House & Bounty December 4, 2021

18 Gift Ideas For Men

December 4, 2021

It’s that time of year when we need to figure out what to get all those guys in our life. My dad and husband are some of the hardest people to buy gifts for because they never say what they want. After some digging (and questioning!), my husband spilled the beans and told me about his favorite products. Hopefully, these ideas will help you find the perfect present!

Gift Ideas for the Handy Man

These gifts are great for handy guys who like to do things themselves. Each of these items will make projects easier and more convenient. Whether your guy likes to work on his home, car, or bike, this list has something for everyone.

Klein Tools Laser Level: This level can do it all! It is self-leveling, can produce horizontal and vertical laser lines and gives a pinpoint overhead location. It’s super durable and comes with a nice plastic carrying case to keep all the parts organized. It has mounting brackets, so you can use it with a tripod. This is the perfect present for people who like to work on their houses!
60-in Combo Square: This cute little multi tool will make measuring small spaces a piece of cake. You can also use it to make sure small things are level. It’s my husband’s go to measuring device for almost everything he does.
Wet/Dry Shop Vac: Every household needs a shop vac to tackle messes that are too big for all your standard cleaning equipment. The versatility of the shop vac makes it an all-star and it never loses it’s suction power. It can be used on basically anything. I’ve used it to clean the garage, basement, sawdust, water, and nearly everything else! Oh yeah, buy the biggest size! I don’t think you’ll ever regret it!
Kobalt Air Inflator: This is the most convenient device to inflate things from sport balls to car tires. It’s especially helpful for bike tires. It has a nice display, so you can easily monitor the pressure while it’s inflating.
Measuring Tape Key Chains: These little keychain measuring tapes will make sure the handy man is always prepared! It’s so easy to misplace your measuring tape when working, so having one on your keys will ensure that it’s always available. It also makes going to the store and shopping for furniture super easy.
Can-Do Clamps: This little tool is a clamp and a vise. I particularly like that it can hold two pieces of wood in a perfect 90 degree angle. This would be helpful for any guy who likes to do wood working.

Gift Ideas For Guys Who Like to Have Fun (who doesn’t?)

These gifts are for the guys who like entertainment and gaming. Some gifts are great for get togethers and others are good for just everyday life.

Razor Kishi Mobile Game Controller For Phone: This little device turns any smartphone into a handheld video game console. It can fit on any android phone and the phone will automatically recognize it as a controller. It does not work with all games, but the games that it’s compatible with are more enjoyable and have a significantly better gaming experience. Again, it’s not compatible with all games (Mario Cart needs to get on this!), but still a very cool tool and fun!
Crew Card Game: This is a fun trick-taking card game. It’s easy to pick up and you can play as long or as short as you want. It’s super easy to teach and the rise in difficulty keeps you engaged with the game.
3D Printer: This 3D printer would be a great instrument for the first time modeler. Many 3D printers are complicated, but this one is simple and straight forward. The manufacturer also includes all required tools, clearly labeled parts, and easy to follow directions. Once it’s set up, the printing quality is pretty good too!
Tiny Projector: This tiny projector makes it possible to project movies, shows, PowerPoint presentations and really anything else from your phone to any blank wall. This projector is the size of a pop can, so it’s easy to travel and store. The manufacturer notes that it has good quality. A wonderful gift for any Android phone user.
Gaming Headset: This gaming headset is lightweight and comfortable, perfect for the guy who likes to spend hours gaming. It has a great mic (you could easily make phone calls with this) and has nice sound quality for gaming.

Gift Ideas for The Professional

These gifts will make any guy feel a little more professional and put together.

Coffee Mug & Warmer: This coffee warmer set keeps your coffee warm all day without burning you. The ceramic design allows for a very safe experience—only the coffee cup is being heated. (Note this brand is often sold out, so be sure to check out some other ones like this one or this one.)
Electronic Travel Bag: This little bag has a spot for everything! It can store all the chargers, headphones, memory cards, and wires that you could possibly need. This would be a great gift for the guy who likes to keep his things organized and doesn’t like to search for things. It has a nice hard shell and can easily be slipped into a briefcase or book bag.
Watch Case: This watch case will make storing watches a little more beautiful. It’s also a simple way to travel with multiple watches (if that’s your thing).
Cork Rocket Desk Storage/Decor: This is perfect for the guy who likes to stay organized at work but also wants to have a little fun. The rocket top comes off to reveal storage for pens, rulers or other office supplies. The cork nature of the rocket makes it super easy to attach notes with standard push pins.
USB C Super Charger: This tiny little charger is very powerful and can easily and quickly charge any USB-C device (like phones, tablets or some laptops). It has over 1,000 reviews on Amazon and a whomping 91% are 5 stars! Pretty impressive!!!
Modern & Unique Desk Lamp: Not only is this desk light unique and stylish, it’s 100% portable. It also has lots of smart features, like having three different positions and 5 different brightness settings. It can provide up to 48 hours of continuous light on a single charge. This is sure to make a statement!
Wireless Charging Desk Pad: This is a great gift for the guy who wants to keep his desk area organized. The premium synthetic leather wipes clean and easily works with optical mice. The built in charger eliminates extra cords for charging your phone and tablet.

Don’t forget to check out the other gift guides:

The Laundry Room Reveal – Week 8

November 18, 2021

I took the last couple of weeks off from posting because I didn’t have much to say or show. But (whoop whoop!) today I can show everyone the finished room.

Of course, we need to start by looking at where we began 8 weeks ago.

And now it looks like this:

Overall, I am really happy with the design. My only disappointment is the beadboard does not have a lot of depth. If you look close enough in some of the pictures, you’ll get a faint view of the texture. However, it’s not that evident in most of the pictures. In-person, it looks nice. If I were to do any type of beadboard again, I would definitely use a different product.

Darla is very happy with it and that is what matters most to me! Another project completed and I still need to work on my photography skills. 🙂 I’m sure I’ll eventually get there.

