The laminate counter top that sits on our dining room cabinets was destroyed by the previous homeowners. I’m not sure what they did to it, but for the last six years I just covered it with a wood grain contact paper. Since I’m putting in all this effort to beautify the dining room, I decided the ugly laminate HAD. TO. GO. Material List: – 2×8 Pine Boards: https://www.homedepot.com/p/2-in-x-8-in-x-8-ft-2-and-Better-Prime-Douglas-Fir-Lumber-2024-8/206020925 – Sander and Sand Paper in Varying Grits ( The one I used is old and not sold anymore, so here is a similar one: https://amzn.to/3kyvZ95 ) – Stain ( I used Minwax in Dark Walnut ): https://amzn.to/3adYxjg – Stain Sponges: https://amzn.to/31BFbAQ… Keep Reading
DIY Gallery Wall
As a part of my Dining Room/Home Office makeover, I struggled with finding a way to display our family photos in a clean, modern way. The wall decor we had before felt cluttered and inconsistent. For a couple of months now, the wall space in this room has been blank while I searched Pinterest for inspiration. I finally landed on the idea to create a big statement gallery wall. What I mean by “gallery wall” is an evenly spaced grid of picture frames. Buying Frames There are a LOT of different sizes and configurations that you can do. I chose to use simple black 11×14 frames with white 8×10 mats…. Keep Reading
Studio Re-Opening Cleanliness Update
Studio Cleanliness has taken on a whole new level of meaning. For the last few months, the world sort of came to a stop due to COVID-19. Both my husband and I were forced to stop working and stay home for several weeks. It was a surreal feeling, but the time we got to spend together as a family was so meaningful. As our state cautiously opens, I am now booking sessions. To prepare, I have deep cleaned my studio and implemented new studio cleanliness guidelines on top of the policies already in place. What I’m Doing Differently for Studio Cleanliness I will only be booking one client per day… Keep Reading
Social Distancing Scavenger Hunt
Since it has been recommended that we practice social distancing, most of our time has been spent at home. My kids are restless and fighting a lot more than usual. As of right now, we are still allowed to leave our homes without restrictions. So, while we continue to abide by social distancing guidelines, I came up with a scavenger hunt that we can do in the car. We just spent some time driving around town, checking things off of the list as we saw them. I had my 7 year old hold the clipboard and be in charge of the list. I’ll drop a printable scavenger hunt copy with… Keep Reading