parsons chair slipcovers
The time has come to make some slipcovers for the parsons’ chairs at either end of our kitchen table. Well, technically, they are sort of hybrid mini-wing/parsons’ chairs. I lucked out when I bought them in that they were listed as a pair even though the price was just for one. So, I got two […]
cow/calf pair
A couple of weeks ago, I painted a cow-calf pair. If you follow me on Instagram, you would’ve seen some of the process as well as the final painting shared on the grid. For those who don’t follow me there, here is the underpainting… …and then the finished work… I didn’t have plans to keep […]
climbing up weeds
Walking has become one of my best tools for generating ideas. In the past, I sort of felt like walking was an alternative to “real exercise”, but since I’m still limited by my shoulder (I’m still doing PT), walking has been what I can reliably do. And I’ve seen and felt the benefits of it […]
how to decide when/if to paint a piece
One of the questions I am asked frequently is how to decide when and if to paint a piece of furniture. This is a question that comes up again and again, especially when I show a makeover of an old, wooden dresser that involves paint. Before we get into how I make a decision about […]
How I Journal
I’ve mentioned journaling a few times on Instagram and here on the blog and have received some questions about how I journal. I know there are a lot of “journaling methods” out there and I wouldn’t say I follow any specific method, but just started writing and figured out the best way to organize it […]
real simple interview & craigslist tips
A few months ago, I was interviewed for an article for Real Simple about buying furniture secondhand on a variety of online marketplaces. That issue is now available on newsstands (July 2019) if you’d like to grab a copy. While we’re on the topic, I thought I would share my tips and tricks when it […]
ABLE leather backpack & other pretty workhorses
I don’t spend a lot of money on clothes or shoes or purses or jewelry. I don’t eat out a lot or get expensive coffees every day. I don’t get the works done to my hair every eight weeks and I don’t get my nails and toes done with any regularity. What I do buy […]
two years ago today…
Two years ago today, we moved from Biglerville, PA to our current home in Rochester, MN. Can you believe it’s been two years?! In some ways, it feels like we’ve been here longer than that and, in other ways, it seems like we just got here. There are certainly things I miss about PA. I […]