As always, check out the featured designers and the guest participants.

19 Wallpapering Tips for Beginners

November 4, 2021

Wallpaper is making a comeback and it’s easier than ever now. I’ve gathered all the best wallpapering tips and tricks (including what I’ve learned!) to help make it even easier.

I’ll go over all the big things to think about and all the little things that you didn’t know from how to make the adhesive a tad easier to work with to how to stay organized during the install. Wallpaper is one of the easiest ways to transform and personalize a space. Make this one of your DIY skills and you’ll open new doors and opportunities for your home design! Okay, let’s get started!

Wallpapering Tip #1 : Consider The Room & Function

It’s tempting to order whatever wallpaper is prettiest (isn’t that the whole point?), but first, you should consider the room and its function. For example, if you are putting wallpaper in rooms that are likely to get dirty and need a scrub down (like a kitchen, hallway, or bathroom), then picking a vinyl-type wallpaper will be best. Also, some wallpapers, like grass cloth, should not be installed in rooms with high humidity, like bathrooms.

Most wallpapering websites have an option to sort papers by type, so you could easily see the options that would work best for your room. You can order wallpaper at Spoonflower in a variety of different types, and they have a handy informational pop-up to help you pick the best wallpaper for your project.

Wallpapering Tip #2: Know About the Wallpaper Installation Methods

There are four general ways to install wallpaper:

Prepasted – This type of wallpaper already has the paste adhered to the wallpaper. You’ll need to spray or soak it in water and wait a certain amount of time before installing it.
Unpasted | Paste-The-Wall – This wallpaper does not have any adhesive on it. You’ll apply the adhesive to the wall and then install the dry wallpaper on top of it. This type of paper is usually non-woven and easy to install.
Unpasted | Paste-The-Paper – This wallpaper does not have adhesive on it. However, you’ll need to apply the adhesive to the paper, wait for 5 minutes or longer, and then install it.
Peel & Stick – This wallpaper is like a big sticker. I’ve used it on a project before and it does allow you to reposition it and can be removed easily in the future without any damage.

The installation method depends on the type of paper and is generally noted on the label. By knowing the installation method, you’ll be able to purchase the right supplies and get the most longevity out of the paper.

Wallpapering Tip #3: Read the Directions

I have ordered over 5 different wallpapers over the last couple of years and found a wide variety of instructions. Some are very detailed and others are very vague. If it is very detailed, you should follow the directions exactly. For example, the directions could outline how to prime your walls, how long to soak your paper and other valuable tips. I’ve also had instructions that provided basically no information beyond stating a professional installer should be used (not that helpful).

However, when looking at the directions you should also take a look at the wallpaper symbols as this will help you when installing or prepping for the wallpaper. These symbols will tell you how washable the paper is, how the paper will react to the sun (i.e., does it bleach easily), how to install the paper, how to remove the paper, and the pattern alignment. This website contains detailed explanations of all the symbols.

Wallpapering Tip #4: Order More Wallpaper Than You Need

When calculating how much wallpaper you’ll need, always add an extra roll. It’s likely that you’ll make a mistake if this is your first time. It’s also nice to know that you’ll have extra just in case you ever need to repair the wallpaper down the road.

It can be painful to spend that extra money, but you may be able to return it if you don’t use it. Also, ordering a little bit more will prevent you from running out mid-install.

Wallpapering Tip #5: Know the Lot Number

Every roll of paper will tell you the batch or lot number. This is important because there can be slight variations (i.e., color) between batches. The best practice is to order all your wallpaper at one time. When you receive it, check the batch numbers and verify they are all the same. If you need to order a new roll, you can request the same batch number but it’s not guaranteed by most suppliers.

Wallpapering Tip #6: Gather Supplies & Make Yourself A Wallpaper Kit

To make things easier, gather all your supplies and store them in the same place. Better yet, store them in a Tupperware box and keep a checklist of supplies in the box. Some of the required supplies won’t fit in a reasonably-sized container but if you have the checklist you can grab the last few items.

I made myself a wallpaper kit and I uploaded my checklist here. You can download the list and quickly make your own kit. Some supplies are only needed for certain types of wallpaper installation.

Wallpaper-Kit-Checklist Download

Wallpapering Tip #7: Prep Your Walls Accordingly

After reading the directions, you should prep the walls. This usually means cleaning them and occasionally painting on some wallpaper primer. I really like the Zisser primer. It’s affordable and seems to have worked well for the project that we used it on. We have a couple of other wallpapering projects in the hopper, so I’ll continue to update everyone on how wallpaper holds up.

Wallpapering Tip #8: Understanding Double Rolls Vs. Single Rolls

Wallpaper can come as a single roll OR a double roll. The double roll is still only 1 roll, but it has twice as much paper as the single roll. When you buy a double roll, you’ll pay for two rolls even though you’ll only get one. The length of the wallpaper for “double roll” wallpaper is for the total amount.

Let’s use an example as this is sometimes confusing. Below is an example from one of my favorite wallpaper websites, Going Decor. This particular wallpaper is sold in double rolls. Remember, you are still only getting ONE roll, the length is just longer (as it detailed below). The price listed is for a single roll, but you can only order a quantity of two at a time. However, you will only get ONE roll that is double the length.

Wallpapering Tip #9: Add a Small Amount of Water to Paste if Thick

If you need to use adhesive (for unpasted papers), I’ve found a very small amount of water can help loosen it up a bit if it starts feeling thick and doesn’t spread easily. Don’t add too much water, because you don’t want to dilute the paste. A splash of water (~1-2 teaspoons) in the entire container is all I would typically use.

Wallpapering Tip #10: Use an Apron or Belt to Hold Tools

Wallpapering requires a surprising number of tools that you’ll need to frequently use. It’s easy to misplace the smoother or loose the utility knife under a rag or two. I just bought myself an apron to hold the abundance of tools and it’s a game-changer. I’ve never felt so prepared.

Purchase an apron with lots of pockets. It should have large and small ones to give you storage for all the things. This is the one I purchased from Amazon.

