It’s Wednesday the 14th, which means it’s time to share this season’s completely unofficial Pinterest Challenge (not sponsored by Pinterest or anyone else) — a fun push to stop pinning and start making, dreamed up by Katie. This time I made a homemade beanbag for Clara’s closet, something I mentioned last Wednesday when Katie, Erin, … Read more

As many of you know, Hurricane Irene was a real nightmare for our area. It knocked trees into houses, cars, poles, and roads, and it left many neighbors without power for days. We were lucky compared to some — our electricity was out for three days, while nearby homes went without for over a week … Read more

We made simple Valentine’s Day goody bags for our daughter’s classmates and kept the project affordable and quick. Our first stop was Target, where we checked The Dollar Spot, the Valentine’s candy section, and the kids’ party aisle to see what was left. In The Dollar Spot we found clear plastic bags sold in a … Read more

And I’m calling this project done. Time to celebrate. To recap why we decided to box in those columns: The carport already has four chunky, square columns, so the three original curvy columns made the house feel inconsistent. Squared, boxed columns are more authentic to a mid-century ranch aesthetic, which is the look we wanted … Read more

Someone hit the big 0-3 this week, and we’re pretty excited about it! To celebrate this year, we followed the same tradition you may have seen over on Young House Love: letting Clara help design a custom “fabric” for her birthday photos. This year she painted directly onto two yards of white cotton, and the … Read more

As with our previous gift guides, we’ve gathered all three of our lists into one easy-to-scan post. Here are the three categories we cover every year: Gift Ideas for Grown-Ups Gift Ideas for Kids Gift Ideas Under $12.99 We enjoy putting these guides together each year and include items we actually own, love, or plan … Read more

We interrupt this regularly scheduled update for a quick patio progress report: the expensive patio supplies mentioned earlier have arrived. Now we understand why they cost so much. The shipment was larger than our car, a giant truck delivered it, the total weight on the delivery ticket reads over 19,000 pounds, and the materials have … Read more

Q: Since I’m an avid reader/adorer of all things YHL, I’ve seen pretty much all the pictures of your home that you’ve managed to cram into the blog. And every time I see these pics, I swoon over how organized and neat your house is—so very unlike my own. One thing in particular annoys me: … Read more

Work continues on our big opening between the kitchen and the dining room. I still forget the doorway exists until I walk in the room in the morning, feel the sun on my face and burst into song and dance. Seriously — it feels like a little Disney moment here. While we finish door jambs, … Read more

As many of you know, each month we like to pick up an inexpensive — sometimes free — bouquet or plant to keep things feeling fresh around the house. The idea originally came from a thoughtful Christmas present from my husband. This month I diverged from our usual plan when I found an adorable little … Read more