Ack. It’s August. Which means it’s almost September which means summer’s almost over which means it’s practically Christmas. Insert panic attack here. Okay, maybe I’m exaggerating, but I still can’t believe it’s August. So it always helps us keep the ol’ momentum up and avoid burning out by slowing time down for a second to take an appreciative look back on all of our happenings from last month along with some bonus never-before-seen stuff. It may not stop the Earth from rotating (only Superman can do that, silly) but it definitely inspires us to keep plugging away! Plus it makes browsing our archives a lot easier (you can read back through January of 2011 right here in just 18 posts instead of 630). Woot!
Most Likely To Go Mad: Me, since this is apparently what digging all those holes for our deck is doing to me (especially during this second round of digging when the county inspector failed our first attempt).
Best Lungs: Katie Bower, who’s got quite the scream going on in this video issuing the Summer Pinterest Challenge. She hollers on a tractor, yells excitedly down a waterslide… yet is surprisingly inaudible over the sounds of “The Winds of Africa.”
Sexiest Accent: This feature in Jae’s house, which we crashed while in Atlanta. She painted the window sash in her kitchen black for an awesome high-contrast pop that we couldn’t get enough of.
Most Shameless: Sherry and Katie Bower, who weren’t fazed at all by filming a video in the middle of a Goodwill while shoppers mingled nearby (and occasionally walked into frame)
Modern Shakespeare Award: Sisqo, the one-hit-wonder behind the “Thong Song” that we referenced in this post about a crayon-holding truck we got at Goodwill in Georgia. Since so many of you seemed to have enjoyed getting that song stuck in your head then, we couldn’t resist doing it again.
Oldest: This sideboard we scored off of Craigslist for $150, which officially puts us on the “every room should have something old” train. Which is much less creepy than the “every room should have some mold” train (thankfully, it’s mold free).
Most Challenging: The Pinterest Challenge results, of course! It was back for it’s fourth installment and this time Sherry tried her hand at some DIY abstract art and you guys linked up with over 600 projects of your own.
Least Challenging: These simple wood frames I whipped up – in an attempt to accomplish it in the simplest, most basic steps possible – to house Sherry’s new Pinterest Challenge artwork.
The Math Geek Award: This goes to the arithmetic art that we spotted on our window shopping adventure at the Pottery Barn Outlet (and Mary Jo’s fabric store). It wasn’t the only cool thing we spotted… just the geekiest.
The Zoology Award: This is for some of you smarties, who were very sweet to point out that the creatures I rescued from my deck holes were toads not frogs (well, I guess all toads are technically frogs, but my apologies to the toads that I’ve offended by addressing them too generally).
Most Welcoming: Julie’s house, which we also crashed on our trip to Atlanta. It seems we weren’t the only ones drooling over her entryway.
Grossest: Me, after my return from the sweltering attic-tastic task of centering the light fixture in our bathroom. I’ve never felt so disgusting and exhausted in my life.
Most Improved-ish: Our bathroom. We called our mini-makeover officially complete after a bunch of small and inexpensive improvements were finally done, bringing our grand total for the upgrade to a whopping $230 (including a new toilet, new lighting, and new accent tile). That should definitely tide us over ’til we get the appetite for a bigger overhaul…
Sneakiest: Us, for slipping away for a week at the beach earlier this month. Gotta love blogging from your iPhone, right?
Biggest Heart: This should be a tie between Sherry’s Aunt Kay Kay and all of you who left comforting comments when she posted about her passing away.
Most Angelic: Clara, at least in this photo where she seems to be bathed in light as Sherry snapped photos of our craigslist sideboard all dressed up.
Most Decisive: Us, since it took almost no time to look at the two gray test swatches in our bedroom to pick one. Sorry Moonshine, but you were too light to win this one.
Most High Tech: Our fancy-schmancy set up for making a time-lapse video of repainting our bedroom a deeper grey color (Benjamin Moore’s Rockport Gray). Laptop teetering atop a stack of furniture? Best Cinematography Oscar here we come…
Thriftiest: Sherry, after our tour of thrift stores and other shops while on vacation in Bethany Beach, Delaware.
Messiest: Me and my little sister after having run the Color Me Rad 5K here in Richmond. While our bodies were getting coated with colored cornstarch, Sherry used it to make a canvas.
Most Unusual: This egg chair-ish swiveling papasan chair we found at our local Salvation Army for $30 that was much cheaper than versions at the store… and much in need of some TLC.