Wallpapering Tip #11: Use a Laser Level to Install the Paper Straight

The most important thing for wallpaper is to make sure your first piece (and I would argue the first piece on every wall) is completely straight. When the paper is installed straight, it will be much easier to install the rest and, of course, your pattern will look amazing! I have found when my paper is not straight, wrinkling, and bubbling start to be bigger problems.

To get the wallpaper straight, we use a fancy laser level. I particularly like this self-leveling one with vertical and horizontal lines, as you can use it for all kinds of projects. It is an investment but well worth it if you are a DIYer.

Wallpapering Tip #12: Don’t Fret too much about Corners

If you are doing more than one wall, you’ll need to tackle the corners and they are intimidating at first. What I’ve learned is that I shouldn’t fret too much about the corners. The corner will create a slight distortion because of the nature of it, so instead of focusing on lining up the pattern perfectly, focus on getting the piece of paper that goes on the new wall perfectly straight (see tip 11 above).

It’s not easy to describe how you should install wallpaper into the corner, so you should watch a few of my favorite videos before doing it (I’ve linked them in this post and this one too).

Wallpapering Tip #13: Change Water & Rinse Sponge after 3 or 4 Panels

The adhesive from the wallpaper can easily be smeared all over your freshly papered wall with a dirty sponge or dirty water. This can lead to long-lasting marks on your wallpaper that are impossible to remove. To avoid this, I like to change the water and rinse out my sponge every 3-4 panels. It can be a little annoying but it’s much easier to start with a clean sponge and water than to do it frantically once the glue is all over the wallpaper.

Wallpapering Tip #14: Have a Damp & Dry Rag

Like tip # 13, this one is to help keep your installed wallpaper as clean as possible. Keep a wet and dry rag on you at all times. I use both rags to wipe off my wallpaper smoother when it starts accumulating adhesive. I’ll first use the wet one to clear the glue and then the dry one to dry off the smoother. Just like a dirty sponge or dirty water, a messy wallpaper smoother will spread adhesive all over your new wallpaper. Some of this is unavoidable but the goal is to make as little mess as possible. It’s also nice to wipe off your hands occasionally.

Wallpapering Tip #15: Have a Buddy Present

Wallpaper can be done by one person, especially if they are experienced, have the right tools and patience. However, if this is a DIY project, I would recommend having someone help you. This person can be another set of eyes to make sure things look right and can help when wallpapering around objects, like doors and windows. Most importantly though, you can tag this person in to do some work when it starts to feel tedious or if you start getting frustrated.

Patience is key for wallpaper installation, so always having a buddy ensures that at least one person will have the reserves to jump in when needed. Also, it’s just funner to do everything with someone else.

Wallpapering Tip #16: Order Samples Before Making a Decision

I know how tempting it is to just order a wallpaper that you love without purchasing a sample first. However, seeing something in real life versus on the computer can be a totally different experience. I would recommend you spend the $5/$6 and get a sample (try to get a couple so you have options!).

The samples will give you an idea of the scale, paper quality, sheen, true colors, textural elements, and print quality of the image. I’ve gotten plenty of papers that surprised me (some good and some not so good). One time I ordered two rolls without getting a sample and I was very disappointed in the quality. Learn from my mistakes – always order a sample!

Wallpapering Tip #17: Watch a Few YouTube Videos Before Installing

Youtube is a treasure trove of resources for DIYers. I spent a few hours watching all kinds of videos the first time I installed wallpaper. I linked my favorite videos in a couple of posts (here and here). You can start with those videos, but don’t hesitate to find your own if none of these apply to your type of paper (they’ll still give good tips on going around doors and windows).

Wallpapering Tip #18: If you’re a beginner, Start with An Accent Wall

I already mentioned that wallpapering around corners can be a pain in the tush. An easy way to get started is to wallpaper a single wall. The first wallpaper I used was a mural in my son’s room. It was large enough for a single wall and I cut my teeth (and made mistakes!!) with that first install. I learned many valuable lessons that helped with my future wallpaper projects.

Wallpapering Tip #19: If you’re a beginner, try Non-Woven Paste-The-Wall Wallpaper

Non-woven, paste-the-wall wallpaper is very DIY-friendly. I’ve used this several times and it just keeps getting easier. Why is this a great choice? Well, you don’t have to worry about soaking times for starters. With other types of wallpaper, you may need to have it soak in water or adhesive for a given amount of time. If it doesn’t soak long enough, your paper may not be fully saturated and therefore not fully stretched out. If installed before it’s fully saturated, the wallpaper will shrink which creates seams between your panels. This is not a problem for non-woven, paste-the-wall types because it doesn’t stretch when wet.

Another great thing is this type of paper is usually very cleanable-perfect if you have kids or pets. Lastly, I find the install to be straightforward and require minimal tools.

Well, there you have my 19 favorite tips for wallpapering. Do you have any special tips or tricks? Please share them in the comments!

Week 6: It’s a Secret. Can You Keep It?

November 4, 2021

We’re at the point where I can’t really show the laundry room anymore or else the reveal will feel like wah-wah-waaaahhh (interpretation: disappointing because you’ve seen everything!). The good news is that we are SO close to being done. I was hoping to finish it last weekend but I need one more day of painting.

Today I want to talk about balance. This is my second ORC and it’s always fun and motivating. However, right around week 6, I start feeling tired. Mostly because I haven’t had much time to rest in the last 6 weeks. It’s funny because I enjoy doing all the DIY work but when you have a full-time job and then spend most weekends working, you still have all the laundry and typical chores of running a household. Those things get pushed to your one “off day” and while you are not working, you are still working…You know what I mean?

I’m curious to hear if others have found a nice balance for tackling DIYs (especially the ORC) and balancing everyday life. If so, I would love to hear your secrets!

As always, you can check out the designers and guest posts at the ORC’s website.

