Happy Labor Day weekend! As summer winds down and August comes to a close, we’re taking a moment to reflect on the month’s highlights — including a few behind-the-scenes moments you might’ve missed. Looking back helps keep momentum, inspires future projects, and makes our archives easier to browse. Below you’ll find our favorite moments from August, plus a little hint about Monday’s giveaway. Feel free to guess away.
Most Redeemed: I felt vindicated after Sherry’s little lamp accident — suddenly my own history of broken things didn’t feel quite so embarrassing (I’m thinking of that ceramic dog incident).
Mood-iest: Sherry’s deck mood board as we began planning what would go on our deck. There’s still work to do, but this was a strong starting point for pulling the look together.
Freshest: A trip to Ikea to check out their latest releases after the 2013 catalog arrived. New chairs were a favorite among readers — so many great designs to drool over.
Most Painful: My fall while starting to lay deck boards. I walked away with bruises from hitting joists, but thankfully those marks have mostly faded.
Least Musical: Sherry, after she mangled The Brady Bunch theme while writing about framing art in our home. Let’s hope the Bradys aren’t reading.
Most Blushy: Us, after the amazing response when we announced that our book is available for pre-order. The support has been humbling and energizing — we can’t wait to share more soon.
Most Organized: My side of the closet after Sherry upgraded me from woven baskets to sleek white bins from Ikea. Small changes can make a big difference.
Most Athletic: Many of you revealed you’re runners in response to my post about why I run. It was great to see the mix of casual joggers and more serious athletes in the comments.
Most Fun You Can Have With A Circular Saw: Finishing the deck boards. There’s something satisfying about ripping boards and watching a project inch toward done-ness.
Comfiest: The new chair we added to the corner of our kitchen. It’s an easy upgrade over the small chair we’d had since moving in.
Longest: Our updated house to-do list. We crossed off several items but still have plenty left — including tackling the third bedroom, which is now full of secret book-project supplies for a fall charity auction.
Most Improved: The mirror situation in our kitchen. Swapping in a larger spare from our guest bedroom made a noticeable difference.
Best Deal: A $295 outdoor lantern we found for $19 and hung in our carport — a small purchase that made a big impact.
Most Likely To Get Vertigo: Anyone who’s afraid of heights, like Sherry, after crossing the High Bridge Trail near Farmville, VA. She felt better after a little outlet furniture shopping nearby.
Most Fascinating: Discovering the origin of the basket we repurposed for a DIY kitchen light fixture — it turns out similar baskets were used for catching fish. A neat bit of history that inspired the project.
Most Egg-sessive: Sherry, in her ongoing love affair with egg chairs. She even made tiny ones for Clara’s dollhouse.
Most Versatile: The $5 tulips Sherry restyled three different ways — a small budget item with big creative potential.
The “Goliath” Award: The completed deck — ten weeks of sunny, sawdust-filled work that paid off when the project finally came together.
Most Well Traveled: Us, at least when it comes to thrift-store hopping in Richmond. We capped off a six-store tour of the city’s best thrifty finds.
Most Moroccan: A quirky little side table we found at a thrift store — readers offered lots of creative ideas for what they’d do with it.
Wordiest: The text-heavy art hack Sherry did on a painting in our dining room. It’s a simple treatment that adds a lot of personality.
Most Delayed Gratification: Rubbing teak oil into our new deck chairs (and poly-ing the table) to protect them long-term. It felt like a lot of effort for subtle short-term results, but hopefully it saves work later.
Most Likely To Include A Gratuitous Burger Shot: Our little mantra about how we decide what to post about — yes, it often includes a burger photo.
Future Fashionista: Clara, who insisted on bringing her purse to Home Depot. We also shared where and how we buy clothes for her in a recent post.
Most Chillaxed: Burger, who’s already sampling relaxation spots on our newly furnished deck.
Most Likely To Result In Underwear Chatter: The post about Sherry crafting a “so-so shiny hoop” for the baby — leave it to her to bring underwear into the conversation.
Most Cryptic: This visual hint for Monday’s giveaway. There are three distinct clues in the image — any guesses?
How was your August? Did you finish any big projects, score great finds, or simply savor the last weeks of summer? We can’t believe our little one starts preschool mornings in a few short weeks — sniffle.