no one warned me that having boys would lead to this… zillions and zillions of cars. everywhere. i do my best with the kids to keep them picked up…the last thing we need is a broken hip from a middle of the night jaunt to the kitchen for some ice cream water. funny thing is […]
a custom dining room built-in for my neighbor
January 17 by
several months ago, i was at a friend’s house. she mentioned that she wanted to do a built-in in her dining room. one where the kids could do homework. stash papers. and maybe the adults could even stash a kegerator. and all of it would be hidden if a real dinner were to be served […]
big blue coral, hurricane vase, and brown rice
January 11 by
i found this huge hurricane vase at the salvation army. it spoke to me. “buy me! i’m only $2!” so i did. but what would i do with it? then i remembered i hadn’t yet unpacked the huge blue sea coral from our move! i wasn’t really sure what to do at the bottom. […]
a built-in entertainment center on steroids
January 4 by
i design software applications. what does this mean? my mom has asked me this no fewer than a zillion times. i conceptualize how users should interact with software. software apps, whether web-based or otherwise, should be easy-to-use. so easy that even AOL users should be able to figure them out. again mom asks “what does […]
rustic restoration hardware vibe dining room reveal!
December 10 by
the morning room is almost done. i just need to seal the dining table…but i just can’t seem to find the right product. i wanted to use Dead Flat but am nervous about it for some reason…not sure that it’ll clean properly. how about these luxurious host and hostess chairs? The nailheads are cool. our […]
kids’ loft/play area/preschool storage solutions
December 9 by
have i mentioned how much i hate clutter? perhaps it’s time to fess up to a bit of OCD? perhaps more than disliking messes is my extreme need to be organized. i want to know where everything is at any given time. having a system allows me to find a specific Hot Wheel without much […]
how to make a felt and velcro board for kids’ learning
December 5 by
i made this a few years ago for lil G…we use it all the time and he learned his letters quickly. now Big A is using it…mainly to eat. it’s a simple DIY. get a canvas. using a staple gun, staple a large piece of felt around the canvas. staple the velcro. i got all […]
natural pine cone Christmas wreath
December 3 by
lil G and i went for a walk a few days ago and collected a bunch of pinecones. we had a blast. we found small ones. big ones. half eaten ones. the goal was to collect enough to make our very own Christmas wreath. and this is how we fared. we thought using a […]
Restoration Hardware-esque coffee table :: stands up to Hot Wheels!
December 2 by
many of you have read about our ‘zero to hero’ coffee table. if not, you can read about it here. it’s been 5 months since i refinished this piece to have a restoration hardware weathered wood finish. i used annie sloan’s chalk paint. how much do i love that stuff? i bought 4 quarts, have […]
Eco Wood Treatment now carried in Home Depot!!
November 19 by
The Eco Wood folks saw my last post and were excited that the furniture DIYers are learning about their product! It’s definitely a huge market segment they perhaps had overlooked! GREAT NEWS! Eco Wood Treatment is now carried in Home Depot.
Getting a Restoration Hardware grey finish with ease….Eco Wood treatment
November 18 by
The blogging world has been inundated with the color grey. Dark grey. Light grey. Weathered grey. Annie Sloan chalk paint is wonderful. I’ve used it on pretty much everything inside and outside the house. It holds up extremely well. In fact, the outdoor pieces have endured several heavy rain storms and the patina continues to […]
Beachy, simple, fall mantle :: sea fans, vintage windows, baby pumpkins
November 8 by
before moving to this house, i was on a craigslist spree. lookie here…i picked up these 1950’s windows for $5 each. i ordered some sea fans, and using a few dabs of hot glue along the center wood strip, i achieved this look. pretty nifty. i kept the look simple and clean. i love the […]
