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March Superlatives: Crown, Color & Can Lights

Lights. Camera. March recap time! Last month was a busy one – lots of nail gunning (crown & fireplace), playing with paint (including a new color in the kitchen) and even a couple of geeky tech upgrades. So we’re taking a moment to appreciate all the things that we checked off of our list in March as a motivator to make April just as productive! Oh and you can catch superlative recaps of the last 2+ years here (in 26 handy posts instead of 870!). Plus, we’ve got a little clue about what’s happening next week in the mix…

Most Colorful: Monday’s giveaway. Here’s a hint.

Pantone

Scariest: Beginning the process of installing crown molding to four rooms, especially considering how poorly it went for us the first time (back in our kitchen renovation, pre-nail-gun). But thanks to two new tools it was a lot easier, which gave me the confidence to actually write a full tutorial this time!

Crown BA Corner Detail

Most Colorful: Sharing our 2013 Benjamin Moore paint picks, which included some ways that we dream about using some of the colors. We’d still love to try this pairing someday…

BenMoore Calypso Blue

Most Overdue: After living with three non-functional ceiling fixture boxes in our living room for far too long (they were there, just capped) we finally hired an electrician to help us turn two of them into can lights and moved the third so we could hang a pendant light over the table. Finally!

Liv Lights3

Most Mixed Up: All the decor in Clara’s big girl room, which helped inspire this answer to a reader question about mixing prints & patterns.

Mixing And Matching Patterns

Most Hilarious: This picture that someone tweeted us after this post about replacing the doorbell (as well as other eyesores) in our hallway. Our photo of Burger barking his head off clued them into the fact that this might be up our alley. We laughed about it for days.

Superlatives Dog Barking

Least Gray Paint With The Name Gray In It: The new paint color in our kitchen. We finally ditched the difficult-to-photography grellow for Benjamin Moore’s Colorado Gray which is actually quite blue.

Kitchen Corner

Most Likely To Include Superlatives, But Doesn’t: Our family yearbook, which we printed to commemorate everything we did last year (including a list of highlights on the first page and a gallery of instagram photos in the back). We’re glad to finally welcome 2012 to the stack.

Yearbook 13 Stack

Most Arrow-Happy: Me, at least based on this graphic that we came up with to help explain the plan for our fireplace refacing project. If this makes your brain spin a little bit, that makes two of us.

FireSurround Plan

Coolest: This local ice cream store that we crashed to show off some of its inspiring decor – including milk bottle lights, great mixed materials, and even some penny tile!

Gelati 10 Flavor Board

Purtiest: The marble subway tile that we laid in a herringbone pattern along the hearth of our fireplace. One of my favorite things ever. And that’s real talk.

FireTile 24 After Herringbone Detail

Most Familiar: This house crash that we shared of my sister Emily’s home here in Richmond. Usually a house crash happens on the same day that we see the place in person for the first time, so it was fun / weird to be taking photos of a place that’s hosted so many family gatherings.

Emily 3 Dining Room

Laziest: Me, although I’d argue it’s a sign of ingenuity that I got a remote control to help me click off both of our bedside lamps at night. And c’mon, aren’t you allowed to be lazy when it comes to laying in your own bed?

Remote Not Straining

Biggest Nerds: Whoever calculated all of the random stats that we compiled for this infographic-tastic look back at our book tour. Number of hours on a plane? Number of cupcakes received? Who would be weird enough to keep track of such things? Hint: they’re pictured below.

TourStats 5 Hours Signing

Best Photobomb: Well, “best” might be a stretch. But after barely sneaking my face into this framing out our fireplace photo, I think I was just about the only candidate for the title this month. Come on Burger. Step it up.

FireSurround 17 John Nailing

Most Magical: This little sensor that we added to our TV (technically called an IR-extender) that allows us to use our remote despite having hidden the cable box out of sight in a ventilated drawer. Also magical? The Restore-a-Finish that we used to breathe some life back into that media cabinet after decades of grime built up.

