Last week I shared my thoughts on downsizing. Then something serendipitous happened. Layne came home from school with this library book.

It’s Hubert Horatio Bartle Bobton-Trent by Lauren Child. I didn’t realize until Layne brought the book home that the children’s cartoon “Charlie and Lola” was inspired by Child’s early books about the sweet English siblings. {Please forgive me if I’m telling you something you already know.} “Charlie and Lola” is one of the few cartoons I don’t mind my kids watching. I mean, seriously, is there anything cuter than a brother and sister who speak lightly and with an English accent? I think not.

The book tells the story of a wealthy family that, after financial troubles, decides to downsize their house and life. Child affectionately refers to it as a “riches-to-rags” story.

The illustrations are lively and distinguished – appealing to children and adults alike. It’s like Jenny Komenda jumped into the book and styled the rooms herself.

My favorite is Hubert’s bedroom. I don’t think I’ve ever seen herringbone wood floors in a children’s book before. Besides the illustrations, the story itself is pretty inspirational as well. After I read the book, I asked Layne what made him choose it.

“It’s like us. We moved from a big house to a little house and we’re happier.”

I couldn’t agree more. I can’t wait to check out more of Child’s books. Do you have a favorite children’s author?

FYI – I wasn’t compensated to mention Lauren Child or her touching book. I just love sharing great finds!

images: Dana Miller for House*Tweaking

Dearest Outlet Find Chairs,

I know it’s Valentine’s Day and all and I’m supposed to buy you tacky flowers, burn your favorite meal, shave my legs and wear matching bra +panties BUT…

I don’t know how to tell you this so…I’ll just tell you. There’s someone else.

I’m sorry. You’ve changed.

Ever since you started dropping upholstery staples a few months ago for Mabrey to pick up and stick in her mouth, we’ve drifted apart. You’ve become a liability. I can’t have someone like that in my life – or at least in my living room – right now. I have my children to think about. I need someone more dependable, more responsible, less likely to puncture my baby’s intestines.

I wasn’t looking for someone else. I promise. It just happened. What’s that you say? What’s he got that you haven’t?

Well, he sort of reminds me of a modernized, new-and-improved you.

For one, he keeps his staples to himself. He’s in good shape and takes care of himself.

His tufting is more subtle.

His legs are way sexy.

He’s a family man. He hugs me and my kids all at once. Something you never did.

He firmly supports me. He just gets me. When I’m with him, it’s like I’m wearing my favorite heathered tee.

He and I are good together.

Can we still be friends? Maybe you could live in my bedroom. Or would that be weird? Too awkward?

Sincerely yours,

Dana

P.S. – If you decide to go, I completely understand. Just please give me back the SD memory card that I lost somewhere within your frame months ago. I know you have it. I can hear it tumbling around when I shake you.

FYI –  I was the winner of a $1,000 gift card to Thrive Furnishings in Apartment Therapy’s Room for Color 2012 contest. I used the money to purchase the Taylor chair in expectation grey. So, clearly, this guy is as much yours as he is mine. All of a sudden polygamy doesn’t sound so bad, does it?

My contributions to the Hey Girl meme…

images: Dana Miller for House*Tweaking

Remember the photo shoot? Well, today I finally get to share the fruits of our labor with you.

HH and I partnered with The Tile Shop over a year and a half ago during the renovation of our Underdog. After many, many, MANY months of hard work {and very little sleep}, we are so excited to be a part of The Tile Shop’s blogger spotlight and ad campaign. As of today, you can read about the details of our tiling adventures over on The Tile Shop’s site here. The online spotlight includes many never-seen-before photos of our kitchen, mudroom/laundry nook/dining room and bathroom as well as commentary and DIY tips contributed by moi.

If you happen to live in one of The Tile Shop’s major markets you may just find full page ads featuring our house popping up in your local glossies. Eeeeeeeeeeeeeek! As far as I know, the ads should run in the following prints over the next few months: Minneapolis St. Paul Magazine, Chicago Magazine & Chicago Home and Garden, Kansas City Home and Gardens, Charlotte Home & Garden, Cincinnati Magazine, Indianapolis Monthly, Madison Magazine, Milwaukee Magazine, Nashville Lifestyles, Philadelphia Magazine, Pittsburgh Magazine, Long Island Pulse, St. Louis Magazine, Buffalo Magazine, Washingtonian Magazine and Atlanta Magazine.

Fun fact: The Tile Shop will be featuring several other bloggers via their blogger spotlight and ad campaign so keep your eyes peeled. I am the guinea pig!

