Although we’ve shared plenty of small updates on social media, John and I realized it’s been nearly three months since a full tour of the beach house (our last full video tour was in December). Since then we’ve completed some big projects—like building in a pantry and constructing bunk beds—as well as a bunch of … Read more

Every time I travel to Europe for a week with just a carry-on and a purse, people ask how I do it. I’ve refined a packing approach that lets me travel light while still having outfits I love. I even filmed a short video showing how a week’s worth of clothes fits into two packing … Read more

Last weekend we celebrated our sixth wedding anniversary. As we usually do, we marked the day with family time, a nice meal, and a few photos to remember it by. One of our ongoing goals each year is to get a family portrait—something we’ve collected and displayed at home. It began with a simple point-and-shoot … Read more

File this under sweet ideas for newlyweds — and really anyone who enjoys cooking together. This was another one of my husband’s charming suggestions, and unlike some of his other ideas, this one is food-focused. To keep us cooking in our new kitchen and to push us to try new dishes, John proposed that one … Read more

As our freshly painted stools dry in the sunroom (pics tomorrow!), we finally caught up on the May superlatives we’ve been meaning to share. Here’s a concise recap of everything we checked off last month, plus a few never-before-seen bits for fun. You can find all of our monthly roundups dating back to January 2011 … Read more

Picture me miming the act of pulling out the old bucket list and crossing off one of the biggest pipe-dream items. As we mentioned briefly before, three Wednesdays ago The Nate Berkus Show contacted us and asked if we’d be interested in appearing on their show, which was taping just two days later in New … Read more

With a name like “hardware,” you might assume swapping out drawer and door pulls is difficult. In reality, changing hardware is one of the quickest, most affordable ways to give furniture an instant makeover. We wanted a little more visual interest on our living room console table by the door, so we started there. We … Read more

When Trish sent photos of her vibrant living room walls, we were excited to share the striking before-and-after images. Here’s her note: Here are a couple of pics of my transformed teal-coloured walls for any of your colour-loving readers. We live in a tiny old cottage with tongue-and-groove timber interior walls and our living room … Read more

In the words of Eminem, I’m cleaning out my closet. But first, a closet-themed dance break for the Marshall Mathers fans out there (full disclosure: I can do a pretty decent Eminem impression). Now that the interlude is over, on to the real story. The closet is already cleaned — not just mine but ours. … Read more

Composting brings us joy. It may sound a little nerdy, but that small satisfaction you feel when you find the perfect gift or send a donation — that’s the same feeling I get when I drop a banana peel into the compost bucket under the sink. It’s a tiny everyday action that keeps useful material … Read more