ORC Week 5: The Home Stretch

October 28, 2021

This week was a very productive one! We finished installing the beadboard, chair rail, and new cabinet handles. Surprisingly, we had very few setbacks, which is exactly what we needed. We even spent a whole weekend day relaxing (not one bit of work was done!). All that remains for this project is attaching the baseboards and the finishing process (the filling, caulking, sanding, and painting!). I plan on wrapping all that up this weekend!

Here is a crappy picture I took the night we finished. It’s dark, unedited, and taken in haste (I was tired!). It feels great to be ahead of schedule. That doesn’t usually happen!

I’m sure I could have written a longer post about how to attach the cabinet handles using this handy jig or how to install teeny tiny pieces of chair railing in those pesky corners where doors are usually located, but I am not going to do that. Instead, I’m going to spend the time I’m usually writing the blog post to catch up with the other ORC designers and guest participants.

As always, you can check out the designers and guest posts at the ORC’s website.

Installing Beadboard When Floors Are Sloped

October 23, 2021

Well, week 4 was interesting. I wrongly assumed that it would be a pretty easy week attaching beadboard to the laundry room walls. However, as we fit the first piece, we noticed that the beadboard was uneven when resting on the baseboard. After examining the floor, we realized that it had a significant slope (~ 1/2 inch over the width of the room) and the baseboard followed that slope, making it unlevel. After some back and forth between Jeremy and me, we stopped working for the day without attaching a single board. We went home that night and did some research, and surprisingly there wasn’t a consensus on how to handle this situation. Based on what we read, we came up with three potential solutions:

Remove the baseboards and re-attach them so they are level. This would create a gap in the far right corner, but (hopefully) that could be hidden when attaching the shoe molding. The problem with this option was that the baseboards will appear to be different sizes at the opposite ends of the room. This would be pretty noticeable.
Remove the baseboards and scribe them to match the slope of the room. The problem with this solution would be similar to the first option. The baseboard sizes will appear different at different points of the room.Yikes.
Remove the baseboards, attach the beadboard and then install baseboards on top of it. This way we could ensure the beadboard is level. The baseboards will follow the slope of the floor (like how it is now). We hope that it won’t be very noticeable and therefore a good option.

We returned on Sunday and spent half the day working and installing the beadboard. We decided that option #3 was the best possible solution. We finished ~half the room and will return this weekend to finish it up. Overall, the plan seems to be working. The beadboard is level and looks really nice. However, like most house projects, this change in plans led to scope creep since we are now installing new baseboards and shoe molding (which also means more filling, caulking, sanding, and painting!). But we think it’ll be worth it and produce an overall better quality product for Darla in the end.

Another thing that slowed us down was cutting out the spaces for the outlets and laundry hookups. This is not particularly difficult, just time-consuming. You also have to be mindful of the different sides of the beadboard that you are working with. The left and right sides are different. This allows the boards to be installed side by side and creates a cohesive look. We also needed to cut every board down to the proper size, usually just height but occasionally width. It’s essential to keep all of these things straight so you cut the holes in the appropriate location.

We decided to install the beadboard using a pneumatic nail gun instead of glue/adhesive. The beadboard we purchased is not solid wood, so the nail does create a small amount of damage that can’t necessarily be fixed with wood filler. I’m hoping with caulk and paint the nail holes will be unnoticeable. Fingers crossed!

All of these changes (and delays!) push our schedule back a little, but we are confident we’ll complete everything by the end of the ORC. The new, updated schedule looks like this:

Week 5: Finish Installing Beadboard, Attach Door Handles, Install Baseboards and Chair Rails

Week 6:Finish Filling/Caulking/Sanding and Painting

Week 7: Style & Take Pictures

Week 8: Reveal/Completion

The room is at the point where you can start seeing it all come together. That brings a lot of excitement and energy – just the extra push we need to keep going.

As always, please check out the featured designers and guest participants on the ORC’s website.

Wallpapering The Laundry Room – ORC Week 3

October 14, 2021

The laundry room is starting to come together! For week 3, Jeremy and I installed wallpaper on the upper 1/4 of the walls. You can read how we demoed and prepped the walls for wallpaper here.

The paper is a nonwoven, paste-the-wall type, so we used the same method of installation as the wallpaper in my office. The good news is this time we did not run out of paper! Woohoo! I was nervous about it, but we ended up with just a couple of extra sheets. The right amount to keep just in case anything happens to the wallpaper.

Jeremy and I are getting more proficient at installing it and finished the room in 5 hours, granted this is also a much smaller room than last time. None the less it’s progress! I am working on a big old post with all my wallpaper tips. I am hoping it will be out next week.

Installing wallpaper in the laundry room felt like a little bit of a risk. An employee at a big box hardware store told Darla, my sweet MIL whose laundry room we are doing, she shouldn’t install wallpaper because the heat or moisture from the washer/dryer could cause it to peel or separate from the wall.

However, everything I read suggested that it would be fine. I’ll keep everyone posted on how it’s holding up, but so far, I’m feeling pretty positive about it! Darla has already done several loads of laundry, and the wallpaper still looks perfect.

The wallpaper is a trellis pattern made up of green dots. There is variation in the color of the bubbles, which adds dimension to the print. The pictures sometimes look black, but in person it’s green.

The picture above looks the most green. This room is hard to capture since there is no natural light. The white balance is not perfect but you get the idea! Don’t mind the Swiffer. We were putting the room back together when I snapped that pic.

The wallpaper brightened up the room and feels pretty summery. Our mid-western winters sometimes just drag on and on. I’m hoping this wallpaper will bring a little sunshine and happiness when it feels like spring will never come.

We plan on installing most of the beadboard next week. The Laundry Room has a lot of things to cut around for a small space (light switches, electrical outlets, exhaust duct for dryer). It’s our first time installing any type of paneling. Yay to learning something new.

A Laundry Cartoon

The last time I wallpapered, I made a little cartoon about wallpapering corners. I thought I would keep the tradition, so please enjoy this other cartoon.

