They say inspiration can come from anywhere, and Sheena’s story definitely made us smile. Here’s her letter: Hey John and Sherry (and Clara and Burger too!) I just wanted to write to thank you for some unintended inspiration you gave me recently. After reading about Clara’s dollhouse, I fell in love with the pattern on … Read more

Vanessa shared her kitchen makeover with us — a transformation that cost just over one hundred dollars — and we couldn’t help smiling. Here’s her story in her own words: After 11 years of marriage and seven different cities (sometimes multiple moves within a single city), my husband and I have learned how to make … Read more

We’re back with an edible garden update just a few short months after we planted it in mid-May. The great news: our small experiment with herbs, fruits, and vegetables was a success. Not only did everything survive, most of it thrived with very little work from us. We were lucky to get generous late-spring and … Read more

Updated 2019 We recently replaced two old fluorescent fixtures in our kitchen. Each removal required slightly different techniques because one location didn’t have a proper fixture box in the ceiling — just wires poking through the drywall. Below we describe two straightforward approaches for replacing fluorescent lighting with a pendant or flush-mount fixture, including installing … Read more

I should warn you: many of the photos (and the video) in this post don’t exactly scream “rebuild”—more like “WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT HOUSE?!”—but there has actually been a lot of meaningful progress at the duplex. Here’s an update on the flurry of activity over the past few weeks, the floor plan changes we’ve made, … Read more

The wall is down (more here). Drywall is up (more here). Now it’s time for trim. I actually enjoy doing trim. It demands focus and attention to detail, but it’s rewarding to see rough edges transformed into crisp white borders. Before getting to the trim, I had to handle the half-wall ledge and the door … Read more

Every couple of years we splurge on that fake spiderweb stuff and go all out on the porch for neighborhood trick-or-treaters. Since we skipped last year, this season was definitely a go. We picked up the webbing at Target and used a mix of items we already had — some dead branches, a few white … Read more

***This giveaway is no longer accepting entries – see who won below!*** Random.org cut through more than 6,000 entries and picked our winner as… Stephanie (who would love a few hundred laughs with Zach Galifianakis). Congratulations! The phrase “cut it out,” popularized by Full House’s Uncle Joey, takes on a whole new meaning with the … Read more

This impressive bathroom makeover submitted by Kathleen shows how one bold change—the floor tile—combined with several smaller updates can completely transform a space. Here’s the dramatic before: And the gorgeous after: The centerpiece of this update is the basketweave floor tile, which instantly elevates the room with texture and visual interest. Pairing that statement floor … Read more

We thought frozen pipes were a concern we’d left behind after moving to Florida, but last month’s arctic blast dropped nighttime temps into the low 20s for three nights straight — with a record low of 18°F, an event locals called once-in-a-century for Northwest Florida. That was especially alarming because many local homes aren’t built … Read more