We get asked this a lot: Are you doing this for yourselves or for the blog? It’s a question we’ve even asked ourselves. It wasn’t always easy to answer at the time, but with hindsight it’s clearer. In this post we reflect on projects we might have approached differently without an audience, share how we stay grounded now, and talk through deciding which home tasks to tackle ourselves and which to hire out. Plus, Sherry is finally starting a makeover she’s imagined for five years.
You can download this episode from Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn Radio, and Spotify — or listen to it below. Note: If you’re reading in a feed reader, you may have to click through to the post to see the player.
What’s New
- This before-and-after shows when we upgraded both our mailbox and our neighbor’s, which we mentioned on the show (you can hear more in Episode #44).
- For reference, the metal mailbox post and black mailbox we used are shown below. It’s been more than a year since we made the change; my only minor gripe is that a hawk in our neighborhood likes to perch on the rounded ball on top, so it can get messy. If you have large birds nearby, consider a post with a pointier top.
- Here’s a current shot of our yard — yes, there’s a yard under there! And the trees still have a lot of leaves.
- And take a look at our driveway:
- This is the plug-in leaf blower I’ve used for over a decade.
- For quick clean-ups, I use a battery-operated leaf blower. It’s perfect for clearing the driveway or patio without an extension cord.
Listener Question
- This week’s question ties closely to Episode #14: What Quitting Our Blog Taught Us, if you’d like more background.
- Here are some of the projects we mentioned during the conversation, starting with the sunroom floor stenciling.
- And the cork floor installation we tried.
- Our penny tile backsplash in the previous kitchen was a playful experiment and a nice contrast to the subway tile tutorial we’d done earlier.
- We also mentioned Episode #117 where we discussed the pros and cons of decorating one room at a time and the tendency to overthink decisions — like auditioning lamp shades and kitchen rugs.
- If you’re curious about Sherry’s wardrobe “uniform,” that’s covered in Episode #115 and in detail on the blog post about her minimal closet, which includes photos and a video.
- Sherry also credits a reader named Lesley for helping change the course of our laundry room makeover — you can see how the design evolved below.
- We shared our original laundry room plans, the revision inspired by reader input, and the final reveal of the renovated space.
We’re Digging
- Below are examples of the peg “family portraits” Sherry described from various Etsy sellers. They include options like shadow boxes, swaddled babies, and pets with ears, and many sellers show different family combinations — siblings, couples, etc.
- We also mentioned a friend who makes similar peg sets (her shop is currently on hiatus while she’s on maternity leave). She’s made character sets like Ghostbusters, Harry Potter, and Breaking Bad.
- Below is the slim wallet I’ve been using for about a month. It comes in around 30 colors; mine is “Alaska Brown.”
- My wallet doesn’t offer personalization, but I found a few on Etsy that include personalization at no extra charge. Be mindful that some sellers add customization fees to the list price.
- You can also hear about my effort to simplify keys and the leather key holder I bought in Episode #113. It’s currently marked down and includes free personalization.
If you’re trying to find a product we mentioned in a past episode but don’t remember which show notes to open, there’s a master list of everything we’ve been digging from previous episodes. You can also find all the books we’ve recommended on our Book Club page.
And a big thank you to Agility Bed for sponsoring this episode. For Cyber Monday you can get $200 off a hybrid mattress order and a free sheet set with the code BLACKOUT at their site. They offer free shipping and a 100-night trial with easy returns.
Thanks for listening, guys!
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