Can we talk for a brief minute about companies recognizing the voice and importance of bloggers? And I’m not talking about my voice. So many wonderful, deserving bloggers out there are collaborating with amazing companies and brands in  win-win partnerships. A few of my favorites: Holly Becker of decor8 + West Elm. Trina McNeilly of Lalalovely + Land of Nod. John & Sherry Petersik of Young House Love + Shades of Light. And don’t even get me started on the things that Joss & Main and One Kings Lane are doing. Fabulousness all over the internet. Fabulous. Ness. It’s a very exciting time to be a blogger.

From a consumer standpoint, I find these partnerships inspiring as well. I prefer seeing real homes - as opposed to lifeless sets or over-the-top mansions - in advertisements and catalogs. I think it shows how brands and products can be implemented realistically and effectively. More companies should take notice of this latest trend in marketing!

And just so you know, it wasn’t easy capturing a decent shot of my family in our kitchen. I find it mind-boggling that we got one pic in which everyone is looking at the camera with their eyes open, hands down and tongues in their mouths.

Um, Everett can be a bit of a ham in front of the camera.

images: Megan Hoy for The Tile Shop

I’m about to get heavy on one of my kids. To be read: This post has little to do with all things home.

That’s Layne. Today is his birthday. He’s turning 8. I find myself reflecting on my kids’ short but big lives on their birthdays. I’m often amazed at how much they’ve changed and grown. Today is no different.

When Layne was three years old, he was diagnosed with a sensory disorder. He was a relatively mild case but his symptoms were enough to disrupt our daily lives and affect Layne socially. On an intellectual level, Layne was way beyond his years. He was speaking in complete sentences at 16 months and was reading by the age of 3.

But, physically, Layne was uncomfortable in his body. Just getting dressed for the day was a huge, frustrating task that, more than once, ended with Layne physically getting sick. Layne couldn’t advance with his peers in preschool because he had problems with potty-training – yet he was reading at a 1st grade level. He was nearly 4 years old by the time he was potty-trained “enough” to move up but even then he had problems.

Desperate and worried, I relayed my concerns to Layne’s pediatrician and we were referred to an occupational therapist. Layne attended OT sessions and I was given recommendations for treatments and activities outside of OT to help Layne’s symptoms improve. One of the OT’s suggestions was to enroll Layne in gymnastics. I did. It was a basic co-ed gymnastics class that met for 45 minutes once a week. He learned to do a somersault and jumped around in a bounce house. That was over three years ago.

Yesterday, Layne placed 1st on parallel bars, 3rd on high bar, 5th on pommel horse and 4th all-around at a gymnastics meet in Indiana. I was so proud of him but the best part was seeing how proud Layne was of himself. He has come a long way.

We celebrated Layne’s birthday this past weekend. Per Layne’s request, we threw a Titanic-themed party for our families. He was inspired by a library book he had recently read on the Titanic.

I made Layne’s favorite meal and he helped me come up with Titanic-esque names for the food:

*Watch Out for That Iceberg! salad

*Troubled Waters chili

*Grab a Lifeboat corn muffins

*Titanic fruit salad

He chose Cold Stone’s ice cream cupcakes for dessert. {If you want to confuse the bajeezus out of your guests, ice cream cupcakes are the way to go! Yes, you eat the frozen chocolate “wrapper.” Yes, they are cupcakes. Yes, they have ice cream in them. Yes, they have cake in them. And, again, YES! you eat the “wrapper.”}

Someone on instagram asked so I thought I’d share…the black and white polkadot balloons were off the shelf at Meijer. The guy in the flower department filled them with helium at no extra charge. Wasn’t that nice?!

What would you guess an eight-year-old boy’s favorite birthday gift to be? You will never guess Layne’s. NEVER. So I’ll just tell you.

A 4-slot toaster. A 4-SLOT TOASTER! We played Heywood Bank’s “Toast!” after Layne opened his toaster. Layne made stacks of toast for everyone the next morning. He’s one-of-a-kind.

Happy Birthday Layne! I’m so happy I get to be your mom and watch you become you.

images: Dana Miller for House*Tweaking

Q – Hi Dana,

I first want to say how much I love your blog. It’s one of the few I read regularly. I’ve been a loyal reader for several years watching you decorate and your transitions in life. I must say – I was really keeping my fingers crossed for that girl ;) We have two boys, ages 9 & 7, and the third is a girl. At age four now, she can draw a dragon and wield a light saber like it’s nobody’s business. In a tutu, of course! 

I digress. My question to you is do you ever have regrets or doubts about downsizing? If not the whole process, are there things you “miss?” Surprised you miss? What have you unexpectedly gained? What gains have been the most significant? Is there anything you would do differently such as buy smaller but not needing a total overhaul or was the demolition/ renovation worthwhile? – Ellen

{our previous house}

A – Great question, Ellen. And one that I get quite often. Before I delve into my thoughts on downsizing, I’d like to give you a little background on our decision to downsize.

