October is officially here, but before we dive into another month of projects, it always helps us keep the ol’ momentum up to take an appreciative look back on all of our happenings from last month – everything from making over Granny’s bathroom and building a train board to making some tables into ottomans and celebrating our 5th blogging anniversary. And since we love to throw in something never-before-seen, we’re actually revealing the first stop on our book tour below. So here’s everything in our usual weird yearbook-superlative-style that 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 20 posts instead of 700). Hootie hoo for September in review.
Most Surprising: Considering how much we loved the blue metal stools in our kitchen, it was surprising (even to us) when these craigslist finds wormed their way into our lives. Thankfully we’ve got a plan for the blue stools (involving our sunroom) since these swiveling guys are our new favorite things.
Biggest / Most Gradual Transformation: Our bedroom, which has come a long way since we first moved in. But it took a while to get there, which is why we documented its evolution in this picture-filled post for ya. The lesson? Don’t despair if things aren’t done the first week, month, or even year that you move in.
Biggest Missed Opportunity to Make A Quad City DJs Reference: This post about building a train board for Clara (that the music-fueled Sherry somehow failed to entitle “C’mon Ride The Train”). It’s like I don’t even know her anymore…
Video Killed The Comment Section: Despite some requests for a post about how we make our videos, this lengthy post might have had ten comments in the first hour. Perhaps I overestimated how geeky our readers were. What? You don’t want to hear about my high school obsession with a camcorder?
Creepiest Project: It’s not even Halloween yet, but we’re already decorating with dead things. At least it was a pretty dead thing: this butterfly that Sherry (and Clara) found in our yard – which found a place on our bookshelf. Update: it’s still going strong and looks the same – although we’ve been meaning to add a glass dome over it just to protect it a little more.
Toughest Decision: Finally giving up on our craigslist dining room chairs and getting some deeply discounted new chairs to take their place. We love the new look, but it was kind of a bummer to not be able to make the other ones work. Ah well, live and learn.
Biggest Oops: Breaking our camera when it fell off of a board I was sawing. That’s the bad news. The good news is that it gave us an excuse to get a new camera which also does HD video. Speaking of which…
Oddest Couple: Me and Sherry, who shot this latest house tour video with our new camera as a two-some. I held the camera (since Sherry is Miss Shakes-A-Lot when it comes to video) and she narrated behind me. Yep, this is a fancy operation over here.
Biggest Relief: Finally being able to unveil this promo video for our book, which we shot back in March (but then had to keep our lips sealed for months). Even better, we finally got to reveal some of the secret book projects that we did back in January…
Most Burger Approved: This little ottoman upgrade in our bedroom where we repurposed some old X-based side tables to create new stools at the end of our bed (they’re our version of doggy steps so Burger can climb into bed).
Most Likely To Require Eating Lots of Tomato Soup: This project, using the special edition Warhol Campbell’s Soup cans at Target. A little cork board to soften the metal edges, some colored pencils, and voila! Update: we did successfully consume all of the soup. Woot.
Most Uplifting: Our visit to my Granny’s house in West Virginia, where we spent a work-filled weekend updating her downstairs powder room. It was a bit tiring, but we left feeling nothing but elated.
Biggest 24 Hour Improvement: Granny’s bathroom, which was already looking worlds better by the end of day #2 (thanks to some paint, a new floor, and tidying up a lot of rough spots in the room).
Breakout Star: This has to go to Granny herself, who seemed to earn herself quite a few new fans when we revealed her new bathroom to her (on video). And I can’t tell you how happy it makes me that you guys saw exactly why we love her so much.
Most Academic Shopper: Sherry, who wrote this post about how she finds deals on clothes and keeps her wardrobe in check (you guys seemed to really like the idea of giving your clothing a grade, btw). Closet GPA, for the win.
Biggest Rivalry: We did a fun little side-by-side comparison of the rooms in our first house and their counterparts in this house. And yep, we even chose winners. The final tally of wins may be closer than you’d expect…
Littlest Updates: We made four small changes around the house – like installing another dual-flusher in the guest bathroom and creating a hidden spot for our shredder (below).
Longest Graphic: The images in our posts are usually less than 400 or 500 pixels tall, but we made an extreme exception when we created a graphic timeline depicting our history from 2004 as a way to kick off our 5th blogivesary. That thing clocked in at over 4100 pixels long!
Most Ordinary: The day we shared as our usual blogiversary “day in the life” post. It might not be everybody’s normal, but it’s a pretty regular weekday around these parts.
Biggest Conspiracy Theory: People became quite curious about the “tragic event” that robbed poor Olivia the pig of one of her ears (which we mentioned in this blogiversary post about some YHL facts and figures). The story? Clara just bent it back and forth until it snapped off. Oh the humanity.
