*** This giveaway is no longer accepting entries – see who won below!*** We’ve got two names to announce as the random winners this week and they are… Eileen Marie (who lives on the edge by teaching on the “mean streets of Chicago”) and Kristin M (who is the mom to a “crazy 2 year … Read more

This random Friday post is part travel diary, part house-visit, part Clara cuteness, and part Jewel sighting. Ready? We started with a weekend trip to Washington, DC to visit my best friend Cat. (John and I set her up with John’s cousin Travis years ago — they married and now have two kids — so … Read more

When Erin sent us the before-and-after photos of her master bedroom, we were eager to share the transformation. She wrote to tell the story behind the redesign: We wanted to refresh our master bedroom to make it feel cozier and more inviting. First we removed the old carpeting, brought in new furniture and blinds, and … Read more

Something unexpected happened recently. Here’s a hint: It all began one night when John and I were in bed brainstorming ways to make the sunroom more functional and inviting. Right now it’s stuffed with secret book projects, but once fall arrives we plan to clear it out for a charity auction and finally treat it … Read more

You may have seen some of our duplex exterior progress on social media, so here’s a deeper look on the blog to answer the many questions we’ve been getting. We’ll cover shutters, steps, metal awnings, the diamond door situation, and other exterior updates. As a quick refresher, this is what the house looked like before. … Read more

Jaw-dropping is not a phrase I use lightly, but this kitchen makeover truly earns it. Emily sent a detailed account of the renovation, so I’ll let her tell the story in her own words: We bought this house as a foreclosure a little over two years ago. The price was so good that it made … Read more

Can you believe it’s been three weeks since our last tour update? Even though we haven’t posted much, we’ve been traveling a lot. Nearing the end of our book tour, we finally made it across the country to the West Coast. Here’s a recap of our stops in all three west coast states. We began … Read more

Cindy enjoyed designing a room for her daughter Sarah, but midway through the plan she had to adapt quickly. She used a mood board to stay focused and hunted for pieces she loved until she found great deals. Here’s her note: Hello John & Sherry! I want to share the latest update in our home. … Read more

We mentioned some recent bedroom changes on this week’s podcast, so we wanted to follow up with a photo-filled post for anyone curious about how the room looks now. Most of the furniture in our bedroom was purchased back when we lived in our previous house, and after moving here in 2013 things mostly landed … Read more

After many requests, we’re sharing how we made our planter-turned-side table, DIY dog food & water station, and puppy-friendly floor pillows when we refreshed our porch for Better Homes & Gardens’ 48-Hour Challenge using only items from Home Depot. One rule of the challenge was to use materials available at Home Depot. They don’t sell … Read more