As always, please check out the featured designers and guest participants on the ORC’s website.

33 Perfect Gift Ideas For Women

October 10, 2021

Don’t sweat gift giving this year! These gift ideas for women will help you find the perfect gift for your mom, girlfriend, grandma, sister, or wife!

Not to alarm anyone, but there are only 76 days until Christmas! I know that sounds like a lot, but if you are like me, you want to spend every second of the holiday season soaking up all the Christmas movies, food, and family time. My main goal is to bathe in that holiday magic and the fastest way to squash the holiday spirit is to stress about gifts.

I love giving gifts and I especially like finding the perfect gift for each person. So, in an attempt to make shopping more manageable this year, I’ve spent the last few weeks scouring the internet to find gift ideas for all the people in my life. This week, I’m sharing gift guides for women. There are gifts at every budget and probably contain some gift ideas you haven’t seen on other guides (at least that was my goal). I’ve broken the guide up into different “types” of women, but I think any woman (in any group) would love these ideas.

Gift Ideas For Women Who Like Quality Accessories

The first group of gifts is for any woman who has a casual, easy elegance and wants to extend style to her everyday accessories. The focus here is on quality, durability, and function.

Rothy’s Driver Shoe: These loafers are indestructible, super comfy, and washable. They can be worn while running errands or in the office. I love the timeless brown color, but they have other color ways, too.
Kate Spade Cross Body: Crossbody bags are super easy and convenient. This style allows women to go hands free everywhere, making it perfect for women-on-the-go. I particularly love to use it while shopping and traveling.
Duck Head Umbrella: Umbrellas are a humble accessory that rarely gets much attention, design-wise. This adorable duck head umbrella adds personality and pizzazz and will surely bring a smile to anyone’s face when they use it.
Quality Knit Cap: A high quality knit cap is one of the small joys of the winter time. Not only will it keep your head warm, but you’ll also look good (and feel good!) wearing it.
Leather Passport Cover: This leather passport cover will make any woman feel a little more put together at the airport. The leather case is classy and elegant.
Large Tassel Keychain with USB Charger: Talk about fancy and smart. This key chain combines form and function. The USB charger is cleverly integrated, so you’ll never be without it again (one less thing to worry about packing!). Note that this charger is only for i-phones, this one (via Amazon) can be used for Samsung/most Android Phones.
Leather Driving Gloves (totally compatible with your phone): I’m a huge fan of $1 knit gloves that you can find at Target or Walmart. However, when I want to feel like a grown up, I reach for nice driving gloves. These leather ones are lined with cashmere, so they will be soft and warm. Also, they are 100% compatible with your smart phone.

Gift Ideas for Women that Will Encourage Self Care

Everyone needs a little self-care these days. Show the people you love that you recognize all the hard work they do by encouraging them to have time for themselves. These gifts focus on comfort, peace, and care.

Small Gift Ideas For Women Who have Everything

Matching Sweatsuit: Every woman wants to have clothes that are comfortable and makes them look good. This matching sweatsuit is the perfect combo – totally comfortable and very cute. I particularly love the stylish cropped top with bellowy sleeves.
Silk Eye Mask: It’s not always easy to go to sleep while traveling or if you have a partner that stays up later than you. This silk sleep eye mask will block out all the light but still be gentle and beneficial for skin.
Knit Slippers: Knit slippers give the ease and movement of socks but with the durable underfooting of a shoe. It doesn’t hurt that these are also extremely cute. I can imagine slipping these on those winter days that just won’t stop snowing.
Weighted Blanket: Trouble sleeping or feeling anxious? Weighted blankets can help with both. I particularly like the ones with soft, washable covers. It makes them so easy to clean.
Yoga Mat: This is for the lady who wants to do yoga or pilates. This mat is very thick, so you won’t have to worry about your lower back acting up 20 minutes into class.
Droplette: This is a splurge, but a great gift idea for the skin-care loving woman in your life. This device was created by scientists (and it’s being tested in a hospital setting and with the military). It has technology that allows different products like retinol or collagen to be perfectly misted on the skin (at the right size/speed), to allow excellent penetration, much deeper than ingredients applied topically (in the typical manner). (Here are a couple of sources if you want to learn more: Article 1 & Video 1)

Gift Ideas for the Gardner

Do you want to cultivate someone’s interest in gardening? Then pick one of these gifts to help their outdoorsy passion bloom. I think that’s enough gardening puns for now. These gifts focus on bringing a little style to very functional gardening accessories.

Utility Apron: When gardening, you can never have enough pockets. A pocket for clippers, gloves, markers and, if you are like me, a butter knife. This handy little apron has all the storage needed to tote all the necessities with you. Plus that brown trim is gorgeous and the deep v cut is feminine (dare I say a little sexy?).
Leather Gardening Gloves: These long sleeved gardening gloves are perfect for those nasty little plants that are covered in spikes. It can also protect against poison ivy (my arch nemesis).
Plant labels: This 25-pack of labels will be handy for the attentive gardener. It will help keep the garden organized. These could easily be slipped into a stocking.
Paint Pen (for Plant Labels): This paint pen is supposed to be the best for the plant labels.
Garden Basket: Whether it’s flowers or vegetables, this little basket will make toting any bounty back to the house cute and adorable.
Knee Pad: Weeding and planting requires a lot of kneeling and sitting on the ground. This can be especially hard on knees. This super thick knee pad will make yard work more comfortable and it’s convenient carrying handle makes it that much better.
Planting Guide: This little ruler will make measuring between plants much easier. Not only does it have a hole at every inch, but it also lists common planting distances, so the gardener doesn’t even have to look at the seed packet for directions!

Gift Ideas for the Home

This next group of gifts is for the ladies who are all about practicality. They like their surroundings to be clean and functional.

