The things on my mind this week including a DIY banquette, Earth Overshoot Day, not saying the wrong thing, retro typography, thrilling secondhand purchases, wall tile hooks, what I’ve been up to, Friends TV show IRL, a kitchen on my fave show, art, and more!
Read MoreI shared a photo of me wearing my favorite overalls on Instagram Stories and got a flood of questions about them. So, here I am to tell you about what I like to wear when doing messy projects.
Read MoreI shared awhile back that our home was designated historic - yay! I already went into the nitty gritty of how we got our home designated, what it means to be designated, what Mills Act is, and the pros and cons of how it affected our home in this blog post. Give that one a read first or you’ll have no idea what I’m talking about here.
So, I’m here to update you on where we’re at in that process and also share some nitty gritty finances with you. If you’re thinking about applying for Mills Act, this post is for you. If you like snooping on other people’s finances, this post is also for you.
Read MoreThe things on my mind this week including second hand buildings, an old meets new kitchen remodel, my favorite workout leggings on sale, why you should be following me on YouTube, 18 months of climate crisis, public art in hidden areas, renovating with kids and dogs, environmental effects of nut milks, lake photos, and more!
Read MoreI’ve been talking on the blog a lot about our home’s new layout as we approach the remodel of the kitchen. I’ve brought it up because first I wanted your opinion, then because you gave great advice, and then because I needed your help deciding, and then I teased my favorite layout, then I elaborated, and now I’m here to fully explain the new layout - in video form!
Read MoreThe things on my mind this week including Sarah’s kitchen makeover, thoughts on consumption, the true crime show I’ve been watching, history of paint-by-numbers, an 1820s farmhouse, cleaning windows, me in illustration, tips for recycling, podcast about building material sustainability, a recipe for summer fruits, and a kitchen renovation I’m glued to.
Read MoreYou know I love cleaning, and there’s nothing like squeaky clean windows! Now that summer is truly upon us, I know there’s no more rain in the forecast for several months, so I feels good to shine those windows up.
Window cleaning can be a struggle, they can turn out super full of streaks, and the process can create a lot of wasteful paper towels. But, as someone that ditched single-use towels years ago, I’ve found a technique that uses no waste and is 100% streak free! I also use this technique on my mirror, too.
Read MoreThe things on my mind this week including a simple neutral nursery, why zero waste is more than a plastic bag, why now is the time to foster animals, life expectancy and food, how much our homes have warmed, insight into small-town financials, and my June playlist.
Read MoreI love looking at how people store things - especially in their kitchens. I like learning other people’s reasoning for things, I like snooping, and I always like to improve on my own spaces. So, I filmed one of my own kitchen! However, mine isn’t perfect. This whole kitchen was a stopgap solution until we could renovate the space (coming soon!) so there’s no fancy pull out drawers, no custom spice racks, no perfectly sized shelves, and certainly no perfect layout.
Read MoreThe things going on this week including my trip to Chicago, the blogger pals I got to see, my favorite jeans, plastic free July, getting started with sourdough, an antique bathroom makeover and a tiny house kitchen reveal.
Read MoreI’ve been sharing oodles of front yard and landscape posts (get ‘em all here) and the icing on the landscape cake is always lighting. I installed the lights only a couple of weeks ago and it’s amazing how much the space has transformed in the evenings. In typical fashion, I thought long and hard about lighting, so here’s the full scoop on making our front yard garden just as pretty at night as it is during the day.
Read MoreIt’s been three months since I’ve given you an update on my kitchen remodel, so here’s what’s been going on lately. I’ve got good news, disappointing news, and just plain ol’ updates.
Read MoreWelcome 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.
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.
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.
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.
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 deeply systematic homebody restoring my 1915 Craftsman bungalow in California, slowly and on purpose. I don't make a single decision without first opening 100 tabs. Renovation, DIY, color, and what it actually looks like to live in an old house with two young kids.
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On data loss, real loss, and stretching further distances.