I think as I’ve entered the blog world, I have felt this internal pressure to want to post the amazing things.  The room make-over reveals, the furniture makeovers, amazing costumes or original design.  And while those things are fun and amazing and get the wow effect, I never want to belittle the small things that come together and make the …

As the story goes, a boy worked hard all summer, doing jobs around the yard for his dad. He saved his hard earned money for those three sun-adorned months, and at the start of fall was rewarded by a trip to the store, where he would spend the fruit of his labor. The boy picked out some Star Wars Legos, …

If you’re one who follows other blogs out there, you know I am way behind on getting my fall décor post up.  The funny thing is, I keep reading, ‘it’s not really fall yet, but…’, and here in Alaska, we’re in full blown fall, and mostly likely by the end of the week, the trees will be mostly bare, the ground gold, …

I’ve gotten some questions from friends and readers about reupholstery.  Usually, if one person is asking, there are more in the crowd who have the same question, but for many reasons won’t voice it (I’m usually the latter person).  So I wanted to take a moment to answer some questions if you’re thinking about digging into a very fun way …

I am always on the lookout for French style furniture to makeover.  In particular French chairs or settees.  I have also come to discover, I enjoy reupholstering even more than painting.  I’ve been looking for a pair of French chairs for over two years, but, I’m telling you, in Alaska they are very hard to come by (for $100 a pair or …

When I married my husband eleven years ago, I moved into the house he had been living in for the two years prior.  It was his grandmother’s guest house, and it is our joke, that she furnished and decorated it with all the leftover stuff she no longer liked.  It was like a living museum of the 70s.  A brown furry …

(This is the story of the first chair I painted and reupholstered two years ago.  Because, well, we all have to start somewhere, and why not share with you the beginnings of the process?) Once upon a time there was a chair. It was used, abused, and forsaken. Renters had little respect for anything in the house, including this little …

I have long admired Pottery Barn’s throw pillows, you know, the ones with embroidery, that cost $60 for the cover alone.  Then one must purchase the inset in addition to shipping to Alaska.  By the time it’s said and done, a sweet little throw pillow would end up costing me $120 or more.  I don’t think so…  Especially when I live in …

When my first baby was born almost nine years ago, my husband and I had nearly no money.  I wasn’t craigslist or garage sale savvy at the time, and so we bought a little sleigh style dresser at WalMart.  It lasted until the boys were old enough to start using it, and then of course, it just fell apart.  Then …

I’m always on the look out for a great mirror.  The heavy old ones, wrapped in pure wood.  I’ve found they’re pretty hard to come by, and if you do, they’re around $100.  And it’s not that I couldn’t scrape up $100, it just doesn’t seem worth it to me for a mirror. So I stopped by my favorite thrift …