At the time of our last book post two months back, we had turned in our 160-ish page completed outline and were beginning to coordinate the design process with our publisher. If you recall, the book is a compilation of 250-some ideas for “how to show your home some love” (everything from small art projects, little tweaks, and quick ideas to bigger makeovers involving paint & furniture). Things were trotting along nicely and our publisher, Artisan, was trying to figure out whether to keep our Fall 2012 release date or hold off until Spring of 2013. Sherry and I begged for the earlier date and they agreed – but it meant putting the pedal to the metal. So we buckled our seat belts…

• In a matter of two weeks (the two weeks that happened to fall over Christmas and New Year’s) we had to turn our finished outline into a completely written book. Yikes. But we put our heads down and two dizzying weeks later we had the manuscript done. Phew.
• When we turned the manuscript in to our publisher, she took the next week to read the entire thing and we braced ourselves for edits or rewrites.
• She finished without any major edits (really?!) so it went off to a copy editor – someone who would read it for nitty gritty stuff like grammar and punctuation. It spent a week or so there before coming back to us.

• As you saw in last Monday’s post, this baby arrived last Saturday as a hard copy. Our manuscript now officially lives as a printed document that has our publisher’s edits and the copy editor’s notes marked up in different colored pencils. Our task was to use our designated blue pencil (they included it in the FedEx box) to respond to any questions, agree (or disagree with) all edits, and make any final changes. Scary. Especially because as a single-spaced, single-sided document it’s 375 pages long. We thought it was really funny because we assumed it would all be done via email, so getting a giant chunk of paper overnighted to our house felt sort of official and old-fashioned, but that’s apparently how it’s still done these days! It’s actually a lot easier to absorb the info and catch errors while “really” reading it (as opposed to reading it off of a computer screen) so it ended up being really helpful.

• Once again, we hunkered down and plowed through. It was due back to the publisher by yesterday so we overnighted it to them on Saturday afternoon. Bless Sherry for having the focus to sit down for two days straight and do pretty much nothing but focus on that. It’s how she spent all of last weekend while I watched Clara (and did kitchen stuff while the bean napped).

• After 16+ hours (broken up over  two days) just to read through the thing, we then scrambled to fill in some gaps and rewrite some sections just to further explain a few projects/ideas in the remaining four days. Then back to the publisher it went…

But the manuscript is only half of the book process adventure right now. It’s probably less than half, actually. Maybe a third? Because what’s really keeping us busy is prepping for the photo shoots that began yesterday morning. So here’s what’s been going down on that end of things:

• With the 250-ish ideas we’re including, about 100 are going to be photographed. Another 100 will be illustrated and the remaining ones are pretty self-explanatory tips that make sense without an image. So that means 100 of the projects/sets need to be done so we’ve got something to actually photograph. Can we say yikes again? Anyone with a blog knows that churning out enough projects to keep things interesting (maybe 3-4 a week?) is a pretty substantial task. But completing 100 secret projects on top of that? Crazytown. But things are really exciting and fun in Crazytown so we totally can’t complain. Or sleep. But sleep is so 2011. At least that’s what we’ve been telling ourselves as we whirl through projects into the early morning.

• We didn’t really start full force on the projects until after the manuscript was turned in for the first time after New Year’s (we didn’t want to do a project that we or the publisher decided to later kill for some reason). That meant we had about 30 days to do nearly 100 things. So on pretty much any night over the past month you could find us painting, hanging, sewing, cutting, and shopping for up to five projects. And that pace will continue for the next three weeks until shooting wraps (since many things have to get shot as “before” and “process” pics before being completed). But it’s fun because we’re transforming some pretty ugly things, like this old rusted thrift store table:

• As much work as it’s been, we’re not doing it completely alone. Our publisher hired a producer to help keep things organized (100 ideas doesn’t just mean 100 photos, since many have a before, process, and after shots attached to them – so it’s a lot to keep straight and schedule). We also have someone who has been a big help when it comes to gathering supplies for us. Sometimes it’s faster for us to just grab things while we’re out and sometimes we email her and say “ahhhh, can you help us get blank by such and such a date so we can sand and paint it in time to shoot it? Thanks!”
• And of course we’ve got a pro photographer who’s going to make everything look prettier than we ever possibly could with our little Nikon. So our “crew” of helpers aren’t exactly elves who do all the projects at night (we wish!) but it certainly takes a load off to have such a great team. Since we’re ultimately the people who have to choose all of the items, do all of the projects, decide what rooms/corners to shoot all of the photos, and style all of the shots, we’re still burning the midnight oil.
• As for where things for the book are coming from, we have a pretty modest book budget so we’ve been stalking craigslist, thrift stores, and even borrowing items from some of our favorite stores with their blessing (they’ll be returned in three weeks when shooting wraps). The nice thing about a modest budget is that it keeps us honest (there are a good amount of under $50, under $25, under $5, and even some free projects in our book, so that’s pretty exciting to cheap-os like us). And yes, sometimes Sherry gets hyper when we’re picking out accessories (our aim is to style things so they look fresh for you guys, since reusing all the things we already have around our house that you’ve seen a million times would be kind of stale).

• And our house? Well, it’s a mess. We’ve got projects at mid-completion here and there (we need to save some that are halfway done to shoot progress photos, so we can’t just knock them all out at once). We’ve got tons of thrifted furniture piled in the sunroom just waiting for a makeover. There are a bunch of fabric and frames and accessories stacked on the dining table. Paint cans pepper the floor. We even have frames missing from the hallway where we’ve repurposd them for book projects. Nothing is sacred. Haha. Again, in a word, it’s a mess. But it’s pretty exciting chaos.