Most Scene-Stealing: Clara & Burger, who got their own little Blogiversary Q&A video this year, which had folks just as captivated (if not more so) than the video of me and Sherry answering personal questions that you guys asked.
Most Nostalgic: Going back through our archives and plucking out some favorites (and least favorites – like this image that won for “Worst Photo”).
Most Ambitious: Stating our goals for our next year of blogging – which we do every blogiversary, sometimes with limited success. This year we’re hoping to embrace the crazy, mix up our posting style, write shorter posts among those beefier long ones, and incorporate you guys more. Let’s see how we do…
Most Graphic: This blogiversary post showing the results of our little reader survey. I had some fun making the infographics, and I believe the consensus was that Beyonce makes any chart better.
Most Likely To Make Pigs Fly: The first stop of our book tour (which kicks off in less than 3 weeks!) in the city of the flying pig: Cincinnati, Ohio. We’re so pumped to reveal the full 17-city list tomorrow morning!
How did September shape up for you? Did you get any major projects completed? Try your hand at a makeover for someone else? Celebrate any special anniversaries/milestones? Or just have fun photoshopping your head onto things like a foosball table?
Julia @ Chris Loves Julia says
I’m not from Cincinatti, but man, I am loving hearing all the virtual squeals in the comments. I have a feeling tomorrow morning’s post is going to be insane with the release of the entire list.
Carly S says
I’m sure it’s wishful thinking to want you guys to come to Canada on this tour…so I’ve already told my guy that I have a list of acceptable cities that I will travel to to see you guys.
…I hope that’s not creepy…
Melissa Mitchell says
If you’re in Raleigh or Charlotte (or both) I am SO there.
Alex W. says
Ohhhhh, my fingers are crossed that you’ll be coming to Missouri (Columbia to be specific, but that’s unlikely)!
Michelle says
Anyone else do the train arm pump thingy and yell “whoo whoo” when they read the words Quad City DJs? Just me… oh well. :-)
YoungHouseLove says
Hahah, me too Michelle. Me too.
xo
s
Renee says
Hope you guys make it to Washington DC or somewhere nearby!! :)
Erika says
I love your new kitchen stools! I meant to comment on them on your reveal post…
I hope you make it up to the Northeast/New England area.
Lindsay says
please please please come to Pittsburgh!!!!
Lisa says
Have a great day in Cincy. Lots to do here (esp. for Clara – if you get a chance Blue Manatee Books is an AMAZING independent kids bookstore just outside of downtown with lots of fun kids stores/ice cream nearby, not to mention a second hand furniture store on the block).
Skyline for Cincinnati Chili, Greaters for handmade ice cream with HUGE chunks of chocolate, LaRosas pizza, Montomery Inn ribs…welcome.
Leah says
I seriously just got chills when I saw that you’re coming to Cincinnati!! So excited :)
NatalieM. says
Boston boston boston boston beantown no wammies no wammies
STOP :)
YoungHouseLove says
HAhahahahahha!
xo
s
greta says
Yay! You are coming to see me in Cincinnati! We have a great zoo and children’s museum for Clara. Group play date? Lol.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha! Sounds like fun!
xo
s
JenB says
Loved, loved the promo for the book. You guys are so stinkin’ cute! 15 US cities is not very many (to us..I’m sure it’s plenty for you guys!!). I’m hoping you’ll make it to NC! Either way, I’m so looking forward to getting my copy in the mail from Amazon. I’ve had it preordered for months:)
Nancy says
I’m sooooo excited for the book!!! My birthday’s November 6th and my partner always stumps me a couple of months before with what I want for my birthday and this year without hesitation I knew I HAD to have your book! REALLY hoping Texas is on your book tour!!! Thanks for all you share!
Y’all really know how to get my creative juices flowing…and my house thanks you for that immensely! Ha! I’m even thinking about starting a blog to keep our distant family up to date with what’s going on in our lives. Thanks again!
Jas says
I love these posts! You get so much done it’s ridiculous. I obviously had to rewatch all the videos (yes I have that much time on my hands!), and I was wondering: what do you think Clara would have answered if you’d asked what her favorite pillow/chair/ceramic animal was? haha
YoungHouseLove says
Haha! Good question for next year!
xo
s
Shellie says
Ohh man, I hope you guys are prepared for all us uber-fans FREAKING OUT when we get to meet you. I can’t imagine what it must be like knowing there are millions of people who know so much about your life that you don’t know at all! Well I’ll be one of the ones with the perma smile asking for a picture with you (to get printed life size and hang in my house as my pride and joy of course, lol). So excited!
YoungHouseLove says
No one is going to be weirder and sweatier than me. Nobody, baby!
xo
s
Mrs. Ronso says
So excited to see the full book tour list tomorrow! I can guess one other place…don’t worry, I won’t spill the beans. :)
Kim says
Aaaahhh Cincy??!! I’ll definitely be making the hour trip south from Dayton!! Yay!!!!!
