And let’s just say I’m an eternal, unapologetic, annoyingly chipper optimist. We’re back to share the cozy collection of odd little finds we picked up with a $100 thrift-shopping budget during our end-of-winter beach trip to Rehoboth. Since we stayed at John’s parents’ beach house for free (I have the best in-laws), spending a hundred … Read more

We recently received several emails from readers asking for fun ideas and gifts for Valentine’s Day. The web is already full of suggestions, but we wanted to share a curated list of some of our favorite ways to celebrate the occasion. These ideas are simple, thoughtful, and easy to customize—happy Valentine’s Day! Use a heart-shaped … Read more

We finally had a reason to update the hardware on our front door — and the fact that the house would be on camera pushed us to get it done. A recent return to Lowe’s for some dead hydrangeas even refunded $80, which more than covered the roughly $50 cost of the new hardware. Here’s … Read more

I’m not obsessive about cleanliness so much as I am about organization. I believe everything needs a designated spot, or else you end up with piles of clutter scattered around the house. That’s why I favor storage solutions designed for specific tasks—like our rolling laundry caddy (you can see it in action in our home … Read more

Last weekend I rearranged Clara’s nursery—again—and several of you noticed and asked for an update, so here it is. It wasn’t a full renovation, just a few simple swaps, but for a while the room looked like it had been turned upside down: Clara was in there “helping Mommy dec-rate.” According to her, “decorate” has … Read more

It’s no secret we adore a large linen drum shade, so we were thrilled to discover Ashley’s step-by-step tutorial for a drum pendant she built from scratch—for just $18. Here’s her note: Okay, you have got to quit doing cute things in your house because I’m always wanting to do something else. My project list … Read more

Gravity plus paint became a lesson in humility when we tackled the den’s ceiling tiles. Those tiles were unusually absorbent and uneven, turning a straightforward paint job into a messy challenge. We’d been postponing this task for months, so one Friday night we finally decided to get it done. Armed with a contractor’s tip to … Read more

First off, this post wasn’t sponsored by Ikea — we just wanted to share a recent pilgrimage. We’re big fans (especially after their renewable energy announcement). People say you can learn a lot about someone by peeking in their purse or closet; for us, you can get a pretty good snapshot of our lives by … Read more

Alternate post title: “In A Minute, I Have To Hairdry The Chair” Guys, I did something a little bold. We wanted our $25 hotel-style dining chairs to be a crisp, solid apple green (since I plan to make patterned curtains, I wanted the chairs to be a single, fun color without a pattern that I’ll … Read more

It’s rare a “before” photo makes me laugh out loud, but Erin’s original shower tile did just that. Thankfully, the incredible renovation she and her husband completed has turned that unfortunate tile into a distant — and somewhat hilarious — memory. Here’s her story: Hi John & Sherry, we’ve been slowly remodeling our foreclosure for … Read more