This tourmaline color palette brings out an array of colors, from deep teal to warm rose, in a new take on a range of watermelon hues. I've always been fascinated with gem stones, from my earliest memory of standing in front of a mineral exhibit at my local natural history museum. So when I set […]
3 Things I've Learned in my First 3 Weeks Empty Nesting
If you're a new empty nester like me, you're likely having some of the same experiences I am. If you're looking ahead to this season, here are some things I've learned in the first three weeks of empty nesting. It's not like I didn't see it coming. We've been preparing for this day for months, […]
Turquoise Color Palette
Turquoise and terracotta complement each other in this Southwestern inspired turquoise color palette. Living in New Mexico, you could be forgiven for taking turquoise for granted. We're surrounded by the silver jewelry and artwork crafted around this semi-precious stone. It's both beautiful and ubiquitous. But when you really look closely, each turquoise stone has a […]
New Mexican Hot Chocolate Recipe
Is there anything better than a warm mug of hot chocolate? Yes! A warm mug of New Mexican Hot Chocolate! On cold New Mexican nights we take our hot chocolate very seriously, and this is a recipe I've been working on for quite some time, trying to capture the right balance of dark chocolate and […]
Our Latest Flip House Project - Before and After
Our latest flip house went from hoarding to homey with surprising efficiency. It was a fun project to be a part of and even I was amazed at the transformation! Flipping houses is not for the faint of heart, and sometimes these old homes look like there's no hope. This latest flip house even had […]
Warm Amethyst Color Palette
Bursting with vibrant purples, soft lavenders, and golden light reflections, this amethyst color palette combines sophisticated complimentary colors for a warm and cozy effect. In my last semi-precious stone color palette, I shared one of my favorite pink shades and some thoughts on why we need color in our lives. But today I want to […]
How to Choose and Install the Best Under Cabinet Lighting for your Kitchen
Under cabinet lighting - the easiest (and probably cheapest) upgrade for your kitchen! Here's how to find and install the right product for your space. I'm a sucker for under cabinet lighting in the kitchen. I think every kitchen should have it, and our new kitchen was not complete until we finally installed our own. […]
Give Your Home a Spring Refresh with These Unique Home Decor Finds
Use these fun Spring decor finds from Etsy to brighten up your home, with unique handmade spring decor and fun gift ideas! This time of year I start looking forward to decorating the house for Spring, and this year I'm craving more handmade touches in my home. While I love making my own crafts and […]
Rose Quartz Color Palette and Some Thoughts on Why We Need Color
This rose quartz color palette combines soft pinks, light coral, and muted lilac to pull out the warm hues of this semi-precious stone. February is always the time of year when I start longing for pretty things. Maybe it's too long being stuck inside the house, but I always get a little restless for color […]
My Time Saving Trick for Painting Window Frames and Mirrors
How to save time (and your sanity!) when painting window frames and mirror frames. Does it feel impossible to paint the trim around your window or mirror without getting paint all over the glass, and sometimes under the frame? It is! But here's how you can overcome that problem, with one simple product. First, a […]
How to Fall in Love with Your Home Again
Thinking of moving or redecorating because you've fallen out of love with your house? Here are 7 easy ways to fall in love with your home again. It's that time of year. The holidays are over, and all their fun decorations are back in storage. It's too cold to go outside much. And you feel […]
Opal Color Palette and Endless Possibilities
Tomorrow is the end of the year, a time when I'm usually running around trying to tie up loose ends and get my ducks in a row before January first. But today I'm just taking a few minutes to reflect on the possibilities that a new year brings. This is the year that my baby […]
How to Pick the Best Artificial Christmas Tree
Are you thinking of buying an artificial Christmas tree? Here's what to look for to make your life easier and your tree decorating more fun! I've been needing a new Christmas tree for a while now, like 15 years. But I just couldn't pull the trigger because there are so many options, and the one […]
Pick the Perfect White for Painting Kitchen Cabinets
How to pick the best paint colors for white kitchen cabinets. So you've decided to paint your kitchen cabinets white. I applaud that decision! But how do you know which is the right white when you're standing in the paint aisle, overwhelmed by choices? Chances are, your kitchen cabinets cover the most territory of any […]
