January felt like one of those blink-and-it’s-over months for us — it flew by. Before our behind-the-scenes book work erases the details, we like to pause and recap what we accomplished, gather links in one place, and share a few unseen moments. This month was a whirlwind, with a big focus on the kitchen, a mini play kitchen for Clara, and tackling long-standing items from the playroom in our self-imposed “Dude, Get On That Already” challenge. Here’s a look back with some yearbook-style superlatives.
Future Top Chef: Clara, who spends hours at the play kitchen we built her for Christmas. Her most common “dish” appears to be a menagerie of toy animals — many of which receive pretend baths in the sink.
Most Gifted: Us — we recapped our Christmas gifts, from jewelry to art supplies and little treasures we enjoyed receiving.
Most Secretive: The lady-bloggers (including Sherry) who took part in a Secret Santa exchange. January was the month identities and gift-backstories were finally revealed.
Most Likely To Be In The Dark: Clara, thanks to her new blackout curtains. They’re not fully finished yet, but they’ve already improved naps substantially — which is priceless when we’re racing to capture book shots.
Most Artistic: Our living room wall received a subtle refresh — we swapped in more muted linen mats — and we even shared a peek inside our ottoman. Over-sharing? Maybe. But fun.
Class Stud: The stool we revamped for Do It Yourself magazine — we refreshed it with paint, new fabric, and nailhead trim for a quick makeover.
Most Re-Arranged: Clara’s room — it’s been reconfigured for the third time in a year as we figure out how to fit furniture meant for other spaces into her room. The constant reshuffle seems to work for now.
Best Couple: The new sheer curtain panels that joined our printed panels in the living room, helping to strengthen the window treatment’s presence and balance.
Book Worm: Our family yearbook — the photobook with highlights from 2011 arrived in January, and Clara already loves flipping through it while asking to “look at pictures.”
Most Faux-Real: The antlers we spray-painted white and hung in the kitchen as part of our “Dude, Get On That Already” project — a small pledge to either use items or pass them on.
Best Tour Guide: Burger, our resident cat, who helped show off the master closet after we installed a new light fixture.
Least Upright: Me — caught mid-pose while photographing new closet chandelier shots, with Burger supervising, of course.
Most Dramatic: The kitchen cabinets, which finally received a fresh paint makeover and completely changed the room’s feel.
Most Tedious: Installing penny tile in the kitchen. It was a multi-step process that we spread across three posts — planning, cutting, and finishing — and it took time and focus, but the result was worth the patience.
Most Annoying: Yours truly, for getting a Tears for Fears tune stuck in many readers’ heads after posting “Grout, Grout, Let It All Out.” Sorry/not sorry.
Most Swiss Cheese-esque: Our kitchen ceiling, which bore several holes after an electrician’s visit — a reminder that progress sometimes looks messy before it looks finished.
Most Well-Rounded: The new globe pendant lights we hung over the kitchen peninsula — they’re simple, sculptural, and just the right scale for the space.
Little Miss Perfect Award: Not Sherry — she candidly shared a vulnerable post called “The Real $her-dog,” reminding us that life at Chez Petersik isn’t always curated perfection, and we appreciate that honesty.
Mr. Mom: Me. I wrote about my insecurities as a work-at-home dad in “The Real J-Boom,” and the supportive comments helped me embrace the title a bit more.
Cheapest: The Jenn-Air range hood we scored on Craigslist for $60 — a bargain that felt satisfying, even this early in the year.
Most Supported: That same vent hood, which we hung and later covered as part of the kitchen progress — small victories piling up.
Most Commented: Our post about handling criticism, which sparked a lively discussion and garnered over a thousand comments in one weekend. Clearly a topic that resonated.
Most Chaotic: Our house — kitchen renovations and book photo shoots collided into a storm of activity. One week down, many projects shot and organized. Team effort for the win.
Biggest Chicken: Jarvis, our oversized ceramic rooster, who got a makeover with a coat of aubergine spray paint and now stands proud.
Most Dated: Our monthly roundups page, which we finally organized so visitors can browse our 2011 projects by month — a tidy archive that made us feel accomplished.
How was your January? Do you keep a list of accomplishments to look back on? Use the comments to share highlights or small wins — it’s nice to pause from the to-do list and celebrate what’s already been crossed off.