shabby chic mirrored door :: diy
this antique mirrored door has some history. she weighs about 40 pounds and is so super cool, so i’ve named her bessie. bessie was a late night craigslist curb alert find in garden grove. i’m sure she had a very interesting story before i stumbled upon her, but she’s also had great adventures since she’s […]
mud room plans!
ok gang. i’ve mocked up the mud room plans. taking inspiration from this: now i’ve just got to figure out how to make it. i can paint it, but when you ask your bestie the name of the saw that has the round spinny blade thingy, you know you’ve got a long way to go! […]
beachy chic shutter headboards :: annie sloan tutorial
my friends just moved back from Panama after a 6 month missionary trip with their entire family. they’re the most precious girls you’ve ever met. and sadly for me, at ages 10 and 13, they’re both already taller than i am. how cute are these girls? so i set out to make them some shutter […]
how to refinish an antique french door
hi, i’m meesh and i’m addicted to craigslist cheap/free stuff. is it weird that i want to buy an old truck so that i can pick up late night curb alerts? i picked up this door for $10 on craigslist. a very nice young man was remodeling his house in costa mesa and tore out […]
simple apple crisp
this is a super easy recipe that my pal Darren‘s family has passed down for years. we baked it. and before i even had a chance to return with my spoon, every morsel had been eaten. i guess it’s safe to say we loved it. 4 large apples-peeled, cored and sliced thinly 1/2 cup water […]
how i hacked an Ikea Tarva dresser :: tutorial
i’ll always have fond memories of Ikea. i used to bring my kids there when they had trouble sleeping…. it always went something like this: “they’ll fall asleep in the stroller while i shop.” yup, i’m THAT mom with stuff stacked in the stroller, balanced on the kids’ heads, crammed into the small storage bin […]
Restoration Hardware-inspired big boy room reveal
as i listen to Big A trying to ‘soothe’ himself to sleep in his new big boy room, i feel guilty. poor little guy. sometimes he goes down quickly, and sometimes, he’s over-tied, i think…and he fights it. so i’m distracting myself with this post as i obsessively check the monitor… we got him into […]
Ikea hack :: using the DIGNITET curtain clips to hang your kids’ artwork
raise your hand if you love ikea. i was wracking my brain on ways to display the kids’ artwork in the loft. they’re always creating new stuff, and with the seasons, taping it to the wall was becoming a bit aggressive. i even bought two quarts of magnetic paint, but then thought there’s no chance […]
spicy asian style eggplant recipe
eggplant is a recent re-discovery for me. i grew it in my backyard garden in LA several years ago, but had sort of forgotten about it when i met my hubby. he hates veggies. yes, i hide pureed veggies in his waffles. don’t tell him. these are super easy. olive oil 1 Japanese eggplant (these […]
big reveal :: vintage door refinished with Annie Sloan chalk paint
the door restoration is DONE! here’s the tutorial post of the first half of this restoration. this is where i started….a stack of FREE doors found on craigslist! here i was sitting on my laptop after the kids were tucked in….la la la….cruising free stuff on craigslist….when i saw a post for 12 FREE vintage […]
Downloadable daily schedule for your baby and kids
call me a freak. i use Excel for everything. my MBA has certainly come in handy for this project! when lil G was born, i couldn’t remember anything. did i feed the baby? what time? which side did i nurse last? so, i created this daily schedule to keep track of the kids. it started […]
downloadable kids’ reward sticker chart
i’ve gotten a few requests to post the reward sticker chart for download. yup, another nerdy Excel thing i did for the kids. most nights after baths, we review the chart. they get a sticker for each ‘task’ they accomplished. this has been successful to get them to learn behaviors such as brushing teeth, […]
tutorial :: vintage door restoration with chalk board panel
this is one of the doors from the craigslist vintage door score. after a close inspection, i noticed mold on these doors. so, these are being refinished to be used in outdoor areas. this one’s a single panel door which will eventually have a black chalk board in the panel. first, i washed the door […]
photo tip :: capture your real subject
Raise your hand if you like stiff, boring photos! No, thanks! It’s ok to NOT be perfect. Loosen up and try something different. Talk to your clients. Find out what interests them. Not every shot has to be a traditional one with everyone matchy- matchy! Take an element from their life that will remind them […]
Darth Vadar, Spidey, and Lightning…oh my! How to make a reversible duvet.
i’ve been making duvets forever. ever since the hand sewing days. ouch! they’re super easy to make, and they can change the look of your room so easily. and there’s just something about snuggling down in a super soft, luxurious, personalized duvet under a soft snuggly down comforter. i prefer cotton. you can wash it […]