It’s that time of month again — our quick, photo-filled recap that gathers everything we tackled over the last few weeks. We like to collect the highlights (and links) so you can scan a month of projects at a glance. This month we were all over the place: painting, organizing, building, rearranging, crafting, upholstering, updating light fixtures, dabbling in some coding, applying oil-rubbed bronze finishes (yes, that’s a category now), and occasionally breaking things. Here’s a playful set of superlatives to summarize August’s home and DIY adventures.
Most Illuminating: Clipping 320 clothespins to build a dramatic laundry-room clothespin chandelier for our first-ever Pinterest Challenge. It was a meticulous, satisfying project — and the post rounds up more than 500 other Pinterest Challenge entries from readers. Inspiration galore.
Most Spoiled: Potato-stamping a whimsical pattern inside Clara’s closet to create a cozy reading nook. Sometimes the simplest, handmade touches make a space feel extra special.
Most Likely to Win Mariah Carey’s Approval: A little free butterfly art I made from a flier while visiting Natural Bridge, VA. It’s a tiny reminder that great decor can come from unexpected sources.
Most Likely to Win Carrie Bradshaw’s Approval: Adding smart shoe storage to the laundry room using Ikea recycling bins. Functional, tidy, and scalable — a good solution for everyday footwear chaos.
So Fresh & So Clean: We completed our laundry room makeover. After all the small projects and finishing touches, that room finally feels done — and more efficient.
Most Likely to Be Committed for a Pillow Addiction: New striped pillows found at HomeGoods for $9 each, plus a little paint-chip art project to make inexpensive, original wall pieces. If pillow collecting is a hobby, consider us dedicated.
Clumsiest: John, who managed to break a light fixture cover while swapping the hallway light — a reminder that simple updates sometimes go sideways.
Most Hard-Working: Our new Effektiv storage unit from Ikea, now serving as the office command center for files, printer, and everyday supplies — practical furniture that actually earns its keep.
Most Debonair: Upgrading the Effektiv unit with sleek black glass handles for a subtle, high-end touch that elevates the simple cabinet.
ORB of the Month: Giving the mailbox an oil-rubbed bronze finish and tackling several outdoor maintenance tasks to help the yard look a little less neglected. Small exterior updates make a big curb-appeal difference.
ORB Runner-Up: Refreshing several door handles, including the front-door hardware, with a coordinated finish to tie exterior accents together.
Most Cheerful: Painting the front door a sunny yellow that makes the whole house feel friendlier — an easy, high-impact color update for curb appeal.
Most Likely to Stockpile Swedish Things: Our first post-move trip to Ikea — a productive shopping run that restocked essentials and sparked several organizational upgrades.
Worst Dressed: A candid video tour of our house in its lived-in state, complete with old photos and honest mess — because homes are for living, not just for show.
Most Likely to Get Worms: Building a backyard compost bin from leftover shipping pallets. It’s a cheap, effective way to recycle kitchen scraps and yard waste into rich, usable soil.
Most Likely to Rock: The rocking chair that finally got painted and reupholstered after sitting unfinished for months. Sometimes the slow projects are the most satisfying.
Most Pictures in a Single Post: Our comparison of the new house versus the old house included so many photos the site struggled for a bit — visual storytelling gone big.
Best “Rome Wasn’t Built in a Day” Reminder: A look back at our first house after eight months, showing how progress stacks up slowly over time. Perspective is a helpful motivator.
Best Moves: Rearranging Clara’s furniture to solve a crib-in-front-of-vent problem — small layout tweaks can improve comfort and safety.
Worst Moves: Shuffling office furniture prematurely during the office makeover prep — a reminder that planning beats improvisation when it comes to layout changes.
The “Thrill of the Hunt” Award: Scouring stores for the perfect cabinets to repurpose into a built-in office desk — we even had a dog and a baby along for the search.
Petersik’s Believe It or Not!: Finding six cabinets at a Habitat for Humanity ReStore for virtually nothing — a thrifty score that set the stage for our built-in desk.
Most Destined for Greatness: Our office cabinets, which we sanded and primed in preparation for glossy white paint. They’re poised to transform the workspace once finished.
Most Likely to Be From New Jersey: My tendency to fall hard for glittery pinecones and meticulously color-sorted M&Ms — showcased in some seasonal leaf-themed decorations I made for a bridal shower.
Biggest Jerk: Hurricane Irene, which damaged our neighborhood. Our neighbors are recovering and repairs continue; thanks for the kind thoughts.
Most Overdue: Redesigning our blog theme for the first time in over three years — we tried several initial concepts before settling on a cleaner look with a gray heart background and a simplified header.
A few of the early designs we tested didn’t make the cut — glad we kept iterating until we found the right balance. Clean design goes a long way in making content easier to enjoy.
Cutest Couple: Clara and her cousin John cuddled up after Hurricane Irene — a small, sweet moment amid the chaos.
There you have it — August wrapped up in superlatives. This recap is just as much fun as last month’s inaugural post. What did you tackle this month? Taking a moment to list achievements — big or small — helps turn an endless to-do list into visible progress. We were scattered across nearly every room, but that’s how real home projects happen: messy, varied, and ultimately rewarding. If you missed it, you can also take a peek at July’s superlatives for more inspiration.
Psst — check out July’s superlatives here.