Most Secret-tive: Our post about design foreshadowing in our house, which many pegged as the “law of attraction” made popular in the book The Secret (while others just said it was subliminal decorating or a you-like-what-you-like thing). So interesting to read everyone’s theories!
Best Moves: My “hooray, I can actually kind of stand here” jig that I performed on the recently joist-filled deck. It was starting to feel like real progress (hence the jig).
Most Animal Friendly: The thrift store egg chair that Sherry painted white, apparently. It seems to have attracted a rhino, pig, chihuahua, rabbit and even a dog wearing sunglasses.
Most Tedious: All of the little preparations I had to do to the deck – like adding blocking for posts – before I could finally start laying deck boards.
Most Likely To Make You Crave Waffles: A post earlier this week about our take on what (and what not) to register for when getting married. We skipped the waffle maker, but after lots of chatter about them in the comments our stomachs were suddenly aching for some.
Most Stylish: Whomever wins this coming Monday’s giveaway. We’re not saying exactly what, but let’s just say this is a hint below…
So what about you? What was the story of your July? Some summer highs? Lows? Toads?
I love the light above Jae’s sink. Is there any chance you know where it is from? Or have you ever run across something similar? If I’m not mistaken… your bathroom light may be a blue version of it? I would LOVE the help!
Thank you!
I think she might have mentioned that in the comments for that post. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Great month! Oh! And I WANT those chairs in the giveaway! I NEED them!!
Highs of 107 degrees. And great tomatoes.
Lows of 107 degrees. And a dead lawn.
OMG. Need. those. chairs.
Great post! We are also slightly panicked to see an 8 on the calendar instead of a 7 as we are in the middle of our very own DIY (except electrical) kitchen renovation! Inspired by your amazing site, I’ve even been (attempting) blogging about it at http://bakerhousetohome.blogspot.com/. Keep the great ideas and inspiration coming! You guys are the best!
I always love your superlative posts and those last chairs are TDF! Love that fun yellow one!!!
My hubby and I are headed to Hawaii in a few weeks and we want to take some video while snorkeling. What kind of camera did you use on the water slide? Thanks!
It was a flip cam with a waterproof case that Katie got on amazon.com I think!
xo,
s
We posted our monthly round-up a couple days ago:
http://www.chrislovesjulia.com/2012/07/rounding-up-july.html
We got some big things done–like cleaning out our garage, and sprucing up our exterior fixtures. But my favorite July project was definitely letting Greta create some art. It turned out so great!
http://www.chrislovesjulia.com/2012/07/abstract-toddler-art.html
Love it!! She’s such a cutie.
xo,
s
First a Jonathan Adler giveaway, now an Eames giveaway?! Best. Blog. Ever!
OH! You guys have the best giveaways! I love eames or eames style chairs!! You reminded me of the green pans and now I totally want to get one… especially since I destroyed my husband’s every day pan. He does most of the cooking and there is a good reason for it as I am a disaster at it. :) Yay for households where the husband cooks!
Unrelated, but LOVED Sherry’s tips on yellow in the Washignton Post today!!
Aw thanks!!
xo,
s
Hey – I saw that too! In the Local Living section. Way to go Sherry :)
Thanks! You guys are sweet!
xo,
s
We’ve had ups and downs since my boyfriend and I started looking for our first home in Dallas, Texas this March. This month (also my birthday month!) we finally found the right one and are just days away from closing. Reading your blog always gets me on fire for all the cool projects I want to do for our future home! Thanks for all your great tips and experienced advice!!!
The difference between frogs and toads…Remember the Frog and Toad books? They are very funny for adults, and wonderful stories for children about friendship.
Never heard of them! Will have to look them up!
xo,
s
Definitely ack! I was just taking a gander at the old desk calendar yesterday and decided I needed to get the ball rolling on Christmas lists/presents – Brandon and Erika, my sister, just rolled their eyes at me. :-)
SHUT UP. Eames chairs?!!! Quick, don’t tell anybody else about the giveaway so I can win!
