Skip to main content

Our productive (and fun!) summer break

Well hello all! School has been in session around here for a couple weeks now and I am sad to see this summer go. I think it was our best yet. We traveled a ton -- to Iowa for my husband's work, North Carolina for the Duke basketball camp:
Duke University basketball camp
This was a fantastic camp, by the way. Our favorite so far. 

Up to northern Indiana to visit Notre Dame for the first time: 
Notre Dame Basilica of the Sacred Heart

I traveled to Atlanta for the fifth Haven Conference and we took another trip up to north to the Indiana Dunes (just beautiful): 
Indiana Dunes
I swear my child has other outfits. ;) 

We visited the zoo, the children's museum, two amusement parks, our state fair, explored downtown Indy and hosted many friends over the course of the summer. I can't remember one that I've looked back on so fondly. This is the saddest I've ever been to see a summer go -- and you know how much I LOVE fall! :) 

Because our summer has drawn to a close I figured it's a good time to share some of my favorite projects and posts from the past months. I joke that I'm usually a sloth for those three months and most years that is the case. This time I was focused on starting and finishing the loft makeover over the summer so I actually accomplished some stuff. Here's a look back, enjoy! 

My two favorite flowers are hydrangeas and peonies. I think the peony wins out just because of the size, fluffiness and intoxicating floral scent. They are truly beautiful and I shared tips on how to grow them earlier this summer: 
how to grow the peony

I finished the Konmari purge right before summer and I've slowly been organizing little spaces that need it. Our junk drawer got a makeover and it STILL looks this good, no lie: 
tips for an organized junk drawer

It has stayed this organized because of some simple tricks I shared in that post. 

Our outdoor pergola finally got stained so we added a new rug and then moved the table and chairs up to create an outdoor dining space. We've used it all summer: 
outdoor dining area with lights

I also refinished the potting bench my Dad and I made together (I had neglected it) and it is so so gorgeous now: 
how to build and stain a potting bench

That table does double duty -- I use it for planting and also for entertaining. Love it. 

We finally had our outdoor lights hung over the patio: 
how to hang string lights outside

We are so stoked for fall evenings out here! 

After years I have FINALLY conquered the paper clutter in our home and I shared how I've stopped tons of paper from coming into our house: 
getting rid of paper clutter

If you feel like you're drowning in mail and paper these are easy and helpful tips that will help tremendously. 

I made over our back patio doors and LOVE the beautiful blue color: 
how to paint patio doors

The pop of color was just what the back of our house needed!

I shared my top ten Amazon finds earlier this summer, including some that you can't find in stores. Everything I used to add accent lighting to our kitchen cabinets was found there: 
how to add accent lighting in cabinets

For the most part my focus was on the loft makeover this summer. I'll link to each post when I reveal this space in a couple weeks but these are my favorite updates so far. I was so thrilled when the large planked wall went up and then with those awesome sconces
planked shiplap walls with sconces

And the beautiful window seat that is totally dreamy (and has tons of storage!): 
window seat with storage in craft room

I still LOVE my DIY gift wrap station -- this was one of the easiest projects I've ever done: 
DIY gift wrap holder

And last but not least, I shared how to add the shiplap look to your walls (for less than the real thing) and how the walls and farmhouse door trim came out (I'm obsessed): 
how to add shiplap walls

YES! I was productive! Whoot! 

We are saying farewell to this wonderful summer and preparing for the fall -- the Bub and I purchased our first fall craft project yesterday. ;) Are you ready for fall or holding on to summer as long as you can? 

Have a GREAT weekend! 




Comments

Popular posts from this blog

DIY stacked stone fireplace (where there was none!)

Well hello! I have a BIG reveal for you today! I worked so hard on this basement fireplace and I'm so so SO thrilled it's done. I'm excited to share it with you today! I took a ridiculous amount of photos so bear with me. :)  I'll show you where we started first! We have this little bump out in our basement and from day one we knew what we wanted to do with it. When we finished the basement years ago we went ahead and bought an electric fireplace for that spot. It sat on a bench for four years. 😁 A few months ago we decided to have the fireplace built in since the whole space was torn up for the new floors anyway:  Then I was craving a little more traditional look so we had the hearth added along with a mantel:  Then it was time for me to do the rest! I knew I needed to stain the mantel and hearth before I tiled -- it would have gotten all over the tile otherwise. I sanded both down and then cleaned them really well. A wet paper towel does fine:  I ALWAYS use a pre...

The bright and light mudroom makeover is complete!

As many of you know, it can take me eons to finish up a room makeover. It's usually because of two things -- we pay cash for everything so I only make updates as the budget allows. And since I try to do most of it myself, it just takes longer than it would if I hired out. I don't mind this usually because I think I make better decisions when I take my time.  I'll take even longer if it's a room we don't use often (like our guest room) or one that we use mostly (and guests don't see) so I'm not as concerned about it getting finished up quickly. I've been working on our mudroom for more than three years now -- well, even longer than that if you consider all of our changes -- but I've been making updates for a few years to get it the way I want it.  And it's FINALLY DONE. Whoot! You may have seen the most dramatic changes I shared last fall, but I wasn't calling it done till we got the storage shelf built and finished up. Now it's finished...

AFTER the Konmari Purge (I'm DONE)

It's done! I've officially Konmari'd the crap  out of our house. This is a very, very good day and a long time coming -- I'm so happy to be done!  It took NINE MONTHS. I did finish a kitchen renovation in that time, but still, nine months . I started reading the book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up last August:   I talked about how it started to change my mindset  here -- this book has totally changed my life. I thought I was good at letting go of things, but after reading this I realized I really wasn't good at all.  I still had this inexplicable thing holding me back from truly getting rid of all the crap. My mindset before was...I bought it to redo it, I bought it on sale, I spent a lot of money on it, someone gave it to me, someday when I finish ____ this item will be good there, it needs to be fixed and then we can use it, someday this might be back in style, I made this myself, if I can find the cord that charges it I'll be able to use it, it may ...