Reclaimed Kitchen Bar From An Old Piano
We created a reclaimed kitchen bar from an old piano. Yes, a piano. Are you surprised? No, the kitchen bar doesn’t look like a piano. Are you disappointed? If you’ve ever had the fortune (please note I did not say if it was good or bad fortune) to dismantle a piano, you will discover there’s a surprising amount of high-quality lumber inside. Old pianos are SOLIDLY built and typically made with gorgeous hardwood. Below is a picture of how our old piano started out. Please note this piano came with a house we purchased. We already owned a piano. There are a lot of things we need, even want in…
Happy List: #268
Hi! Welcome to this week’s Happy List. I’m delighted you are here. This week on the blog I shared how I upcycled an antique farm implement into a rustic towel bar. I also went on a deep dive researching the trending return of patchwork quilts. We are also on Day 2 of the new school year for one of our kids. The other kid is gleefully rubbing it in that they have another week of leisure left. Sibling love at its finest. Ha! Thank you for your continued support of this blog in all ways, shapes, and forms. Even engaging with us on Instagram or Facebook is important to us. Your support truly…
In Praise of Patchwork Quilts
Suddenly, I’m seeing patchwork quilts everywhere. Have you noticed this trend too? If nothing else, we can always count on everything old eventually becoming new again. Well, everything except us. I am not a quilting expert, but I do know that the patchwork part of a patchwork quilt simply refers to pieces of fabric that are stitched together in a pattern. This can also be called piecing. Quilting refers to the process of stitching a top layer, batting, and backing together to make a bedcovering. You could have a quilt that’s not patchworked or pieced. For instance, some coverlets that are solid colored are technically quilted because they have a top…
DIY Rustic Towel Bar From An Antique Harness
Who needs a rustic towel bar? Me, apparently. And maybe one of you. One of the things we found on our property was an antique harness that would have been part of the connection between a horse and a buggy or horse and a farm implement. At least, that’s what I think it is, but I could be wrong. From what I can tell, these harnesses go by different names: Singletree harness, Whiffletree harness, Whippletree harness, and leader-bars. Ours seems to be missing the center connection though. It looks like it could have been there and broken off, but that’s the only thing that makes me question whether or not…
Happy List: #267
Hi! Welcome to this week’s Happy List. I’m glad you’re here for a dose of light-hearted inspiration. This week on the blog I shared my 4 tips for using a headboard as a room divider. It’s a very niche topic, I know. Niche topics are my specialty around here. Ha! I also shared some meaning behind my favorite candid photos of our house. That post seemed to really resonate with you all. Thank you for messaging me about that post and sharing your feelings about your home with me. I’m honored to be the recipient of those sentiments. Thank you for your continued support of this blog in all ways,…
Candid Photos of Our House That Give Me Warm Fuzzy Feelings
I’m one of those people who will walk through our house on a mission to get coffee, do chores, etc., and then some amazing scene or moment will catch my eye and the mission will be abandoned. Poof! Just like that, my easily distracted squirrel brain will be compelled to stop and snap a quick candid photo of the amazing scene or moment. Do you do that too? This situation occurs often enough that I need a sign on my back that says, “This person makes frequent stops to snap photos. Do not follow closely behind.” It’s probably also why I can’t find things (scissors, Kindle, laundry basket) because in…
4 Tips For How to Use a Headboard As a Room Divider
Have an awkward space and want to use a headboard as a room divider, but are wondering how to make that work? You’ve come to the right place. We recently used a headboard as a room divider and learned a few things the hard way along the way. Here are four tips for how to use a headboard as a room divider. Tip #1: Solid headboards work best for delineating spaces. I’m sure there’s an exception to every rule, but of all the pictures I’ve looked at and in our personal experience, a solid headboard seems to work best as a room divider. By that, I mean a headboard that…
Vacation Week
Hi! I’m taking a vacation week to spend time with family before school starts! I can hardly believe how fast this summer is flying by. Before I know it we’ll be back to our school routines and we’ll be missing these carefree days of summer. I’ll be back next week with fresh new blog posts! Until then, please follow along on Instagram or Facebook to see what we are up to this week. If you’d like a few things to read while I’m away, try one of these favorites: Copycat Dave’s Killer Bread Recipe Living in Ireland: Practical Advice for Americans How to Make a DIY Brass Pumpkin How to Remove Ring Around the…
Happy List: #266
Hi! Hello! Welcome to this week’s Happy List. I’m glad you’re here. This week on the blog I finished up the series on our Carriage House transformation with a reveal-for-now blog post. Is any house ever really done? No. I think not. I also shared what will eventually be a funny mistake that we made while doing a hardscaping project around our very old pool. It’s still a little too soon for it to be funny, but every day we get closer. Ha! Thank you for your continued support of this blog. Thank you for reading today’s blog post, saving and sharing things you like, encouraging us, and even engaging…
The Mistake We Made When Adding Hardscaping Around An Old Pool
May my words of experience find you when you most need them. We made a mistake when we added hardscaping around an old pool, so please learn from us and for the love of your sanity, check for leaks before you hardscape around an old pool. Or any pool, really. What is hardscape? It refers to the man-made parts of landscaping that aren’t vegetation. Things such as paths, walkways, and walls would count as hardscaping. Why would you hardscape around a pool? It’s personal preference, but hardscaping around a pool (the pool deck, in essence) with concrete or stone is easy to maintain and helps keep the pool clean and…
