Nov 19
This past weekend my father and my husband installed a fence at the back of our property. I’m not great at digging holes or carrying heavy things so I sat this one out and instead fed them à la The Pioneer Woman. Regardless of my actual contribution, I’m thrilled to have the fence so I wanted to share their work. Also worth sharing, a meal from this weekend, a fantastically delicious and simple paleo lasagna (link to original recipe below).
Oct 30
Our garage needed a little TLC. (Read: it was a hideous monstrosity of an eye sore that taunted me each time I traversed our driveway.) So, over the past few weeks I worked away at it, little by little to make it a better space. I’m really happy with how it turned out – it never ceases to amaze me the difference that paint can make. Here’s how I repaired the windows and gave the garage a face lift for $60.
Oct 15
Living in an older home can present some challenges when it comes to storage. Our master bedroom is fairly narrow, so narrow in fact that a console table wouldn’t fit along this wall. Instead, we installed a shelf to provide the storage we desired while maintaining the ability to walk through the room (also something we desired). Well, the shelf was installed two years ago and since then, it’s sort of acted as a catchall for loose change, receipts and primarily, my jewelry. But, this week I decided to tackle this annoying little corner of my home and made this space more functional and attractive for around $20.
Sep 23
Not too long ago, some of the least attractive linoleum tile I’ve encountered was very loosely affixed to my bathroom floor. (This statement is even more meaningful if you’ve seen my old kitchen flooring.) As you might expect, I was nearly giddy at the thought of ripping it out and replacing it, even if I was going to replace it with more low cost flooring. After researching all available options, I opted for resilient vinyl flooring because it’s durable, comes in a variety of styles, and is super easy to install. Best of all, it was $58 for the whole bathroom or $1.60/square foot. Here’s how we did it:
Sep 20
Each winter, as the cold and sometimes snowy months near their end, my cabin fever causes me to partake in one of my favorite hobbies: list making. I jot down all of the projects I intend to start and finish (that part is key) in the coming spring, summer and fall. To maintain some semblance of order, I throw all of the possibilities onto a spreadsheet and get a rough estimate the cost and time requirements. Then, my husband and I sit down and prioritize. We aim for one major and two minor projects for each season.
Full disclosure: This plan is not foolproof – there are often delays and/or emergency projects that override our original ideas, but having our list helps me stay simultaneously focused and humble.
This fall, our major project is painting the house – something I have desperately wanted to do since we moved in almost two years ago. Here are some of the exteriors that have been inspiring me:
{The shade of blue I’ve chosen is fairly close to this beautiful bungalow featured on My Little Apartment. I love the yellow door.}
So Pretty is as Pretty Does. 