Caity says
Me too!! I am geeking out about this. haha
Allison says
We are moving next week! YIKES! Thanks for the reminder that not every room needs to be “done” the day, week, month, year we move in. Congrats on a great September–soooo looking forward to book tour stops. Please let there be one in PA!
YoungHouseLove says
Good luck with that! We still remember how much work it was to pack up our first house!
xo
s
Jenna says
I was so giddy when I got to the end of this post that I actually stopped working and told everyone around me that your first stop was to Cincinnati! (p.s. I’ve lived here for 8 years and I work in an accounting firm where the only creative DIYing is deciding what color I want the cell in excel to be)…they didn’t find the same excitement as I did.
Then I looked up my calendar and realized that is the day the husband and I scheduled our all-day lamaze class, I think a book signing for lunch is a great excuse to get away…they say your instincts will kick in when the baby comes so perfect excuse to put those sayings to the test! I can’t wait.
YoungHouseLove says
Hahahah! I love it!
xo
s
Sarah says
Yay! Love the monthly recaps :)
So, now, confessions of my yhl dream last night. You guys were hosting game night at your house (which actually was my grandparents house with some yhl updates ha!) and my husband and I showed up and I totally freaked as we were approaching your door bc I forgot to bring a gift for our lovely hosts! So we ran back to our car and went to a little shop around the corner and bought a cute little package of burlap cocktail napkins!? We walked into the house and Sherry was setting up Balderdash (literally haven’t played that since like 6th grade). The Bowers were there and Katie was all lovey dovey with Jeremy. John kept giving her a hard time and was like ‘Katie, quit the PDA…we’re trying to play a game here’. This is where things get fuzzy, but I remember another part where I used your bathroom and I felt all deceived bc it wasn’t a bathroom you have featured on the blog.
Sooo weird! But, good for you- keeping a top secret bathroom under wraps! Some things gotta stay private…like probably this dream. Oh, well!
:)
YoungHouseLove says
Hahah! So funny!!
xo
s
Amanda says
Yay, so pumped for tomorrow morning! Hoping DC or Baltimore is on the list for us DMV folks!
Dan VanWinkle says
Woot! Can’t wait for your stop in Cincinnati! Perfect timing too! We are closing on our new house on October 25th, so it will be great to get the book, meet you guys, then start some of the projects on our first house!!!
kara @ launching our life together says
SO EXCITED!!! I can’t believe you’re stopping here!! This new Cinci resident is soooooo thankful for our recent move (for more reasons than this one, but it’s vying for 1st place)!!
Clara L. says
Re: the book tour. Will you guys be stopping by ‘the M I A’ as the cool kids say? that’s Miami, FL. If you did, could you guys make it after work so I (and others) can stop by? that would be awesome :)
Clara
YoungHouseLove says
We’ll be sharing all the rest of our tour details tomorrow (believe it or not, some are still being finalized tonight!). Can’t wait!
xo
s
John says
Love your shadow John as Sherry hides behind you and narrates the video house tour. Don’t forget Richmond on your tour.
Samantha says
You’re going to LOVE Ohio!! If you want/need any tips about my great state, I’d be happy to oblige. (I am super excited at the prospect of meeting you, too!!)
marcy l says
hoping that st. louis might be on the tour – or at least somewhere close by!!!!!
Jana says
I can’t wait to see the tour stops!!!! Here’s hoping you’re in my city but if not, I will surely enjoy your book and your tour posts! So excited :D :D
Jana says
Oh, and I have been wanting to ask where you got your pretty teal sheets on your bed. You might have said but I missed it.
YoungHouseLove says
They’re a HomeGoods find. Also have seen them at Marshall’s!
xo
s
Laurie says
John – I like your video explanation. Maybe there weren’t many comments because you did such a good job!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Laurie!
-John
Jill says
Pleeeeaaase come to DC! Or better yet, Alexandria! :)
Claudie says
I’m so excited that your first tour stop is in Cincinnati and, from the comments so far, it seems like I’m not the only one from around here that’s thrilled with that news!
September was good for me. I finalized reupholstering the dining chairs. I got to a point in the office makeover where it can be used again (finally!) and now just needs a few more finishing touches. So yeah, it was a good month, but I can’t believe it’s already October!
Anne says
YAY CINCINNATI!! That’s my hometown. Be sure to have some Graeter’s ice cream while you’re there. (and Skyline Chili and Montgomery Inn ribs and . . .)
YoungHouseLove says
Mmm, sounds awesome. Love all the Cincinnati tips everyone!
xo
s
Keri Foster says
EVERYBODY likes Bee-yahn-say, Seth.
