What Ana Does

Long title, but now that we've gotten through a bunch of professionally-supported renovation projects, I've learned a thing or two about how to keep projects moving.  Always be there on Day 1 morning. Work from home. Take the day off. You'll need to be there to talk through the final plans, and figure out if you have all the supplies you agreed you'd gather.  Before anyone arrives, I clear out the space (that's obvious, but a big courtesy). And clear out the path to the door. And close all the doors. There will be dust. It will settle on every surface of the house. But keeping doors closed does help. I'll also write on the walls with pencil. "Tile here" "Demo out" "Outlet Here" "Keep this" -- communication is key.  Display all the plans or drawings . Some construction guys come in from other jobs and I'm sure they all get mushed together eventually. I also tape up to an adjoining wall the plan so I can point to thing...

One of my best ideas for the Girls' Bathroom Reno was to demo out the pooky closet and add a "towel nook."  The more I thought about this bathroom, the more I wanted to focus on getting everything I could out of every corner of this small space. The closet, hidden behind the door, was one of the spaces I wanted to exploit. Not the first closet I've demo'ed out of this house (you know I hate when door clash), I was happy to do away with this one.  Once I found this photo on Pinterest and knew that's exactly what I wanted to recreate the space to be.  Here's the stupid closet before. Yes, I painted it some ugly colors, but I thought it would be temporary. Also, yes, we considered enlarging the shower but the cost of moving plumbing didn't justify the job, so we kept everything the same. No regrets.  Also worth mentioning the attic access is in the ceiling of this little closet and it's nearly impossible to shimmy in and out. Even for me. So I had so...

The Girls' Bathroom Reno Project turned out better than we could have hoped!  Here's a quick summary of how it went:  It took about 12 days, 2 days over the estimated.  We only ran out of the subway tile, so I had to place a rush order on those. (I hadn't calculated in tile around the window, but once Andre suggested it, I wanted it.)  I originally was looking at glass doors for the shower, but both daughter vetoed, as they are both in the bathroom at the same time and glass doors would provide ZERO privacy. So we went with a budget-friendly shower curtain, which adds pretty texture as well as privacy. Win win!  The vanity light was a miss -- we should have put that junction box higher so we flipped the lights and they look weird. I have a new light coming.  The color pink we choose ("Rachel Pink" from SW) came out perfect. Not too Pepto Bismol and not too nursery pink. I love it. I think even Dave likes it, but he'll never admit it.  I was away in Spa...

 Here we go again!  Our girls' bathroom has long been the last room on the checklist that sorely needs a renovation.  The current pictures tell it all; the vanity is outdated and faucets are leaking, the shower has plastic tile and a dangerous angle in the tub that I've nearly slipped on. The shower head also doesn't turn off all the way and leaks often.  It's dated and dumpy.  And here's a breakdown of our goals for the renovation: updated tile that's bright and pretty. A new vanity with lots of storage and two sinks for our two daughters. A larger mirror for maximum users.  A walk-in shower is going to be key. Not only for the older guests but it will just look better. We have a new tub in our bathroom, in case you're thinking "what about resale?!" Which I don't normally consider. Everything is pretty much staying where it is, no major plumbing or electrical is going to be involved, just getting refreshed and working properly. This Fall!  ...

 For our summer vacation this year, we used another concert to book the location. The Avett Brothers, our favorites, play Red Rocks Amphitheater each year and that's always been a goal destination. It's a big-deal venue and artists generally create some special shows for the occasion. Also, I've seen two shows at Red Rocks and Dave & the kids have never been, so it became a must do.  The tickets were purchased first, in the early winter, so the rest was up to me to book. And Aspen became a dream destination, as did seeing my sister and her girlfriend in Vail. Here's how it shook out.  Denver The first part of the trip was obviously all about the concerts. We stayed at the Spring Hill Suites in Lakewood , right near in the Colorado Mills shopping center. This was a dream location, because it was 10 minutes from Red Rocks, and near restaurants, shops and a movie theater (yes, we saw Superman and YES it was awesome).  We spent a day in Denver and eh, let's say you ...

I think I finally got it right! After using this table at a local restaurant, I just knew it was the perfect solution for our kitchen. It has the classic butcher block top, super smooth, and black legs that matched my chairs. It's longer, but less-wide than our last table and it is heavier, so it stays exactly in place. And did I mention the top is smooth?  (Or old one was uneven.) Notice the two coordinating butcher block tops. Ideal!  And the black trestle base. Modern meets traditional. Perfect for my kitchen.  As with most butcher block, I'm assuming the top will mellow with age, being less vibrant like the counters. I also love the idea that, in the distant future, I could sand and refinish that top -- making it last a long time. Lastly, the spot at the end of the table is ideal for plants and other projects I'm working on and don't want to pack away. I can imagine moving my puzzle board here next winter, so I can puzzle while cooking and watching movies in the fam...

Leah's room was the only one in the house I haven't painted since moving in. She liked the light grey color and didn't want me to bother with it. I hated the pale color and flat finish, plus all the pock marks from moving furniture, but I let it go.  Now that she's away at college, I have (nearly) free-rein on her room, and I have IDEAS!  First up, YES, paint!  I picked Smoky Azurite from SW . It's dark blue but with lots of grey undertones and gives the room a cozy yet active vibes. I immediately loved it. And it coordinates with the quilt and the grey in the curtains. Excellent.  The flat finish of the old paint soaked up the new paint so well that I had to do a second coat in most places -- even though I used the Emerald line of paint from SW, which usually only needs one coat. But that's how it goes with flat; it's an excellent primer.  Here's the desk wall in the old grey. If you could see all the holes and dirt, you'd understand why I was so ex...

Let me tell you how much I dislike our kitchen table and for how many years I've been trying to make peace with it.  It all started in 2019 when it was time to replace our round Crate & Barrel table that we loved but was now falling to pieces ( post here with photos ). In that year, I ordered four kitchen tables, two from Pottery Barn that I returned ( here's another post about saga ). Then ordered a cheap Target table when the one I really wanted was back-ordered ( details here ). Then the one I wanted arrived and it wasn't the farmhouse table of my dreams but a rustic table with an uneven top. So I settled.  You can't even imagine the teasing from my family about ordering that many kitchen tables. It was relentless. So I gave up.  We moved into our new house and that "kitchen table I settled for" moved along with us. (Incidentally, the Target one did too and lives in our basement, getting used for Thanksgiving.)  Summer 2021 - Right After We Moved In Las...

Of all the social media, I think Pinterest is the most powerful. If you have a home or a garden or a dream or any hobbies, Pinterest is your friend. But are you doing it wrong?  First, visit and "pin" often so the algorithm learns you and shows you stuff you want.  Doing searches and pinning anything that strikes your fancy is a great way to get better content.  Create "catch all" folders. Use these folders for large categories to catch anything that makes your heart sing, gets your attention, looks great, makes you happy, etc. I have a "Home Decor" folder where I drop interiors that are inspiring and pretty. I have one that's about "Books" and a "Eat Me" food folder. Travel, too. These folders are meant to collect those joy-inducing pins.  Then create a specific project folder. When a project or need pops up in my life, I'll create a specific folder such as "Main Bathroom." I'll start in my already-collected ...