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. (My mother-in-law, who finishes her Christmas shopping in August would argue that it’s already too late.) I’m a born procrastinator, but this year I’m trying to stress less and enjoy the holidays more, which means getting organized now. To that end, I’ve put together 40 of my favorite handmade gift ideas to share with you…. Keep Reading
Muted Pumpkin Palette and Thoughts on Changing Seasons
I must confess I’m not a huge fan of orange. I mean, I love color. I love all the shades, hues, and tones. I love how it changes in the light and how it can change our outlook. I love each and every color. Except orange. Like having a favorite student in a class, or a least favorite pet, I felt a little bad about my attitude towards orange. I mean, it’s never done anything to hurt me. Except assault my corneas. But it’s not Orange’s fault; it can’t help that it’s so… orange. So I set out to create a fall color palette that even an orange-averse person like… Keep Reading
Affordable Kitchen Lighting Options
Recently one of my favorite readers (and best friends) asked if I could share some ideas for affordable kitchen lighting. Happy to oblige, I’ve put together a little roundup of my favorite modern industrial farmhouse lighting options. Picking the right lighting for a room can be one of those design challenges that you don’t think about until you find yourself overwhelmed with thousands of choices, wondering how you could have paid so little attention all your life to the lights you use every day in your home. Affordable kitchen lighting has been on my mind lately, because when we recently replaced the floor in our kitchen and breakfast nook, we… Keep Reading
How to Paint Laminate Cabinets without Sanding
What do you do if you want to paint your kitchen cabinets, but they’re not real wood? Using the right method, you can paint right over those laminate cabinets, or any other kind of laminate furniture that needs a color update! This is a post that has been almost three years in the making, and boy is it a relief to finally get it out! When I published my original tutorial on the best way to paint kitchen cabinets (without sanding!), I got a barrage of questions like “Does this method work on laminate cabinets?” Or “My cabinets are melamine, will this work?” The short answer is yes, with one… Keep Reading
DIY Gold Hexagon Backsplash
This DIY gold hex stencil project is an easy, cheap and on-trend way to give your backsplash, or really any space, a quick makeover. I had so much fun making over my camper for last month’s $100 Room Challenge, but the time flew by so fast I’m just now getting around to writing a proper tutorial for this fun backsplash project. Attempt #1: Removable Wallpaper When I started my camper makeover, I had big plans to redo the kitchen backsplash area with removable wallpaper. I was inspired by this wallpaper project from Amy at Delineate Your Dwelling. But when I went to try it myself, it turned into a big… Keep Reading
Camper Makeover Reveal for the $100 Room Challenge
I love the satisfaction of a completed project! This little camper gave me a run for my money, but she’s finally ready for her big reveal. The Big Reveal of our Little Camper Makeover Y’all know I’m a big fan of the $100 Room Challenge because it gives me a deadline. Without that deadline, I’m sure I’d still be wallowing around in the beginning stages of this project, because there was just. so. much. And without the $100 budget, there’s no telling what I could have spent turning this little diamond-in-the-rough into a polished gem. So thank you Erin, of Lemons, Lavender, & Laundry, for being the inspiration, motivation, and… Keep Reading
$100 Room Challenge Week 3 – Painted Countertops
My $100 camper makeover is moving along at the speed of paint drying. So while I’m in between washing paintbrushes, I’ll fill you in on the latest project: How to Paint Laminate Countertops. This camper needed an update on just about every square inch, not the least of which were the countertops. I wanted something durable and more modern looking than the khaki colored laminate with faux wood trim. (If you’re new to this series, be sure to check out week 1 and week 2 of the challenge to see where all this is coming from.) Painting Countertops for my Camper Makeover For a previous $100 Room Challenge, I updated… Keep Reading
$100 Room Challenge Week 2 – Camper Update
For this year’s $100 Room Challenge, I’m giving my camper a much-needed update. I believe home should feel like home, wherever you park it! It’s week 2 of the challenge, and I’m knee deep in about three different kinds of paint. I’ve started painting the cabinets with chalk paint, the door and trim with latex paint, and the countertops with whatever kind of paint smells like nail polish. Good thing there are plenty of windows to open! We’re in the remodeling phase known as “it has to get worse before it gets better.” Also known as “what was I thinking?” If you’ve ever reached this stage of a project, just… Keep Reading
The $100 Room Challenge Takes on a Camper Makeover
I’m so excited that it’s $100 Room Challenge time again! This time I’m taking the challenge to the streets, so to speak, with a makeover for my camper. I’ve participated in several other $100 Room Challenges, and it’s one of my favorite subjects on the blog. I love the challenge of making over a whole room in four weeks, for $100. This time, I’m going all in with our family camper trailer. It’s one room that does every job in the house, so this makeover will be the ultimate challenge! Before we get too far into my plans for this challenge, let’s recap, shall we? The $100 Room Challenge all… Keep Reading
Double Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies (Gluten Free and Vegan)
This Double Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe is really more of a public service announcement than a recipe post. I’m not a food blogger by any stretch, but when I find a recipe this good, I feel it would be selfish not to share it with the world. The fact that they’re gluten free and vegan means I know they will make someone’s day. Back to school means getting organized about everything, not the least of which is lunch-packing and after-school-snacking. When my kids get home from school they turn into ravenous vultures. It’s like they haven’t eaten anything all day. Never mind the lunch and snack they already had… Keep Reading