When HH and I first discussed downsizing, it was mainly for financial reasons. I was working as a pharmacist and HH is an engineer. From a budget standpoint, we were completely comfortable paying for the big, new spec home that we were living in but we always had this elusive dream to own our home outright {no mortgage} by the time we were 40. We probably could have paid off our previous house in that time frame by following a strict budget that would have left us with little to no money to do much of anything else…like pay for extracurricular activities for our kids, pay for a good preschool for Everett, take trips, eat out sometimes, make upgrades to the builder basic finishes that we detested, etc. And we realized this. To make our no-mortage-at-40 dream come true, we would have been tied to a big house that had blah finishes {carpet, vinyl, standard tub/shower enclosures, etc.} and way more space than we needed. There were several rooms in the house that we didn’t use on a regular basis and they felt like such a waste. There was nothing wrong with the house per se but we’re house people and we get a lot from living in a home that we enjoy.

Also, I had become very unhappy with my job. I was good at it; I made good money; I worked with good people. To most people, that would be enough to keep them satisfied. But I was craving something else, something creative. My heart wasn’t in it and I was becoming more and more turned off by the entire pharmaceutical industry and what it stood for. At the same time, I was becoming more and more interested in decorating, designing and blogging. Downsizing could be just the break I was looking for to make a career switch in the future once our mortgage was paid off.

In the midst of the real estate fallout, most people saw an opportunity to “super size” their house {i.e., buy more house than they had or needed}. We saw it as a chance to downsize {i.e., buy less house than we had or needed}. In fact, I think downsizing has such a negative connotation associated with it. Like you’re giving something up or settling for subpar. Why not call it “right sizing?” That’s how we looked at it. Sure, we would be moving from a big house to a relatively smaller house but we didn’t need all the space or mortgage tied to a larger house. Together HH and I made the decision to downsize. We didn’t arrive at that decision overnight. HH was more reluctant to move than I was but, in the end, it was a collective choice to do what was best for our family.

Oh, family. That’s another thing. Up until a week before we officially sold our previous home by owner, we were a family of four and thought we would remain that way. We were done having kids. Or so we thought. Then we discovered we were unexpectedly expecting and initially it threw a wrench into our plans.

Oh no! Maybe we need a big house after all? Will a three bedroom, two bath house be enough for our growing family? Is this a sign? Should we call off the whole thing? 

But after taking everything in, we quickly realized that downsizing was the perfect solution to our surprise addition. Our childcare costs were going to go through the roof with a newborn in the picture and me working nearly full-time. HH and I did the math and decided the money I would bring home after paying for daycare wasn’t worth the hassle of shuffling three young kids around. I was tired of missing their class parties and school activities too. After baby #3 arrived, I would quit my job and stay at home to care for the kids full time. Here’s the funny part. Just as HH was the one reluctant to downsize, I was the one reluctant to quit my job and stay home {even though I hated my job}. I knew it wouldn’t be easy but deep down I also knew it was the best decision for our kids and our family.

{our house on inspection day}

So now that we’ve survived downsizing, do we regret it? NOT AT ALL. Even with me not working, we are on schedule to pay off our house in 4-5 years – a year or two before we turn 40. I’ve said it before. This house is not our dream house but it’s the house in which we are pursuing our dreams.

What don’t we miss about our previous house? We don’t miss living in a big house. That may have something to do with the fact that we lived in a 900 sq ft apartment for nine months in between living in our previous house and our downsized house. When we moved from our apartment to this house, we almost forgot we were downsizing! Cleaning our previous house was a day-long task that I dreaded every week. I can clean this entire house in one morning. While there are times that we {I’m talking adults as well as kids} need our own space, we make it work. Sometimes Layne hangs out on our bed reading while Everett plays in their shared bedroom to get away from each other. Other times, HH will wrestle with the boys in their room while Mabrey and I take part in more refined girly things…like playing peekaboo in her room. Haha. I don’t even miss having separate sinks in our master bathroom!

We don’t miss having carpet. We have only engineered wood and tile in this house. It is such a breeze to clean. Makes me wonder what disgusting things were living in our carpet at our previous house. HH and I have both said that if we ever have another house, there will be no carpet.

We don’t miss living in a newer, developing neighborhood with construction going on all the time. We like our established neighborhood with its mature trees and roomy lots. We like that the houses aren’t cookie cutter clones.

