The title is weird, I know. But hear me out! I have a strange philosophy on how to make our homes truly ours and to help us make decisions about our homes. And that’s to pretend that you’re sharing your home and your reasoning with thousands of people. Not in fear of their judgement, but to solidify our own intentions. Stick with me.
Read MoreThe things on my mind this week including historic kitchen photographs, coming-of-age movies, debating sponsorships, why old places matter, This Old House has a podcast, smart renovating budgeting, thoughts on coffee, and my October playlist.
Read MoreI went on the San Diego Green Homes Tour this weekend, which is a two-day ticketed event that allows folks to explore “green” homes all over the San Diego region. The goal is to spread awareness about environmentally friendly design to homeowners, designers, or just curious humans - it was open to all. The houses range from being showy multi-million dollar new constructions in beach-front communities, to small semi-homesteads with modest DIY improvements.
Read MoreLots of things this week! My Halloween decor, moldy fruit sculptures, ethical Halloween candies, four great podcasts episodes ranging from pumpkins to mental health, citrus wallpaper, impressive DIY ghosts, a bra review, my Halloween playlist, three hobbies, art frames, a new cabin purchase, and my search engine that plants trees.
Read MoreWhen it comes to homeownership and home improvement there are lots of receipts, and manuals, and warranties, and documents, and maintenance reminders, and just stuff! Luckily, “organization” is my middle name, so you can bet I get a kick out of keeping that stuff in check. Here’s how I do it.
Read MoreThe things on my mind this week including a new house that I’m obsessed with, my small space on Joanna’s blog, a mural, my kitchen update, zero waste and budgeting, new artwork frames, biggest source of microplastics, planned obsolescence and visible mending, saving on your cable bill, fall comedy, TV recommendations, and what I’ve been listening to this week.
Read MoreIt’s the reveal of my kitchen’s cheap stop-gap makeover! When we got the keys to the house, I didn’t feel comfortable touching anything let alone eating anything in there. So, I did cosmetic improvements, a few functional upgrades, and lots of cleaning! We didn’t want to put too much money into it because we knew we’d be remodeling soon, so I made over the space with $600 and some elbow grease.
Read MoreThe things on my mind this week including apple picking, my puffy jacket for fall, art, my house in a magazine, a nursery I want to move into, a chocolate scorecard, who I’ve been listening to all week, urban farms as preschools, the One Room Challenge, tile overload, and more!
Read MoreI’ve never been too big on decorating for the holidays. Sometimes I’m into it, but I mostly get tired of the tchotchkes and want my home to be clutter-free again. Partly I don’t like the look, but I also just don’t like buying decor that’s cheap and will ultimately end up in the trash. BUT! Enter trash pumpkin. The decor that literally takes rubbish out of the bin and keeps it out of the waste stream.
Read MoreThank you all SO much for taking the time to give me your feedback last week! I got lots of great insight into who you are and what you’re interested in. I want to respond to some of the feedback I got because I think the comments raised some interesting points that are worth addressing!
Read MoreAshley has been restoring her craftsman bungalow since early 2015. The Gold Hive chronicles the journey of DIYs, restorations, renovations, and stories.
I'm Ashley, a type-A homebody fixing up my historic home at a snail’s pace in California. I share home improvement DIYs, tips for sustainable living, and renovation stories - all while aiming to add more color and present real, lived-in spaces.
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Margot is getting an upgraded room to make space for baby sister in the nursery.
With an additional family member, we want to shuffle the rooms of our 3-bedroom house around. The one off the living room was being used as my home office, so now it’s time to convert it into an actual bedroom. The initial thought was to give this room to baby sister and keep Margot in her room. But we ultimately decided to put the baby in the room designed to be a nursery, then convert the home office into a space designed for a bigger kid. Plus, the office has more windows, and is right off the living room (Margot’s playroom) so it’s better suited for all the daytime play, whereas the single-window nursery is cozier for lots of daytime naps.