The dining room sold me on the house with the built-in buffet, the plate rail, the picture rail, the swinging door, and the room dividers. Swoon! But, I ended up just putting random tchotchkes behind the leaded glass, and filled the drawers with junk. It was nothing to write home about and I feel bad for neglecting it for so long. So, I gave it a quick weekend refresh!
Read MoreThe things on my mind this week including an insanely good kitchen makeover, my tree print is still on sale, a story that had me in tears, photographs you have to see, eco-friendly gifts for kids, one of my biggest pet peeves, discounted custom holiday cards, our holiday lights, my November playlist, and more!
Read MoreBig news!! You can now have my office tree mural for yourself! The design is now available as an art print, a poster, a pillow, a clock and even as your own wall mural!
I've received many kind requests for my hand-painted mural to be made available for all to enjoy in their homes, so now you can enjoy the design without the 100+ painstaking hours I spent painting it.
Even better news, the entire shop is 25% off through midnight on Saturday, 12/7! Now is a perfect time to buy it for yourself or as a gift for a loved one.
Read MoreTomorrow is Giving Tuesday! It’s a great day to donate to your favorite organizations to help them fund their programs into the new year. Maybe consider donating the savings you got on all those Black Friday deals?
I’ve rounded up a list of over 30 non-profits doing great work in a variety of sectors. I hope this inspires and motivates.
Read MoreCast iron has become my favorite cooking material and now I’m on the hunt for it whenever I pass a garage sale or antique shop. It’s nonstick, it isn’t going to poison me (cough Teflon), it’s easy to clean, and it lasts forever. When it rusts, it comes clean with two simple kitchen staples that you probably have at home already. Let’s get into it!
Read MoreThe things on my mind this week including my antiquing in Los Angeles, a nearly-original kitchen, thoughts on home sizes, a cranberry kitchen, artist videos, lead in our drinking water, Thanksgiving prep, library audiobooks, gift guides, the movie I adored this week, and more!
Read MoreMy friend Cathy of The Grit and Polish has been opening up the discussion of home sizes and what square footage means to different families. She was talking about it on her blog the other day, and I feel like I have more to share about our home, how we use it, what we wish we had, and how we think it will change in the future. So here it goes!
Read MoreI went to Los Angeles and, of course, went antiquing! Here’s a handy map and a list of all of the recommended places to go thrift shopping, antique hunting, and weekend marketing while in LA.
Read MoreA log home refresh, a $6 old house part, America Recycles Day has some issues, life on Instagram, your chance to be on This Old House, my wildly-requested lip balm and linen top, on being alone, a homestead I want to buy, two movies I’m dying to see, and more!
Read MoreIt’s the season of gifting! I’m brainstorming some new gift guides for 2019, but before I share new gift ideas, I want to remind you of my gift guides from yesteryear. I mean, why re-invent the wheel?? I’ve got gift ideas for old house lovers, entertainers, bookworms, gardeners, techies, homebodies, makers, organizers, zero-wasters and more! The items are all still relevant today and can hopefully inspire what to get and give - or even what to put on your own holiday wish list!
Read MoreThis week’s Weekly Roundup covers my two favorite ORC makeovers, hugelkultur, chore coats, a personality quiz, the tool everyone with an old house needs, a manual espresso maker, talking to kids about race, bust old house accounts, and a staircase restoration.
Read MorePumpkins and gourds are classic decor during the fall season, but please don’t put them in the trash when you’re done admiring them! When put in the trash and sent off to the landfill, pumpkins (and all other food materials) they create nasty greenhouses gasses. Instead of letting them become a negative, turn them into a positive with a few ideas I’ve outlined below.
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.