Every semi-decent domestic knows the power of a coat of paint to transform a space or a piece of furniture. With a coat or two, that interior ingenue can make the abysmal become attractive, and make the ominous into optimistic. But the real differentiator between genuine DIY-er/decorator and a half-hearted, fair-weather face-lifter is the step that comes after the painting; it's the hardware, friends. The initiated knows that the transformative powers of hardware rival that ...

Today's Meditation is piggybacking off of last week's, in which we discussed period blood. (If you missed it, you're likely finding yourself quite confused at that last sentence. Please feel free to peruse the post here.) At the root of that Meditation, even more so than hating the unfamiliar, is shame. There are times when shame is called for, times when it may be appropriate to feel shame over acts of injustice or immorality. But ...

Happy belated beginning of March! Despite the premature excitement that was, quite literally, snowed on, yesterday Seattle actually had the suggestions of springtime. Regardless of temperature, the days are at least beginning to get longer, the jackets thinner, and the sound of birds can once again faintly be heard. You can just sense the freshness that's about to fill the air (please don't let this jinx it all). Taking us out this week is the ...

If we could build the perfect room from scratch, what would it look like? What features would it contain? Let’s have ourselves a little daydream…   We are very, very grateful for our electricity, aren't we? We certainly do not take it for granted that we can plug in a hot tool and--presto!--have curls, or that we can turn on our espresso machine with one magic button every morning. What blessed lives we lead! Only, ...

Short month; quick favorites. Let's do this. 1. Madesmart Expandable tiered shelf I can't begin to recall which tiered shelves I've favorited in the past, but if this one has been included previously it's okay--it deserves double the mention. This tiered shelf is sort of the nice-guy-finishes-last of the tiered shelf world. Compared to the stainless steel, the bamboo, or the clear acrylic versions, this one looks a little bit dorky. But beyond its unassuming looks, ...