• nuloom new bedroom rug
    colonial farmhouse,  decorating

    New Bedroom Rug

    My Christmas present was a new bedroom rug and I am OBSESSED. Obsessed might be an over-dramatization of my feelings.  My new bedroom rug does make me smile every time I walk in our bedroom though. I think my heart sighs contentedly too, but I’m not sure if that’s a real thing or just what I imagine my heart doing in there besides, you know, keeping me alive.  The biggest surprise to me (Yes, I can still surprise myself.) is that I chose a rug with some dusty reds in it. I am old enough to have lived through the early 2000s when everyone was painting an accent wall in their home red. I…

  • colonial farmhouse barn spring on the happy list
    happy list

    Happy List: #196

    Hello, friends! Welcome to this week’s Happy List.  This week on the blog I shared pictures of my newly revamped coffee table. The new-to-me base definitely kicked the table up a notch or two style-wise.  I also shared the new electronic lock we installed on our Carriage House door. So far, we are liking having a bit of technology on this old building!  Now here’s the Happy List!LINGER AWHILE I like this dining room setup. It reminds me of a restaurant. However, if this was my house, there would be no pillows because I live with the cutest savages. Perhaps built-in, wipeable, indestructible cushions instead.  See more pictures of this gorgeous home over at Lonny.  (image: photographed…

  • black metal roof carriage house
    DIY

    Trying Out An Electronic Lock

    Do you have an electronic lock on any of the doors in your home? If so, do you have strong feelings about it either good or bad? We just got our first electronic lock and I must admit, it’s kind of handy! The first thing anyone in the real estate field will tell you to do when you buy a new house is to change the locks! You don’t know how many keys for your house are floating around out there and who is in possession of them. Sound advice, don’t you think? Do we heed sound advice? Of course! Except in one peculiar instance. I shouldn’t even mention this out loud, but we did not have…

  • brass coffee table mashup
    decorating

    Coffee Table Mashup

    Today I have a coffee table mashup story for you. I’m so cool that when I decided to use the word mashup I had to Google it to determine if this slang was written as one word, two words, or hyphenated. So cool, indeed. Wait. Do the cool kids say ‘cool’ these days? I should probably ask my 13-year-old, but I’ve already reached my daily quota on eye rolls.  Anyway, you might be wondering what a coffee table mashup is? It’s when you combine different coffee table parts to make a new coffee table. A top from one coffee table, a base from a different coffee table and bada-bing bada-boom you have a coffee table mashup! I have…

  • yellow tulips in living room
    happy list

    Happy List: #195

    Happy New Year and welcome back to the Happy List. I finished the Happy List a few days ago and then things spiraled out of control in Washington D.C. I’ve deleted and rewritten this intro more than once. Words matter and I’m not sure I have words adequate enough to address how I’m feeling. Dismayed, but not surprised is what comes to mind.  This blog is my happy place. I’m pretty fortunate that my job and my happy place are one and the same. It wasn’t that way for many years. I need this outlet to recharge so that I can do my part in other ways to fight for democracy and against…

  • house moving is everyone selling their house moving truck
    house hunting

    Is Everyone Selling Their House?

    Is everyone selling their house right now? Does it feel that way in your neighborhood? It sure feels that way in mine. I see new for sale signs popping up seemingly all the time.  Two houses directly across the road from us have sold in the last year. Hmm… Is it us? Do we smell?  Hahahahahaha! Don’t answer that.  I’m going to use our time today to provide you a little tour of what’s for sale in my proverbial backyard. These are houses that I find particularly interesting for one reason or another. A few actually made my gasp! These houses are not representative of the market as a whole in my area. At least, I hope they aren’t…

  • winter home inspiration from new jersey
    colonial farmhouse

    Our 2021 House Project Plans

    Our 2021 House Project Plans are a bit laughable. Don’t get me wrong, they are solid plans coupled with good intentions to improve this old house we live in.  But let’s all remember who is in charge here.  The house. The house is in charge. We will do our best to tackle our 2021 House Project Plans, but we’ve also learned to roll with the punches this house and life, in general, dishes out.  In no particular order, here are our 2021 House Project Plans.#1: Hope That Nothing Catastrophic Happens Hope doesn’t cost us a thing.  We’ll also add praying, begging, and crossing fingers to the list.#2: Replace Sunporch Floor We like to play a fun game in our…

  • happy 75th dad
    Family

    Happy 75th, Dad

    I know I said I wouldn’t be posting until the new year started, but I changed my mind! My dad is turning 75 this week and I won’t be there to celebrate with him in person. The next best thing is to write a blog post letting the world know that I think he’s pretty great. Don’t worry, I’m going to call him too.   In no particular order, here are 75 things about my dad that warm my heart.He listens more than he speaks, which is a sound policy for life. He can nap anywhere, even on airplanes. It’s like a superpower. He used to play basketball with me in the driveway…in his cowboy…

  • gold and copper wrapping paper Christmas presents
    happy list

    Happy List: #194 Early Edition

    Welcome to an early edition of the Happy List! Since Christmas is on Friday, I thought I’d do an early edition of the Happy List this week. I’m going to take time off the blog until the first of the New Year to celebrate the holidays with Handy Husband and the kids. It’s going to be a quiet Christmas for us. How about you? Thank you for the heartfelt messages so many of you sent me about Monday’s blog post about Christmas during a pandemic. We aren’t out of the woods yet, but I feel like we are finally getting there. Without further ado, here is the Happy List!HELLO, LOVELY TRIM Look at all the…

  • gold and copper christmas tree
    holidays

    Christmas 2020

    We are down to the last few days before Christmas 2020. How are you feeling about Christmas during a pandemic?  Less stress? More stress? Excitement? Relief? Anticipation? Indifference? Gratitude? Do you feel the magic of the season this year? The hope for the future? Are you making new traditions with your loved ones? Are you keeping old traditions alive? Do the answers to these questions change by the hour? I’d be surprised if they didn’t!    One thing is for certain. Christmas 2020 is one we won’t soon forget. It boggles my mind how blissfully unaware we were this time last year of all the ways our lives would change in 2020. That ignorance sure was bliss, wasn’t it? It makes me wonder how our lives will forever…