What Ana Does

We've owned our Crate and Barrel kitchen table since the year Leah was born ... that's 13 years. It's a white pedestal table and we've moved it from New Jersey to Illinois and Illinois to France and back. We've had infants learn to eat at this table, big family dinners, I've created all kinds of crafts, colored a million pictures. And scrubbed it a million times. I even successfully removed hot pink nail polish from it. It's been all things to us and it will always have a special place in our hearts. But ... the time has come to replace it. It's stained and chipped and doesn't ever look clean anymore. It wobbles when the leaf is in. Wayfair Valerie table has long been a favorite. It's got this rustic, slightly modern with a little traditional in the legs. And the driftwood color is a gorgeous neutral. But I really like this Pier 1 table, as well . I like the idea of legs under the table, so it's easier to push in chairs and no

Here are a few of my favorite things this December! Bruce and His Bullymake Toy Bullymake - Bruce the puppy has been eating EVERYTHING in the house. We can't leave him for even a few minutes. He digs through garbage and jumps onto his hind legs and noses around on tables and the counters. He'll eat paper, cardboard, plastic bags, dish towels, it's NONSTOP. I went into the pet store to find more toys that will withstand his chewing, and keep him interested. The store guy suggested antlers (done) and this service called Bullymake . It's a subscription service that sends a box of indestructible toys and treats once a month. We even found a coupon code that gave us one month for free and a deal for the next three boxes. But they're generally the same price as a deer antler, so it seems worth it. SleepNumber Beds - After 10+ years we finally decided to ditch our old mattress. The mattress was bought on discount at an outlet and strapped to the top of our Subu

The fireplace area has always been a struggle for me in decorating this house. It's in our two-story family room and flanked by two sets of windows. First, some history: you might remember when I resurfaced the fireplace to cover the ugly bathroom tile they originally used. It wasn't a bad DIY, if you're looking for a project. And we thought about moving the TV over the fireplace , and I had it wired with an electrical outlet. But there's a snafu with the cable, so we'll be leaving it where it is, for now. ( Here's that post. ) I'm most stuck with how to deal with the space above the mantel. I've been in neighbor's homes and peeked at what they did and I've not found a solution that I liked. I've seen wood paneling and decorative molding that continues up the column of the fireplace. I've even seen some faux brick ideas. Nothing has caught my attention. So I've been putting art, or a large mirror but they look so unsubstantial

I've been waking up early for work and to get the puppy out before his bladder explodes. And you can't beat the view some mornings of a new sky and frost that won't last too much longer. Please excuse the dog urinating in the middle there. ;)