Home Decor diY

Hey there! I'm back with some slight progress (but still progress) in the loft/craft room that is my project for the summer. I told you about it here and it hasn't moved as quickly as I'd like just beceuase we've been out of town so much this summer. Since I shared this room last I've had extra outlets installed and wiring for sconces run. The lights just came this morning so I'll put those up today to see how they look -- I will show you soon! I'm building a wall of storage/desk in this room and I'm going back to my standard when creating built ins in our home -- unfinished upper kitchen cabinets. I've used these a few times in various ways throughout our house and I keep going back to it because they work every time! They always turn out looking fantastic so I'm sharing how I get them to that point today.  I played around with the measurements and finally came up with a plan for cabinets that would fit without any reconfiguring on my part. I wa...

Hey there! How was your weekend? We worked hard outside and it's looking so beautiful! A few of you have asked about the backyard tour this summer and I'll have it up as soon as I can. We're so behind this year because we've been working on getting bigger projects done that only happen every few years (like deck and playset staining). We still have to have the house trim painted and then we will mulch, then I'll be sure to share it with you! We've been working so hard but there's so much to be done. Having outdoors spaces is WONDERFUL but a lot of work! We've used the backyard more that ever this summer because it's turned out so beautiful. We absolutely love it. I shared our new outdoor dining room with you a couple weeks ago: I LOVE having the table up under the pergola. We already use it so much more now and I love that we don't have to worry about soggy cushions to enjoy it.  One of the smaller projects we got help with out here was one I...

Hello my friends! I hope you had a great week! We just got back from a great week away in North Carolina. Our son did the Duke basketball camp and we can't recommend it enough. It was a fantastic program and we'll be back next year for sure.  It was so great to be away for a week -- my husband and I truly relaxed and just enjoyed not doing much of anything. Except eating, drinking and taking naps. :)  Now we're back home and I'm refreshed and ready to tackle stuff at home again. I have a new energy about a lot of projects and my mind is swimming with things I want to get done.  Today though, I'm talking about another aspect of the huge purge I completed weeks ago. My biggest nemesis when it comes to clutter has always been PAPER. Can I get an amen?  It's the thorn in my side, the pain in my neck, the fly in my ointment: But you know what? Over the past couple of years I've mostly conquered it. Almost. Enough that I don't feel like it takes over our kitc...

Hello my friends! I hope your weekend was great. I have lighting on the mind lately -- I picked the wrong lights for the wall in the loft/craft room redo that I'm working on and need to find something else that works better. I don't often misstep with that kind of thing but the ones I got are crazy big! I need to reevaluate and I think I know the direction I'm heading. I have a trend in my own home and it comes from my love of sconces. I adore them. But the kind I like, with beautifully arching "necks" or swing arms that are adjustable ALL seem to be ridiculously expensive. Like, $200 and up a pop. For one I may spurge…maybe two. But usually you use more than one: Hinkley Lighting Goodness, that kitchen is dreamy. I want black window mullions in a bad way.  Anyway, I just love the look. They look great in kitchens, in hallways, over windows and doors, in stairways, workspaces…everywhere: Better Homes and Gardens I learned years ago that the price was more than I ...

Hello there and happy Friday! I'm super excited about this project -- one, because it turned out beautifully. Two, because it's a piece that means a lot to me and I'm thrilled to have given it new life. I work with Minwax occasionally and share ideas using their products because I LOVE them. This time they asked that I share a do-it-yourself project involving a family heirloom or something significant that holds meaning for our family. Unfortunately I don't have any furniture passed down through our family. All of mine are vintage pieces from other families I found on Craigslist or Goodwill. ;) So I thought hard about something that means a lot to me in our home and came up with the perfect item…and it desperately needed an update. Five years ago I shared the DIY pottery bench my dad and I made: I'm really good at looking at most of the items in our house as just "things" -- with a young child and a cat who is a little cuckoo and goes around knocking item...