• Being the over-sharers that we are, we’d love to tell all of the details of every project right now (#ohmanit’skillingus). But I’m not sure our publisher would be very happy with us ruining the surprise. So here are a few hint-y sneak peeks:

• Our guestroom has kinda become home to all of the completed projects. The dining room is home to all of the things in progress and the sunroom is where we’re housing all of the things we can’t touch until before photos are taken. Here’s sort of what they look like (well, as much as we can show ya)…

• So that thing that Sherry mentioned at the end of yesterday’s post that lasts three weeks is some pretty crazy-but-exciting book photography. Most of it will be going on from 8:30am to 6pm four days per week for the next three weeks, so nearly our entire February will be spent on a photography set. Well, actually the set is our house for the most part – so it’ll be three weeks of being in our house-turned-photo-studio. We finish just a few days before flying out to Oregon for the Portland Home & Garden Show, so it will definitely be a jam-packed month. Thank goodness it’s only 29 days long!

• Yes, we’re pretty much hosting a little crew of people in our house for the better part of a month so we’ll have to tell you how that goes! They’re all awesomesauce so far, and yesterday we banged out a ton of before photos and as soon as they left we were painting and upholstering and doing all the things we can now do since those “before” shots are in the can. Gotta tell ya, it feels good to get this thing going – and we already can’t wait for the book to be out so we can spill the beans about all these secrets. We’re taking lots of behind the scenes photos to share with you guys this fall when it comes out!

Update: Lots of folks are asking what we’ll be doing with all those secret projects/items once the book is shot. We’re actually hoping to do a giveaway with some of them (not sure how shipping will work though) and some items have to be returned, etc. Maybe one or two especially sentimental ones will stay at our house, but they’re all “bonus” projects (we didn’t “design” any of them to fit into our house, which is actually really freeing since we can have fun with lots of color/fabric/textures, etc) so it should be fun to see where they end up!

So our apologies to anyone who left a comment yesterday and took a little longer than normal to see it pop up or get a response! We’re definitely juggling things over here when it comes to keeping the blog and the book (and the bean) attended to. And as nuts as the next month is going to be for us, we’re so grateful for the opportunity and so excited to share the whole crazy journey with you guys as we go. Anyone else dealing with someone visiting them for weeks on end? Or keeping 100+ secrets that are slowly burning a hole through their brains? Tell us about it. Or just tell us how crazy our house looks. Go.

Psst- Thank goodness our bean sleeps the night away so we can get stuff done (check out her technique over on Young House Life).

I guess by sharing all of our weird idiosyncrasies it encouraged people to write about something they’re struggling with and ask how we handle it? It also could have had something to do with this thread on the $herdog post. Either way, the emails mostly came from folks who run small blogs who have somehow fallen into larger readerships thanks to being pinned on Pinterest or otherwise thrust into the spotlight suddenly (like a feature on Apartment Therapy or Design Sponge). And the general gist of every single email was this: someone was blogging along about whatever they blog about (some of these people aren’t home bloggers at all) and then… zinger… it happened. A not-so-nice comment. And it stung.

With more readers definitely comes more “feedback” – both good and bad. And you know I’m happy to be that spunky little cheerleader on your shoulder shouting high-pitched overly-enthusiastic things like: “you can do it!” and “reach for the stars!” – so here’s my humble advice in a nutshell:

• It’s your blog.
• Be who you are. That is enough.
• Try to give the good feedback as much weight as the bad.
• Do all things with love.

Sounds corny huh? But I’ll explain how those four things have really helped us deal with the whole “you’re putting yourself out there and I’m anonymous so I’m going to tell you exactly how I feel” phenomenon. After all we’ve been told (both nicely and not so nicely) a few of the following things:

• I’m not really interested in posts about _____, so I vote you skip them
• I’m losing interest in big projects – do more little ones
• Do more big projects – the small ones are filler
• I want more Clara and Burger and everyday stuff
• I want less Clara and Burger and everyday stuff
• That paint color/art/room is ugly/not the right choice
• Stop using certain words/expressions because they make me cringe
• Stop being so cheap and spend some money
• Stop spending so much money and be more frugal
• Move faster, I’m bored
• Move slower so I can catch up
• I’m disappointed in this choice/this idea/you
• This blog used to be better because _________
• I will no longer read this blog because ________

See all the contradictions going on in there? Basically if we listened to every suggestion, well, we wouldn’t have a thing to blog about. Not a single thing. And after 2,000+ posts and over four years of doing this, we’ve definitely learned that some folks like things that others hate and some people have an opinion when it comes to how they’d run this blog if it were theirs. But here’s the thing. It’s not theirs.

Which brings us to…

Tip #1: It’s your blog. It might sound weird to point out, but your blog isn’t a magazine with a team of 30 people who poll their readers and try to please the largest group (at least I don’t think it is). The very definition of a blog is just an outlet to write whatever you want and share whatever part of your life that you’re passionate about in your own words and at your own pace and in whatever way feels natural to you. Whether you do it full time or as a hobby once a month, your only real task is to be who you are and share what you like and those who like it will drop in.

In our case, we’re just two people with a dog and a kid who happened to gain a following sharing our adventures on the home front. We just write about whatever’s going on in our lives and seems interesting to us, which has gotten us here (we’re not Facebook or Pinterest, but 5 million hits a month = crazytown to two kids like us). See, if you attempt to please every last commenter, as much as you love and value your readers, know that it’s Mission Impossible – and it could even lead to your blog’s downfall (it won’t be yours anymore). So trust yourself. Everyone else might have an opinion, but your voice really should be the loudest and your vote really should be the one that counts.

Tip #2: Be who you are. That is enough. I think most people are a little guilty of the whole wanting-more syndrome. When a show ends I immediately want the next episode to come on (and I want it to be even better than the last). When I get a magazine and it’s feeling a little thin I wish it were twice as thick. And I think boxes of Oreos should be bottomless (I expect them to refill themselves while I’m sleeping). So it’s no surprise that when it comes to blogging, well, readers are inclined to want more. They might say it not-so-nicely, or very kindly indeed. And either way it might make you feel sort of wop-wop. But it’s just human nature. And I can tell you from experience that you will be a happier person and a better blogger if you make peace with that completely normal phenomenon.

