updates is swapping out the hardware. New knobs and pulls instantly personalize a new or first home without a big budget. Examples and tutorials have inspired many DIYers to refresh cabinet hardware with … Read more