What Ana Does

 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 ...

As in the last few years, I'm always aiming for 100 books (including audiobooks) read each year. I like having a goal to strive for while doing something I enjoy (reading!). And, as my latest post details, I read most nights before bed, and listen to audiobooks during mindless tasks at work or when I'm driving, so the number is achievable with my daily routine.   My 2024 TOTAL books read is ... 104 books and audiobooks! This was the year of cowboy rancher books, more historical romance (some rereads of longtime favorites) and some fun, very-light mysteries. It's hard to pick my favorite by  Swift and Saddled by Lyla Sage book, Folk Around and Find Out by Penny Reid and The Riley Thorne Series were standouts with characters I still think about. Honorable mention to Fangirl Down by Tessa Bailey and Bride by Ally Hazelwood for being the spiciest but also the most heartstrings-pulling of the group.  Also to note: Not listed in my annual total is my Kindle Reading To...

When we last saw the back hallway (AKA boot room) it looked pretty good. Lots of hooks, new floor, fun gallery art. But the issues were many: I wanted a wood element to warm up the space. The new shelf was the wrong color ... but really it was the walls that were the wrong. They were just "off" the blue cabinet color.  So, obviously something had to be done. And with Leah off to college, I needed a 1-weekend doable DIY project that I could focus on.  Off to Lowes for $200 worth of shiplap and new pine boards for the hook rails.  Demo started! All the rails came down easily. The wall to the right of the garage door (on the left side of this photo) needed to go white, so I primed that a few times to cover over the erroneous blue.  Shiplap install time! Went up pretty quickly once I started chopping. I wish those half pieces/cuts were on the bottom of the wall, instead of the top, but I'll know better for next time!  I put three coats of the ("SW: Denim") blue pain...