The post so so SO many of you have been asking for! A full plant guide of the each of the flora in my front yard. The collection includes a mix of California natives, a few Australian natives that thrive in our similar climate, but all with an emphasis on low water that are beautiful and mostly evergreen.
Read MoreThe things on my mind this week including a house I have no words for, an epic snack table, my favorite TV show back for another season, the best intro to zero waste ever, priorities and perspective, how to wash produce without gimmicks, a beautiful kitchen reveal, buying bloggers coffee, a new house renovation to follow, a podcast on the future of our earth and bodies, and more!
Read MoreI’ve made it to the garden installation story, after many other posts all about prepping and planning - here we are! While I'm here to share the installation of the plantings and irrigation, this isn’t going to be a DIY tutorial post as much as a story of what happened and a bunch of photos of the process.
Read MoreI’m back with a garden post! I did a BUNCH of research when it came time to plan my garden. But I’m DEFINITELY not an expert and I’m not going to pretend to be. So, I want to direct you to the books, classes, rebates, programs, garden tours, etc. that I used when planning my Southern California low-water native and adaptive garden.
Read MoreThe things on my mind this week including a fireplace addition, the TV show leaving my stomach in knots, bee hotels, a vegan mozzarella cheese recipe, an outdoor kids playhouse makeover, a new card game I love, the hidden problem with balloons, white kitchens, a new way of looking at social media, and my May playlist.
Read MoreI have lots of front yard gardening posts to share with you so I’m breaking them up into a few pieces. In this one, I want to share with you the goals for our front yard landscape. A a serial over-thinker, you can bet that I had multiple goals that I thought long and hard about when planning what to plant to replace our pathetic front yard. From trying to save the planet to wanting to enjoy all the pretty things, here are my garden goals.
Read MoreThe things on my mind this week including a grey brown kitchen, the surprising responses from my latest blog post, a podcast about meat, a new podcast from everyone’s favorite scientist, conscientious human bingo, where you can get a sneak peek at my future designs, phrases to replace, composting humans, old vs. new houses, a vegan cookbook, and my thoughts on this weekend’s sales.
Read MoreOnce we removed the existing plantings and regraded our dirt pile, it became obvious that there was some stucco repair to be done. I’m here to share what I did, how I did it, and give you some satisfying before and afters to enjoy.
Read MoreThe things on my mind this week including the status of my kitchen remodel, linen sheets, toxicity of Dollar stores, my glasses, restoring wood stairs, designers that sleep on the job, a new show, and more!
Read MoreA couple of weeks ago I shared how I refreshed a tired fence, and now I’m back to tell you how I covered up the refinished fence with vines and flowers. I love foliage and will happily plant a tree or bush or shrub or vine anywhere and everywhere outside. So, while I covered up my freshly stained fence, I’m v pleased with my wall of leaves and flowers.
Read MoreThe things on my mind this week including the bathroom I want to copy and paste into my house, a show I binge watched, is local shopping less eco-friendly than online shopping, a podcast about electronic glitches, a vintage item I love, who I like to donate to on Mother’s Day, a new house purchase from fave bloggers of mine, speeding up extinction, and followers copying my projects.
Read MoreI visited New Orleans for the first time last week and it was such a treat! I asked Instagram followers for recommendations for their favorite Nola eateries and sights - thanks, folks! It would be just plain rude to not share the hot tips, so here they are for you. I’m calling out the places Ross and I enjoyed as well as the recommendations that we didn’t have time for but I’m v sure are worthwhile. Check ‘em all out the next time you visit Nola!
Read MoreWhat 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.
Hammocks, cookbooks, gardening, sewing, and the other things I’ve been up to on my impromptu break, and more.
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.
If you like florals and color, this bathroom is for you. If you don’t, well, maybe scroll through and you’ll be converted? Or not? Either way, here’s the reveal of a bathroom addition that’s finally here - after a whole three years of construction.
My baby is two! Time’s flying… we wish we could slow down these years… I can’t believe she’s two… and all those other cliché things to say. We celebrated her second trip around the sun in our backyard with a small gathering of friends.
What I’m binge watching, the things I ordered for summertime fun, an incredible legacy, ranking films, a dozen things to say to your kids daily, design decisions, sibling bonds, and more.
I have such love for my historic house, but I’ve shamefully been neglecting the exterior paint. The tired finish was peeling and the faded colors did no justice to the architectural beauty of my 1915 craftsman bungalow. It was time for a change - a transformation that would honor the home's history while infusing it with fresh energy.
Ashley’s restoring her historic home at a snail’s pace in California. She shares home improvement DIYs, tips for sustainable living, and renovation stories - all while aiming to add more color and present real, lived-in, family friendly spaces.
I'm Ashley, a type-A homebody fixing up my historic home at a snail’s pace in California. I share home improvement DIYs, tips for sustainable living, and renovation stories - all while aiming to add more color and present real, lived-in spaces.
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Margot is getting an upgraded room to make space for baby sister in the nursery.
With an additional family member, we want to shuffle the rooms of our 3-bedroom house around. The one off the living room was being used as my home office, so now it’s time to convert it into an actual bedroom. The initial thought was to give this room to baby sister and keep Margot in her room. But we ultimately decided to put the baby in the room designed to be a nursery, then convert the home office into a space designed for a bigger kid. Plus, the office has more windows, and is right off the living room (Margot’s playroom) so it’s better suited for all the daytime play, whereas the single-window nursery is cozier for lots of daytime naps.