You can’t control how every single person reacts to your blog, but you can control how you blog. And struggling to eke out more to the point of exhaustion or burnout (be it recipes, sewing tips, DIY stuff, photography pointers, craft ideas, or anything else you blog about) just isn’t the answer. At least not if – in the words of Claire Danes in Homeland – you’re playing the long game. Ideally your method of blogging should make you feel more inspired, creative, and enthusiastic about blogging – which in turn will shine through so your readers get just as giddy about it as you do. There’s a reason that your blog is attracting a readership and people are coming back. So just go at your own pace and concentrate on doing things well and not making yourself sick or neglecting your family because a few usually very well-intentioned folks want something that should take ten days to be done, photographed, and blogged about in five. Forgive people for being excited and impatient. We all do it.

Of course establishing these boundaries applies to other scenarios too, so if you have a family blog and folks want more photos/info about your kids than you’re comfortable sharing, know that whatever you want to share = enough. In blogging I generally think if it feels wrong (or makes you feel tired/sad/uninspired), it’s wrong. So don’t do it. As much as I hate being told to relax (seriously, ask John, it’s on his “do not ever say that to me unless you want me to go crazy on you” list), just try to relax and do your thing.

Tip #3: Try To Give The Good Feedback As Much Weight As The Bad. The funny thing is that everyone we talk to who is wrestling with comment criticism admits they still get waaaaay more positive comments than negative ones. I mean the ratio is usually astounding. We know it just takes one cutting comment to get under your skin, but when the vast majority of people love something, it sucks to let one commenter sink your battleship. Let’s do some light math (I don’t do heavy math, but light math is ok). If over the course of a week or two, 99 people take the time to say they like your blog/post/project/house/whatever and one person chimes in to say something’s not their cup of tea, that still adds up to a 99% success rate. And those are good odds my friend- so keep on keeping on! Heck, even if a ton of your readers don’t like something but you like it, I wholeheartedly think that you should keep blogging about it. Why? Because you like it and – once again, for the folks in the back – it’s your blog. Picture me up stage wearing a pant suit and a pocket protector saying “I can’t hear you!” and holding the mic out so you can shout that chorus with me. Or dancing around in this outfit chanting it with my lovely family while serving up a heaping portion of jazz hands (Burger’s clearly hiding because he doesn’t want to be seen in this getup).

Tip #4: Do everything with love. It’s admittedly extremely cheesy (and you might hear a tiny violin playing in the background) but my favorite advice is usually summed up in that phrase. It’s actually written on a post-it note that I’ve had stuck to my laptop for the longest time. When someone takes time out of their day to say something they’d most likely never say to anyone’s face (or would they…?) I’ve come to realize that spewing the same venom that they flung in my direction won’t make me feel any better (heck, it would probably make me feel significantly worse).

So I try to look at them from a place of love. Maybe they’ve had a terrible day. Maybe they’ve lost someone they love very much and they’re hurting. It may seem weird to try to have compassion for those who don’t seem to be very sensitive to your feelings, but I’m telling you that there’s something to it. It helps me respond with humor or a quick explanation from my point of view without getting too heated. Or even just with the words “Merry Christmas to you and your family!” like I did when someone said that decorating our family Christmas tree with paint chips was akin to decorating it with tampon wrappers. Growing up my mom always said that above being successful, popular, or athletic (all the things I worried about so much back then), being kind was the most important thing. And that’s something I’d love to pass down to Clara. Sing it with me: all ya need is love.

So there it is. My brain dump. I hope it helps at least one or two of you out there who might be struggling with growing and having more eyes on you. I know it sounds corny, but for us this blog is just about sharing our adventures and hopefully helping you guys along the way. That’s why we make videos about grouting and cabinet painting and take so many photos and share every last detail – in the hope of helping a handful of you guys at home. And it’s also why we love sharing behind the scenes blogging stuff like this (since so many of you are fellow bloggers these days). I am completely embarrassed to admit this, but we wrote the Thank You part of our book a few weeks ago, and it wasn’t the part about our family and friends that made me cry, it was the part about you, our lovely readers. Crying isn’t even the word. It wasn’t cute. I was weeping. There was smeared mascara and a runny nose. The whole nine yards.

The enthusiasm, sweetness, and support that you folks send our way is nothing less than life-changing. I really mean that. The least we can do is crack open a little bit of ourselves in beyond-DIY posts like this from time to time (every once in a while we get the itch to overshare, like this and this along with our more recent J-Boom and $herdog posts). So lets get all sappy and share mom and dad quotes in the comments. Or any other older and wiser family member who said something while you were growing up that rings oh so true to you. My mom was also famous for saying “always wear nice underwear in case you end up in the emergency room” throughout my formative years. And let me tell you, she was right on the money about that too. It’s waaaaaaaay too embarrassing to go into, but I didn’t follow her advice and I royally regretted it. There were Care Bears involved. And I was 21. And I don’t think the doc grasped the concept of ironic underwear. I’ll leave the rest up to your imagination.

Pssst- We announced this week’s giveaway winners. Click here to see if you’re one of them.

So we’re cleaning things up, taking pics, doing some pendant hunting, and writing a big ol’ post about it for you guys on Monday. But apparently when Sherry shared “The Real $herdog” on Tuesday there were a bunch of requests for a John version. Color me surprised (I honestly thought Burger and Clara would get mentioned before I would). And since I don’t really have a cool street name like Sherry, she has suggested that I use “J-Boom” for the time being. It’s a little too close for comfort to a certain busty Jersey Shore cast member for me, but since I figure there’s little risk of confusing the two of us – I’ll use it for now. It certainly has more flare to it than my childhood nicknames of “JP” and “Petersik.” Anyway, since Sherry stole some shared facts for herself (about our marriage and our daughter) – my list might be a bit more random than hers. Here goes nothing.