Omg the video of Sherry falling over is priceless!!! Very cute, 2 against 1 for sure! I’ve been following you guys for quite some time now and I am so happy for your success and impressed with all you guys do! You are an inspiration to those who have older houses that need major updates… for instance, we just bought one!! Penny floor in the kitchen, here we come!!! :)
Aw thanks Susan! Good luck with everything!
xo,
s
I think you mean “fazed,” John, instead of “phased.” :) Sorry! Can’t help myself with the spelling! :)
Thanks Tina! That’s totally what we mean!
xo,
s
Toads/Frogs! Our neighborhood surrounds a boggy, swampy patch of land and every year in the spring we have the running of the toads/frogs. You can see them hopping across the road, our driveways, and sidewalks. It is especially evident at night when they are lit up by the headlights of your car right before you run them over. There are so many sometimes you just can’t miss them all. I have a small moment of silence for each one that meets its end. Poor little toad/frogs.
I am so loving Clara in the egg chair. She is such a cutie!! And omg those chairs! (jaw dropping). Can I just tell you how mich I enjoy reading your blog and how you give me so many ideas and inspiration to want to do something. By the way, I attempted to spray paint some cans and the paint job is eh … :(
Aw, I promise you’ll get better with practice Cynthia! Thanks for the kind words!
xo,
s
WHAT?! You’re giving away an Eames molded plastic chair on Monday?!?!? That is SO so amazing, my mouth literally dropped open. Love, love, LOVE the blog, keep it up kids.
I’m sure you have answered this in a post somewhere but you guys always do great videos (I loved the ones of Clara’s first and second year). What program(s) do you use to put them together? Thanks!
We use iMovie to edit them (comes free on a Mac). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Hey Guys! I just noticed John’s shirt in the attic photo is Phi Sigma Pi. If that’s for the honors fraternity, go flying squirrels! I was a flying squirrel at UNC Chapel Hill myself.
Ps – Looking forward to Monday’s giveaway!
Wahoo! Phi Sigma Pi! I think the Flying Squirrel thing might only have been a UNC thing, never heard about that at UVa.
-John
The sideboard is such a good find!!
By the way, it’s fazed, not phased (in the blurb re: Goodwill).
Oh yeah! Thanks Karmina!
xo,
s
I feel like I didn’t get much accomplished at all in July now! I unexpectedly got an awesome job (I had given up on summer jobs since my last two hours were cut drastically so we were planning on just staying on a super tight budget) so I’ve been working. I love it though so I’m not complaining, AND the extra income is going towards FINALLY finishing our floors (we’ve had concrete floors for at least two years in two of the bedrooms because we ran out of funds/time). Oh, wait! I did do something. I totally grew a bell pepper in our garden!
Wahoooo! That’s awesome. Totally can’t do that. Haha.
xo,
s
Oo – I’m excited for next week! Those chairs are adorable!
Also, I’m going to go pin some more pictures of Julie’s house – I forgot how much I liked it!
Squeaked in a little Olympics themed block party this past weekend!
http://thisnestisbest.com/2012/07/31/olympic-snack-table/
So cute!
xo,
s
I just found your blog and love it already! This was a great post to help me catch up :)
shuuuuuuuut the front door. i NEED those chairs!! i can’t wait for monday!
All right! I’ve always wanted a mustard color building. What? It’s not the building? Aww…
Hahahaha… you never know! My goal has always been to give away a house. Wouldn’t that be the best?
xo,
s
Love the chairs previewed in the Monday giveaway hint but hot damn, did you notice that detail in the uber cool glass door/window panel behind them! Can you give that away please?!
Haha- that’s cool too!
xo,
s
A record low of .3 inches of rain, and highs that beat the record temp almost every day. So ready for fall weather and days that don’t evaporate the moisture right out of your body before you even get to sweat (I swear it’s true!) I keep pretending that I’m in the pool during the Olympics– our local one feels too warm this year!
Sure thing…”House me”. LOL
Haha, I know, right?
xo,
s
It’s amazing how much you accomplish in a month, and a month that included some vaca too! I’m hoping that by keeping up a blog (along with my artistic momma) I can be half as productive as you guys!
BTW, do you have any plans for the sideboard down the road or are you digging the patina?
Lindsey
We love the color! In real life it’s so chippy and charming!
xo,
s
You guys had such a great July. Tons of things completed, now the only thing to complete is the deck! Any new updates for that?? We had a really month as well, check out our wrap up and projects ! (how2home.wordpress.com/2012/08/02/how-to-july-recap/) Hope you like our projects as much as we did! Happy August :)
Our goal is to have the deck completely done by Labor Day! Here’s hoping!
xo,
s
read the wash post– home section and when I saw the deck decor redo and I thought
sherry and John need to see this and a couple of pages later…
you are mentioned in the YELLOW article ( but no mention of your highly controversial seseme yellow kitchen…which I love !)
congrats for being color experts and way ahead of the color curve with yellow and gray!