YoungHouseLove says
Bwahahahahahaha!
xo
s
Donna says
OMG the book promo is wonderful!! It makes me so glad I already pre-ordered the book!! Good job guys!!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Donna!
xo
s
Suni says
We were not as productive as we should be! But we did finally after 4 1/2 years put a storm door on our front door, which makes this woman very happy!! http://bolhuis23.blogspot.com/2012/10/shut-front-door.html
October is going to be a get more done month!
YoungHouseLove says
Wahoo! Love the storm door.
xo
s
Megan says
I’m still obsessed with the train project. sigh. I wonder if it would work as a fixture in the sandbox? Hmmm. And I loved the Granny bathroom project; it must have felt so great to use your talents like that for someone you love.
Lauren says
Holy Ohio! My sister-in-law and I talk about you guys like you’re part of our family, cant wait to meet you in Cincinnati.
YoungHouseLove says
Yay! We can’t wait!
xo
s
Sayward says
woooo!!!!
Semi-related thought: How fun would it be if you guys took a copy of your book on the tour and had all your readers sign it while you were signing THEIR books? Kinda like a yearbook/memento of your readers. Memories!! Then we can write each other things like KIT.
YoungHouseLove says
OOh, that would be awesome! I love that idea!
xo
s
Kathy says
Yeah Cincinnati! You will love it, can’t wait to meet you all!
Marsha says
SOOOOOOOOOOOO excited you are coming to Cincy!!! I will totally be stopping in to see you guys :) you are my wonderful distraction from work a few times a day and we are just starting construction on our dream home so I need your book! I already know what my laundry room light will look like…LOL! Love that clothes pin light you did!
Lesley says
Hmmm… 17 cities, 6% of your readers who voted in the blogiversary poll are from Canada… that means you are going to 1.02 cities up here. I really hope you’re not going some place obscure like Fort MacKay, Alberta.
Toronto would make WAAAAY more sense. Right?
YoungHouseLove says
Hahah- you never know…
xo
s
Lesley says
Bah! I love math!!! See you in November.
Tracy says
I cannot wait to see the tour dates! I really hope Seattle is included, because it will be on like Donkey Kong! It’s so crazy because I feel like you guys are my ‘real’ friends since you’re part of my everyday life (at least part of my daily morning commute on the bus). If you’re in my hood, I’ll totally be your tour guide Barbie, or at the very least give you recommendations on where to go and eat. Thanks again for sharing your lives with all of us. We heart YHL!
YoungHouseLove says
Hahahhahah!
xo
s
Libby says
Yay! So excited for you to come to Cincinnati!!
If you have time you should try to visit the Cincinnati Zoo for the HallZOOween…its happening that day 12-5pm. The zoo is already great and there are special events for Halloween!
Cassie says
I swear I just posted like 8 links on my fiance’s facebook page to your book stuff as a “hint” to take me! We live in Chillicothe, OH so it’s 2 hours away but SO WORTH IT!!!!!
If you guys come our way, make sure to hit up Yoctangee Park, you would LOVE it. If you plan on feeding ducks though, bring A LOT of bread… we’ve been chased more than once!
Jenelle says
I do not live in Cincinnati, but I always remember how to spell it, thanks to this video I used to watch all the time as a kid. Here’s a clip, complete with a surprise ending for little Drew Barrymore. :)
YoungHouseLove says
Hahaha!
xo,
s
Sayward says
omg this was the VERY first thing I thought of too!!! I’ve been singing it for the last half hour. Seriously.
Ellen says
I’m a Cincinnati native and I don’t know how I have never seen this. Thank you!
Katie says
Shut the front door!!! you’re coming to the ‘nati (that’s what all of us cool kids call it). I’m sure your trip will be brief and a flurry of activity but there’s a lot of cool stuff here including . . .
– graeter’s ice cream (oprah featured it on her ‘favorite things’ show)
– tom & chee (awesome grilled cheese restaurant – ever try a grilled cheese on a glazed donut!?)
– city flea market (next event Oct 20 with a fab collection of unique & handmade vendors)
– blah blah blah
Totally stoked to hear about how your visit shapes up!
YoungHouseLove says
Hahahhahha, blah blah blah had me laughing out loud.
xo
s
Mrs Patty says
Oh my!!! I’m so excited you are coming to Cincinnati. I can’t wait to meet you all!!!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Mrs Patty!
xo
s
Stephanie M. says
I reeeally hope Nashville, TN is on that list! Or even Atlanta, GA I could possibly make happen. :) Fingers crossed!
Christina @ Homemade Ocean says
yayyyyyyyyyyyyy
I have been waiting for the book tour reveal….I’ll be on first thing tomorrow morning. But I am already relieved, because I feel like I could totally drive to Ohio :)