#1 – I don’t always enjoy shopping and decorating. If reading our blog has given you the impression that I’m always the dutiful husband who skips merrily alongside Sherry on shopping trips for our latest decorating project, well – that’s not 100% accurate. I may participate in (and often enjoy) running house errands more than the average husband, but I also do my fair share of groaning when I’m told we “need to go out for pillows.” Same goes for tasks around the house. Let’s just say I don’t bound joyfully from the couch every time I learn we’re hanging curtains or need to go up in the attic to carry something that “takes two people, one being the strong and helpful husband.” But when worst comes to worst, I just try to find the humor in being the tagalong husband:

#2 – I’m the king of typos. Case in point, my fingers originally made that “I’m the kind of typos.” I’ve accepted this about myself: my brain and fingers don’t always work in unison and my eyes don’t do me any favors by catching them. Sherry has little tolerance for it (especially since I will even drop an entire word or three here and there). Yes, sentences like “then I spread the grout with a trowel” might get typed out as “then I with a trowel” and Sherry is left scratching her head. It’s one of the reasons Sherry proofreads every post before it goes up and also why I’m not as active in the comments (along with the fact that I have no idea where each of our ten million pillows hails from). I confessed my typo problem in a local interview two years ago where Sherry and I had to submit secret responses about each other separately. I said I loved Sherry because “she fixes my tyops.” Sherry told me it was a sweet and clever answer… until I further confessed that I hadn’t done it intentionally. It was just the most well-timed typo of my life.

#3 – I’m sometimes insecure about being a stay-at-home dad. Those who caught my BabyCenter post a few months ago already know most of this. And though I think I technically qualify more as a “work-at-home” dad, I still often feel funny about not getting up, putting on work clothes, and trotting off to the office like other “normal” dads. Even though I can rationalize that being home with Clara is actually a very good thing, it still just feels off to me sometimes. Especially when Clara and I are checking out at the grocery store in the middle of the day and I get that “oh, he must be unemployed” look from the cashier. But I’m doing my best to just embrace it and be as good at it as I can.

#4 – I’m a shameless consumer of “new” things. Maybe it’s the former advertising exec in me (or the reason I got into advertising in the first place) but I’m a total sucker for new products. They don’t even have to be totally new – maybe Hershey Kisses’ just released their seasonal flavors, for example. I. Must. Try. Them. All. Heck, I even bought a box of Life cereal the other day just because the packaging had been redesigned. Sherry knows whenever I go food shopping alone that she should brace herself for the weird new flavor or product I’ll come home with (Dulce De Leche Cheerios? Check).

#5 – I sing. A lot. And not that well. Sherry and I are both guilty of bursting into song pretty often, whether it’s singing along to the radio or crooning an original tune that narrates what we’re doing (“a grouting we will go, a grouting we will go, high ho the tile-e-oh, a grouting we will go”). So maybe this goes along with Sherry’s admission that she’s painfully cheerful? It’s like a slightly off-key and slightly-sarcastic Disney movie up in here sometimes. And it’s probably why Clara isn’t shy about belting a little medley out too. We aren’t “real” singers or anything, but we can both (key word: sort of) carry a tune. And sometimes harmonize. Sometimes even on purpose. If we were to try out for American Idol we’d be in that in-between group that’s neither good nor bad enough to see the judges. You can catch a snippet of me singing in this mockumentary my college improv group made about a squash tournament (that obviously needed to close with a big mediocre musical number). Fast forward to about 12:10 for my extremely brief verse. Or if you care to watch the whole thing, start here with part one (warning: I can’t guarantee it’s entertaining for anyone beyond those of us who are in it).

#6 – I don’t really read Young House Love. Since Sherry proofreads every post (see #2 if you’ve forgotten why) and responds to most comments (questions like “where did you get that mirror?” are like asking me what color earrings Sherry wore three days ago), she reads just about every single word that ever gets posted on this site. So with all that we juggle each day, it’s not really the best use of our time for me to read everything too. I barely find time to read other blogs, let alone the one where I already know how things end. So if we ever talk in person and you reference something funny that Sherry wrote, please forgive me if I just smile and nod. Does it make me feel like a bad person? Sometimes. But c’mon, you know brevity is hardly a virtue of ours…

#7. I can get pissed like the best of them. This might come as a surprise but I can get pretty darn peeved in the middle of a project that’s going anything but well. I have even been known to throw a screwdriver (maybe “lob it at the ground” is a better description) while grappling to fix an incredibly frustrating mailbox issue. I’m working on it, but just know that I’m not Mr. It’s All Going To Be Hunky Dory during every project. Sometimes I’m just gritting my teeth and muttering under my breath. But when it’s all said and done and we’ve lived to tell the tale, it’s 100% worth it. Which probably explains why I keep jumping back into the ol’ DIY arena. I’m like Russel Crowe in Gladiator – except significantly less ripped.

So maybe my list was less “surprise, I’m not perfect” than Sherry’s since I figure you guys already knew I was no Matt Damon / Edward Cullen  / Justin Bieber or whoever else is the epitome of male perfection these days. Just don’t tell Clara that. I think she’s pretty convinced I’m all that and a box of raisins. And I’d like to keep it that way.

Pssst: We are not famous. But somehow we’ve been invited to be part of the Richmond Comedy Coalition’s series called “Richmond Famous” that’s happening next Friday night (Jan 27). We’re not totally sure what we’re in for, but supposedly we’ll tell some true stories from our lives and they’ll improvise scenes based on them. And yes, Sherry is beyond nervous that we actually “have to talk” so we’d love to see you guys there. At least I would. Sherry might rather hide in the car. Get more info here.

Psssst again: We announced this week’s giveaway winner. Click here to see if it’s you.

It’s time for our usual monthly show of gratitude to our sponsors. You know, the people who make the other 30+ posts possible… and generally keep us away from black cats and stop us from walking under ladders (okay, not really the last part). But since today – Friday the 13th – is a sinister day cast in the shadow of superstition for some people, we tried to find some joy in the darkness by highlighting a few black, white, and grey items from our sponsors (none of which have been gifted to us – here’s our no-swag policy). And if you need some luck today, check out of some of the special discounts bulleted at the bottom. Happy Friday the 13th everyone!