Custom Address Stamp: It’s rare these days to get mail, but when we do it feels really special. This stamp will make sending mail a little extra memorable. Plus, it’ll be especially handy for the holiday season – no more writing all those return addresses by hand!
Multi-function Steam Mop: For me, a steam mop is all about making cleaning quicker and easier. This little number has both a floor function and a detachable hand-held piece for cleaning those stubborn stains on other surfaces. This is perfect for the woman who wants a clean house but doesn’t want to spend the whole day doing it.
Little Village Baking Pan: This pan is just plain cute. Anyone who loves to bake (especially around the holidays) will enjoy making little cakes that look like a Christmas village. I am totally buying this and giving it a try.
Battery Organizer: You know what’s worse than running out of batteries? Knowing you have batteries but having no idea where they are. This little organizer will keep everything together, so no one will ever need to go on a mission to find batteries again.
Car Vacuum: Having a dirty car is inevitable if you have kids or if you live/work out of your car. This handy little vacuum will make clean up easy and convenient. With all the additional attachments it’ll get into every nook and cranny, so those random crumbs won’t be missed!
Lint Shaver: This is a practical but also fun gift. You know how sweaters or blankets start getting little balls of lint on them after multiple washes? Well, this little device will shave them right off and make it look brand new. It’s extremely easy to use and satisfying. I’ve used it on blankets, furniture, and sweaters.

Gifts for Career Women

Lastly, we have ideas for the working woman. This would be perfect for anyone working in an office, at home, or as an entrepreneur. These gifts are meant to make work just a little easier.

Light Ring with Stand: Since virtual meetings are the norm now, this little light ring will ensure that everyone will always look their best. Bonus – it has a cell phone holder, so if your special someone is an influencer or just shares their life on social media, this device just made it a little easier.
Upright Clipboard: This clipboard frame can be used to display photos or hold important notes. This can be especially helpful if you need to refer to notes when typing up a report. Although, it’s not big enough to hold a standard piece of paper.
Weighted Bookmark: This innocuous little guy can be a VERY big help. If the lady in your life reads a lot or reads text books, this weighted bookmark will hold the book down while also marking the page she is on. Handy, cute, and practical.
Leather Travel Pouch: This pouch holds all the essential gear needed when traveling from home to the office. With a pocket for everything, it’ll make going to the office a breeze and it’ll make sure those earphones are never forgotten again!
Keyboard Vacuum: I’m not sure if you’ve ever looked at your keyboard, but I’m sure if you haven’t it’s disgusting. It’ll slowly accumulate mounds of dust (and crumbs if you eat while you work). Cleaning everything out of it is not easy (I know because I have tried). However, a handy little vacuum like this will make cleaning it a piece of cake.
2021 Planner: Paper planners will always have a place in my heart. The act of writing something down is a great way to help you remember something. Plus there is something so fun about getting a fresh planner to restart the year. This adorable planner is from Papier, but cute planners have proliferated like crazy in the last 5-10 years. This is perfect for any woman who has a busy schedule and needs to stay on top of it all.
Monitor Memo Board : I just learned about this cute little thing. It is a clear piece of plastic that attaches to the side of a monitor. You can attach post it notes, pictures, and more. It will help clean up your desk area and make your workspace look adorable.

Do you want more ideas? Check out my gift guides from 2020 and 2019. I also shared my go-to formula for stuffing the stockings perfectly.

The Laundry Room Design Plan

October 8, 2021

It’s week 2 of the ORC and I am so excited to share the laundry room design plan with you. A quick recap if you are new here: The ORC is a biannual event that celebrates and encourages bloggers, DIYS, designers, and influencers to complete a room over eight weeks. Last spring, I renovated our office and this time around, I’ll be designing my mother-in-law’s (Darla) laundry room. Last week, I talked about the process I used to design the room with Darla. This week I’ll show you what we are actually doing.

The Concept Boards

As I mentioned last week, I started by creating three concept boards for Darla’s laundry room, each with a different feel and collection of elements. The first concept board is feminine and traditional. It has lots of warm tones and emphasized floral prints.

The second concept board is textural and natural. It focuses on casual living with a strong inspiration from the outdoors (gardening and animals). It has a vinyl grass-cloth wallpaper which would be subtle but elegant.

The last concept board was fresh and modern. It focused on geometric patterns and light colors. The furnishing/accessories are streamlined, but it feels playful with a capiz light and gemstone hardware.

Darla quickly decided that she liked board number 3 best. She specifically wanted the geometric wallpaper (more modern), nickel hardware (to match the rest of the house), and the light/bright interior. She prefers green to blue and likes natural woven materials, like wicker.

Armed with that knowledge and after a few more meetings to pick each element, we created a design board with the final selections.

Laundry Room Design Board – Final

Wallpaper | Beadoard | Light | Trim | Flooring (already installed) | Rug | Cabinet Handles | Baskets with lids

Ta-da! Here she is! I know the design board feels a little underwhelming since none of the styling accessories are included. But this is the foundational layer of the room and I think it’s charming. I’ll go through the plan for all the elements so you can understand how they will be used.

We plan on installing beadboard at ~3/4 wall height with a thick decorative chair rail on top. I originally wanted to use a chair rail with a braided pattern (like the one above), but I’m not convinced. I am worried that it’ll feel a little out of place with the more modern aesthetic of the room (although good contrast never hurt anyone!) So we’ll see where we end up. The green geometric trellis wallpaper will be installed on the upper 1/4 of the walls. All the millwork will be painted a bright white, the same color as Darla’s current baseboards/moldings.

We’ll switch out her builder-grade boob light for this sophisticated semi-flush mount one. This light is very affordable but feels really nice. The bottom diffuser is glass and the extra decorative arms connecting the drum to the base create a nice moment. Darla has 9 foot high ceilings, so having a little space between the ceiling and the light is doable.

Her cabinets will get a couple of minor updates, too. First, we’ll install gorgeous handles on all the doors. Seriously, these thick nickel handles are heavy-duty and feel very nice in your hand. They are a little expensive ($12/pull) but worth the splurge. In addition, we’ll place large wicker baskets with lids on top of the cabinets to create extra storage and make that additional space feel intentional. The baskets are the one thing we did not order ahead of time. I was hoping to find some options locally. Darla and I plan on going on a bit of a shopping trip to (fingers crossed) find the perfect ones. However, the color tone of the wicker in the design board is ideal. It corresponds well to the floor and brings warmth since the room is on the cooler side with white paint and green patterned wallpaper.

