decorating
5 Old Books I Found in Our New Home
Old houses are full of surprises. (I’m a master of the understatement.) Our colonial farmhouse has already given us plenty of surprises – most of them electrical related. I also found some old books and magazines in our new home. That’s a WAY better surprise than realizing you only have one inconveniently located outlet in your master bedroom! Since I previously told you the seller left tons of unwanted items in the house when he moved out, you might think that I found these old books in one of the four gazillion dozen boxes of junk on the premises. Nope. I found the old books and magazines in two places.…
My Dining Table Is Now a Coffee Table
Do you remember when I bought a $9.60 round dining table at the Habitat Restore and making over that table almost sent me over the edge? That was fun. Fast forward several months and the scars from the traumatic table makeover experience were healing nicely. Then I realized why that table might have been donated to the Habitat Restore in the first place. The top kept coming loose from the base. I’d tighten it and then people would put their elbows on the table (!) and eventually the top would loosen up again. The solution was clear. Either I could teach my family manners or we could stop eating all…
The Doors of Our Colonial Farmhouse
My number one reason for buying our colonial farmhouse was the original, wide plank wood floors. That’s how everyone selects a house, right? My number two reason for buying our home was the original doors. According to my logic, if life opens one beautiful door and you choose to walk through it and discover another beautiful door and ANOTHER, how do you not buy that house? It was a sign from the universe I didn’t want to ignore. The doors of our colonial farmhouse are definitely the eye candy of this house. And I do love me some eye candy! And don’t even get me started on the glass knobs! This is…
3 Unexpected Succulent Planters
I’m excited to show you how I’ve planted my succulents in 3 unexpected planters. I do not have a green thumb, but I seem to be able to keep succulents alive. This is probably because succulents tend to do well with a little neglect less watering than regular houseplants. Now that I’ve inspired your confidence in my abilities (ha!), let’s get to the fun stuff. Pretty much anything is fair game around my house to be used or reused in an unexpected way! Unexpected Succulent Planter #1: Shot Glass This idea could go very tacky very quickly. Believe me, I know. However, we happen to have a brass shot glass that…
My Latest Thrift Store Finds
Believe it or not, I’ve been shopping – thrift store shopping! And I have some thrift store finds to share with you. There’s really no difference at all between thrift store shopping and regular store shopping for me. 99% of the time the outcome can usually be categorized as one of the following: This store was a complete waste of time. I can’t believe I left my house for this. The store contains all my hopes and dreams and I can’t afford any of it. That last 1% of the time I find something at the intersection of I can’t live without it and I’m willing to pay for it,…
5 Kitchen Organization Strategies I Use Wherever We Move
Let’s just all admit that we are curious about how other people live. Even if it is highly curated or grossly exaggerated, that’s why reality TV, HGTV, social media and magazines stay in business. I once had a job that required me to really consider how other people might live in order to help design homes that would function well for them. I even became certified as a focus group moderator so that I could conduct some of this primary research myself. People opened up and shared all sorts of interesting things during these focus groups and a hot topic was always kitchen design. Just because a kitchen looks pretty…
Navy Blue Outdoor Dining Chairs
I mentioned a few weeks ago in this Happy List post that I was anxiously awaiting the delivery of my new navy blue outdoor dining chairs. They arrived and I can finally uncross all my fingers and toes because the chairs are even better than I hoped. And thank goodness because returning the outdoor dining chairs would have been a giant pain. Oy! Also, where I live on the East Coast seems to have a glorious, but short weather sweet spot. Not too hot. Not too cold. And not too many bugs! That weather sweet spot is now and I fully intend to take advantage of it this year since…
One Year Without Throw Pillows
Slap on your party hats because today is an important anniversary. I am celebrating one year without throw pillows! Yes, I know it’s a weird thing to celebrate. I am a little weird though, so just roll with it! I have been a card-carrying member of Team Throw Pillow my entire adult life. I love how throw pillows look. I love how they can quickly change the vibe of your space. I love that they aren’t super expensive. I love the cushiony effect throw pillows provide. But guess what? I’ve also been harboring a grudge against throw pillows for the entire time that I’ve been on Team Throw Pillow. See,…
Picking Up Trash in the Forest and Turning it Into Art
If you’ve ever doubted that kids are a product of their environment, let me share this story. Last week on a sunny spring day, I forced my kids to play outside. I’m a mean mom that way. Thankfully, we live in a neighborhood where I feel okay with our kids riding bikes and going out exploring. On this particular day, the kids took their bikes and rode around the corner to their “ninja camp.” It’s what they call the patch of forest next to a municipal building on a dead end street. They were gone for about an hour and they rode home when they got hungry. In my mind,…
11 Things to Know Before Hiring a Piano Moving and Storage Company
I started playing piano in second grade on a second-hand upright piano bought for me by my grandma. I played that piano for 20 years. Later, with my first big work bonus, I bought myself a baby grand piano. It really is my ‘baby.’ It’s also my ball and chain. I can’t tell you how many of our housing decisions have rested on one key factor: Is there room for the piano? Scratch that. I CAN tell you. It has been ALL of our housing decisions. *sigh* My upright piano lived in five different homes. My baby grand piano has lived in six different homes and two different storage places. Needless…