• Bien Living Design‘s Long Distance Design service – especially the after pics.
• Natural and organic goodies from Limegreen, made by a country girl in Brooklyn.
• Personalizing just about anything over at Initial Presents, like this ikat pillow.
• Everything from The Tile Shop that’s getting us through backsplash-fest 2012.

• All of the quatrefoil-y goodness happening over at Shades of Light these days.
• Speaking of quatrefoil, Z Gallerie‘s new 2012 stuff also has it going on.
• WallQuotes‘ simple kitchen decals (are you surprised we have kitchens on the brain?)
• Hoards of inspiration on Hometalk‘s Pinterest page. Oh look, another kitchen.

• “Estelle” from Jenna Lou Designs, which had Sherry in love at first sight.
• Dot Coms For Moms‘ DIY section, which includes a round up of cool free printables.
• Old photos from Ruby Lane (they’d make for an awesome wall collage).
• This geek-tastic retro calculator iPhone cover from House 8810.

• These stacking rivet rings from Heart & Stone Jewelry which could be our book motto.
• Beautiful custom wedding suites from Smock Paper for those getting hitched in ’12.
• Royal Design Studio‘s zebra stencils, which have us in the mood for safari.
• Chic Shelf Paper‘s bold animal pattern (speaking of safari…) – so graphic and fun.

• Flashcard style + chic silhouettes + great nursery art =  Sarah + Abraham.
• This guy (well, pillow) from Jilly’s Happy Home (he just looks fun to have around).
• Liberty Hardware‘s good lookin’ Delta Porter Bath Collection.
• Lasting Greatness from FLOR (hah, that’s actually the name of the pattern).

• This (glue-less!) paper plane wallpaper from Trendy Peas (Sherry audibly gasped).
• Le Papier Studio customizable silhouette mugs from their Valentine’s Day collection.
• Amen, A Vintage Poster. Amen.
• And for kicks here’s Burger, who looks like this in the morning (yup, he’s laying on a pillow, belly up with his lower half under the covers)

And now for those DISCOUNTS:

• Shades of Light: 10% off using code YHL0811
• WallQuotes.com: 15% off with the code YHL15
• The Tile Shop: 10% off when you use the code YHL10
• Heart & Stone Jewelry: 10% off your purchase with the code YHL10
• Royal Design Studio: 10% off stencils with code YHL10
• Jilly’s Happy Home: 10% off custom orders using code YHL
• Le Papier Studio: 10% off with the code YHL10 (thru Jan 21st)
• Initial Presents: 10% off your first order with the code YHL10
• Jenna Lou Design: 10% off with the code YHL10

So that “would be nice” thought festered for a while, and started nagging me more and more and then it went from thinking about it (aka: wouldn’t that be nice) to obsessing about it (aka: do it before your brain eats itself!) so eventually I gave in and spent the last few months chipping away at it. Of course they don’t include every last blog post (there aren’t any Reader Redesigns or House Crashing posts or other random not-really-house-related things) but they’re full of all the noteworthy projects and adventures that we’ve had each month for the past year.

I figured I could silently post them at the end of each correlating month (by pre-dating them so they’d drop into the archives in the right order), but I also realized that hiding them “back in the day” isn’t as helpful as rounding them up in one big easy to troll page with 12 boxes to see the entire year at a glance. So here ya go (you can access that page anytime by clicking the box on the sidebar that says Quick Monthly Round-Ups). It was one of our resolutions to make our archives easier to navigate, so we figure this is a good first step.

Hope you enjoy the walk down memory lane. And here’s to another twelve months full of projects, posts, the bean, the Burgsie, and random ceramic animals of all shapes and sizes! We’re probably getting our penny tile on as you read this, so stay tuned for a big update with some wide shots and another video all about the application process tomorrow!

Psst- We’re craigslisting our full sized sofa bed from our first house’s office/guest room/playroom, so here are the deets for any interested locals.

… here they are:

Resolution #1 – To Get Around: We’re excited for 2012 to be a good travel year for us, since we have been invited to speak at the Portland Home & Garden Show in February (really? us?) and at the Haven Conference in Atlanta in June (we’re the keynote speakers, which makes us excited and nauseous all at the same time). So we’ll hopefully get to meet a lot of you guys at those events. And when our book comes out this fall we hope to get to do some touring just to thank as many of you for reading our blog right to your face as possible. You know and be awkward and blushy and say things like “that’s so weet of sou” instead of “that’s so sweet of you.” True story.

Resolution #2 – To Make Our Archives Easier To Navigate: With 2,000+ posts that have been written over 4+ years, we completely understand how hard it is to find things, especially all of the projects that get buried as we go! So we’d love to revamp our Projects page with photos and easier to use archival systems. You know we like to DIY things, so that means learning some coding stuff as we go. Should be fun…

Resolution #3 -To Find More Balance: This guy’s a repeat because we haven’t conquered it since declaring it last year. We mentioned that “since the internet is 24/7, and we work from home, sometimes it’s hard to resist working nights, weekends, and even on vacation, so we hope to get a handle on that.” Especially with Clara around, some healthy family-friendly balance seems like a good idea. Here’s hoping 2012 is the year that we get it down!

Resolution #4 – To teach Clara how to prime & paint: Ok, maybe that’s not very age appropriate, but at least let me teach the girl how to caulk. Kidding again. Hmm, maybe we can show her how to peel painter’s tape? Seems like something she’d love! This resolution is just about keeping Clara involved and hopefully raising a little DIY lover like ourselves. I mean, we won’t force it on her, but including her in some toddler-friendly projects or steps could be fun for the whole fam. The girl does love her tape measure (more on that here), so we’re off to a good start…

Resolution #5 – Simplify, simplify, simplify! Sometimes it seems like we should say yes to every opportunity (why not?) or try to tackle ten projects at a time (gung-ho!) but we’ve learned that keeping things simple and staying focused on one task at a time might just be the key to sanity. So we have to fight that “little voice” that pushes us to do more/attempt to be super-human/cater to everyone else. Just sharing whatever’s going on in our little world is what got us here (over four million hits a month is both humbling and mind-blowing). So we have to fight the urge to keep piling more on our plate or attempting to please everyone on the planet. This is just a good old fashioned DIY diary. And simple = a beautiful thing.

