This week we get personal, sharing early setbacks and tough decisions that nearly sent our lives in a very different direction — no house, no blog, maybe even no marriage. We also talk about a few failed DIY attempts around the yard that led us to hire professionals, an easy drawer-organization trick, and a tool … Read more

***This giveaway is no longer accepting entries – scroll down to see who won!*** January is prime time for organizing, so DYMO teamed up to help a couple of readers upgrade their labeling game with a brand-new label maker. The LabelManager 260P is more than a basic machine — it features a full keyboard, special … Read more

Originally Published: April 21, 2011. Updated 2019. We wanted a weathered, rustic wood top for the DIY console storage table we built, but we didn’t have reclaimed barn wood or old pallets on hand. Instead we turned new whitewood from the big box store into a surface that looks like it’s been around for years. … Read more

Alternate title: putting the floor in Florida. I’ll pause while you slap your knee. I’ve got mom jokes for days, but more importantly I spent days researching how to refinish old pine floors without ending up with the deep amber tone that pine often takes on when finished with traditional oil-based sealers. Oak refinishing advice … Read more

We’re excited to share the finished photos of the two compact but mighty bonus sleeping nooks in the duplex, along with images and details of two of the hardest-working storage areas: the hallway linen closet and the locked owner’s closet that guests don’t access. These little nooks and closets pull a lot of weight for … Read more

Things I’m great at: making up words to songs when I don’t know them, eating Oreos, and dancing like Elaine from Seinfeld. Things I’m bad at: loading the dishwasher, remembering to get haircuts more than once every few years, and apparently keeping up with monthly budget-blooms posts. I used to publish Budget Blooms once a … Read more

Alternate post title: Trees: 0. Sherry: 2. You might not remember what our first house looked like when we bought it, so here’s a quick reminder: And this is what it looked like five hours after John left and I went a little crazy with clippers (surprise!): Three cheers for finally being able to see … Read more

Although our Ikea sectional was originally scheduled to arrive on February 4th, it appeared ahead of time—and in a surprising number of boxes. As first-time Ikea sofa owners, we were a little stunned by how many packages the Karlstad came in. We’re familiar with Ikea assembly, so we jumped in and even recorded a time-lapse … Read more

This week’s craft project made me nervous, I won’t lie. For the past six weeks I’ve enjoyed quick, simple crafts like making a fall wreath, stenciling a pillow, painting baskets, decorating pumpkins and gourds, creating vacation keepsake globes, and trying ceramic paint on a bowl full of colorful cacti. Those projects typically took under an … Read more

Last week during the blogiversary celebration, readers asked for more quick and inexpensive projects—especially ones renters and homeowners can finish in under an hour. Here’s a charming under-$10 idea that literally took me ten minutes to assemble. There’s a hidden little story in the arrangement: one tall key, one medium key, and two small keys—one … Read more