Jingle bells! Batman smells! Robin laid an egg. Batmobile lost a wheel and Joker did ballet. What, you didn’t sing that at camp while wearing culottes and a tie-dyed shirt? I did. In any case, I hung the stockings and added a few extra decorations beyond just putting up the tree — knowing we’ll be … Read more

By now you’ve probably heard how much we adore the results of painting our brick house white last fall. It stands out as one of our favorite transformations in thirteen years of homeownership. If you’re considering a similar change, we want to share what we learned, some helpful advice, and a few spring photos—this is … Read more

If you’ve read the older post referenced here, you already know part of this story. For everyone else, here’s the whole thing. Back in 2007, right before we got married and long before this blog existed, my parents gave us a tiny Japanese maple. It started as a 24″ offshoot near the big maple in … Read more

A newly tiled floor in a fresh room almost makes me do jazz hands (Sherry reaches that level of enthusiasm for a York peppermint patty, so clearly our thresholds differ). We absolutely love this new laundry room floor — and there’s a whole new romance in our house that involves a saw — so here’s … Read more

You may have noticed a bouquet in the middle of the table at Clara’s party two weeks ago. Not all of those blooms survived, unfortunately: However, a few stems are still fresh, so I placed them in three of my favorite Ikea vases for a simple, cheerful display: Yes, I put them on the bathroom … Read more

Thanks for all your thoughts and suggestions on the beginnings of our pantry project. We had lots of ideas to consider, but first up was clearing everything out — even removing the door — so we could prime and paint the space. After talking it over, we decided not to put the trash can back … Read more

Sorry for the cheesy egg pun, but you won’t believe what we found inside my bike helmet in the garage. It’s a reminder that we haven’t been riding as much as we should—because there’s a bird’s nest tucked in the helmet, and it’s not abandoned: it’s actively being used. Apologies for the blurry shot—Sherry climbed … Read more

Big news — we finished the makeover at the Children’s Hospital and can’t wait to share the photos (hopefully Monday). In the meantime, we put together one big, practical gift guide since so many of you requested it. Last year we split our picks across several posts for lads, ladies, and kiddos; this year everything’s … Read more

***This giveaway is no longer accepting entries – see who won below!*** Someone’s about to get more comfortable because random.org helped us pick a winner. That lucky person is… Kristen B (she says a walk on the beach helps everything). Congrats, Kristen! The giveaway title might sound like a line from a fabric softener commercial, … Read more

With our fireplace refacing plan finalized and supplies at the ready, we dove into step one: tile. Below is a clear recap of the entire process — from prep and cutting to installation and grouting — in case you want to try this yourself. I highlighted the areas in the photo that we planned to … Read more