Who’s ready for 2012? What are your resolutions? I’d love to hear what you guys would like to accomplish this year (either in list form like ours or just a sentence or two about whatever you plan to focus on). Do you have any personal resolutions going on? I’d love to drink more water, eat more veggies, read more books, and get back into painting (on paper and canvas – since I have wall and cabinet painting covered already). Oh yeah and to Netflix Homeland since so many people have recommended it. Is that resolution-worthy? From what I hear, it is.

Psst- We’re over on BabyCenter sharing a cute handmade-with-love nursery that’s gender neutral, modestly sized, and packed with DIY ideas! Check it all out here.

It’s time for our monthly shout out to thank all of the Santa-esque sponsors who help make our other 30+ posts possible. Putting this jolly ol’ round-up of items together was especially fun, since we’ve definitely had gifts on the brain. So we’ve chosen things that feel seasonal-ish & festive (even if you just give ‘em to yourself). Not that we’ve been gifted anything (here’s our no-swag policy). And of course there are some pretty sweet discounts to take advantage of at the bottom of the post for ya. Happy holidays everyone!

• Simplify 101‘s organizing workshops for the scatterbrains on your Christmas list.
• Chemical-free cleaning systems from Norwex consultant Heather Pheasey.
• Hometalk‘s $200 HomeGoods giveaway this week. That’ll buy lots of gifts!
• This faux gator tray in festive lime green from Z Gallerie (for the holiday hostess).

• The Tile Shop‘s bold glass mosaic patterns, like these cool “cherry” ellipse guys.
• This open-form star pendant (and other holiday lighting) from Shades of Light.
• WallQuotes‘seasonal decals that get everyone into the spirit (they’re removable, btw).
• New removable glue-free wallpaper in kid-friendly patterns from Trendy Peas.

• Tons of holiday silhouettes at Le Papier Studio, like Santa hat kid plates. Cute!
• FLOR‘s mix-and-match texture-filled patterns, like this one called “Rake Me Over.”
• Custom holiday cards from Hoot Design Co. (though you might be cutting it close…)
• A Vintage Poster‘s prints (they’re cool, affordable, & could make nice stocking stuffers)

• Dot Coms For Moms‘ round up of DIY-able, gift-able, and decorate-able projects.
• This pillow from Lacefield Designs (love the small-scale pattern & color gradient).
• The fun vintage stuff that comes up when you search “Santa” on Ruby Lane.
• Liberty Hardware‘s smart adjustable width hook rail (for thick & thin doors alike).

• Vintage stockings, Christmas banners, and Santa plates at House 8810.
• Smock Paper‘s holiday gift guide, including gems like this bright 2012 calendar.
• Cute, custom pillows featuring your cartoon-ified kid from Sarah + Abraham.
• Royal Design Studio‘s “Floral Fret” pattern (for holiday projects… and beyond).

• This seasonal yet year-round-acceptable dotted pattern from Chic Shelf Paper.
• The large metal version of this icon from Jilly’s Happy Home (so bold and fun).
• Lots of options from Heart & Stone Jewelry for charm necklace customization.
• SugarFresh‘s “Peaceful Trees” trio of prints (in just about any color you want).

And now for the JUICY DISCOUNTS:

• Shades of Light: 10% off using code YHL0811
• WallQuotes.com: 15% off with the code YHL15
• The Tile Shop: 10% off when you use the code YHL10
• Heart & Stone Jewelry: 10% off your purchase with the code YHL10
• Royal Design Studio: 10% off stencils with code YHL10
• P.C. Fallon: $5 off orders over $50 with code YHL5
• Sugar Fresh: 10% off with code YHL10
• Hoot Design Co: 10% off custom orders using code YHL
• Simplify 101: 15% off Organizing 101 & Goals workshops with YHLSAVE15 thru 12/14
• Jilly’s Happy Home: 10% off custom orders using code YHL
• Le Papier Studio: 10% off with the code YHL10 (thru Dec 21st)

• About two years ago (after blogging for about two years) we were contacted by a few agents & independent publishers about a potential book deal.
• We went crazy for the idea (we love to write and share our projects). We basically did this.

• We chatted with John’s sister about the folks who contacted us (she works in NYC with a large magazine publisher – so although she doesn’t do books she knows who’s who for the most part).
• She gently explained that they were a bit less “legit” than some other folks that we could potentially work with if we held out, so we decided to just wait and see what happened.
• We sort of forgot about it.
• About six months later (a year and a half ago), we were contacted by a NY/Boston literary agency (Zachary Shuster Harmsworth) – so we asked John’s sister about them and she got really giddy and said they were highly recommended (their agency just emailed us out of the blue asking if we would like to pursue a book).
• Uh… yes! We got excited. And naturally, we dove right in.

