I love the whole process of remodeling. In my years as an Interior Designer working with contractors, I have learned some tips for remodeling that I use all of the time now. I find these tips work so well that even when running a remodeling project on my own home, I make sure to use them to ensure it is a success. # 1. Have a budget, then add 10-20% for contingencies. This is two ... READ the POST
Road Rules
Sometimes it amazes me how insightful kids can be. The boys and neighbor were playing outside. When I went outside to check on them, I stumbled upon the Road Rules. # 1. It’s not about who is the fastest, it’s about having fun! How many times do we try to one up our neighbors, friends or siblings…only to miss out on having fun during the journey? I’m not ... READ the POST
Mudroom Storage
We had a serious storage issue in our Texas house...seriously lacking! Because of our lack of storage we had to get creative with our laundry room / mudroom storage! The first thing we did was stack the washer and dryer. This saved us a HUGE amount of floor space. By doing this, we were able to install a mudroom bench. This house did not have a coat closet or ... READ the POST
Backyard progress
We might not be far on the house, but the pool is coming along. Instead of showering, maybe we will just jump in the pool! Most people who are installing a pool locally have been putting in organic shapes with a deep finish so it looks like a “pond” in their backyard. Because we want this house to be all about the view, the pool plays into that. The house is a long ranch style house. So to ... READ the POST
Making better use of space: Dividing a bonus room
When we bought our house in Texas over five years ago, I knew that the upstairs had some potential. As it was, it was one big, long room, with sloped ceilings and two dormer windows on the front side of the house. I wanted to divide the bonus room into a bedroom with closet, and a TV room with built in cabinetry on the other side. Because we already had enough bedrooms downstairs for everyone, ... READ the POST
Evicting a tenant…
I didn’t want to do this, but we had to evict a tenant last night. This Bark Scorpion was close to 2” when all stretched out. This is what we found in the boys' bathroom sink last night. It was huge! Obviously, he was well fed! I’m would really like to know where he came from. If he was living here all along, or hitched a ride on ... READ the POST
CeCe Caldwell chalk paint review: baby girl’s room
Can I tell you the relief of hearing we were having a girl after having three boys? I was sure my destiny was to be the mom of boys. I grew up with two little brothers, and figured boys was what I knew. After losing our third son Stephen at 21 weeks, I couldn’t bring myself to work on baby girl’s room, let alone buy much of anything, until she was here with us. So, the week before I ... READ the POST
Baby girl’s room
After decorating two boys’ rooms, it was so much fun to go girly! I had to reign myself in and not try to incorporate too much into the space…there were so many cute things I wanted to include! Prints on antique book paper. Resin frames painted for a pop of color. My mom made all the bedding and drapes (in fact she has made the bedding for all of the kids ... READ the POST