During our weekend visit with the Bowers, we shared a few quick Instagram story photos of an irresistibly charming children’s bookstore and immediately got dozens of messages asking for a proper post so the spot wouldn’t disappear from people’s radars. So here it is: a full look at The Story Shop in Monroe, Georgia—one of … Read more

When Jen sent us photos of her stunning kitchen makeover from England, we were excited to share them. Here’s the note she sent: I absolutely love your blog and find your style so inspiring. I wanted to share my latest project with you as I am so pleased with it. I created a wall of … Read more

As promised, here are a bunch of photos and ideas that are inspiring us as we plan our new house in Florida. You could call this “beachy vibes”—it honestly feels like we’ve been preparing for this move for years. Many readers have pointed out little hints over time, like our coastal-themed artwork (including an anniversary … Read more

You don’t even know the half of our moving day adventure. We skimmed over it before because we wanted to share clean photos of our old place and the new house’s interior, but this story deserved telling. Buckle up and get ready for the ride. As we mentioned earlier, the day began with an unexpected … Read more

It’s never fun to get a call saying you have to tear down something you spent an entire weekend building. That’s exactly what happened with our beach house bunk beds, so this week we’re sharing the behind-the-scenes story and the solution we landed on. We also talk with Matt Paxton, one of the extreme-cleaning experts … Read more

Yesterday you read Day Numero Uno of what I call “Operation Granny Chic,” our three-day mission to update my granny’s bathroom. With the prep work complete, Day Two focused on painting and installing new flooring—aside from one small obstacle that needed attention first. See that large rust stain on the air duct near the floor? … Read more

It feels like ages since you last saw the front of the duplex (winter will do that), but today it’s getting some long-overdue attention. And let me tell you—THINGS HAVE TURNED A CORNER! There’s no finished landscaping yet, the grass is still patchy, and Sean the contractor’s giant sign is holding its ground… …but wow … Read more

Deck plans finished? Check. Permit in hand? Check. Materials arriving this week? Check. One thing still stood between us and getting started: the old, rotting balcony. We began with a plan. I laid out tools (crowbar, sledgehammer, power drill), set up a ladder for access, put on some music (note the ceramic pig on the … Read more

We’ve been a little sneaky—not living a double life, just quietly slipping away for a secret vacation. John and I spent the past week on a small chain of islands off Florida’s west coast, swimming in the Gulf of Mexico, eating plenty of seafood, blogging from the beach, and working on our tans (or, in … Read more

If you listened to this week’s podcast, you heard John and me say we’ve finally moved past the very long phase of daydreaming and indecision about our master bathroom. After more than six years of renovating most of our house, the beach house, and our duplex, we’re at the point where we know what we … Read more