Can you believe it’s almost 2012? December flew by, so before the month is gone we wanted to pause and recap what we accomplished—an easy-to-scan roundup of projects, photos, and a few behind-the-scenes moments. We spent most of the month focused on the kitchen, but also made tweaks around the living room, hallway, and squeezed in plenty of holiday fun. Here’s a yearbook-style list of this month’s highlights and favorite moments.
Most Improved: Three simple swaps in the living room—a larger rug, a square ottoman, and a more refined office chair—made a surprisingly big difference in how the space feels and functions.
Most Memorable: A look back at moving day in 2010, posted to celebrate our one-year anniversary in the house. It’s amazing to see how much we’ve done and how much is still on the to-do list.
Most Artistic: Clara took the prize after we repurposed our old desk into a toddler-sized drawing table—perfect for little hands and big imaginations.
Artistic Runner-Up: A pencil sketch of an owl from Sherry’s dad, framed and hung in the hallway—a small, sentimental artwork that adds character to the space.
Least Artistic: Some simple paint touch-ups in the kitchen before the countertops arrived. Not glamorous, but necessary—and at least there was a paintbrush involved.
Craftiest: The handmade vendors at the Richmond holiday market stole the show—and we left with a few treasures that inspired our own decorating projects.
Most Adventurous: Our homemade advent calendar that turned an Ikea scarf hanger into a festive ornament-a-day countdown—simple, affordable, and family-friendly.
Cheeriest: The ribbon-covered stars from our 2011 Christmas card. Also, props to Burger for providing comic relief—his tongue stole the photo shoot.
Merriest (Tall Edition): Our toddler-friendly Christmas tree, decorated with paint swatches, ribbon, and shatterproof ornaments—practical and playful for a home with little ones.
Merriest (Short Edition): A tabletop tree that brought sparkle to the living room, filled with handmade ornaments from our recent craft challenge.
Brightest: Our first exterior holiday display—candy cane lights, Moravian stars, glowing lanterns, and an all-red reindeer or two—gave the house a festive glow.
Brightest (Runner-Up): A few holiday tweaks to the hallway frame wall that added seasonal cheer to a small but visible area of the house.
Brightest (Second Runner-Up): The new bright white Corian countertops installed in the kitchen—an instant lightening effect that refreshed the whole room.
Most Resourceful: A nearly free microwave purchase that, combined with creatively reusing existing cabinet space, let us invest more in counters, backsplash tile, an enlarged wall opening, and cork floors.
Diciest: Cutting down leftover cabinet doors to fit rebuilt and secondhand cabinets was nerve-wracking—but with pocket holes and heavy-duty screws, the pieces became sturdy and functional.
Best Backside: Industrial-inspired stools scored online for a great price now anchor the peninsula—durable, affordable, and unexpectedly stylish.
Most Tedious: The small pre-painting tasks in the kitchen—rebuilding a windowsill, adding toe kick and trim, cleaning the sunroom, and finally choosing a cabinet color—felt endless but were essential prep work.
Sandiest (Tie): John and the kitchen after a marathon of putty, sanding, and deglossing—getting everything ready for primer and paint took patience and elbow grease.
Biggest Tool: A curated list of gift ideas for the DIYer—handy for holiday shopping if you still had gifts or gift cards to spend.
Most Date-d: Our homemade 2012 calendar, which we shared as a free downloadable template—fun to personalize and a simple way to organize the year.
Most Resolute: We published a handful of 2012 resolutions—putting them out publicly is our way of staying accountable and motivating progress.
Most Transformative: Priming cabinet doors and frames—there’s nothing like fresh primer to make a kitchen start to feel like a new room. It’s beginning to look a lot like a new kitchen…
Cutest Hat: Clara refused to take off a leopard-print cap she received on Christmas morning, wearing it all day with total delight. Her infectious enthusiasm kept the holiday spirit alive.
That’s our December in review. It’s rewarding to step back from the to-do list and appreciate what actually got done. What did you accomplish this month? If you keep lists of wins or milestones, share a few in the comments—we’d love to hear about your projects, big or small. Happy New Year to every one of you—we truly appreciate your support.
P.S. If you missed previous months of superlatives, check July, August, September, October, and November for more highlights and project recaps.