We don’t miss our old location. Here, we’re closer to HH’s work so we get to spend more time with him in the mornings and evenings during the week. He still leaves early and gets home late but we’ll take what we can get! We like the fact that we are in a quiet neighborhood nestled within city limits. We are close to everything. Layne can even walk to and from school if he wants.

Are there things we’re surprised we miss about our previous home? Yes. One thing. Our previous house had a neighborhood pool. This past summer we longed for a pool nearby to splash in. It’s one of those things that we probably wouldn’t think about if we hadn’t had it before. This year, we’re seriously considering a membership to a local pool just a few minutes away.

There are things we miss that aren’t surprising too. We miss the neighbors in our old neighborhood whom we had become close friends with. We knew we’d miss them. We keep in touch but, obviously, we don’t see them as much as we used to. The twist is we’ve made some really good friends here.

We miss living in a house that’s “finished.” Our lil’ Underdog has come a long way but there’s still a fair amount of work to be done. When we look around, it’s difficult not to see all the unfinished projects. The guest/kid bath is gutted. The driveway is in bad repair. There’s no landscaping whatsoever. Our unusable front door doesn’t exactly scream “Welcome!” The garage and attic are in desperate need of organizing. And then there are the little decorating tweaks that we’ve barely even started. I remind myself that it will all happen in good time. So, I’m trying to enjoy each step we take that gets us closer to home.

I miss living in a well-oiled machine. I had our old house organized and decorated for the way we live. Everything had a place and it was really functional. But it took me nearly four years to get it that way, so I need to give myself a break.

Are there things we’ve unexpectedly gained from downsizing? You bet. The schools in our new city are outstanding. We can’t say enough good things about our experience with them. It’s not that we had a particularly awful experience with our previous school district but the schools here offer our kids so much more and have been a huge help in tapping into our kids’ potential. If anything, we’d do it all over again just for the schools.

We’ve been surprised by how little space we really do need. Editing and purging our belongings are ongoing tasks that are necessary for keeping a small house clutter-free. But they’re pretty damn fulfilling as well. We have no room anymore for “what if”, “maybe” or “someday” items. Which reminds me. I need to get on the attic and garage organization soon.

We were genuinely surprised when several companies contacted us about partnerships pertaining to renovation, home improvement and home decor. We weren’t buying a new old house to feed the blog. Collaborating with some of the companies resulted in forging a few symbiotic relationships. Very cool.

We didn’t realize how much we would enjoy living within 10 minutes of three grocery stores that focus on healthy foods for a healthy lifestyle. I am cooking, people. And I’m actually starting to enjoy it. Surprise! I know, right? HH has noticed a difference as well although I think he’d say, “I love it!” to just about any dish I make if it meant I kept cooking. This may have more to do with me staying home than downsizing but, whatever the cause, we’re eating better.

We’re surprised that living in a smaller house has made us more affectionate towards one another. Our modest house forces us to be together. And that’s what family is all about, right? In our previous home, there were days where we would all be home together but rarely see each other because we’d be off in different parts of the house doing our own things. Here, we touch each other more. You know what I mean. Spontaneous hugs or little squeezes just because we’re close. It’s nice.

Parks! There are numerous parks and playgrounds within walking distance from our house. It seems we discover a new one every couple of months. We switch it up and frequent them when the weather allows. Our previous home had nearby parks but nothing that you could walk to {other than the small, usually overcrowded neighborhood playground}. We’d have to load everyone and everything in the car to visit the nearest park and that step alone was usually enough to make us say, “Ugh. Let’s stay home.”

On a more abstract level, we’ve gained confidence. The confidence to try something new and scary, to act on big plans, to live more simply, to prove all those people who think we’re crazy wrong, to bring an old neglected house to life, to pursue whatever dreams we may dream up, to make any house our home, to change career paths, to make new friends, to walk off the beaten path, to become completely debt free.

Of course, there are pros to downsizing that we expected. We’re well on our way to becoming mortgage-free. HH has a shorter commute. With a smaller home, we’re able to focus on higher quality materials and finishes that we couldn’t afford if we were installing them in larger quantities in a bigger house. We use every single square inch of our house on a regular basis and I love that. We’re able to send Everett to an excellent pre-K program. We’re able to let Layne participate on a competing gymnastics team. We have less space to take care of. We are discovering a new city.

Would we do anything differently? We’re not ones to focus on the past. However, HH and I keep bringing up one property we looked at during our downsizing adventure. It was a duplex in a highly sought after area. Each unit was ~1,000 sq ft and had its own kitchen, three bedrooms, one bathroom and a laundry room in the basement. It needed some work but was livable as is. When we were looking to buy, we had two kids and I was working. We had no idea we’d be expecting a third child and that I would quit my job to stay home with the kids. Looking back, the duplex would have been a sound financial investment. We could have lived in one side of the duplex and rented out the other side to cover the mortgage. Knowing what we know now, I think we may have jumped on that duplex. But bygones are bygones.

