Note: This is a retroactive post that I cobbled together in December of 2011 so I could make this page full of monthly recaps for the entire year (our first in our new house!). Yup, I’m just a bit type A. So here’s what we tackled throughout the month of January – high school yearbook style.
Best Deal: Somehow snagging an energy efficient front loading washer and dryer for $638 (not each – total!) thanks to a ton of stacked discounts. And then we took it down another $75 by getting an energy efficiency rebate from our county. Huzzah!
Most Likely To Have A P-Diddy Reference: This post about rearranging our built-ins. It was hard! But so worth it.
Best Looking: Our tall, dark, and handsome built-ins, once we added a few coats of deep teal paint.
Most Ourdoorsy: Our leafy new duvet for our bedroom. I must admit it looks pretty cute with a pooch and a baby on it…
Most Hilarious: Discovering that we subconsciously take on our biggest most house-disrupting projects every. single. year at the same time: over the holidays. What’s wrong with us?
Most Calming: Ripping out some crowded corner shelves to give our fireplace room to breathe. Oh and there are a bunch of caulking tips in this post for anyone dealing with wall holes.
Most Likely To Do Secret Demo: Me, while John’s watching Clara. I couldn’t stand the granite lip around the sink in our bedroom, so I made it look a lot less sinky (and more funriture-y) by ripping that baby out and then caulking and painting.
Most Reflective: Hanging a mirror in front of a window to make sense of our bedroom sink (now we can look straight ahead when we brush our teeth instead of craning our necks to see things in the medicine cabinet that used to hang on the wall to the right).
Hardest To Remember: The name of the soft blue-gray-green color that we used to paint our bedroom.
Most Disturbing: This post about the mirror that used to live on the back of the guest room door (that’s right, it reflected your entire body as you sat on the porcelain throne).
Most Popular: This post about what we were almost named surprised us by being one of the most commented posts of the month.
Most Overdue: A video tour of our new house (finally). If you’re on a smart phone you’ll have to click here to see it.
Most Welcome Additions: Our new energy efficient front loading washer & dryer. And yes, I can actually reach the buttons!
Most Romantic: Painting the mirror above our sink white, which makes for some pretty dreamy contrast in the evening.
Best Supporting Napkin: This gal, who pretty much inspired our entire house palette.
Sweetest: Finally hanging things on the wall in Clara’s nursery. Oh and we included details about how we secured a mirror over her crib so we’d never have to worry about it falling or getting knocked down.
Biggest Fail: This baaaad choice of a shower curtain for the guest room. Oh well, live and learn. And thank goodness for returns.
Biggest Tools: Us, as we detailed all the tools and DIY supplies that we own in this post (yes, we actually laid them all out on the rug and took photos like crazy people).
Most Indecisive: Picking a soft gray wall color for our living room, hallway, and dining room (yup, we painted a bunch of giant swatches – and it worked!).
Most Cloud-Esque: Painting our giant living room and extra wide hallway that carefully selected soft platinum gray color. It was lots of rolling and cutting in – but totally worth it.
Best Discovery: Finding this amazing note hidden in our hall bathroom by the previous owners.
Most Sore: Us, after painting all of the wood trim in our living room white.
Most Likely To Result In A Giant Piece Of Furniture Being Delivered To Our House: This rundown all about hunting for the perfect jumbo-sized sectional.
Most Swatch-Happy: This post about bringing home a ton of fabric samples while searching for the right one for our bedroom curtains.
Weirdest Post I Ever Did Write: This one about some new Target pillows. I’m such a dork.
Most Rambunctious: Burger going cray-zay on our new bed pillows.
Most Domestic: Me and my bedroom curtain undertaking (ok, so it didn’t actually include sewing, but there was some ironing involved).
Creepiest Inanimate Objects: Our cabinets, especially since they’re always watching us…
Biggest Surprise: Our giant Ikea sectional’s arrival (aka: Karl, since his formal Ikea name is Karlstad). Here we are putting him together on video:
I think I spend way too much time reading this blog that I remember this…is your bedroom wall color Carolina Inn Club Aqua?
Putting together these recap posts must have been a ton of work but thank you! Such a great surprise to have so many posts waiting to be read. :)
Haha, yes! That’s the color!
xo,
s
Crazy how small and chubby Clara is there considering now, a year later, she’s so lanky and thin! <3
Isn’t that funny? She has grown and changed so much!
xo,
s
Wow…it’s really crazy and awesome to look at this round-up and see just how far you guys have come in a year (and how much Clara’s grown)! As an every-day reader, it’s easy to feel like the progress is somewhat manageable (um, for YOU GUYS…you guys are amazing), but seeing the difference you’ve made in 12 months is unbelievable. Way to go, you guys!!!
Aw thanks Alina! So sweet of you to say.
xo,
s
WOW. I am a newish reader and I had NO idea how much you guys had done in one year. You make my before and after house projects in one year look like a joke ; ) I guess that’s why I like you blog so much.
AND holy cow look at Clara in these posts, she has grown so much this year!
Ryanres1
Aw thanks Ryan!
xo,
s
Thanks for doing this! I started following during your office reno this year and have read every post since. I’ve also looked through your archives some, but this really makes it so much more manageable. Oh, and yeah, I was totally thinking the same things as some of the other commenters, ie. Clara looks like she was an adorable chubby baby and that you guys got a ton done in just a year! Wow!
Aw, so glad to help Elise!
xo,
s
So, I’ve been reading your blog for a while, and just discovered that your funky bathroom window is actually a funky mirror hung in front of a window. Love it!
Thanks Bec! We were kinda nervous to do something so weird but we’re so glad we did!
xo,
s
Great post. My wife and I just bought a house and cant wait to use your tips and steal some decoration ideas ;) Thanks
I am not sure if my first comment succeeded so i will type again.
My wife and i bought a new house and your post just gave us great ideas. Thanks
Love the wooden floor. I am looking for something like this myself.. It really gives the feel of openness in a house and you have captured this really well!
hi, I love your blogs, we just bought a house and a friend told me to look at your website for ideas.
WOW, i’m so impressed with your sense of style, your enthusiasm to get things done and how you help us by telling us about your work around your house(s).
We moved into a pretty big house right after we had our second girl, so moving in and changing a lot of things in the house and having a huge yard is sure keeping us busy. it’s nice to go on your website for ideas and how to do things, thank you for blogging!
Haha, our dog does the same thing! She loves to get her crazies out by running around in circles on our bed. I love your blog. My husband and I just bought our first condo, and we cannot wait to pour some DIY love into it. I have a feeling I’m going to be spending a LOT of time on here.
Hi guys, regarding your laundry room, did you use any special kit or items to put your dryer on top of the washing machine? Any recommendation? I read that some just put them like that while otherwise have some kind of non-slippery system (in case vibrations make the dryer move)
Thank you!
We bought a “stacking system” sold by the store at the same time we bought them (so we knew it was compatible). When they were delivered the installer used it and they held up great!
xo
s
I love your blog. My dog is the same crazy little thing. She runs all over our bed, pushes the blankets to get in and sleeps in the middle. I love what you did with such small budget and shared it with all of us. Can’t wait for new posts.
great job guys! you are an inspiration!
Great ideas and really not expensive at all. You guys rock!