• We immediately started working with an agent to put together a book proposal (this is what they send out to potential publishers to “shop” around a book idea and see who’s interested).
• A proposal is typically 70-150 pages, so it takes a while to put together. The process starts with a book outline and you write an intro and a conclusion and explain why your book would be different/fun/exciting. You basically plead your case.
• It took us a year to complete our book proposal. Not lying. It was a ton of work! And we kept tweaking things until we loved it (no sense in pitching a book that you’re only feeling so-so about, so we took our time developing something that we thought was fun and fresh and exciting).
• After a year of work on that 100-ish page document we got to a place where our agent thought it was time to send it out. So she did.
• Then she had a baby. So another agent took over after the “pitching” process. That was a little nerve-wracking but it was such an exciting time so we tried to just remember to breathe and eat and stuff. This was our nervous face:

• It turned out that after our literary agency pitched our proposal to about twenty publishing houses, seven of them were interested in bidding on our book. We were crossing our fingers for one or two (which we heard was typical – hey, you only need one!) so it was an insanely exciting and unbelievable reaction. We still get glassy-eyed when we think about that day.
• After publishers indicate that they’re interested, there’s an “auction” (yes, it’s sort of like ebay – haha) and they each extend a bid about what they want to do/pay (everything from a book advance to royalties is indicated in their bid along with where they “see” the book going – so one publishing house might indicate that they see a giant expensive coffee table book while another wants a smaller less expensive handbook).
• It was super helpful to learn which publishers wanted to do big expensive books and which ones were more of a small shop atmosphere who do a more customized look at a more affordable price point while believing in a lot of collaboration (obviously that type appealed to us a lot more).
• By the end of auction day our heads were spinning as we compared the offers and picked a publisher. Our pick? Artisan/Workman. Workman is a huge publisher who is known for all sorts of best-selling books (like What To Expect When You’re Expecting) – but Artisan is their smaller boutique agency that manages a much smaller volume of books per year in a real hands-on way that’s full of collaboration. They understood that we didn’t want to create a giant $50 coffee table book and that we just wanted something fresh, fun, and affordable – and full of great ideas and great photos.
• They actually offered us a two-book deal, which is especially encouraging because they were saying “we have faith even before your first book comes out that it’ll be great and we’ll want to do a second book with you” – so yeah, we were over the moon. We have no idea what the second book will be about (since we didn’t touch on that in the proposal) so it’s nice and open-ended now. Which we like (who knows what we’ll want to write about after the first book comes out).
• About eight months ago we all signed on the dotted line to make things official (which is actually when we shared the book deal news with you guys – we couldn’t wait!). Then we… you guessed it… dove right into writing the actual book.

• After about seven months of nearly nonstop writing (behind the scenes while we continued to blog and love on Clara), we handed in our 100+ page manuscript outline, which felt pretty darn good. Although it’s around 120 pages now, when the tutorials and photos are added it should hit the 260+ page mark. This momentous hand-in day was over a month ago. We’re currently gearing up for the photography stage (working on the book’s layout, fleshing out all the tutorials, and beginning to secretly complete and shoot hundreds of projects with a pro photographer).
• We’re also coordinating with a few other guest bloggers who we’d love to feature (you know we love to share the love slash eye candy).

• Let’s just say we completely understand why the title of “author” is a full time job. It has been kind of crazy being stay at home parents to Clara, keeping up with the blog and the projects that we share, all while writing a book and doing secret projects for the book behind the scenes. But we couldn’t be more excited to see how it all turns out! And when we’re done we’ll probably sleep for at least five days straight.

• The book is slated for release in the fall of 2012 (although there are occasional murmurings of the spring of 2013). Isn’t it amazing how much longer books take to make than blog posts? Especially since most of the content is already completed and the release date is still a year (or more!) away. All that pro photography and layout and production stuff takes time though, and we’re sure it’ll be well worth the wait!

As for what our book is about, the concept is that it’s an idea book. A giant compilation of over 250 ideas for showing your home some love (our tentative title is actually Spruce: 257 Ways To Show Your Home Some Love). The number might change as we continue to execute the projects that we have detailed in our manuscript (some might be awesome and lead to other ideas while some might fail – so it’s flexible). We just want it to be a fun book that you can flip through to see tons of numbered ideas, and then you can start on any page and do any project in the order that it appeals to you. Informal just felt right to us, and the idea that every project or suggestion could be altered a bit (so everyone can do their own spin to fit their house and their style) seems fitting.

A decorating bible with explanations about boxpleats and start-to-finish home staging, it’s not. It’s more of a spark. A starting point. A junkload of ideas to pick and choose from and adapt to fit your home. Some are more involved, some are super easy. Some are free, some might be something that you have to save up for a little to take on. Basically it’s the blog. Only a book. And instead of getting a post or two a day, you get 250+ ideas with photos and checklists and tutorials and illustrations (along with a lot of extra tips, sidebars, and commentary) and a little dorky humor a la us.

Oh and virtually all of the 250+ projects/photos/illustrations will be new for the book – so it’s nothing regurgitated from YHL or anything. Some of the ideas might be the same (ex: paint a piece of furniture or reupholster a bench) but those general concepts had to be included – so we decided we’d execute them in a fresh way (instead of seeing the same bench that I painted three years ago for the blog, you might see a dresser painted in a completely different way that we secretly completed this winter). Sure it’s extra work, but we really want the book to look fresh and be full of different “takes” on a ton of decorating ideas – both classic and unexpected (and pretty much everything in between).

So there it is. A big ol’ rundown of the book process, what we’ve been up to, and how it all went down. I would definitely encourage anyone who is looking to be published to work with an agent (if they don’t email you, I’d definitely try emailing them a proposal to see if they’d like to take on your project). Let’s just say that I can name fifty times that having an agent to help navigate the contractual terms, timeline, and general process came to the rescue – so it’s definitely something we probably couldn’t have gone without.

Does anyone else out there have publishing tips to share with others who are hoping to get into author-ship? Has anyone actually tried to author a book in the past? Any self publishing experiences to share (we were too scared to go that route, but hear it can work too). As for book ideas, waaaay before John and I were bloggers we tried to write a proposal for a hilarious pet naming book (say the people who named their dog Hamburger) but after realizing how much work it was… it just sort of fizzled out. Maybe someday we’ll give it another go. We owe it to Burger. Haha.

It’s time for our monthly shout out to thank all of the lovely sponsors who make our other 30+ posts possible. And of all the times of the year, this one seems the most suited for our little thank-fest. So in that spirit, we’re highlighting a bunch of things that bring out our favorite parts of Thanksgiving – family, food, warm clothes, and warm colors. Not that we’ve been gifted anything (here’s our no-swag policy). Oh and there are some bonus discounts rounded up at the bottom for ya. Happy turkey day month everyone!