Could we have gone even smaller? Probably. But I’m really looking forward to having a second full bathroom this year.

As for the sheer amount of work that we’ve put into our home, we don’t regret it. Every big project we’ve tackled – from removing interior walls to vaulting the ceilings to adding skylights – has been a huge learning experience and helped make our house work and feel like ours.

Would less demolition and less renovations have been nice? YES! And easier. But we wouldn’t have found that house in our price range in this neighborhood. We had to make it.

Has it been easy? NO! Throw a new SAHM and baby into the mix and, well, things get complicated. And sometimes yelly.

Would I recommend downsizing and renovating to everyone? NO! You have to do what’s right for you and your family.

Is it worth it to us? YES! There’s still so much that needs to happen to make this house our home but we try to be patient with ourselves and the journey. Let’s be honest. We’ll probably get bored when/if everything is done.

images: Dana Miller for House*Tweaking

After receiving several emails asking about our GULLIVER crib, I thought I would answer in the form of a post.

You may remember that I bought the crib last summer shortly after we moved into the Underdog. I liked the crib’s clean lines, price tag {it’s only $100!} and versatility.

Now that we’ve lived with the crib for over seven months, I think it’s safe to say I love it. I assembled it myself and it was easy. It’s sturdy without being bulky or heavy. It’s perfect for a small nursery {Mabrey’s room isn’t even 10′ x 10′} or the corner of a guest/master bedroom.

Miss Mabrey and her friend, Miss Strawberry.

The crib is petite but still works with a standard crib mattress. It’s just about the smallest standard-sized crib you could imagine.

Baby jail.

Mabrey is nine months old now and has started pulling up on furniture…including her crib. We lowered her crib mattress recently and it took about thirty minutes to do but was relatively easy.

The white painted finish has held up well to playtime in the nursery. There aren’t any scratches to report but I think you could touch up with a white paint marker if you had to. The boys love playing with Mabrey in her room but they save rough play for their room. No jumping in the crib!

Zorro leaves his weapons at the door.

Mabrey is growing like a weed. Growing, inevitably, like all babies do. It makes me a little sad. Especially since she is our last baby.

The crib will grow with her. One side can be removed when/if she starts to climb out OR whenever we feel the need to convert her to a toddler bed that she can get in and out of herself.

Once Mabrey has outgrown the crib, I’ll probably save it for my sisters. They’re younger than me and haven’t started families yet. I don’t see any reason why this crib couldn’t last through several children. The color and style make it gender neutral. And, again, you can’t beat the $100 price tag.

If you’re looking for a simple, modest and inexpensive crib, the GULLIVER comes highly recommended by me and I’ve heard similar things about other IKEA cribs. Do you have any experience with a small-ish, inexpensive crib that you’d like to share with other moms out there?

FYI – I wasn’t compensated for mentioning the crib. I just love sharing good finds!

images: Dana Miller for House*Tweaking

Everyone knows that I wouldn’t be the person I am or have the family and home I do without HH. He’s my support system and my partner in crime. I have the vision; he brings it to life. I think it’s high time HH had a voice on House*Tweaking, don’t you? HH has graciously agreed to field one ‘Ask Handy Hubby’ question a month. You can ask him about anything from DIY to what it’s like living with me. {Surprise! I’m not always easy to live with.} Just leave your question in the comments section below.

Q: We all know how Dana feels about the surround sound speakers you insisted on installing. Are there any design decisions she’s made that you wish she wouldn’t have? – Giordi

{The dreaded boob speakers.}

A: So yeah, this was supposed to be a once-a-month thing but you can see how well that’s worked out so far. It’s not due to a lack of questions. You guys rock.

Hi, Giordi.  Thanks for the question.

To be very honest, there haven’t been many design decisions that Dana has made that I wished she hadn’t. Anything questionable, I’ve come to really like over time. A recent example of this was Mabrey’s room.

I came home from a work trip and Mabrey’s room was BLACK – or so it appeared to me! I absolutely detested it. I kept having visions of my sweet little daughter growing up to be a goth teen with black fingernails, locking herself in her cave and listening to The Cure all day. {I hope I didn’t offend the large portion of goth H*T readers just now.} It reminded me of a room one of my fraternity brother’s had that was painted completely black, furniture and all. When you walked in you felt your soul slip away. This was the same guy who would order chemicals used to make plastics off the internet for “personal experimentation.” But I digress. I wasn’t fond of the color.

