IT’S FABRIC TIME, Y’ALL! We’re finally going to start on our new bed – the resurrected version of this guy – and you can expect the full play-by-play so you can copy it, improve upon it, and send me pictures of your fabulous new bed that blows mine outta the water. (Update – see the […]
DIY Hardwood Flooring: Part 3
If you’re just jumping in, don’t forget to check out the posts on selecting hardwood floors, preparing the floors for installation, and why hardwood floor glue is trying to seduce your boyfriend. Now for the fun part: throwing those babies down! We put down a chalk line straight across the middle of the floor and […]
DIY Hardwood Flooring: Part 2
[DIY Hardwood Flooring Part 1 starts here…] This is the part of the story where it sounds like I’m exaggerating – you’re going to be positive I’m exaggerating – but friends, there is no hyperbole here. Installing hardwood floors using glue? It’s the Mount Everest of DIY projects. You get started, thinking, all I have […]
Glutton for Punishment
You’re going to think I’m certifiably insane, and I might be inclined to agree. We just sold our bed on craigslist! Yes, this bed. The one that took for-ev-ah to make. Goodbye, old friend. But before you turn me in, let me explain… When we finally set out to redo the master bedroom, I made […]
DIY Hardwood Flooring: Tales from the Frontlines
I’ve had a few questions about our floors, so I’m going to answer them all here and in a follow-up post, plus some lessons learned from two survivors who knew exactly nothing about hardwood floor installation before undertaking this giant project. You’ve probably seen a few episodes of some HGTV show in which hardwood floors […]
Baby-Decor Compromise #456
Things that don’t mix: oil and water. Toothpaste and orange juice. Icy driveways and me, walking. Also: babies and beautiful home decor. And because I can’t send him back where he came from, and don’t want to, because he’s really pretty cute and I’m getting kind of emotionally attached… Requisite smiling baby photo … I […]
Least Grandma-ish Thing Ever: My Plate Wall
It’s controversial. It’s divisive. It tears families apart. It’s my plate wall. Andy and I have a standing “disagreement.” He believes walls-o-plates are grandma-ish, while I – having seen lots of incredible plate displays in beautiful rooms (see below) – know he’s wrong. I present to you my first piece of evidence, from Apartment Therapy: […]
Decking the Halls
It’s taking everything I have within me not to title this post, “It’s beginning to look a lot like…” You’re welcome for avoiding the blog post cliche. You’re welcome. But really, it looks like Christmas around here! This was my first year decorating our house for Christmas, and Michaels and Dollar Tree are thanking me. […]
Sofa Table
One thing my living room is missing: lamps. During the day, you’d hardly notice. But if you plan to do anything task-related on the sofa after dark, you should probably bring your night-vision goggles. And unfortunately, there was just no good place to actually put lamps. So, I put in an order: one super-long, very […]
Pendant Light
Clearly, I never tried internet dating, or I would have known that nothing ever looks quite as good as advertised online. For example, the pendant light I ordered online to hang in my breakfast nook? As advertised: chic, glowing and glorious, made of capiz shells! Awesome! In real life? Fat and bland. But worse, it […]
We made the bed, now we’ll lie in it.
UPDATE: We’re going to be recreating this bed with full tutorials, measurements and cost breakdowns, so if you want more step-by-step tutorials, follow along right here. This is a story about a project spiraling out of control. All I really wanted was a different look for our bed. We have a simple rectangular upholstered headboard […]
My Chinese Chippendales Got Fancied Up
You know how when something is “meant to be,” you just know? That’s how I felt about my new set of chinese chippendale chairs. I stalked craigslist for four solid months – never missing a single furniture listing – until I saw them. A set of four genuine antique chinese chippendale chairs and – bonus! […]
100 projects
The other day after arriving at our (perhaps slightly disheveled) house and stepping over various random piles of wood, tools and furnishings, my mom casually commented, “Looks like you have a lot of projects going on right now.” What that really means is: this place is crazy! Can’t you guys finish one thing before starting […]
Five months late, but who’s counting?
Weston’s nursery is fiiiiiinally finished! I added a little side table and lamp for the glider, which makes reading stories at bedtime much easier and, well, illuminated. I didn’t realize it until I got it home, but I love how the lamp echoes the orange circles in the little mushroom mural. Nothing like a little […]
The Nursery: Not quite finished, but good enough for now
Here’s a newsflash: it’s not easy to run out on a quick shopping trip with a one-month-old guy following you around. So Weston, it’s definitely your fault that your nursery has stalled out at “good enough for now,” and might not get to “completely finished” for some time. But here it is for now: See […]
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...
