Ugh — it’s August, which means September is right around the corner and summer is winding down. Time flies. To avoid burnout and keep our momentum, we like to pause and look back at the past month: highlights, fun moments, and a few things you might have missed. It can’t stop the world from turning, but it does help us stay inspired and makes searching the archives easier. Here’s our July roundup.
Most Likely To Go Mad: Me — digging all those holes for the deck has been driving me a little crazy, especially during the second round of digging after the county inspector failed our first attempt.
Best Lungs: Katie Bower — she brings the enthusiasm in the Summer Pinterest Challenge video, shouting from a tractor and a waterslide with boundless energy.
Sexiest Accent: The bold black-painted window sash in Jae’s kitchen — a high-contrast detail from a house-crashing visit in Atlanta that we couldn’t stop admiring.
Most Shameless: Sherry and Katie Bower, who filmed a video right in the middle of a Goodwill while shoppers wandered nearby and sometimes walked into frame.
Modern Shakespeare Award: Sisqo’s “Thong Song” — we cheekily referenced it while writing about a crayon-holding truck we found at Goodwill in Georgia, and many readers laughed along with that earworm.
Oldest: A Craigslist sideboard we picked up for $150 — a reminder that every room benefits from a piece of history (and thankfully, no mold).
Most Challenging: The Summer Pinterest Challenge results. It was the fourth round, Sherry tackled DIY abstract art, and readers linked up with over 600 projects — incredible effort from everyone.
Least Challenging: Simple wood frames I made to showcase Sherry’s Pinterest Challenge artwork — quick, basic, and effective.
The Math Geek Award: The arithmetic-inspired art we spotted during window shopping at the Pottery Barn Outlet and Mary Jo’s fabric store — clever and a little geeky.
The Zoology Award: For the readers who gently corrected me about the creatures I rescued from the deck holes — they were toads, not frogs. Thanks for the biology lesson and apologies to the toads for the sloppy labeling.
Most Welcoming: Julie’s house, another lovely home we visited in Atlanta — the entryway was a favorite of ours and many readers.
Grossest: Me after centering a light fixture in the bathroom and coming down from a hot, exhausting attic ordeal — I’d never felt so gross and tired.
Most Improved-ish: Our bathroom mini-makeover. With small, inexpensive changes — a new toilet, lighting, and accent tile — the update cost about $230 and feels like a nice interim refresh.
Sneakiest: Us for slipping away for a week at the beach and blogging from our phones — a little vacation was just what we needed.
Biggest Heart: A tie between Sherry’s Aunt Kay Kay and the readers who left comforting comments after Sherry wrote about her passing — we appreciate the kind words and support.
Most Angelic: Clara, in a photo where she’s bathed in light while we styled our Craigslist sideboard — such a sweet shot.
Most Decisive: Us, choosing between two gray paint swatches for the bedroom — one was clearly the winner.
Most High Tech: Our improvised setup for a time-lapse while repainting the bedroom a darker gray (Benjamin Moore’s Rockport Gray) — laptop balanced on furniture = indie cinematography.
Thriftiest: Sherry, after vintage and thrift shopping while we vacationed in Bethany Beach, Delaware — great finds and great prices.
Messiest: Me and my little sister after running the Color Me Rad 5K in Richmond — we were covered in colored cornstarch, and Sherry even turned some of it into a canvas.
Most Unusual: A swiveling papasan-like egg chair found at Salvation Army for $30 — inexpensive and in need of some TLC, but full of character.
Most Secret-tive: Our post about design foreshadowing in the house — some readers saw it as the “law of attraction,” others called it subliminal decorating. Loved reading everyone’s theories.
Best Moves: My little celebratory jig when the deck finally had joists — it felt like real progress and deserved a tiny victory dance.
Most Animal Friendly: The painted egg chair — it became a magnet for plush animals and pets in photos, from rhinos to chihuahuas in sunglasses.
Most Tedious: The small but necessary deck prep tasks, like adding blocking for posts, that had to be completed before laying deck boards.
Most Likely To Make You Crave Waffles: Our registry post about what to register for (and what not to) sparked a lot of waffle conversation — we didn’t register for a waffle maker, but now we kind of wanted one.
Most Stylish: The winner of Monday’s giveaway — we hinted at something fun, and we’re excited to reveal it soon.
How was your July? Any summer highlights, low points, or unexpected moments (toads included)? Share your story — we’d love to hear it.