Yesterday was a delightful whirlwind. We spent nearly the entire day exploring the Portland Home & Garden Show at the Expo Center, with a brief break to sample the much-raved-about Voodoo Doughnut (yes, we tried the maple bacon — delicious). The hall was packed with stunning gardens, inventive green-living ideas, and an endless stream of … Read more

TGIF… or rather, thank goodness it’s February. This new month brought another cheerful delivery of fresh flowers, a gift from my husband: a bouquet a month for a year. This time we grabbed a plump bunch of white daisies from our local grocery store for just $4. I split the flowers into three simple arrangements … Read more

It’s late Sunday night as I write this after a whirlwind weekend in Northern Virginia. We helped John’s sister Carrie give her bedroom a grown-up upgrade and squeezed in a little nursery shopping while we were there. Below are ten things we helped her shop for, hang, and install to give the room a more … Read more

***This giveaway has reached its cap and is now closed – see who won below!*** You all shut this down with 10,000 entries in less than a day. Wow! We’ve already selected our random winner. She is… Rhonda (who says she’s going to ask for a juicer to go with her Christmas blender). Congrats! Tomorrow … Read more

I promised more details about our visit with Katie Bower on Wednesday when we awkwardly revealed that Katie and I had been together in a string of photos that were, honestly, a little cringe-worthy. We love doing a good “Bower visit breakdown” — sharing what we did, what we ate, and all the little moments … Read more

The stain on our kitchen cabinets felt too orange and dated. We loved the wood grain but wanted a darker, more contemporary tone without the hassle of stripping or heavy sanding. Fortunately, we found a product that allowed us to skip those messy, time-consuming steps while still delivering the look we wanted. Below you can … Read more

Ready for the next stage of the fireplace makeover? There’s been a lot of progress. Previously we tiled the hearth and part of the surround with marble subway tile. That tiling was the straightforward part. The next step — building out the rest of the frame — required more materials and a bit more planning. … Read more

Last year is officially behind us, but before we say goodbye, here’s one of our favorite yearly traditions: We’re feeling nostalgic thanks to the arrival of the 2012 Petersik Family Yearbook. Every January we create a photobook that captures our favorite moments from the prior year. We first ordered one from MyPublisher in 2010 and … Read more

Since many of you asked for more detail about the layout changes and paint colors we’re considering, we wanted to share a full update on the ideas floating around right now. These plans will certainly evolve, but here’s a clear look at what we’re imagining so far—lots of descriptions, diagrams, and photos to help explain … Read more

Whahoo! DIY magazine is coming to photograph our home for a multi-magazine feature, and we couldn’t be more thrilled. While we can’t share any of their polaroids yet, here’s a glimpse of what our kitchen looked like when the flowers arrived. I’m absolutely delighted.