March 20, 2020

How to Support Others During the COVID-19 Quarantine

March 20, 2020/ Ashley

We’re all facing challenges during this bizarre time. And I can’t stop thinking about the folks dealing with stresses far greater than the boredom of being stuck at home. I really feel for those without work and worrying about how to pay rent, the medical professionals working on the front lines, the most medically vulnerable, or the people that don’t have the luxury to work from home.

So, I’ve rounded up some ways we can help others during this time. Some of these involve cash donations and some are as simple as spending 5 minutes online. I’m sure you can find one thing to do in order to help someone else no matter your circumstance.

March 13, 2020

Weekly Roundup

March 13, 2020/ Ashley

A roundup of what’s been going on this week including the restoration material I just bought, a whole-house craftsman home renovation you must see, my decision fatigue, a house made entirely of local materials, my favorite shops for your shopping pleasure, how to research the life-cycle of your products, Cathy’s pantry, reframing our reaction to COVID-19, my tree mural print is on sale, how I get about my decorative bowls, and what I’m doing this weekend!

March 12, 2020

Vintage Stove Review: Pros, Cons, and Is an Antique Range Worth It?

March 12, 2020/ Ashley

I’ve been asked a lot about our vintage O’Keefe & Merritt range. I get it, she’s a cutie! For some people, an old stove is a foreign idea so there are a lot of curiosities about how we’ve used, cared for, and enjoyed our old range. So I’m here to share all that now.

March 10, 2020

Kitchen Renovation Week 2: More Demolition & New Framing + A Video!

March 10, 2020/ Ashley

Another week, another kitchen renovation progress update! The crew has been finishing up demo, working on termite repairs, and starting on framing lately. Let’s recap what’s been happening!

March 06, 2020

Weekly Roundup

March 06, 2020/ Ashley

The things on my mind this week including what we did on our recent trip, my friend’s shop that you’ll love, Natasha’s childhood kitchen makeover, the history of our home items, how you can shop everything I own, upcycled fire hose cabinet hardware, the end of millennial aesthetic home decor, a climate change food calculator, what’s inside of everyday objects, my February playlist, and more!

March 02, 2020

Talking Historic Designation on the True Tales From Old Houses Podcast (Part II)

March 02, 2020/ Ashley

Podcast time! Now live is part II of my episodes on the podcast True Tales From Old Houses! During part II, Stacy and I are talking all about how and why my home received historic designation, the amount of money I don’t pay on my property taxes anymore, gentrification and issues with Mills Act, city permitting challenges, neighbor disputes, and what I’m allowed to do and what I have to do to my historic home.

February 27, 2020

Old House Archaeology - All of the Treasures We Found Hidden In The Walls

February 27, 2020/ Ashley

One of the most thrilling parts of demolition is finding evidence of yesteryear! So often remnants of the previous renovations are left in the walls, or old mechanical systems are uncovered, or things mysteriously end up in weird places. Wanna see what we found during demolition?

February 26, 2020

Renovation Diary: Week 1 Demolition + A Video!

February 26, 2020/ Ashley

Demolition started last week! The kitchen renovation and bathroom addition have been such a long time coming that it doesn’t even feel real that this new space is actually taking shape. Well, at this stage it isn’t taking shape so much as it’s losing its shape and becoming a big empty box. But that’s progress!

February 24, 2020

A Q&A Video with Ross (and Ashley, too)

February 24, 2020/ Ashley

Ross (my husband) is a mysterious member of The Gold Hive and you folks are curious about him! He travels for work a lot so he doesn’t often make appearances on the blog or Instagram, but he’s around here and there. I invited Instagram followers to ask questions for Ross (and for the two of us), so we sat down to answer your questions!

February 21, 2020

Weekly Roundup

February 21, 2020/ Ashley

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.

February 20, 2020

Six Ways We Prepared To Live Through a Major Kitchen Renovation

February 20, 2020/ Ashley

Demolition 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.

February 17, 2020

Talking Old Houses, Energy Efficiency, Sustainability, and Historic Preservation on the True Tales From Old Houses Podcast

February 17, 2020/ Ashley

I 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.

Backyard Renovation Report Card: Four Years of Tree Growth (Wins) and Decomposed Granite (Losers)

Welcome 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.

How We Live Here Now, Vol. 2: The Backyard

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.

How We Live Here Now - Volume 1: Introduction

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.

How We Turned a Garage into a Living Room, Laundry Room, Office, and Storage Space

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.

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.