Happy Friday! As our annual tradition, we’re sharing what Clara and Burger are dressing up as this Halloween. I made Clara’s costume myself for the second year in a row (without tears or swearing), and I’m really pleased with how it turned out. At first Clara announced she wanted to be a lawyer, which made … Read more

Ready for a wow-worthy makeover? Jess and Monica transformed their friends’ guest room with a fresh, budget-friendly redesign that blends vintage charm and modern flair. The standout element is a playful, multi-colored houndstooth stencil that gives the room personality and sets the tone for the entire space. Here’s their note about the project: Hi John … Read more

We have so much to be thankful for, and you’re right at the top of the list. Thank you for stopping by to see what’s happening at our home. Sending lots of Thanksgiving love your way—especially from Burger, who always looks so dapper in a photoshopped pilgrim hat. Now go enjoy your meal and stop … Read more

Hooray — our publisher has finally confirmed a handful of upcoming dates you’ve been asking about, and even added a few more tour stops. We’ll share those at the end of this post. But first, here’s our biweekly recap of the most recent events — the last ones of 2012 before the tour resumes in … Read more

OK, it’s day two of our organizing week and today we’re sharing how we manage Clara’s growing collection of toys and books. This isn’t a step-by-step makeover post (that comes later) — it’s a practical system that’s worked for us to keep kid clutter under control and make playtime more enjoyable for Clara. We get … Read more

***This giveaway is no longer accepting entries*** Yes, this giveaway is about cleaning, but calling it simply “nice” doesn’t do it justice. Take the stunning Australian house we virtually toured back in February — it’s far more than nice; it’s remarkable. The homeowners behind that gorgeous home are also the creators of Murchison-Hume, a luxurious, … Read more

As many of you know, each month we treat ourselves to an inexpensive—or sometimes free—bouquet to keep the home feeling fresh. The tradition actually began with a thoughtful Christmas gift from my husband. This month John’s solo grocery run produced a cheerful surprise: a $4 bouquet of yellow alstroemerias he picked up along with milk, … Read more

So, my basement workshop. I admitted it was a mess a few months ago. When I built Clara’s dollhouse it forced me to tidy up a bit — just enough that you could actually see some of the floor. Then the deck project happened and the workshop slid back into chaos: sawdust, scrap wood, and … Read more

We finally painted the area below the chair rail in our office a shade darker than the stenciled wall above so the room feels more balanced. The stencil above the chair rail made the top feel heavy, so we slid one square down on the Benjamin Moore swatch from our wall color (Moonshine) and chose … Read more

We have a theory: roughly 75% of the things we bring into our home are white. To test that idea, here are some of our recent favorite finds and purchases. One of our all-time favorite additions is a ceramic playmate for the concrete greyhound John gave me for Valentine’s Day. This jumbo ceramic dog was … Read more