The things on my mind this week including historic kitchen photographs, coming-of-age movies, debating sponsorships, why old places matter, This Old House has a podcast, smart renovating budgeting, thoughts on coffee, and my October playlist.
Read MoreI went on the San Diego Green Homes Tour this weekend, which is a two-day ticketed event that allows folks to explore “green” homes all over the San Diego region. The goal is to spread awareness about environmentally friendly design to homeowners, designers, or just curious humans - it was open to all. The houses range from being showy multi-million dollar new constructions in beach-front communities, to small semi-homesteads with modest DIY improvements.
Read MoreLots of things this week! My Halloween decor, moldy fruit sculptures, ethical Halloween candies, four great podcasts episodes ranging from pumpkins to mental health, citrus wallpaper, impressive DIY ghosts, a bra review, my Halloween playlist, three hobbies, art frames, a new cabin purchase, and my search engine that plants trees.
Read MoreWhen it comes to homeownership and home improvement there are lots of receipts, and manuals, and warranties, and documents, and maintenance reminders, and just stuff! Luckily, “organization” is my middle name, so you can bet I get a kick out of keeping that stuff in check. Here’s how I do it.
Read MoreThe things on my mind this week including a new house that I’m obsessed with, my small space on Joanna’s blog, a mural, my kitchen update, zero waste and budgeting, new artwork frames, biggest source of microplastics, planned obsolescence and visible mending, saving on your cable bill, fall comedy, TV recommendations, and what I’ve been listening to this week.
Read MoreIt’s the reveal of my kitchen’s cheap stop-gap makeover! When we got the keys to the house, I didn’t feel comfortable touching anything let alone eating anything in there. So, I did cosmetic improvements, a few functional upgrades, and lots of cleaning! We didn’t want to put too much money into it because we knew we’d be remodeling soon, so I made over the space with $600 and some elbow grease.
Read MoreThe things on my mind this week including apple picking, my puffy jacket for fall, art, my house in a magazine, a nursery I want to move into, a chocolate scorecard, who I’ve been listening to all week, urban farms as preschools, the One Room Challenge, tile overload, and more!
Read MoreI’ve never been too big on decorating for the holidays. Sometimes I’m into it, but I mostly get tired of the tchotchkes and want my home to be clutter-free again. Partly I don’t like the look, but I also just don’t like buying decor that’s cheap and will ultimately end up in the trash. BUT! Enter trash pumpkin. The decor that literally takes rubbish out of the bin and keeps it out of the waste stream.
Read MoreThank you all SO much for taking the time to give me your feedback last week! I got lots of great insight into who you are and what you’re interested in. I want to respond to some of the feedback I got because I think the comments raised some interesting points that are worth addressing!
Read MoreThe things on my weed including art and architecture, the San Diego Green Homes Tour, a jaw-dropping vanity, my hose nozzle update, a pantry makeover, trash pumpkins, Etsy design winners, two bee books I got, old houses as money pits, my monthly playlist, and more!
Read MoreI’ve been talking about renovating my kitchen for years. And I’ve been talking about it on and off for a few months as the renovation is starting to pick up. But then I’ve been silent lately, and I owe you some explanations. A few of you commented on my reader survey that you want to see more frequent blog posts and you want to see this kitchen renovation get going. Believe you me - I do, too!
Read MoreIt’s time I hear from you! I’ve been writing this blog for over two years now and I’ve never done a reader survey - until now. Please take just five minutes to give me your feedback - it would really help out a lot!
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.
Hammocks, cookbooks, gardening, sewing, and the other things I’ve been up to on my impromptu break, and more.
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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What I’m watching, knitting, and swinging in