All the king’s horses and all the king’s men couldn’t put my faceless ceramic dog back together again. Well, maybe they could have — but they weren’t around. So I tried to fix it myself, armed with a mother’s determination and a tube of super glue. Because I’m obsessive about fumes, I worked on the … Read more

She wasn’t a local for long, but she visited this past weekend with her partner Jeremy and their adorable little one, Will. If you’re not familiar with them, you can learn more about the Bowers on their blog: Bower Power. We had a wonderful time hosting: feeding them, showing them around, and catching up from … Read more

Remember when we removed the top rails from Ed the Bed and mentioned we needed finials to finish the look? Time for a finial fashion show. I ran to Home Depot and Lowe’s and picked up four options to test on Ed. Here’s the lineup: The long wooden pieces in the top right were actually … Read more

Can the colors, furnishings, and accessories we choose for our homes actually make us measurably happier? In this post we explore the science behind joy and examine simple, practical design choices that can lift everyday moods — and even make mundane tasks feel a bit more enjoyable. We also highlight a few ways we’ve already … Read more

I’m back with more baby name inspiration because I can’t get enough of them. One-syllable girl names have been climbing in popularity recently, offering a fresh alternative to the long, frequently used names like Olivia, Charlotte, and Isabella. In the latest SSA Top 50, only one single-syllable name appears (Grace at #40), so a one-syllable … Read more

Here’s a tip – use craigslist to get your yard work done for free. Our backyard is lovely — we even held our wedding there. After the wedding, though, maintaining it felt like more trouble than it was worth: trimming bushes, weeding gravel pathways, and keeping everything tidy. Besides, our energetic eight-pound puppy would prefer … Read more

Just when you might have thought we were finished with painting, I’m back with another update. With our little one arriving in about five weeks, I’ve been in full “finish the house” mode. Knowing I’ll be recovering from a C-section and might be stuck noticing every unfinished corner, I wanted to tackle a few projects … Read more

When Carol emailed us about her budget-friendly bathroom update, we were happy to share the simple changes she made to refresh a guest bath with yellow fixtures. Below is her note describing the project: I love your website and design boards. Your links to quality, affordable furnishings and accessories from stores like Target, Walmart and … Read more

Sing the title to the tune of that famous Dolly Parton song if you like. Or try the SNL version we’ve been loving. Painting the living room yesterday turned into a full-day project — twelve hours from 9am to 9pm — with plenty of breaks for tending to Clara and keeping up with the blog. … Read more

While updating our house’s before & after page and paint color/source page, we noticed some photos were already out of date. One space that’s changed a lot is our upstairs family room. We first shared it in July (here), and since then it’s received several useful additions. Can you spot them? sofa | similar rug … Read more