The end of the year seems like a perfect time to look back, reflect and remember. I don’t usually spend much time looking backwards, preferring instead to look ahead in anticipation of the future, but as I sit surrounded by Christmas gift wrapping debris and decorations that need to be boxed up, it seems as good a time as any to NOT be working on the house. So here I sit at my computer, taking a moment to remember some of my favorite projects of the year. Maybe that will inspire me to get moving and be productive!
2016 has been full of fun and creativity, and as I sift through my old projects I realize I’ve been busy! Here’s a quick peek at some of my favorites.
Spring Cleaning
At the beginning of the year, I got inspired to do some spring cleaning. I took apart my icky old oven door to clean between the glass, and showed you how along the way. It was easier than I thought, and that discovery had me wishing I had done it years sooner!
Then, in the spirit of deep cleaning, I finally got around to caulking my baseboards, and discovered a little secret that will make this project easier for you, should the task show up on your list of New Year’s resolutions.
Crafts
Fortunately all that cleaning paid off, because in February we decided to sell our house and move to a different one nearby. As we moved, I switched my focus on the blog from DIY to crafts and color for a little while until we got settled into the new house.
In the meantime, I hosted a super fun Paint Party, and shared all the details of how to host your own. I highly recommend it for an evening of fun and laughter!
As we settled into the new house, painting almost every room along the way, I shared a few observations about how to pick the perfect gray. Spoiler: it turned out to be a lot harder than I thought, which was a bit of an unsettling and humbling experience for this “color expert.”
After a fun Summer Bead Craft, I got back into thrifting and DIY projects, with my Painted Chalkboard that had me wanting to hang one in every room of my house.
DIY Projects
Then came the big project. Kitchen Cabinets. I finally got around to repainting the kitchen cabinets that almost prevented me from buying the house in the first place.
You might recall that I had *just* finished painting my cabinets in my old house (actually it had been about a year, but it seemed like barely a minute), when we decided to sell. I like to think that sunny little kitchen sold the house for us, but it was still a blow to find a new house where the exact same project needed to be done. I don’t enjoy doing the same project twice, so I found a different (and much easier!) way to do it. I shared all the details here, so if you’re thinking of repainting kitchen cabinets, you might want to check out both methods and decide for yourself which way you want to go. Another spoiler: if we ever move again and have to repaint cabs yet again, I’d definitely use my newer method.
And then, because one house remodel wasn’t enough, I took on a house flip with good friends. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do, so when the right project came along, I jumped on it. 
Thankfully, I was just a small part of the project, so it wasn’t nearly as time consuming as it could have been. I got to have all the fun with only part of the work. A win-win situation. We were so pleased with how the house turned out. It’s extremely gratifying to take something that was neglected and a bit hideous, and turn it into something beautiful and useful, sort of like an extreme form of thrifting.
Towards the end of the year, I tried to keep things simple by focusing on fun and easy crafts, like these pillows that I made from placemats, and a fun upcycled Christmas stencil wall art project.
Color
All along the way, I sprinkled in my favorite past-time, which is creating color palettes from beautiful photos. As always, if you have a photo you’d like turned into a color palette, feel free to send it to me!
Whew! It’s been a busy year! I feel overcome with gratitude for the challenges that turned into creativity, the lost causes that became beautiful, and mostly the time spent with you, sharing all these fun projects. Thanks for reading along and may you have a wonderful and color-filled 2017!
Christine U Trombly
Saturday 31st of December 2016
Hi - I've only recently joined you but already have been able to use some of your info, namely, painting kitchen cabinets. I need to repaint a windowless bedroom that I rent out, usually a man. (They use less electricity and are usually willing to help where strength is needed!). The room is currently a soft beige but was thinking of using gray. As there is no outside light, want the room to feel warm and cozy. Any thoughts? Am open to other color suggestions. (Other than basic furnishings, it is up to tenant to decorate as they want.). Many thanks. in advance for your thoughts as I am really stuck.