decorating
DIY Live Edge Wood Coffee Table
When I go “home” for a visit, I literally go home to the same house I grew up in. Anyone else sleep in their old bedroom when they go home? Thankfully, all my old posters are long gone because there are some things I just don’t want to explain to my kids. However, I am happy to tell them over and over until they say, “MOOOM!” about the endless amount of chores I had to do. When I was growing up one of our home’s “design features” was a 5-foot long slab of unfinished black walnut wood sitting on top of a half wall. I’m not even sure if the wood…
My Design Style Is a Little Bit Funky
I NEVER take those ‘just for fun’ online surveys. Especially not the ones on Facebook that ‘just for fun’ take all your data and your friends’ data and sell it. Thanks Facebook! Real swell of you. Anyway. I digress. I’m a loyal reader of The Lettered Cottage blog. I love Layla’s cottage style. Last week she took a HomeGoods ‘define your style’ quiz and shared her results. I got sucked into the hype folks. I was ripe for the quiz taking because I’m having a style “crisis.” OH NO! The horror! Say it isn’t so! Yep. Furniture I bought pre-kids and 6 homes ago is finally not working for me…
I Just Don’t Understand: Two-Handle Kitchen Faucets
Let’s talk about something I just don’t understand. Genuinely don’t understand. Maybe one of you can clue me in. Let me know what I’m missing. I have seen tons of gorgeous pictures floating around blog-land and HGTV of kitchens with two-handle kitchen faucets. Like this Kingston one from Home Depot. It looks pretty. There’s no doubt about that. But why is a two-handle kitchen faucet a good idea from a practical standpoint? In order to get an ideal temperature that’s not scalding hot, you have to adjust both the hot water AND the cold water handle. (image: Kohler) Doesn’t this make cleaning up extra difficult? Especially if both your hands…
Sheet Music Easter Eggs
Confession time. Things don’t feel very Easter-y around here. It’s not a holiday I typically decorate for and with our recent snowstorms, it hasn’t quite felt like spring around these parts. So I decided I would craft myself into a spring mood. Nothing says spring rebirth like styrofoam eggs, so that’s what I started with. My first attempt at decorating my fake eggs was a major flop. It’s also a reminder of why I try to avoid Pinterest. My second attempt was much more successful. I made Sheet Music Easter Eggs, which I’m not sure are actually spring-looking, but they are more my style. Making Sheet Music Easter Eggs is…
My Latest Rummage Sale Find
I don’t want to hurt my brain thinking about it too hard, but I’m fairly certain my ‘latest’ rummage sale find is actually my ‘only’ rummage sale find. But let’s not get bogged down in the details. My children’s school holds a rummage sale before Christmas each year. Parents donate the crud they can’t wait to get rid of slightly used toys and knick-knacks and then give their kids money to buy it all back. It’s the best idea ever a great fundraiser for the school. I have volunteered to staff the rummage sale the past two years because I want to make sure my kids don’t buy their own stuff back it’s…
Leather Map From Old Boots
There are a great number of things to be sad about in this world. Your favorite pair of boots falling apart at the seams is not one of the things that should make you sad. Don’t worry. If it did devastate make me sad I wouldn’t do anything immature like text my bestie a million crying face emojis when I realized the boots were not repairable. Of course not. Instead, I decided my heart would go on to save the leather from the boots. Perhaps I could use it for a crafty project in the future. That’s where the idea for a leather map from my old boots originated. Here’s how…
Personalized Wood Hangers
Hangers are that one useful tool in my house that no one wants to use. This is particularly true when it comes to our coat closet. Coats will find their way to a hook, the back of the chair, on a bench, on the floor, and my least favorite place, hanging on the closet door knobs. But not ON a hanger IN the closet. I’m living with a house full of rebels. I tell you this so there’s no doubt that this crafty project – personalized wood hangers – was just for my pleasure. In this house, it seems, I’m the only one who thinks hangers are useful AND can…
Denim Pennant Gift Toppers
My stack of ripped denim jeans is piling up, folks. At this point, I’m just shaking my head like, “REALLY?!?” But ripped jeans are in style, you say! Perhaps. However, these jeans of Handy Husband’s are ripped in a rather unfortunate location. Do you get what I’m saying? The jeans aren’t really fixable in any way that says you should be wearing them to work for Casual Fridays. It’s not THAT casual! I need to throw them away or repurpose them. The repurposing issue is a challenge because most denim projects seem very dated or way too country western for me. I’ve lived long enough to know that if I…
What Should I Do With This Junky Treasure?
If you’ve been following along on this blog – and thank you for doing that – you’ll remember I talked about our sidewalks being torn up and the amazing memento I now have from the tree that was cut down during the process. I’m not sure if I mentioned it, but our driveway apron was torn up too. A few weeks after the new concrete was poured, I cleaned out the flowerbeds next to the driveway. Yes, I occasionally do tend to my flowerbeds. I swear! Do you know what I found when I was weeding that day? A glorious junky treasure! Talk about chippy perfection! It’s a piece of gate…
Christmas Around Our Home 2017
While my kids would have loved for us to truly douse the house in Christmas everything, I prefer a lighter touch when it comes to Christmas decorating. In fact, I’ve already donated 5 bags of stuff this month because all the extra decor out for Christmas is making me twitchy. My closets are looking nice and tidy though! The mantel in the living room we never use is decorated with some greenery, ceramic trees and one of my favorite projects of all time – a DIY wood dove. I can see the mantel from the doorway though, so it’s not a complete waste. I made a wreath from yard clippings for…