Easy Dip Dyed Wooden Spoons
These dip-dyed wooden spoons are so fun and easy to make, and would make the perfect housewarming or wedding gift! You know I love a good dip-dying craft, and this is one I've been wanting to try for a while now. It turned out to be even easier than I thought, and just as much […]
Lapis Lazuli Color Palette
With vibrant blues, anchored by gold and dusty lavender, this lapis lazuli color palette brings a whole new twist to jewel tones. Today's color palette is the beginning of a new semi-precious stone color collection. I have always gravitated towards semi-precious stones, mostly because my budget doesn't allow for actual precious stones. But also because […]
How to Organize Your Craft Stash
If you have a craft room, or closet, or cabinet, chances are you need to clean it up occasionally. Here's how to organize your craft stash, make it fun, and find supplies you forgot you even owned. I count myself extremely fortunate to have an office/studio/craftroom and it's a gift I don't take for granted. […]
How to Install Long Drawer Pulls without a Template
Installing cabinet hardware can be intimidating, especially for non-standard sizes. Here's how to install long drawer pulls without a template, and without wrecking your new cabinets. I am loving my new kitchen, and one of my favorite parts is all the big drawers. When I was trying to design the kitchen makeover, I put a […]
Moody Lilac Color Palette
This moody lilac color palette, full of dark purples and a deep green, is perfect for a dramatic room... or prom dress. This week, my daughter is getting ready for prom. And by getting ready, I mean that prom is still weeks away, but there is much work to be done. Picking the dress, finding […]
How to Install Window Film to Upgrade Your View
If I had known how easy it is to add privacy film to a window, I would have done this project a long time ago! My daughter has a great eye for design, and it shows in her space. We've updated her bedroom a few times as she's grown and her tastes have changed, but […]
How to Make Etched Glass Shampoo Bottles
Personalize these etched glass bottles to make your own custom shampoo bottles and upgrade your shower. Perfect for handmade gift giving! When I remodeled my bathroom, I solved all sorts of design and function problems. But then I noticed I had a created a new problem. Now that my shower was so pretty and helped […]
Dark Dawn Color Palette
A monochromatic mix of dusty greens makes up this moody early dawn color palette. They say it's darkest before the dawn, but no mornings are darker than those first few after daylight savings time change. I've been in a mood all week, since springing forward. It sounds so fresh and fun... "springing forward" but it […]
How Much Paint Do I Need?
No more guessing - find out how much paint you'll need for that project, before you buy. (With free printable worksheet!) I've written a lot of articles about DIY painting projects (cabinets, furniture, doors, rooms), and the number one most frequent question I get is... How much paint do I need? Whether it's a wall, […]
Enough is Enough: Leave the Hustle Behind for Good
Learning when enough is enough and how to leave the hustle behind when it's all a little too much. Or, how a midlife crisis can be a good thing. I had a midlife crisis this week. Probably not a full-grown one because I didn't end up with a red Ferrari, but it was at least […]
How to Install a Trash Pull Out Under Your Sink
If I had known how easy it is to install a trash pull out under my kitchen sink, I would have done it a lot earlier! The key is correctly measuring the cabinet space in order to get the right product. Find out how I transformed my under-sink organization with basic tools in less time […]
Winter Solstice Color Palette
This dreamy winter solstice color palette evokes the romance of a chilly sunrise, with its frosty blues and grays, along with subtle pink and dusty rose. I am neither a morning person, nor a cold weather person, but this time of year I get plenty of both mornings and cold. As the winter solstice draws […]
The Ultimate Handmade Gift Guide for the Holiday Season
I'm a huge fan of handmade gifts. In this society where time is money and it's too easy to click "buy now" and have something sent without ever touching it, handmade gifts are the language of love. I also love not stressing out during the holiday season. Which means getting an early start on projects. […]
First Fall Feels & Change is in the Air
This early fall color palette glows with bright oranges and yellows, with a solid foundation of natural greens and browns. It's been a long summer, and I thought the heat would never break, but lately I can feel a hint of cooler air in the mornings. And yesterday I noticed that the leaves on some […]
Protect Your Kitchen with Cabinet Hinge Restrictor Clips