The last element of the room is an indoor/outdoor green braided rug. The rug is durable enough to be used on a patio and should be easy to clean with a pressure washer. Remember, Darla’s laundry room is also her main entrance from the garage, so this rug will see a lot of action throughout the years. I particularly love that it has white, beige, and green fibers in the weave. We ended up ordering the larger size (2′ x 4′), so it would cover most of the floor.

I mocked up the room with the final elements, so Darla could visualize it. I ended up creating two versions, one with the wallpaper Darla picked (on the left) and one with a maze-like wallpaper (right). Darla really liked the maze wallpaper and wavered for a minute on how she wanted to move forward. In the end, she ordered both wallpapers, but the maze wallpaper will be installed in her dining room.

Laundry Room – Week 1 Progress

Our main goal for week 1 was to demo and prep the room for the wallpaper and beadboard. The first task at hand was removing the chair rail. We slid a small pry bar under the rail and gently pulled it away from the wall. Within a minute or two, the chair rail was down.

The trickier part of the demo was removing the peel and stick tiles Darla installed. As I mentioned last week, some were falling off the wall. That gave me a false sense of confidence. I thought, oh, I’ll just pull those babies right off. No harm to the wall. Easy Peasy.

Well, I was wrong in a big way! Some of the tiles, like the ones that kept falling off, were a piece of cake. But most of the other ones were, well, more difficult. We ended up using the mini pry bars on many of them to separate them from the wall and gently pull them off. About 50% of the tiles came off in pieces and around 75% damaged the drywall, usually just bubbling or pulling up the paper layer of the drywall.

The demoed room definitely did not look like much progress. With all the drywall damage, it was pretty ugly! We debated fixing the drywall but decided that it would ultimately be covered by beadboard and it didn’t make much sense. However, we offered to fix it in the future if Darla ever wanted to take down the beadboard.

The last task was to prep the walls for the wallpaper. Based on everything I read, I did not think we needed to prime the walls (the wallpaper directions never mentioned any type of primer). However, since this wallpaper is in the laundry room and it’s not my house, I decided that we’d prime the walls. Better safe than sorry!

We ended up using the Zinsser Shieldz Universal Wallpaper primer. We used a standard roller and nylon brush to apply it. The paint definitely felt sticky and had a slight odor (nothing too noxious). It only took ~30 minutes to complete the whole room.

Next week we’ll talk about wallpaper installation. And if you remember my wallpaper debacle from last spring, you may be wondering, did I order enough wallpaper? Will I ever learn from my mistakes? Come back next Thursday to find out!

Don’t forget to check out the other ORC designers and participants.

Designing a Small Laundry Room

September 30, 2021

We’re back again. This time we’re renovating and designing a small laundry room!

It’s that time of year, another One-Room Challenge (aka ORC). The ORC is a biannual event that encourages bloggers/designers/Instagrammers to transform a space in a relatively short time frame (the current ORC is eight weeks long). For the spring ORC, we gutted and revamped our home office (you can see the result here).

This time, we’re doing something a little different. We’re renovating a space outside of our house and working with a “client.” Okay, that person is just my mother-in-law, Darla. Designing a room for (and really with) another person was a learning experience. It helped to refine my process! Darla was very easy to work with and made me feel comfortable during the process when I felt kind of silly, like when I requested “design meetings” and asked her tons of questions about her preferences. If you’re interested in hearing about this experience, let me know, and I’ll write a blog post about it.

The Laundry Room – Before Pictures & Background

Enough of the back story; let’s get to the fun design part. We are renovating my MIL’s laundry room. Darla lives in a new house that she and her late husband built a few years ago. They downsized from their large two-story family home to a modest-sized ranch when they became empty-nesters.

The house style is transitional. It has some traditional colonial elements with modern touches and an open floor plan. The house’s interior is neutral and bright.

The laundry room is a “pass-through.” The garage entrance is on one side of the room and a door to the main foyer of the house is on the other side. It’s a small room (approximately 6′ x 6′) with tall ceilings (9 feet high). There is laminate wood flooring throughout the house and it’s one of the best I’ve ever seen! The wood color is on the light side with a warm tone. The laminate is textured, so it has great dimension.

Darla wanted to jazz up the laundry room and applied peel and stick tiles to the wall about a year ago. However, no matter how she applied them, a couple kept falling off the wall. Finally, after getting frustrated with continuously re-attaching the tiles, she asked if we could install beadboard. That’s when I offered to design the room. Darla, being gracious and generous, agreed.

Over the last year or so, I’ve been refining and optimizing my design process. I’ve only used it for my projects, so this was an excellent opportunity to try it out with a “client.” I’ll take you through the different steps and how we designed the laundry room.

Step 1: Consider the Function

When designing a room, I always start with the function and ask myself the following questions:

Who lives here?
What activities happen in this room?
What type of things need to be stored here?
Are there any problems?
What is working well in the room?

When going through these questions for Darla’s project, I made note of relevant information:

Darla lives alone but has a dog and a cat. Both animals are older and less active, but prone to accidents at times. They have limited access to the laundry room as most times the door is closed.
The main purpose of the room is laundry but it also serves as a thoroughfare from the garage to the rest of the house.
This room stores laundry detergent, cleaning supplies, and overflow blankets. *Plenty of cabinet space.
Darla is very organized and has routines for her household chores. Because of that, there really are no problems to solve here.
The room is functioning great. No major changes to the lay out are needed. Her appliances are new and function great.

After reviewing the function, I listed the things I needed to keep in mind (based on the notes above) when designing the room:

All elements need to be durable and wipeable.
The wallpaper must hold up in warm temperatures and changing humidity.
Organizational systems are not needed since things are running fine.
The focus of the project is decorative.