• These knitted goods by N. Fallon Design Studio that just scream “sweater weather.”
• That fellow blogger Between Naps On The Porch‘s table is already set with fall spirit.
• Fall aprons from City Chic Country Mouse (our favorite ironing board cover makers).
• Whimsical home decor from Jilly’s Happy Home, like this simple framed truth.

• This mixed metal chandelier from Shades of Light (so great for a dining room).
• Z Gallerie‘s proof that even your Thanksgiving table can rock some autumn-y sparkle.
  
• A way to snag some of that sparkle: a $250 Z Gallerie giveaway from Hometalk.
• WallQuotes‘ charming kitchen decals (just in time for all that holiday cooking).

• Penny tile from The Tile Shop! But you already knew we were digging that these days.
• SugarFresh‘s simply stylish rendering of one of Clara’s new favorite songs.
• Great playful patterns from Chic Shelf Paper (like these lovely yellow leaves).
• Tiny Tag birthstone charms from Heart & Stone Jewelry (for my fellow Scorpios).

• Sustainably made cards from Smock Paper that give thanks for even the little things.
• Sarah + Abraham‘s custom placements for your little Thanksgiving sous chef.
• This other stencil from Royal Design Studio that we also considered for our office.
• P.C. Fallon‘s selection of pepper mills (in case your turkey comes out on the bland side).

• The warm color palettes at Lacefield Designs (even the soft and subtle ones).
• This so-quirky-it’s-cool vintage planter on Ruby Lane (gobble gobble, baby).
• “Homegrown” hardware from Liberty Hardware that’s all made by hand.
• House 8810‘s Thanksgiving round up, including the coolest turkey platter ever.

• The baking section of Dot Coms For Moms‘ fall guide. Um… yum.
• The fact that this “Stripe It Rich” pattern from FLOR comes in the color “Moolah.”
• A Vintage Poster‘s playful prints, especially the ones that encourage more dessert.
• This map print from Hoot Design Co. even if it is Missouri (and not Virginia) themed.

And now for the JUICY DISCOUNTS:

• Shades of Light: 10% off using code YHL0811
• WallQuotes.com: 15% off with the code YHL15
• The Tile Shop: 10% off when you use the code YHL10
• Heart & Stone Jewelry: 10% off your purchase with the code YHL10
• Royal Design Studio: 10% off stencils with code YHL10
• P.C. Fallon: $5 off orders over $50 with code YHL5
• Sarah + Abraham: 10% off orders with code YHL10
• Sugar Fresh: 10% off with code YHL10
• Hoot Design Co: 10% off custom orders using code YHL

The leaves are changing, the days are getting shorter, and we’re back for our monthly sponsor shout out (you know, to thank the folks who make our other 30-some posts possible). This month we’re highlighting items that we think capture the spirit of fall… or are orange or brownish at the very least. Not that we’ve been gifted anything (here’s our no-swag policy). And a bunch of discounts are listed at the bottom for ya too. Happy fall!

• The simple, sweet, and oh-so-true designs from A Vintage Poster (no mess, no glory).
• Seasonal wall decals to swap in and out from WallQuotes (they’re removable, after all).
• All of the autumn-tacular copper and rust tile combos from the The Tile Shop.
• On sale lighting from Shades of Light, like this Antique Hex Mirror Lantern.

• Design for Less‘ orchard safari tile (it makes us want to go apple picking).
• They’re not ceramic, but these squirrels friends from Z Gallerie are pretty darn sweet.
• Hoot Design Co.‘s Simply Baby poster. We do have a niece or nephew due any day…
• This skull & crossbones collar from Hollywoof Styles. Ahoy puppies!
  

• Fall-colored classics from FLOR (as well as a bunch of hot new designs).
• Dot Coms For Moms‘ fall guide, including round-ups of Halloween & autumn decor.
• These air plant pods from Dirt Couture. Seriously, we’re mesmerized.
• Liberty Hardware‘s selection of knobs and pulls (as we inch closer to replacing ours).

• Loads of fun Halloween decor at House 8810 (check out the”Bone Appetite” apron too).
• Gazing at other Royal Design Studio stencils, now that we’re on the bandwagon.
• Soy candles and diffusers from Archipelago Botanicals available at P.C. Fallon.
• Browsing orange accents & natural textures (mmm, burlap) over at Lacefield Designs.

• The new collection of charming Mayi Carles custom drawings at Sarah + Abraham.
• Fun paper DIY projects on Smock Paper‘s blog, like these simple paper pumpkins.
• The oddly fascinating vintage “Halloween Stunt Game” listed on Ruby Lane.
• Chic Shelf Paper‘s nature-riffic Fall Leaves design (such a fun surprise in a dresser).

• Hometalk‘s $1,000 Home Depot gift card giveaway. Um, sign us up…
• Customized charm and medallion designs by Julie at Heart & Stone Jewelry.
• SugarFresh‘s sweet-as-can-be “Together Forever” print in any custom color.
• Not a sponsor, but our recent trip to the State Fair is definitely a highlight of fall!

And now for the JUICY DISCOUNTS:

• Design For Less: 10% off using code YHLove10 (including sale items)
  
• Shades of Light: 10% off using code YHL0811
• WallQuotes.com: 15% off with the code YHL15
• The Tile Shop: 10% off when you use the code YHL10
• Heart & Stone Jewelry: 10% off your purchase with the code YHL10
• Royal Design Studio: 10% off stencils with code YHL10
• P.C. Fallon: $10 off orders over $75 with code YHL10
• Sarah + Abraham: 10% off orders with code YHL10
• Sugar Fresh: 10% off with code YHL10
• Hollywoof Styles: 10% off with the code YHL10 (thru Oct 30)
• Hoot Design Co: 10% off custom orders using code YHL