When we closed on this house, I was pregnant but didn't know it yet. We had all sorts of ideas for every room in the house except one. There was a bedroom upstairs that was smallish and, as crazy as it sounds, was just superfluous for our needs at the time. We thought about letting Scott use it as an office or as a hobby room, but it was a case of trying to invent a use for space we didn't need. Of course, once we found out I was pregnant, the perfect use presented itself and it was meant ... Read More
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Small Bathroom Re-do
I have a list of projects I want to do all over the house. I decided to make my first major focus our downstairs bathroom. I chose this room because it is the bathroom most people see, it's absolutely hideous, it's a small bathroom, and it'll take a little work for a lot of impact. If this is your dream wallpaper border, I'll apologize now for badmouthing it. It's among the most hideous paper I've ever seen and I've hated that this is the bathroom that guests see. I've wanted ... Read More
Our New Zealand House
I have been missing New Zealand desperately lately. There's always those aches and pangs for it and for the most part we've made our peace with our decision to stay in the States for now, but the desire to be there has been very strong this winter. I'm sure it has nothing to do with the constant snow, freezing temperatures, and very sick kids. We reminisce over Our New Zealand house constantly. Even four kids in, we still daydream about picking up that house and moving it with ... Read More
Housekeeping Tips from a Domestic Failure
I hate my role as the main cleaner of the house, but I love having it clean. I've talked about needing to have my surroundings clean in order to really accomplish anything, so I've made keeping a better house a priority. I've been frustrated with feeling that I'm always in maintenance mode and it being so much work that I don't have time for new projects or "me time". I'm working hard on changing my habits and wanted to share simple tips that are helping me keep a cleaner house without ... Read More
A Tale of Two Decembers
I've been spending a lot of time reflecting on the past year and making grand plans for 2014 along with the rest of the world. 2013 was a wild ride. It was heartbreaking and rough, joyous and beautiful. I probably learned more about myself and who I want to be in that time than I have at any other point in my adulthood. I had such plans to start 2014 with a bang. I had a specific list of goals. I had a plan in place. And then family drama happened. The van broke down in spectacular fashion ... Read More
Decorating Slump: Dining Room
I used to be quite proud of my decorating abilities. I could look at a room and see what I wanted to do with it. I could arrange furniture to make a room look its best. I nearly went to school for interior design and my background in theatre stage management certainly helped me along. While I have many happy corners in our house and can see good progress, there are quite a few places I'm not happy with at all and I'm totally at a loss. It's not even decorating on a budget or my bed rest--it's ... Read More