It’s that time again — a quick recap of everything we tackled last month, all in one place with links to the full projects. We also tossed in some never-before-seen moments for good measure. October had us juggling kitchen work, a few office updates, some yard changes, and a handful of Halloween crafts. Here’s a lighthearted walk down memory lane with superlatives that capture the month’s highlights.
Most Destructive: Demoing our fridge cabinet, which officially kicked off the kitchen makeover.
Best Timing: Finally buying appliances at the right moment so we saved nearly $1,400.
Best Moves: Swapping the fridge and pantry locations to improve kitchen flow — and yes, Sherry gets intense when moving big things.
Best Removes: Removing the wall oven, its cabinet, some countertops, and our cooktop to make space for new appliances.
Thriftiest: Great secondhand finds from our road trip to Brevard, NC for a family wedding.
Cutest Couple: Clara and her BFF Gee (her own name for him), all packed up and ready for the weekend. Also: the cabinets are keeping watch.
Cutest Couple (Runner Up): A tie between Sherry & Katie’s giggly Q&A performance and Jeremy and my Sprite cameo during the Bowers’ Richmond visit.
Worst Looking: Our kitchen during some electrical work while prepping outlets for the new appliances.
Most Killer: Stenciling the office walls, a marathon project that took Sherry three 4.5-hour sessions — tough work but a fantastic result.
Most Likely To Include Ceramic Animals: Our curated collection for Joss & Main — yes, we got excited about dog lamps and map art.
Cheekiest: The office chairs, refreshed with green paint and bold new upholstery.
“Gone to the Dark Side” Award: The lower half of our office walls, which feel more grounded after a fresh coat of dark grey paint. See the change.
Least Likely to Take Themselves Too Seriously: The bright, personal art pieces we made for the office — inexpensive and cheerful, they break up the workday without breaking the bank. Details here.
Sloppiest: Clara’s finger-painting on our kid-friendly, psychedelic Halloween pumpkins. Precious chaos.
Spookiest: Our slightly eerie Halloween decorations — bloody candles, white wooden snakes, and green apples and gourds. See the setup.
Most Hair-Raising: The spider that tried to derail our quick mum upgrade for the front porch. No close-ups of “Charlotte” this time, promise.
Most Open: The front yard view after removing the bush fence — it feels much more open and airy now.
Most Open (Runner Up): Laying out our kitchen decisions (and indecisions), including plans for open shelving.
Most Grounded: The dark cork flooring we chose for the kitchen — on sale at Lumber Liquidators — which helps anchor the space. Floor details here.
Most Well Rounded: The penny tile we picked for our kitchen backsplash — a practical and pretty choice that Clara gives two thumbs up. See the tile.
“The White Stuff” Award: Choosing white Corian countertops instead of granite for the kitchen. Why we chose Corian.
Deal of the Month: Saving over $300 by buying cabinets at the ReStore instead of a big-box store. Cabinet savings.
Most Likely to Catch Flies: KB & SP, who announced that the Pinterest Challenge is back — mouths open and all.
That’s our October in review. Can you believe it’s already November? What did you accomplish last month? If you track achievements, share them in the comments below — it’s nice to pause and appreciate what’s done before jumping back into the next project. By this time next week, we expect a huge 8′ opening into the dining room — open your mouth if you’re excited.
Psst — You can check July’s superlatives here, August’s here, and September’s here.
Pssst — We announced this week’s giveaway winners. Check the blog to see if you won.