A few weeks ago we posted on Instagram about finally landscaping the front yard of our Cape Charles beach house. Here’s a more detailed account of how we completed the job in a single morning, what we planted, and how everything is looking nearly two months later. We also like having these photos and notes … Read more

When we featured Lindsay’s kitchen makeover as a Reader Redesign last October, we never expected the team at Kitchen Makeovers — a Better Homes & Gardens special interest publication — to get in touch. They saw Lindsay’s before-and-after photos on our blog and wanted to feature her kitchen. We were thrilled, and Lindsay — who … Read more

UPDATE: We’re sending a giant thank you to the 30,000+ people who completed our survey! We used random.org to pick a winner of the $500 West Elm gift card and the lucky recipient is Sarah M from Birmingham, AL. Congrats Sarah — check your inbox! I freely admit I’m an infographic nerd (yes, my imaginary … Read more

In keeping with our annual tradition, we wanted to share Clara’s invitation and a few of the party supplies we’ve been gathering, just like we did last year and the year before. Many of you guessed this year’s theme (after last year’s worm obsession)… meet our little dragon. The dragon idea developed gradually. Clara claimed … Read more

Slowly but surely we’re making progress on the beach house. In the coming weeks we expect big changes as the property gets all-new electrical and plumbing, plus a fully functioning HVAC system—perfect timing for hot beach days. We’re thrilled to say goodbye to sketchy knob-and-tube wiring, and the furnace will no longer be “accessorized” with … Read more

***This giveaway is no longer accepting entries – see who won below!*** And the lucky / randomly selected / soon to be quite worldly person is… Briana (who says “London, Ontario is special to me. That’s where I first lived on my own, went to University, met my husband, and I just loved that city. … Read more

You know Sherry and I work on keeping things concise, so Avis’s submission was a perfect reminder that a big impact doesn’t require many words. Her email laid out the essentials of the project, but her photos tell most of the story—clearly and effectively. See for yourself below: Sherry and John, hi! I’m Avis. I … Read more

Updated 2019 With Thanksgiving approaching, we adapted Sherry’s daily gratitude-journal habit into a simple family craft: a “Thanks Jar.” Instead of tucking our gratitude into private journals, we put it on display throughout November. It’s an easy, meaningful way to focus on appreciation—and it can become a fun family tradition. Craft Supplies To Create Your … Read more

Let’s talk about a project that wasn’t as quick as we expected. Between patio building and kitchen makeovers, Sherry and I like to reward ourselves with smaller updates that lift morale and give us a breather so we don’t burn out. One of those small projects was swapping the light fixture in our guest bathroom … Read more

…the third week of December! Maybe it’s not as iconic as an SNL opening, but for everyone who follows our Instagram (and who asked for the videos to go with the goofy photos we posted), here you go. We never expected to write that sentence, but it’s been a busy week in the live-television department. … Read more