A while ago I showed you the playground Andy built for Weston, but every time I sat down to write the tutorial, I wanted to poke myself in the retina with a fork. Projects like this – following instructions, putting together puzzles, etc – are just not as fun to me as, you know… picking […]
Four Dollar Pantry Lighting Solution
My name is Kelly and I am a late-night snacker. There, I said it. The problem with this – besides the ramifications to my waistline – is that our pantry has no lighting, so my solo evening cookie searches are conducted in the dark, which makes this whole image of me binging on cookies at […]
Spray Paint Projects: Please Remove Glasses or Contacts Before Viewing
Remember in the last post, when we all agreed to squint and pretend things are perfect when looking at projects on this blog? (Your silence was agreement.) That turned out to be a perfectly-timed *legally binding, contractual* agreement. Because today is about a project that did not turn out cute. But you won’t know that, […]
A Plate-Hanging Hack
I come to you this Monday morning completely spoiled. My husband gave me the day “off,” so I… SLEPT until I was done sleeping. Laid on the hammock and read a novel Met a friend for antiquing and fro yo and… Decorated. Because that’s what I love to do. I took the morning to rework […]
Closet is Complete!
The closet is finished, and it is FAN-cy. Okay, it’s just a closet, but what IS it about storage space that makes me so giddy? Do you get excited about empty shelves waiting to be filled? (Please say yes.) Let me show you where we left off on Monday. We painted the walls and installed […]
Cleanin’ Out My Closet
I’d like to officially invite you to come enjoy a glass of wine in my closet. Is that weird? I’d invite you for coffee, but I’ve found my cup-of-coffee-a-day habit has made me dependent on caffeine, so I’m trying to cut the habit. Which really means that I’m going through withdrawal, and setting world records […]
Persuasive Pup and a Converted Closet
It’s Marley’s fault we had to renovate the coat closet. She looks easy-going and low-maintenance, doesn’t she? Like it would never occur to her to make us renovate a closet? Don’t be fooled: she is scheming. Scheming, I tell ya! Look at her, contemplating how to make us start a new project when we already […]
How to Get Popcorn Ceilings OUT of your LIFE
When you’re in the middle of about six different projects at once and you start to get overwhelmed, I find the best remedy is: Start a New Project. (That may not be the best advice.) So, surprise! We’re doing a closet reno! First up, taking down these beauties: YESSS. Popcorn ceilings in all their early […]
Stairway to Heaven
I have really smart friends. Smart, artsy, creative. I always say it’s wise to befriend people who have skills and talents you lack. I don’t always say that. But I think it’s true. In college, I had a friend, Mallory, who was an artist. A legit artist. I saw this incredible oversized piece she made, […]
I Read Ugly Books: A Decorating Hack
In some other life, I will have a beautiful library filled floor-to-ceiling with rich, leatherbound classics, and stacks and stacks of gorgeous, tasteful home decor books. Oh beautiful library, you will be mine someday! Muahaha! Photo from Apartment Therapy In this life, I prefer to ogle the pretty pictures of gorgeous homes in magazines and […]
House Exterior: Before and. . . in progress. . .
Will someone please tell me what we used to do with our time before we owned a home and had a baby? I still can’t explain why I didn’t use that abundant spare time to, say… learn to sew. Memorize the entire book of Proverbs. Perhaps cure some incurable disease. Last weekend, when the weather […]
DIY Banner Using Primitive Stone-Age Tools
The Lochness Monster. The Abominable Snowman. UFOs. Personal cutting machines like the Cricut or Silhouette. Some people believe those things exist, but I cannot verify. I’ve heard tales of these “personal cutting machines” – space-agey, Jetson’s-era gadgets which actually cut your designs out for you without the use of primitive stone-age tools like scissors, but […]
DIY Platform Bed: Almost There and Living in Style
Don’t be jealous, but we are living at the height of luxury around here lately. Check this out: You saw that right: our mattress no longer sits directly on the floor. It is separated from the carpet by nine inches of the most incredible spectacle of human engineering ever seen… on this blog… today. That’s […]
DIY Upholstered Bed Supply List, and a Wasted Headboard
You know what’s fun? Lumber. And spreadsheets. And cost breakdowns. Am I right? PARTY TIME. Here’s all the wood you’ll ever need for an upholstered bed (more on that here), and how much we paid: Can I tell you a secret? These prices are after coupon. I’m talking a magic, beautiful piece of paper which […]
Fabric, Wood, a Plan and Superman
So get this: I *made a decision* on the bed fabric and special-ordered it, with an expected wait of two to four weeks for it to come in. Can we go back and acknowledge the part about me making a decision? That is thanks to you, my friends. Thanks for your input here; I went […]
Hi, I'm Kelly. Glad you're here! This little blog is where I chronicle our efforts to fix up our beaten-down home on a tiny budget. We're not there yet, but here's a peek at the view along the way...
