Inspiration is everywhere. While John and I were waiting for a friend at the spa (yes, we were that casual—hanging out in the lobby without getting a massage), I couldn’t resist photographing some beautiful packaging and its striking color combinations. I admit I took pictures of soap and candle displays, but it was all in … Read more

We’re definitely a little too old for trick-or-treating, so last weekend we did a grown-up version: a leisurely stroll through a historic downtown neighborhood to admire Halloween and autumn decorations. We didn’t encounter a lot of over-the-top displays (wait until Christmas for that), but we did spot a few subtle, stylish arrangements worth sharing. Let … Read more

We’ve made major progress on the bathroom renovation since the partial demo last week. After removing walls and doors that had been blocking light and flow, the space already feels dramatically more open. Below I’ll share the final floor plan, our tile selections, and some of the key decisions we made along the way. For … Read more

Just to be clear, that post title was meant to be read with a Dr. Dre-style swagger (like in that clean 1999 classic). Now that we’ve got the intro out of the way, let’s talk pumpkins. This year we picked up some lumpy, bumpy orangey-red pumpkins instead of the usual smooth yellow-orange ones. The most … Read more

***This giveaway is no longer accepting entries – see who won below!*** Random.org sifted through the 9000+ entries and came up with our winner. She is… Jenn (whose favorite number is 13 because of The Offspring song “Pretty Fly for a White Guy” and the lyric “He went for a tattoo yeah, he’s getting it … Read more

UPDATE: Entry for this contest is now closed. Thank you to everyone who entered — all 500 or so of you. The winner will be announced on December 18th. Calling all handymen and handywomen: we’re giving away a brand-new DeWalt TrackSaw (retail value $500). This tool blends the portability of a circular saw with the … Read more

With family arriving tonight for our first Christmas in Richmond, we wanted to share our holiday card with you first — you really are like family to us. We couldn’t keep this little blog going without your support, and we sincerely appreciate every visit and comment. We took these photos earlier in the month, using … Read more

Spring has arrived here in Richmond, and we couldn’t be more excited. Warmer days, fresh green leaves and blooming flowers—bring it on. For anyone who hasn’t reached spring yet, here’s a little virtual dose of the season: a few photos showing what’s just beginning to pop up around our place. Small buds are already forming … Read more

We stumbled on a lucky find at a neighborhood yard sale: a huge piece of framed art priced at just $20. This thing is massive—over three feet wide and more than two feet tall. The frame had a small dent, but that was no problem for us, so we bought it. John wasn’t crazy about … Read more

That’s the name of the new bedroom color. It may not be the easiest to remember, but it looks great on the walls. We chose the middle swatch from Valspar shown at the top of the photos and had it color-matched to an Olympic No-VOC paint in a satin finish. We liked that it leans … Read more