• in praise of pretty brooms
    decorating

    In Praise of Pretty Brooms

    I’ve got pretty brooms on my mind today for one simple reason. I’m at the point in life where if I have to do a chore, I want the item assisting me with this chore to not only be functional but pretty too. That’s not too much to ask, is it? Frankly, it WAS too much to ask for ALL chores to be banished from my life. Don’t ask me how I know. So, I’m going for the next best thing – pretty brooms and pretty tools that are functional too. I recently purchased a classic broom with a black handle that blended in with my decor and didn’t make…

  • happy list

    Happy List: #250

    Hello! Welcome to this week’s Happy List! This week on the blog I shared an update to our teen’s room. The green wall sconce is my favorite addition to that space. I also shared the way I use a cake stand to keep our bathroom organized. Yes, I wrote bathroom and cake stand in one sentence. Nothing is sacred here. When I’m not here on the blog I usually share a daily project or idea on Instagram and Facebook stories. I’d love it if you joined me there and please tell your friends too! Eyeballs on pages legit helps this blog keep going! Here’s the Happy List! PRETTY IN PINK My goodness, this is…

  • use a cake stand to corral bathroom counter clutter
    decorating

    Use a Cake Stand to Corral Bathroom Counter Clutter

    Cake stands aren’t just for cake! Did you know you can use a cake stand to corral bathroom counter clutter? Many folks corral bathroom counter clutter using a basket or a tray, but a cake stand literally elevates this organizational issue. There are two reasons why I use a cake stand to corral bathroom counter clutter. First, cake stands are pretty! Simple as that. Second, using an elevated cake stand to corral bathroom counter clutter means you get additional storage space without sacrificing counter space. If you’ve ever had a small bathroom then you know the struggle of trying to get ready in the morning, but not having enough counter…

  • spring-themed teen bedroom
    decorating

    Spring-Themed Teen Bedroom and a Fun Wall Sconce

    I’m so excited to share a spring-themed teen bedroom refresh with you. Even if you kissed those teenage years goodbye and good riddance a long time ago, there are some ideas in this teen bedroom that you might enjoy for your own home. Here’s how this teen bedroom looked the last time I shared it. Not a boy band poster to be found…thank goodness. When we installed a bedside wall sconce above our son’s headboard, our other kiddo wanted one too. This kiddo’s bedroom doesn’t have any overhead lights, so this was not an outrageous request. In fact, the only light in this room was that bedside lamp on the…

  • rustic bread on the happy list
    happy list

    Happy List: #249

    Hello! Welcome to this week’s Happy List! I hope you had a delightful St. Patrick’s Day! We ate green pasta with pesto, green beans, green jello, and had green punch for dinner that night. Sense a theme? Ha! This week on the blog I shared our wood deacon’s bench makeover. I also shared some common folklore from Ireland’s past to get us in the mood for St. Patrick’s Day. When I’m not hanging out on the blog I usually find time to share a project or idea on Instagram and Facebook stories. I’d love it if you joined me there and please tell your friends too! That really helps this blog keep going! Here’s…

  • st patrick's day table decor irish flag centerpiece
    holidays

    7 Lucky and Unlucky Signs From Irish Folklore

    St. Patrick’s Day is almost here and I thought it would be fun to share some things that were considered, way back in the day, to be lucky and unlucky according to Irish folklore. These lucky and unlucky signs are not pulled magically pulled out of thin air by yours truly. Nope! (image: Killarney, County Kerry via the National Library of Ireland) These signs were compiled by students in 1938 at Listowel National School in County Kerry, Ireland. They have since been recorded by Wexford archaeologists Colm Moriarty and Adrienne Corless on the Irish Archaeology site. Here are seven of my favorite lucky and unlucky signs from Irish folklore: If you…

  • wood deacons bench makeover
    decorating,  DIY

    Wood Deacon’s Bench Makeover and a Tip for Disassembling a Bench

    If you love a good furniture makeover then you’re in for a treat today! We recently completed a wood deacon’s bench makeover that was so satisfying. This makeover will probably be even more satisfying for you because you didn’t have to do the work! Ha! I found a wood deacon’s bench on Facebook Marketplace for $10. The listing said it was “priced to sell.” Talk about an understatement. Here’s how the deacon’s bench looked when we brought it home. At first glance, it doesn’t look too bad. Upon closer inspection, the finish was in rough shape and the legs were a little wobbly. However, at $10 this was a steal…

  • st patrick's day table decor irish flag centerpiece
    happy list

    Happy List: #248

    Hi! Welcome to the Happy List. How’s everyone managing these days? If you need a listening ear, you can always message me here. I probably won’t have any answers, but I can send you a virtual hug. This week on the blog I shared a staircase makeover and some random things I’m enjoying now. When I’m not hanging out on the blog I usually find time to share a project or idea on Instagram and Facebook stories. I’d love it if you joined me there and please tell your friends too! That really helps this blog keep going! Here’s the Happy List! PEP TALK If you could use a pep talk from a kindergartener,…

  • fruit and veggies things I'm enjoying now
    Family

    5 Things I’m Enjoying Now

    Every once in a while I have something I’d love to share with you, but it doesn’t warrant a full blog post or even fit in with my usual blog post topics. So, I’m rounding them up today and sharing 5 Things I’m Enjoying Now! Let’s do this! Things I’m Enjoying Now: Second Chances at Childhood Rituals Tip of the hat to Harry Potter! Thanks to those books, I’ve been given a second chance at reading to one of my kids at night. My kids both grew out of bedtime stories when they reached middle school age. It’s natural and to be expected, but it still made me a little…

  • main staircase makeover curved stair tread colonial house stairs
    colonial farmhouse,  DIY

    The Most Satisfying Staircase Makeover You’ve Seen Today

    There has been a major oversight on this blog documenting the fixer-upper projects of this money pit Colonial Farmhouse. I never shared the staircase makeover of our main stairs. Can you believe that? Me. A chronic over-sharer forgot to tell you about one of my projects in excruciating detail. You had one job, Annisa. One. Job. How is this even possible? Well, it’s possible (cue the justification) because I lumped the staircase makeover in with the music room makeover when I wrote about it two years ago. But that post just glossed over the details. You need the details to appreciate what will be the most satisfying staircase makeover you’ve seen today…or…