May 02, 2019

Sustainable Travel Tips and Essentials from a Minimal Homebody

May 02, 2019/ Ashley

If you follow me on Instagram, you've probably noticed that I've been traveling quite a bit lately. I'll admit that it feels odd for such a serious homebody to be out and about so much, but, while I do miss home, I've found ways to make traveling easier.

I've collected a few of my favorite travel essentials that I recommend to everyone. Now, this isn't going to be a round-up of travel gimmicks that give you more stuff to carry around. I like to travel as minimally and as ecologically as possible, so here it goes!

April 24, 2019

How I Refreshed a Tired Fence

April 24, 2019/ Ashley

It’s spring which is a great time for outdoor projects big and small. A quick, effective, and high-impact upgrade is a refreshed fence and some florals, so I’ve got both for you.

April 19, 2019

Weekly Roundup

April 19, 2019/ Ashley

The things on my mind this week including the new artwork I added to my collection, my favorite summer shirt, microplastics, a replacement for Nutella, amazing ceramic tiles, me in a nutshell, eco-friendly Easter options, a benefit of eating plant-based, and historic home Instagrams.

April 15, 2019

Kitchen Inspiration: The Marston House

April 15, 2019/ Ashley

One of my favorite buildings in all of San Diego is The Marston House, a 1905 home historic house that’s oozing with original charm and innovative design. With kitchen planning on my mind, I’ve been taking in the unique features of the butler’s pantry and cooking space in the old house, so I wanna show you!

April 12, 2019

Weekly Roundup

April 12, 2019/ Ashley

The things on my mind this week including yellow kitchens, a carbon footprint calculator, my Enneagram score, my “life-changing” purchase this week, podcast recommendations, the movie I loved, a custom Mother’s Day gift, how our reusable totes are harmful, and colorful vintage bathrooms.

April 09, 2019

I Installed a Clothesline!

April 09, 2019/ Ashley

The more I dive into the low-waste, environmentalism, and energy conscious worlds, the more I think about alternatives to basically everything I do. I also have dreams of being a homesteader and recluse. So, a project I did last fall was install an exterior clothesline!

Air drying clothes is a great way to save on energy when doing laundry and I’m the perfect candidate for air drying clothes in my sunny San Diego climate. Plus, sunshine is the nature’s bleach. So, why not?

April 06, 2019

Weekly Roundup

April 06, 2019/ Ashley

The things on my mind this week including my recent trip with friends, the super bloom, my favorite moisturizer and sunscreen, replacement windows, the affects of our waste on the planet, how to recycle correctly, how email is hurting the planet, organized kitchens, podcasts, my spring sweater, deconstructed kitchens, and my monthly playlist.

April 02, 2019

Dark Walls and Unpainted Woodwork - Thinking About Painting My Dining Room

April 02, 2019/ Ashley

I shared a couple of weeks ago that I was inspired to paint my dining room a super dark moody color. So, in an effort to write more popping-in-to-share-inspiration-and-thoughts-blog-posts I wanted to well, pop in to share inspiration and thoughts about giving my dining room a dark hue. I’ve compiled a bunch of inspiration images and mocked up the dark hue in Photoshop to give you a good look at the potential

March 22, 2019

Weekly Roundup

March 22, 2019/ Ashley

The highlight of my week, deep cleaning, a live update on a favorite podcast, utility programs, historic home nostalgia, 8 things to do for the planet, what I’ve been saying about Queer Eye all along, the tools for sparking electrical panel joy, and two surprise visitors today!

March 19, 2019

Clean With Me: Kitchen Edition - A Video and My Guide to Non-Toxic and Zero Waste Cleaning

March 19, 2019/ Ashley

Among my top 10 hobbies is deep cleaning my house. Call me crazy, but it’s just my jam. I’ve spent ages perfecting my routine to be as efficient as possible, years finding my favorite non-toxic cleaners, and just a few months to learn how to do it all without any waste. I filmed a quick video of me doing a kitchen deep clean and wrote out my step-by-step cleaning process. Check it out!

March 15, 2019

Weekly Roundup

March 15, 2019/ Ashley

The things I’ve been up to and what’s been on my mind this week including appliance shopping, a moody tablescape, the book I’m reading, an architecture event, what to do with our recycling, how to mix wood tones, how I prepare for spring, the super bloom, environmental racism, and re-watching a favorite show.

March 13, 2019

Kitchen Layout Survey Says…

March 13, 2019/ Ashley

Thank you all SO much for your feedback on my proposed layout changes last week! I really don’t know how I ever made decisions without the feedback of thousands of people.

Last week, I introduced two floor plan options and asked folks to vote but kept the results a secret. Wanna know what people favored?

Backyard Renovation Report Card: Four Years of Tree Growth (Wins) and Decomposed Granite (Losers)

Welcome to a new series: Report Card. I'm going through (nearly) everything in a space and telling you how it's actually held up. The backyard's first up, and spoiler, I did not ace this one.

How We Live Here Now, Vol. 2: The Backyard

The plants finally filled in, the veggie beds are in the wrong spot, and I've learned that the yard you design and the yard your kids actually use are two very different things.

How We Live Here Now - Volume 1: Introduction

Hi. It's been a while. I've missed this. I took a longer break than I planned. Life has gotten full. I've been developing film and knitting at soccer practice, attempting to garden with the girls and fussing around with furniture layouts. I’ve also been scheduling summer camps, refilling the watercolors multiple times a day, and trying to keep the toys tidied. Around the house, I’m adding color wherever it fits and making some changes to the overall function and feel.

How We Turned a Garage into a Living Room, Laundry Room, Office, and Storage Space

My friend Martha had a vision for this garage conversion: to turn her unfinished catch-all garage into a beautiful, hard-working space that could function as a living room, media room, playroom, laundry room, home office, and storage zone. I’ll be honest, I wasn’t entirely convinced all of that could fit. But somehow(?!), it absolutely does and it turned out even better than I imagined.

What I’ve been up to - from gardening, to film photography, and the books and shows we’re enjoying. Plus a house tour that requires a closer look, grass seed to always have on hand, cedar shake excitement, historic window screens, and the privilege I’m reminded of daily.

Where I’ve been, shooting on film, my dream house, retro costume inspiration, energy rebates, a magic cake, textiles I don’t need but want, a lampshade DIY, my best defense against mosquitos, a new podcast, what’s killing home remodelers, best decision-making advice, overheard parenting, Little Women on acid home tour, best marble etch remover, and more.