Honor Roll

Honor Roll

The sandbox that I ordered arrived, and I spent yesterday assembling it. I also took the kids to a stone yard to pick out our pea gravel, and that’s here and waiting to go in. I’ve pulled weeds and relocated some of the plants from the area where the sandbox will go, but there’s more to do in preparing and leveling the site. I’d love to have it finished by the end of the weekend, but it has been hot, humid, and rainy, so I’m not sure if it’s going to happen.

I haven’t been excited about my weekly (or semi-weekly) Honor Roll posts lately because everything is horrible. I think we’re all feeling it, but I guess I’ve come to accept that this is probably how I’ll be feeling through the next several months at least? So we keep going. Good stuff is still happening.

These are the things that have made my Honor Roll.
Lady Elaine Fairchilde

  • Get the look of an original fashion hero: Lady Elaine Fairchilde.
    And check out who left the first comment. Ah, happiness.

  • Gwen has finished her amazing kitchen renovation, and the before and after post is up! SO GOOD.

  • A good pedestal table is a thing of beauty.

  • Brandon has mentioned wanting a Little Free Library in front of our house, but I’m not on board.
    “Little Free Library has a seductive marketing slogan that’s carved into the top of every unit: “Take a Book; Return a Book.” Such a simple equation. And such wishful thinking. Take? Oh, absolutely. People are, in fact, really good at that part. For example there was the young mom who lifted her toddler up to the box, watching uncritically as he scooped up “Imaginary Homelands,” Salman Rushdie’s collection of criticism and essays. Which I’m sure he enjoyed.”

  • Dance break. Animated.

  • Blue Feed, Red Feed is illuminating. Sad!

Sources & Paint ColorsNeed design help? Let's work together.

You Might Also Like...

  • Gwen, The Makerista
    July 22, 2016 at 11:40 am

    Thanks for sharing, friend! Hope you have a lovely weekend!

  • Cynthia
    July 23, 2016 at 3:32 pm

    The Salon article was the funniest thing I’ve read in weeks. We have Little Free Libraries all over our city (Seattle) and I imagined a true give-and-take. Now I’m wondering if that is the case. Good luck with the sandbox…can’t wait to see how it turned out!

  • Kate LS
    July 24, 2016 at 9:43 pm

    We had a Little Free Library outside our former house (we have since moved overseas) and loved it. I found I had to do minimal “maintenance” (like removing religious tracts and old textbooks no one would ever want), but other than that, it was self-sustaining. I sometimes picked up beloved books I already own for a dollar at Goodwill just to stick in the library, but that was me. People dropped books off regularly and the library was always full, so I often encouraged people just to take a book “for free.” We had lovely conversations with so many neighbors we would’ve otherwise never met because of our library!

  • hkw
    July 25, 2016 at 11:08 am

    The Oak Park article says you can buy a Little Free Library model from $150 to $1,500! I know our local library could use $1,500 to provide really useful materials and programs to economically disadvantaged kids who will never be strolling the streets with all those Little Free Libraries.

  • Kimberly Westby
    July 26, 2016 at 11:50 pm

    HI, totally unrelated, but… saw a doppleganger of your house. It was while I was on vacation in Revelstoke British Colombia. Another old Victorian with multiple paint colours. Had to take a picture of it, you can see for yourself, here is the B&B’s website-www.mustangbedandbrekfast.com. Actually I just googled [can’t believe this is actually a verb these days], anyhow googled Victorian bed and breakfast in Revelstoke. This home ia around the same time frame, seems a little bigger than yours though.
    Really enjoy your blog, and the look of your home.

    • Making it Lovely
      July 27, 2016 at 3:06 pm

      Oh, wow! I love seeing other Victorians in the same style. That one is bigger, yes, and more traditionally done. So interesting to look through the photos!

  • Kimberly Westby
    July 30, 2016 at 6:42 pm

    If I had a big old Victorian, I think I would try to replicate some of the ‘ tension’ you have created between the old and contemporary. The furnishings and paint colours, in your home are cheeky and refreshing.