Once we started adding all the light elements though (mirror, wall stuff, white changing table, floating shelves, etc.), the room really took shape. Now I love it. Dana knew what she was doing after all ;) and I’m learning that’s usually the case. She has a gift in the ability to see things in their entirety before they’re done.

I’m going to elaborate a bit further since I think it’s especially pertinent given a recent post. While there haven’t been many design decisions she’s made that I’ve ultimately disliked, there have been MANY design decisions that I’ve questioned “WHY?!” I’ll let you in on a little secret about Dana. She changes her mind. A lot. Maybe that’s not a shocker. I often shake my head in frustration and say “I can’t keep up with you, woman.” Dana alluded to one of these times when she repainted over the stenciled area in the laundry room. She felt I was disappointed because I thought it was a mistake. That’s not the case. I make mistakes constantly. Sometimes the same one twice.

I think the fact that we approach projects from completely different perspectives is at the core here. The reason I bring it up is that I think you’ll find this is common in a lot of relationships. Dana approaches things from an asthetic perspective. She wants things to look and “feel” effortless and natural. And while it often takes several tweaks to get there, she always does. While asthetics are important to me as well, I approach things with more of a focus on functionality, time and money. A perfect example of this conundrum was the boys’ bedroom.

Dana wanted to repaint the bedroom a few weeks ago from a light gray-blue to a taupe. When she told me this, all I could think of was how less than 7 months ago I was painstakingly prepping and painting that room at 9pm on a Thursday. And I could not help but run through the laundry list of tasks that I felt were a higher priority {finish second bathroom, fix the front door, fix the garage door, cover the opening to the attic, put the baseboards back on in the hallway, complete the area above the TV, etc.) We liked the gray-blue. Was the improvement really going to be worth the effort?

{A sneak – albeit messy – peek at the boys’ freshly painted room. Yes, that is an “I love you” note taped to the bunk with painter’s tape.}

In this case, yes, it was worth the effort.  The color is much better in the room and I’m glad we did it. In the end, I think these different perspectives actually complement each other, as long as we recognize them. I keep her honest and somewhat focused, making sure she pauses to consider all the implications. She doesn’t allow me or our home to become stagnant. She enables our house to reach its full potential – something I wouldn’t be able to come close to on my own. – HH

“The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” – Aristotle

“I don’t think about death in a romantic way anymore.” – Robert Smith of The Cure

images: Dana Miller for House*Tweaking

Peeps from The Tile Shop were at our house earlier this week.

That’s Brian on the left and Megan on the right. Oh, and that’s me in the middle. Brian and Megan work in marketing for The Tile Shop. In the midst of our demolition in 2011, Megan contacted me about collaborating with The Tile Shop. At the time, I had never heard of The Tile Shop. But after checking out a local store {which happens to be only five minutes from our house} and discovering their huge inventory {I’m talking TONS of different materials and aesthetics} and excellent customer service {not only do they suggest tile that fits your needs & desired look but they have DIY tutorials and workshops going on most weekends}, HH and I were more than thrilled to jump on board.

A year and a half later, we still have nothing but good things to say about The Tile Shop. More than once, we called our local store right in the middle of a project to ask how-to questions. We were given on-the-spot advice without any hemming or hawing or “I don’t know. Let me get someone else.” We’ve been around the home improvement store block ifyaknowwhatimean a few times over the last 11 years as homeowners and avid DIYers. Nothing is more frustrating than going into one of those businesses and the most the employees know is what aisle what product is in – if that. Sure, they might be able to point you towards the floor tile and grout but beyond that they’re pretty much useless. Now, I’m not saying that’s been our experience every time but A LOT, yes. Our experience with The Tile Shop was nothing like that. And it can’t be chalked up to brown-nosing either. 95% of the time we called anonymously {meaning they had no idea ‘the blogger’ – that’s what they call me – was on the other end of the line} and had our answer in less than five minutes. Done-zo. So, yeah, we like The Tile Shop. And I wasn’t paid to say that.

Anyway, now that most of the tiling projects are complete and the rooms around them are taking shape, Megan asked if we’d be up for a photo shoot to feature the tile in vivo. It sounded like fun plus we liked the idea of a fire being lit under our youknowwhats to get a few rooms in order. We said yes. For the past six weeks, we’ve been stuffing in as many projects as possible to get a few rooms shoot-worthy. It was a ton of work but it was so fulfilling to see it all come together.

