It all started when we moved some things around in the family room. When everything was in place, Ryan and I looked at each other and realized there was no room for the Christmas tree. He came up with the idea to put the tree in the entry – which I liked – but it…
tutorials
My Favorite Pillow Hack
As you well know, I like pillows. Always have, always will. My personal decorating preference is to layer neutral foundation pieces (like a couch or chair) with color and texture (pillows) that can be changed with the season or replaced when trends change (for much less than the cost of replacing a dated couch). The…
An Ottoman Makeover
We are making a few changes to the family room to make it feel a little more put together. It is the room we spend the most time in and while we adore the sectional, that is about as far as we’ve come in the room. A new chair and matching ottoman are coming this weekend (can’t…
What to do with all your phone photos
You know how it goes … You take one million photos of your travels/your kids/your adorable puppy and they just sit in an album on your phone. This was totally the case for us with all of our roadtrip photos. As I’ve mentioned before, we took hundreds (and we’re so happy we did!) but we…
How to water the plants while you’re away
It’s vacation season and that means there are a few things around the house that need to be looked after while we’re away. One of those important (at least to me) things are the potted plants. There are a couple of good options when it comes to keeping your plants watered while you are away:…
Modern Semi-DIY Fire Table
At the center of our newly made-over patio is a modern/classic fire table. It is powered by a small propane tank stored inside which makes it super easy to turn on and off for evening ambience, roasting marshmallows and staying warm. I love a good outdoor fire, but I don’t love going inside smelling of…
Oops. An unfortunate letterboard pinterest fail.
I felt so clever with my plan to alter my letterboard. As I gathered supplies, did the steps and took pictures as I went, I fully expected to knock your socks off with the finished product. I’m sorry to say that instead of making something wonderful, I destroyed my letterboard. It was absolutely a Pinterest fail. Let…
simple + sweet diy painted wood hangers
My adorable cousin and her husband had the sweetest baby last weekend. This is their first and we could not be more excited for this new addition to our family. I know all families are different, so when you hear ‘cousin’ it might not be that big of a deal. But my sisters and I…
Homemade wreaths in the family room
I posted this photo on Instagram yesterday of the project I did the night before: Cute homemade wreaths hanging on a branch. I wasn’t planning on doing a full tutorial – this one was just something I wanted to put on that big, blank wall over the couch to enjoy for the Christmas season. But…
A DIY pillow inspired by the new Magnolia Hearth + Hand line
Oh, new Magnolia Hearth + Hand line at Target, you are adorable. I ordered a few things this weekend and while I was in the store earlier this week, I saw the whole collection (or at least what was left of it in my store) in person. One of the items I almost bought was…
Our favorite November Tradition: the thankful tree (with free tags)
Each year, on November 1st, we pick back up with a favorite family tradition of creating a thankful tree. You may remember this from years past … here’s the first post I wrote about it (from 2011!), and another a few years later. We missed doing a thankful tree last year – with the chaos…
How to create pom pom garlands (like the ones on our porch swing)
We’ve been spending a lot of time out on the front porch this summer which means I’ve been showing more photos of it. And in nearly every one of those photos is the porch swing with pom pom garland draped above. I mean, how adorable are those girls?! But the questions and comments I most…
How to get the look of graphic cement tile (for much less)
As promised, I’ll show you the steps for creating the look of graphic cement tile, for much less. Off the entry of our house is a quiet living room. One thing we loved so much about this new house was the potential for impactful updates that didn’t cost a fortune. This room is a great example….
A tricky little trick to make instagram photos one million times better
I shared this photo a few days ago on instagram: We just recently had the walls painted, new trim and carpet installed and things are looking so much fresher upstairs (more on that soon!). We still have trim to caulk and paint, pictures to hang and furniture to arrange but I couldn’t help but bring…
How to get the brass-look drawer hardware for (much) less
The drawers in the studio finally have hardware. It took forever to put them on and here’s why: I’m terrible at it. Seriously, terrible. I put the cabinet/drawer hardware on in the kitchen and pretty much every one is crooked. How is that possible when you have a template and measure over and over again…