This handmade Peruvian poncho was a thoughtful gift from my sister-in-law a few years ago (thanks, Ali!). I waited until Clara was big enough to wear it, and she enjoyed it for years—so much so that it even appeared on the cover of a local magazine for a holiday feature. But kids grow fast, and … Read more

Remember when we removed Ed the Bed’s top rails and mentioned that we still needed finials to finish the look? Time for a finial fashion show. I ran to Home Depot and Lowe’s and brought back four contenders to try on Ed’s posts. Here’s the lineup: The long wooden pieces in the top right were … Read more

In honor of moving week, we’ll share a post of empty-house photos (and a list of what stayed with the house) in a day or two. Before that, we wanted to take one last look back at our exterior progress. We filmed outdoor tours in both 2011 and 2012, so the video we shot a … Read more

Oh yeah—this is a quirky one. I decided to refresh a collection of faux pumpkins and gourds I’ve kept for years, plus a few long-forgotten craft supplies. The best part: these seasonal updates cost me nothing. I also discovered I don’t mind putting legwear on decorative items, so into the project went three pairs of … Read more

We hadn’t given our office much attention during the eight months we’ve lived here (aside from deciding it was no longer the dining room and moving that function into the old formal living room nearby). Our move-in strategy was basically: plop old office furniture down, get to work, and pretend the rug’s off-center and the … Read more

Last time you saw our sunroom, it looked like this: Now it’s starting to look more like this: Forgive the grainy iPhone photo — it was the quick snap I sent to my parents before Richmond turned into rain city yesterday — but you can see we’ve made solid progress lofting the ceiling. A professional … Read more

Can the colors, furnishings, and accessories we choose for our home actually make us measurably happier? Today we explore the science of joy and share design strategies that can lift everyday moods — and even make chores feel more pleasant. We also point out a few places where our home already feels joyful, and a … Read more

Go Navy! Don’t take that as choosing sides in the long-standing Army vs. Navy rivalry—I’m neutral. My dad was Army, after all. Anyway, back to the point: this post is about the basement (it’s up early because we’re on a flight), so let’s pick up where we left off with this hot mess of a … Read more

We’re wrapping up blogiversary week with one more post for anyone who’s starting a blog or trying to turn theirs into a business. We don’t claim to be formal blogging experts, but over four years of sharing home and DIY projects we’ve picked up a lot of lessons worth passing along. And of course there … Read more

We receive many emails asking for a simple tutorial on how to remove labels from wine and Pellegrino bottles. We first tried this for our wedding in 2007 to transform bottles into carafes for water, lemonade, and sweet tea for each table. We even asked a local wine shop to save bottles from tastings so … Read more