I have to be honest. I did have a minor meltdown right before the shoot. Other than my own photos for the blog, I’ve never been part of a real photo shoot. As the day of the photo shoot neared, I got more and more overwhelmed. I didn’t like not knowing exactly what to expect. I was embarrassed about our unfinished projects – like the exterior, messy garage, non-working front door, gutted bathroom, etc. They weren’t going to be a part of the shoot so it didn’t really matter but I started second-guessing our decision to go through with the shoot. I’m sad to say that I took out my frustrations on HH which was totally awful of me. He was helping out so much – with the kids, the neverending list of projects, meals, cleaning, everything. I was mean to him and I regret it. There you have it. Proof that I’m far, far, far from perfect. I’m not proud of the way I treated him and told him so. We’ve since made up ;) but I owe him big time. HH, you’re the best.

Luckily, by the time the actual shoot rolled around I was over my not-so-perfect hump and things played out smoothly from there on out. Megan and Brian were in town for two days and they were so wonderful to work with! They were very easygoing and not at all stuffy or pushy as I had feared they might be. The first day we made a list of accessories {mostly fresh flowers and greenery} that we needed to style the rooms. Then we spent a few hours shopping around for said accessories. It was during this first day that I mentioned something about a gallery wall {hello, New Year’s resolution!} in the mudroom. {Btw, Megan asked me what we officially call this room. I told her it depends on what we’re using it for at the time. Sometimes it’s a mudroom, sometimes a dining room, sometimes a laundry room. Sometimes we just call it the everything room!} Megan thought it was a good idea and encouraged me to give it a go. So we picked up some frames for the gallery wall too. That night HH and I stayed up late working on the wall. More deets in a forthcoming post but here’s a sneak peek…

Then I was up waaaaaay before dawn cleaning, styling and accessorizing the other spaces.

Now, mind you, we still had three kids at the house during the prep and shoot and had to work around naps, feedings, school drop-offs & pick-ups and even gymnastics practice. The logistics of it all had me in a tizzy but it went better than I could have ever imagined. Layne was at school most of the time. Mabrey was Nap Champion the day of the shoot and that made things easier. She LOVES being around people so she was more than happy to have extra faces to smile at when she was awake. Megan had her giggling on her lap. Everett is pretty much the life of any party. Megan and Brian were really good about letting him ‘entertain’ them with his costumes, fake mustaches and constant questions. At one point, Brian may or may not have had on a stormtrooper helmet.

They let him play photographer at the end of the day which he thoroughly enjoyed. He thought it was pretty funny that I took a picture of him taking a picture. We even managed to get a pic of the entire family together. Can’t wait to see that one.

Everything you’ve read about behind the scenes of a photo shoot are true. One part of the house looks magazine-worthy while there’s a disaster just outside the camera’s view. Photo shoots make you do weird things too.

Like bust out your iron for the first time in over a year. I ironed shirts, towels, even my slipcovered sofa. See above. I washed all the windows inside and out in below freezing temps a few days before the shoot. My hands were frostbitten afterwards. I’m lucky I didn’t have to get all 172 Hours and self amputate. Just kidding. That’s not funny.

For surprise’s sake, I won’t divulge exactly which spaces were photographed but you could probably figure it out. Just think about which rooms have tile in them. As for the pictures themselves, I can’t say just yet where they’ll pop up but I will be sharing them with you when they go live so you can check them out. Sorry. I like surprises.

Megan and Brian are still on the road hitting up some of their stores for photos. Megan texted me this picture today…

It’s a display bathroom in one of their other stores and it was inspired by our master bathroom. Notice the penny tile floor, the textured shower tile, the floating vanity, the round wood mirror and the industrial wall sconce.

Fun fact: The Tile Shop names all of their displays. This one is named “The Dana.” Craziness.

Thanks Megan and Brian! I had a blast. Please come back when our other bathroom is finished.

images: 1-5) Dana Miller for House*Tweaking 6) Megan Hoy for The Tile Shop

The two-day photo shoot that I’ve been hinting about wrapped up today. Everything went soooooo smoothly {even after a small breakdown on my part just a few hours before the photographers arrived!} and I can’t wait to see the final pics. I owe you a more detailed post all about it but tonight I’m forcing myself to go to bed before midnight. HH and I have had several weeks of very late nights and very early mornings trying to get parts of the house ready for the shoot and we’re beat. I’m thoroughly enjoying fresh flowers all over the house leftover from the photo shoot.

I took a few moments the other day to nail down my 2013 resolutions and thought I’d share those with you.

Get a passport. Specifically, get my passport. Would you believe I’ve never been out of the U.S.? HH travels abroad for work quite frequently and there’s some talk about me joining him this year. I need to be ready!