Step 2: Outlining the Scope Of The Project

After determining the function and key takeaways from step 1, I started nailing down the full scope of the project. This included determining what stays in the room, what needs to be purchased, what labor is required, and the expected time frame.

I started Darla’s outline by listing the things that were staying:

Wall Cabinets (white, great shape, brand new)
Flooring (warm wood tone)
Appliances (top load washing machine and dryer)
Door hardware
Baseboards & shoe molding

During this process, I also made a mental note of some things I knew about Darla which would impact the project. For example, Darla really likes cohesiveness. This means she’ll want to keep the trim, doors, and finishes consistent throughout the house (which she confirmed during our design meetings).

Darla is also pretty minimal with wall decor and doesn’t want to damage wallpaper by hanging pictures or accessories. The styling will therefore be minimal and non-invasive.

Based on this information, I made a list of the final elements that need to be purchased for the room:

Beadboard
Chair rail trim
Wallpaper
Cabinet Pulls
Baskets
Rug

I then listed the labor required to complete the project and I estimated the order of events. Since Jeremy and I are doing all the work, things are more flexible. However, if you are hiring contractors to do all or part of the work, this may be more strict.

Demo: Remove wall tiles and current chair rail (Week 1)
Prepping: Paint walls with wallpaper primer (Week 1)
Wallpaper Installation: Use wallpaper kit (Week 2)
Millwork: Install beadboard & chair rail trim (Week 3)
Painting: Caulking, filling, sanding and painting (Darla has paint) (Week 4)
Electrical: Install light fixture (Week 5)
Finishing: Install cabinet pulls and accessories (rug/baskets) (Week 5)

As you can see, I’m estimating about five weeks of work. The one-room challenge is for eight weeks. I purposely wanted a project this fall that was easier and less time-consuming since it’s such a busy time of year for our family. I outlined some of this in my tips and tricks post that I wrote earlier this year.

Step 3: Create Three Concept Boards

After I had a general idea of what to include in the project, I created three concept boards. Each board had a different feeling and overall direction. I use a specific formula when putting together the concept boards. First, I always have seven pictures. By limiting the number of photos, it forces me to be picky about what images are included. This helps to define the direction of the plan.

Of the seven, two are “lifestyle” pictures. This is a pretty broad term, but the lifestyle images help to bring attention to something the person likes or values. The visual aesthetic of it matters, too – it should go along with the theme of the concept board.

It’s also essential to have at least one or two “detail” shots to highlight some of the key finishes or features that define that concept board. For example, the concept board below highlights brass accents and a capiz light.

When creating the concept boards, I don’t focus on the exact room. The images are taken from a wide variety of sources and room types. That’s why you see a sofa in the laundry room board above. I don’t plan on using a sofa or throw pillows in the laundry room. Still, the general finishes communicate the types of things that would go into the final design (i.e., floral patterns, traditional elements). The primary considerations are the overall feeling and the concept (which considers style, colors, finishes, etc.).

Step 4: Review Concept Boards & Create Your Final Board

After I had three concept boards, Darla and I met to review each option. I emphasized that she would never hurt my feelings and encouraged her to share her honest opinions. We started by looking at each of the boards and I asked Darla which one was her favorite. She liked concept #3 the best.

From there, I asked several questions:

Is there anything you don’t like?
What do you like about this?
What type of finishes do you like?
What type of textures do you like?
Is there anything you would change?
Should we mix and match any components from the other concept boards?

At that point, I felt pretty confident about what Darla wanted and liked. I recorded her answers and went to work sourcing the objects.

Step 5: Sourcing Options, Create Floor Plan and Elevations

With Darla’s feedback and the scope project details in hand, I began sourcing materials. For each item, I gathered at least 3-5 options, sometimes more. I approached this by collecting all the options I liked and that fit within the parameters of Darla’s preferences. From there, I whittled down the choices to a more reasonable number.

For example, I found over 15 wallpaper options (I actually rounded them up here!). However, that would be too overwhelming, so I narrowed it down to 6 and ordered samples.

After I had options for each category, I made the floor plan and created some basic elevations. There was very little space planning for this room since the layout was already in place (and there weren’t many other options!). In other rooms, like living rooms or bedrooms, space planning is more critical and more time-consuming. So, plan accordingly!

Step 6: Present Options & Finalize Choices

Darla and I met again at this point to review her options and to finalize her choices. Darla is very decisive and quickly identified what she liked in each category (light fixture, rug, wallpaper). We spent the most time talking about the wallpaper samples. If you’ve ever gotten samples, you know that the swatch may not show the most critical parts of the pattern. We also looked at each wallpaper option online to get a better feel of the scale and see the entire pattern. Our meeting was pretty short (maybe 20 minutes).

At this time, I also showed Darla a couple of elevations. I made these to visualize the wallpaper (and make sure I actually liked them before showing them to her). Darla found this helpful. (Spoiler: She liked another one of the wallpapers so much we’re installing it in her dining room later this year).

Step 7: Create Final Design Board & Detailed Budget

Creating the final design board was easy. I just pulled together all of Darla’s choices and updated the elevation to reflect the final design. These were put into a PDF document so we could quickly refer to it if needed.

At this time, I created a detailed budget for the project. I put together a spreadsheet that had the price, source, quantity, and a link to the item online. Then, I totaled the cost and sent that to Darla in an email.

Step 8: Final Approval & Ordering Materials

Darla and I met one last time. We reviewed her design choices once again and I made sure she was still happy with her decisions (she was). We also reviewed the budget, line by line. On that day, we ordered everything. Luckily, all the materials were received before the ORC started, so there should be no delays in our schedule this time!

Whew! All of those words and I haven’t shown the final design! Don’t worry – next week, I’ll review all of Darla’s choices and show the official plan for the room. I’ll also show you some progress that we’ve already made.

Don’t forget to check out the featured designers and guest participants on the ORC’s website.