That’s so funny! It was lots of fun to chat with them!
xo,
s
Oh man! I missed the post about moving the light first time ’round. i feel for you John, seriously! It’s those little jobs which require blood sweat and tears for something than no one else will even notice except for you that totally kill me. Everyone will walk into that bathroom and think that light was always there. Doesn’t it make you want to put up a sign detailing the effort that went into it all. We spent weeks last summer building a stone path out the front of our house. WEEKS. We quarried the stone from out the back of the house (this is VT where there is no end of stone if you are happy to dig it out), dug the path, laid the stone on weed cloth, packed down the stone, even built steps with massive stones and put gravel on top. Me, my husband and my teenage sons worked so hard in the heat on it. Last week my realtor came around and I asked if she liked the path. She said, “wasn’t that always there?”!!! And while I am glad that it looks authentic, sometimes it’s nice to get the praise you feel you deserve. I feel a lot of DIY decorating is like that though….
Haha, that’s hilarious. And yes, sometimes people will never know the torture we endure for the love of our house!
-John
Wouldn’t it be nice if we could actually paint that fast without the time lapse!? ;) My hubby and I just painted our master bedroom and are currently in the process of painting our large living area/dining room/foyer…all in BM colors. We’re practically twins, you guys. Also, can’t wait to see your new deck!! Good luck!
Where did you get Clara’s shirt with the dog. My daughter would love it!
Absolutely love the deck cannot wait to see it done.
That was from the J Crew Outlet in Delaware when we were there for the beach. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Mini Superlatives
Most Crushed- all of the boxes after unpacking from our cross-country move.
Christmas in July- our new landlord (we moved into a duplex) telling us he wasn’t fully done with the place, which meant we have been allowed to customize things a bit. He totally is a Santa Landlord and we are his happy Elves working together!
Highest- the “new” loft bed we found on KSL which fits beautifully next to the crib.
Most Geographically Aware- my ex-Airborne hub who remarked, “I recognize this land…it looks different from a thousand or so feet up, but I know it,” as we drove to get the loft bed. (not far from where he used to train and jump many years ago… before we met)
Most Timely- finding a corner desk on KSL, texting the owner, and bringing it home all within 60 minutes.
Least Expected- being offered a free dresser when we purchased the above-mentioned desk.
Comfiest- the new bed we bought for our new place.
Nay-Sayers Be Slayed- all of our relatives who doubted our knowing that our wee one is a she one until the confirming ultrasound.
Most Comforting- having an extra ultrasound (requested by the ob for peace of mind?) and hearing how healthy our wee-she one is…and seeing her long legs like her mama!
Hah- I love this!
xo,
s
This July was very busy! Too many projects (like a fun, simple bathroom upgrade) and not rest. Time to head to the Belle Isle and relax in August!
I’m just now seeing the time lapse of the bedroom – I never thought of using pieces of painters tape instead of one long continuous strand…duh! Great tip!
Note to self…..don’t forget to enter the YHL giveaway on Monday:)
My toddler finally started toddling, so July was a fantastic and fun month for us!
Aw, so sweet! Congrats!
xo,
s
I have been thinking of buying old furniture off of Craigslist too. We went to look a furniture store and everything looked really cheaply made and I have been seeing lots of good deals on antique or vintage pieces.
Your piece looks really good after you put it in the room and decorated!
You guys must be super fun bc it’s coming through my computer screen. Keep up the good work.
Thanks Lindsay, you’re sweet!
xo,
s
Wow! Pull up a block of ice and take a load off!
How about if you put a double-wide hammock on the new deck and don’t answer the phone for a week?
I’d say don’t bother with the blog either, but we’re addicted – gotta have our Young House Love fix :)
Thank you for another month filled with tons of projects!
Haha, thanks Koliti!
xo,
s
I love the math geek art. In fact, I may need the giant flashcards. Also excited to see those Eames chairs. I’m hoping Canadians qualify for that giveaway!
Hey, Julie’s house seems to be wonderful. Isn’t it? Anyways, thanks for sharing this nice information.
Wow you guys are busy bees! Love your bedroom transformation, we just painted our guest room in tones of gray as well! So much better, our guest room that is!
An eames – chair give away on Monday ?!?! Please let it be an international one !! Pretty please with a cherry on top !