Rf Remote 2

Least Pregnant: I guess everyone in our house could claim this category, but we’re gonna give it to Sherry. Her declaration that she’s not pregnant and gentle explanation about why asking her (or any woman) if they’re expecting can be dicey seemed to really strike a chord with you guys. Almost 1,500 comments later, it currently ranks as our 4th most popular blog post ever. And in case you’re wondering, it comes in behind sharing our book tour dates, telling Clara’s birth story and announcing Clara’s arrival. And it just barely beat out Sherry revealing her Eminem-lovin’ past.

Bump Collage2

Most Neglected: Our guest room, which has gotten little attention since we first threw it together back in 2010. But we made a quick mirror swap, which brightened up the area above the headboard a bit (and allowed us to answer a common “when do you splurge?” reader question).

Guest Horiz3

Most Transformed: Our fireplace, once we put the finishing touches on our little refacing project. We’re still amazed by the ripple effect of this project (it somehow made the whole kitchen feel a lot fresher).

FirePaint Full From Hallway

Most Inspirational: These words of wisdom from Silver Tree Art, which were part of Sherry’s first experiment in putting temporary tattoos on wood for some easy art. It was one of three little updates in this smorgasbord post, which also included adding a timer to Clara’s play kitchen, framing some meaningful metal art, and sharing where one of our book projects finally found a home.

Tattoos5

How was your March? If you had to summarize it in one word what would it be? Relaxing? Whirlwind? Productive? Easter-y? I think ours would be: nail-gun-riddled.

 Psst- Our latest roundup of Clara Conversations are over on Young House Life, and (predictably) they’re our favorites yet. That girl just has a way with words.

Comments

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Aw, don’t be ashamed Janel! Some months are a lot slower for us too (March was a really busy one since we were finally back from all that touring and raring to get cracking on some heavier duty things like the molding and fireplace). My advice would be just to celebrate anything that you can check off the list, no matter how small. I think that’s the secret to keeping spirits (and momentum) up :)

      xo
      s

    • Sandra T says

      Janel, my shame is 13 years old. So please know that you have plenty of company and don’t feel bad! And Sherry, thanks for the encouragement for us slow pokes, it couldn’t come at a better time. We just started (4 weeks ago now) a BIG kitchen remodel that keeps getting delayed for one reason or another. We are done with demo (there is NOTHING left in the room, not even the flooring on the sub-floor), and the stress of daily living without a kitchen and trying to move construction forward with any kind of enthusiasm is wearing us down. I’m hoping that even a non-detailed list with items checked off (he doesn’t usually make lists, he has “smart geek brain,” will encourage my husband, and am starting one asap! Thanks!:D

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Thanks Wendy! That was all John. Back when we decided to do them (just to keep momentum/spirits up and make it easier to find posts) John thought it would be a fun spin to give them nerdy titles like Most ___ and Least Likely To ___. I was game, so here we are. Haha!

      xo
      s

  6. hill says

    Colorado Gray- with 300 days of sunshine, there is no “gray” here only blue, ha ha. We even have a name for it– blue bird days, when you’ve just gotten snow (we had 18 inches two days ago) but the sun is out.
    And I’ve always wondered is it grey or gray?

    Reply

  7. Brittany says

    I don’t know how I missed some of these last month! It was fun to go back :)
    Btw, did you guys know there’s a person on twitter whose handle is @younghouseloveh…using your slogan. I’m sure it’s to get followers but I don’t know if there’s anything you can do about it..