Finish my design course. I’m enrolled in the Sheffield School of Interior Design. I get a lot of emails wanting to know if I’d recommend the course. The truth is, I don’t feel comfortable recommending or not recommending the course until I’ve completed it. I will say that I contacted Lauren Liess and Layla Palmer, both Sheffield grads, before enrolling and that I’m learning A LOT.

Create a gallery wall. Or two. It’s about time we got some stuff up on the walls in here and I can’t get enough of mismatched, eclectic gallery walls. FYI – I may have already started work on this resolution. And we’re only nine days into the year. Go me.

Take more pictures. Of my kids. Of my HH. Of my house. Of me. Of things that inspire me.

Be less serious. Too often I find myself approaching daily tasks, blogging, decorating and even parenting {gasp!} with a stuffy, all business attitude when what I need to do is find joy in those things.

There are other house projects we’re hoping to take on this year as well – finishing the second bathroom, fixing up the boys’ room, repainting the master bedroom, building a deck, repairing the front door, etc. – but the bolded items above take precedence.

What are your New Year’s resolutions?

P.S. Thanks to everyone who shopped my Joss & Main event! Did you know Joss & Main has an online magazine called Plume? I didn’t until last week. Check out this brutally honest Plume article which includes my tips for surviving a renovation. I’m still not sure how the author, Donna Garlough, was able to put together anything coherent from my nonsensical ramblings during the phone interview. Thanks Donna!

Click here to see who won last week’s Ace Hardware giveaway.

image: Dana Miller for House*Tweaking

Blogs have a way of portraying life as chipper and easy and always good. But it isn’t always so. 2012 wasn’t my favorite year. It’s been rough. 2012 kicked my butt and while I hate to wish away time I’m not sad to say adios to the past year.

Here’s a brief recap of what happened in 2012:

We tackled various DIY renovations that put us about six months past our predetermined move-in date. One project that we thoroughly underestimated was the installation of our engineered hardwood floors. So. Much. Glue.

Let’s not forget that I was pregnant at the beginning of this year with a surprise #3. And when I say surprise, I mean “SURPRISE!!!!!” It was an eventful pregnancy with two lil’ ones, a demanding job, a renovation in progress and a traveling HH. I ended up on modified bed rest for the last two months.

We finished one bathroom. It’s still the only functioning bathroom in our house.

It was a girl! We welcomed Mabrey Larew and our lives grew even busier. But, damn, she is so cute. Okay, so maybe 2012 wasn’t a total loss.

I officially quit my day job as a retail pharmacist. I don’t miss the work but I miss the comradery, the paycheck {quitting my job meant cutting our household income by 50%} and getting out of the house on a regular basis. This SAHM stuff is serious business.

We finished and installed a walnut butcher block countertop for our kitchen island. It’s still one of our favorite projects to date.

We finally moved out of our apartment and into the Underdog.

We had a water leak which forced us to move out of the house for several days. I’m still having nightmares about that one.

I went dairy-free for baby’s sake and you guys were such a huge support system. FYI – Mabrey gave up breastfeeding a month or so ago and I’ve since reintroduced dairy into my diet in small doses. Hello cheese. Nice to see you again.

We organized the bedroom closets to maintain some sort of sanity.

I decorated one room. It remains the only decorated room in the house.

We excavated. In the mud vs. Dana battle, mud won.

I painted a rug because I’m crazy like that.

I met John & Sherry. It was one of the only times I got out of the house without all three kiddos in tow. I forgot how to act in public.

We tweaked the kitchen.

I practiced speed blogging.

HH found color-changing Christmas lights to appease everyone.

And then the year was over. Just like that. I had assumed 2012 would be the year I focused more on decorating and blogging but I was distracted by poopy diapers, hungry kids, school parties, sibling rivalry, sleepless nights, dirty dishes, piles of laundry and New Girl. Why is it taking me so long to find my sea legs after downsizing, quitting my job and churning out baby #3? Maybe it’s not the same for everyone but going from two kids to three has been extremely rough for us.

2012 is going out with a “thpppfth.” HH and I had plans for an adults only NYE night with another couple. We were going to get a babysitter. I was going to make dinner and dessert. We were going to drink and stay up late on purpose. We were going to entertain for the first time in our Underdog. Then 80% of us {that would be four out of five} went viral. And not in the good Bourne Legacy viral kind of way. Think more along the lines of exploding bodily fluids kind of viral. And we only have one bathroom. I’ll let you use your imagination.

Did I mention we’re on a tight schedule for a photo shoot scheduled for next week?

2012. Goodbye. And good riddance.

2013 come quick. Please bring toilet paper and sprinkle my kids with sleep fairy dust.

images: Dana Miller for House*Tweaking