Life is short. That idea has been on my mind a lot lately. As I grow older, the truth of it settles in more deeply. When I lost my dad years ago, one of my greatest regrets was that I never had another chance to tell him “I love you.” All the replaying of his … Read more

Combine a flaky pie crust with rich homemade chocolate pudding and you have an irresistible chocolate cream pie. Let’s make one—and get some great photos while we’re at it. Have you ever planned a perfect food shoot and found reality had other ideas? That happened to me yesterday. I had a detailed plan for a … Read more

31-Day Blogging Series: 31 Ways to Make Your Home Uniquely You Happy October, everyone! Today marks the beginning of my 31 Day Blogging Series, a month-long project where I’m sharing “31 Ways to Make Home Uniquely You.” Over the next several weeks I’ll post practical ideas, budget-friendly decorating tips, and simple DIY projects to help … Read more

Working Through Writer’s Block in a 31-Day Series I’ve hit a wall: writer’s block. It’s an odd place to be when you’ve committed to a daily series, and that’s exactly where I find myself during this 31 Days project. The first three weeks flew by—ideas came easily, the writing felt natural, and I enjoyed sharing … Read more

“What do I do if a recipe calls to sift flour and I don’t have a sifter?” If you don’t own a flour sifter, there’s no need to rush out and buy one. There are simple, effective alternatives using basic kitchen tools you probably already have. Below I explain why recipes call for sifting, outline … Read more

Pumpkin Chocolate Bundt Cake with Butterscotch Glaze — A Great Choice for Potlucks This time of year it seems like everyone is asking guests to bring something to potlucks, bake sales, or “bring a treat” gatherings. Deciding what to make can be a challenge, and I often find myself wondering what will travel well, taste … Read more

Add farmhouse charm and a built-in appearance by installing moulding on the Ikea Billy bookcase system. The Ikea Billy bookshelf “built-in” wall has become my favorite transformation in our small townhouse. It solves our storage needs while providing a beautiful focal point for decor. We assembled the system over time as the budget allowed and … Read more

Whip up this simple 3-ingredient pudding mix frosting in about 5 minutes — no Cool Whip, no powdered sugar. It’s light, airy, and perfect for frosting cakes, filling layer cakes, or serving as a quick mousse-like dessert. A friend told me about this recipe one afternoon and described it so well that I made it … Read more

Here’s the easiest way to hang a picture on drywall with two hooks — use painter’s tape to mark the exact nail spots right from the back of the frame. Perfect placement, zero frustration, done in minutes. I don’t know about you, but I’ve lost count of how many times I found the perfect piece … Read more

I received an exciting e-mail from a magazine the other day. I’ll leave it at that for now since nothing is decided yet, but they asked for photos of our kitchen—and that request was instantly motivating. I don’t claim to be a professional stager, but I picked up a few practical staging and styling techniques … Read more