My kitchen renovation kicked off this week but other things were on my mind, too! Like a multicolored kitchen, other renovations you should follow, a new furniture line, a volunteer organization I’m looking to join, my favorite striped sweater, bees, my podcast episode, and what I’m gearing up for next week.
Read MoreDemolition has officially begun on the kitchen this week - yaayayayyay! I’m sharing all of the play-by-plays on Instagram Stories so please follow along there for the most up-to-date happenings. But before demo commenced this week, we did lots of prep work to get ready for the big day. With a goal of being tidy, efficient, and eating healthy, we took a few steps to maintain our sanity while living without our cooking space for a few months. Here’s what we did.
Read MoreI sat down with Stacy of the blog Blake Hill House who runs the podcast True Tales From Old Houses to record an episode! We chatted about old homes, energy efficiency, sustainable improvements, modern upgrades, old window efficiency, and weighing the pros and cons of green updates like solar panels. This was a great conversation because I got to share some things that I’ve never discussed in much length on the blog or on Instagram. You’ll definitely want to listen! And I guess I’m overly chatty because Stacy had to split up my interview into two parts! In part two, I chat more about my experience living in a designated historic district, so stay tuned for that.
Read MoreThis week on my mind is thrilling news of my upcoming renovation, Alison’s bathroom makeover, beautiful embroidery, a unique kitchen, a movie I’m looking forward to watching, a quilted jacket, a docuseries I recommend, questions for Ross, commenting PSA, and my playlists!
Read MoreI’ve been talking about my kitchen and bathroom remodel for ages. And we’re finally going to get started on the remodel next week! I want to use this blog post to recap the process of getting to today and then loop you in to some of the latest updates and final decisions. Demo has kinda sorta started, so now is the time to get well versed in what’s happenin’!
Read MoreGuess what!?! Ross found us some archival footage that I completely forgot we had from before we ever moved in! After I published last week’s 2020 house tour video I was wishing we had a recording of what the house looked like five years ago before we moved in. And we do!
Read MoreThe inspiration and happenings this week including special visitors you’ll recognize, a podcast on the simple thing to change the world, thoughts on going grey, a gothic church turned home, non-cheesy Valentine’s Day cards and art, antique light fixtures, home tours, a favorite show, a $10 tool I recommended to two blogger buds and now you, an illustration that’s perfectly me, and more!
Read MoreI created an organization and declutter challenge for the month of January in an effort to kick off the new decade with clarity at home. How did you do? How did I do?
Read MoreThe house is super tidy, so I filmed the annual house tour! I love these little videos to give you a lay of the land and to look back on year after year to see the changes. I did a deep clean and organization because blogger superstars Julia and Chris of chrislovesjulia.com came over to my little abode! Get to know my house in this 4-minute video!
Read MoreThe things on my mind this week including the prettiest kitchen I’ve ever set foot in, lovely stools that I wish were antique and cheaper, the cake and muffins I baked this week, my latest kitchen purchase, a bathroom makeover, a decision matrix, a new artist to crush on, and how to stop freaking out about the climate crisis.
Read MoreI’m a big fan of my light switches - just those simple dimple little things we use every day. And I get asked about them a lot, so I want to share a little about those brass, black, and pearl things you see on all of my walls. I’m here to tell you about my period-appropriate light switches!
Read MoreThere are very few things I love more than mature trees. Like, maybe only sleep, eating, and TV watching rank higher. My husband probably ranks below mature trees, and I’m sure he’s okay with that. Trees are the best and I love them and want everyone to plant at least 5 trees per person, right now. But - I cut one down. I’m sad about the loss, but glad about the future. I’m a bag of mixed emotions.
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.
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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My daughter wanted to dress as Little Witch Hazel for Halloween, so I got to work crafting a sweater that looks just like the one worn on the cover. What’s great is it’s a super fast knit on chunky needles! I’m not a pro knitter but I finished this in about a week while watching TV after my girls went to bed and at the playground a few times.