home + garden

DIY Project We Did Not Do Ourselves

We’re having the roof on our house replaced this week.  You might be wondering why we’ve hired a contractor – even our daughter asked why we weren’t replacing the roof ourselves – since we generally do all of our home improvement projects ourselves because it saves lots of money.  The truth is, we replaced the… Continue reading DIY Project We Did Not Do Ourselves

home + garden

Totally Tubular Aluminum Chair

Here’s a question from a reader, Robin, who was forced to buy a chair while she was out shopping with her very resourceful friend – me!  Robin's house is mid-century modern and she has fabulous taste.  This modern rocking chair, which does need fixing will look great in her house.  Robin writes: “I bought an… Continue reading Totally Tubular Aluminum Chair

budgeting · home + garden

How to Keep a House Project Sustainable

When we set out to re-do our bathroom, our dual goals were to keep our house project sustainable for both our wallets and the environment.  We wanted to keep the cost down and be as easy on the environment as we could. It worked and the end result was better than we expected. We had… Continue reading How to Keep a House Project Sustainable

home + garden

Bathroom Progress Part 5

The best part about the bathroom project, aside from the toilet working, bathtub working, and the sink working, is the pretty shower curtain and Roman shade.  The colors are bright, cheerful, and definitely say, “Good morning, Sunshine!” when you walk through the doorway! The Roman shade is on its second weight bar (that’s the wood… Continue reading Bathroom Progress Part 5

home + garden

Bathroom Progress Part 4

In a marriage, spouses each take on different roles and responsibilities.  In our marriage, I somehow have the role of plumber and in particular, the one who installs toilets.  I’m not entirely sure how this happened but over nearly 22 years of marriage, 2 old houses and 4 bathroom renovations later, I’ve gotten plenty of… Continue reading Bathroom Progress Part 4