With a little insider secret and just a few minutes, you can protect your kitchen with cabinet hinge restrictor clips. This might be my easiest DIY project yet! What do you do if you've got brand new kitchen cabinets, and you love them, but you're worried because they keep opening into each other and the […]
How to Turn Any Drawer into a Charging Drawer
You don't need to buy new furniture or cabinets to get your phones and tablets organized! Turn any drawer into a charging drawer with this quick and easy DIY project. When we remodeled our kitchen, one of the things I knew I wanted was a dedicated charging drawer to keep all the electronics off the […]
Finished! Our Kitchen Remodel Resources and Reveal
Our full kitchen remodel resources list, all the pretty pictures, and my favorite parts of this kitchen makeover project. Hey guess what? We finished remodeling our kitchen, and we're still married! I call that a double win. If you've ever been through such a big home makeover project, you know what I'm talking about. If […]
Kitchen Remodeling Budget Worksheet
A kitchen may be the most expensive room to remodel in your house. Keep your project on track and in budget with this free downloadable kitchen remodeling budget worksheet. I know it may sound weird but I love a good budget. Saving money comes easily to me, but spending it is sometimes harder, especially when […]
10 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Starting a Kitchen Remodel
Are you thinking about starting a kitchen remodel and unsure how to begin? Here are 10 questions to put you on the right path to a beautiful and functional new kitchen. Remodeling your kitchen is probably the single biggest project of your whole house, with a lot of moving parts. Wrapping your mind around how […]
It's Finally Time for a Kitchen Remodel!
Remodeling your kitchen is intimidating, but with a good plan (and enough dislike of your current kitchen), it can be done! Read on to see what I'm planning for our new kitchen remodel. It's time. We moved into this house 7 years ago, in spite the sinking feeling I got in my stomach every time […]
What NOT to do when Painting Cabinets
What not to do when painting cabinets: 17 common cabinet painting mistakes that may derail your biggest home DIY project. It's been a few years since I painted my kitchen cabinets (and my camper's laminate cabinets, and my bathroom's cabinets) and I'm itching to get my hands on a paintbrush again. Next up, my mom's […]
Cookies and Spice Color Palette
This holiday season, add a little color to your decor with this Cookies and Spice color palette! This Christmas season has felt a little less than Christmas-y at my house. Perhaps it's the weather that insists on staying warm and sunny right through mid-December. Perhaps it's having teenagers in the throes of final exams. Or […]
Make a Super Simple French Press Cozy
Looking to elevate your coffee ritual? You can make this super simple French press cozy in no time, with almost no sewing skills! I'm obsessed with my French press. It makes better coffee than any of my other coffee makers, and I love the hands-on process. The only thing I don't love is trying to […]
Helping Parents Downsize their Home, Part 2: The Process
Helping parents downsize their home can be a challenge, but these decluttering, organizing, and moving tips will help keep everyone on track for the transition. Last week we talked about how to find the help and resources you'll need when helping your parents downsize. We covered getting support, both physical and emotional, and how to […]
How to Help Parents Downsize their Home
When you are tasked with the responsibility to help your parents downsize their home, it can be a daunting prospect. But with a little help along the way, you can get it done while saving your sanity and relationship! Recently my parents, who are in their seventies, encountered some health challenges that made it necessary […]
Sunflower Field Palette
It must be sunflower season because they are blooming everywhere I look, even in my own backyard. So I made a sunflower field palette, perfect for summer's end. An Act of Faith This year my daughter planted sunflower seeds at the beginning of the summer, even though we knew it was probably too late in […]
How to Use Rit Color Remover to Un-dye Fabric
You're allowed to change your mind in design. Here's how to use Rit Color Remover to change the color of fabric you've previously dyed. "The only constant in life is change." I'm not sure who said this, but I'm pretty sure they were talking about my teenage daughter. Specifically her consistent need for new things […]
How to be More Creative with The Upside-Down ABC's of Creativity
How to be more creative when life gets in the way. Or, how I became "A Creative" in spite of my education. When I was about 7 years old I lamented to my mom during one of my regular at-home haircuts, "I wish I'd been born with bangs." I can still picture the pink tile […]
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