    Reply

  8. Julia @ One Oops at a Time says

    As a long-time resident of Colorado, if I had to take a stab at explaining the reasoning behind your seemingly confused and very-blue “Colorado Gray” paint color, it would be that Colorado is a notoriously sunny state, clocking in with around 250-300 days of sunshine a year. So perhaps “Colorado Gray” is a clever nod to the fact that there is rarely such a thing as a gray sky in Colorado, and even when the skies are gray, you can pretty much count on the fact that they will be blue very shortly. Just a guess. :)

    Reply

  11. Anita says

    Love these recaps since I always spy an interesting post that I missed!

    p.s. did you hear that Dexter is ending with the upcoming 8th season? :-(

    Reply

  12. Ali B. says

    March was all about saving up for a big office re-do! We sold some stuff on eBay and Craigslist and saved it all up. I have a few more things to list to get the very last of the junk out of the room, but the budget is in place and we’re SO READY to start!

    Reply

  13. Melanie says

    Good Morning you two, this has nothing to do with your monthly roundup, and you probably know already, but just in case, did you know you were mentioned in Jessica Alba’s book “The Honest Life” ? Isn’t it funny to think celebrities might be reading your blog, thinking “oh! I should totally do that in my house!”

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Isn’t that crazy?!?! For a second my brain exploded but then I reasoned that there’s no way Jessica Alba reads our blog, so there must have been someone who put those indexed lists into the back of the book for her. Unless Jessica is here right now. Are you here Alba, it’s me Margaret?! Haha!

      xo
      s

    • Melanie says

      Who knows! She might, she did craigslist a ton of furniture in her house, so she might be game. You guys are really becoming a household name.
      PS I just refinished a veneer sideboard (just need to replace the hardware) based on your tutorial from YHL BC (before Clara). It worked like a charm! I am so proud, you guys must just burst with pride when you look around your home at all you have accomplished! Thanks for all you do to keep others motivated.

  16. Cindy says

    I love these monthly recaps! And I somehow missed the post about that IR-extender-thingy, but I am soooooo going to snitch that idea and use it once I get our living room going. Woot! ;-)

    Reply

    • Melanie says

      Dexter is CRAY CRAY CRAZY! Love that show! We named our Boston Terrier after him because he is a little evil sometimes.

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Haha! John and I actually love that name for a boy, but we’re a little too nervous to do that for real (what if he has Dexter-ish tendencies?!).

      xo
      s

    • Melanie says

      We liked it too, but had the same concerns. We let the dog take the heat for the bad name connotations and named our son Declan instead… yeah… Dexter and Declan… I mix their names up all the time… #doh

  20. Jenna says

    Great roundup! I’m still drooling over the fireplace and trying to persuade my husband to help me do ours over (even though we recently white-washed it> http://wifeinprogressblog.com/white-washed-fireplace/). It’s just not the same as having EXACTLY the fireplace that you want! The tile you used is so beautiful too.

    AND, speaking of gray…I actually painted my kitchen an actual real shade of gray. I love your blue, but right now gray is my favorite color and I’ve painted 3 rooms in my house the same shade (Behr soft gray > http://wifeinprogressblog.com/kitchen-makeover-part-1/)

    Reply

  21. Heather P. says

    Is it weird that every time I see the words “penny tile,” I read them with the same voice and inflection as Bobby Cobb yells “Penny can!” on Cougar Town?

    I really hope it’s not just me that does that… :-)

    Reply

  22. Emily says

    Always love your round-ups :) Couple things –

    1. What did you guys do with your university diplomas? What about other memorabilia from childhood/college? Do you still have your old school notebooks? Text books? My mom is always bringing me stuff that she wants to clean out from her house, but I don’t necessarily want to keep those things in my house either! Just wondering if you guys have dealt with that.

    2.Do you have a money post in the hopper for anytime soon? I’ve been curious about your current goals. (Not that I want to know your numbers, just the approach that is suiting your lifestyle right now.) I always appreciated your previous posts on mortgage/debt-elimination, couponing, and saving money. I understand that’s very personal, but if you could approach it in your usual professional and tactful YHL way, I’d be very interested!

    Thanks, as always!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      So funny you ask about another money-saving post! I just emailed myself an idea for a new post in that series last night while sitting on the sofa. Can’t wait to write it up! Sometimes I feel like I’ve shared it all (we have used the same methods to save for a long time) but I thought of a few more things so… yay! As for diplomas, we have them in two small-ish tubes in our closet with other things that we save (a box of momentos from early dating years, old photo albums, etc). An under-bed bin (those tupperware bins) might be another way to go!

      xo
      s

  24. Melissa says

    Okay so I have been reading your blog for almost a year and I somehow managed to miss reading about the day Clara arrived and the Eminem story/video…. until now, that is. I’m so glad I read them in that order because I was crying at the first one and laughing hysterically at the second one.

    Sherry, that video is so cute! You win the title of Most Adorable Rapper.

    So, I’m sending a big hug to the three of you for what you went through on Clara’s birth day and I’d also like to express my request to see $herdog continue to rap on the blog.

    Signed,
    Your white-lady-rapper friend in spirit,
    M-Dogg

    Reply

  25. Rebecca H. says

    We have a remote control for our bedside lamps too….. and our sound machine. In my opinion, that doesn’t make us any lazier than using an automatic coffee maker. ;)

    Reply

  26. Henna | HENNA BLOSSOM BLOG says

    I still can’t believe what a difference the crown molding makes! I think that’s my third comment this month about the crown molding, haha. Get over it already, Henna! :) …it’s a project on our horizon!

    I’m glad you guys do these monthly round-ups. How do you guys get more done in a month though than I accomplish in a YEAR?! :)

    EEK, looks like we will be getting NOTHING done in the next few months. Fingers crossed but we’re thinking about working remotely from Croatia and Italy for the next few months. Oh man, I hope it works out. Sorry house, you’ll have to wait. :)

    Reply

  27. liniv says

    My, what big pillows you guys have! It seems so cozy and nice! Is it too much to ask what kind of pillows you guys have?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Hmm, it depends what room you’re talking about. Haha! If you mean the bedroom ones we sleep on, they’re from Target. I just squeezed them and picked the ones that felt good (medium, so they’re not too soft or too hard). Haha!

      xo
      s

  28. Sarah says

    Thank you for your blog post about people inquiring if you are pregnant. It was one of the first posts I read on your blog and couldn’t have agreed more! People really need to think about the points you mentioned before asking someone if they are pregnant. Well said! I love your blog and look forward to reading it everyday! Thanks:)

    Reply

  30. Heather says

    You guys do a great job and are an inspiration! I always look forward to what you are up to next. Thanks for sharing with us and helping us make our houses feel like home.

    Reply

  31. Kaitlyn says

    I just wanted to drop in to say as much as I love your blog, I am REALLY loving your sidebar ad for the American Cancer Society! I started working for ACS last June, and I take great pride in seeing our logo, message, and mission in the media and now on your blog! It’s the 100th birthday of ACS this year–let’s finish the fight!

    Reply

  32. Shay says

    I am in love with Pantone’s Emerald color; but honestly it is not a good name choice and it’s been bugging me for months! Pantones color has too much blue for a proper Emerald. They should have called it Tourmaline Green if they wanted a gem stone name. I’ve always wondered how you go about getting the job of “Color Namer”. Seems like an interesting path.

    Reply

  33. Sheryn says

    Hey, just finished the last episode of Suburgatory… Is that y’alls chandelier (the same one that’s in your dining room) that he pulls down from the ceiling in the house??

    Reply

  34. cappy says

    I love that my question/print post made the superlatives! Still working with prints but I am not afraid now and finding so many great mixes. Thank you!

    on a different topic…did you ever post about the “DIY” part of selling your home? Not so much actually numbers but all that went into it like representing yourself, advertising, what you have learned/what you would have done differently? Would you do it again?

    Reply

    • andrea says

      we have the hedgehog and the bird in our guest room actually! They’re perfect nightlights, and I’m thinking about getting my dad one. He leaves a nightlight on in his kitchen and hallways so that there are no stubbed toes for midnight munchy raids.

  36. Nicole says

    As I was reading this at work :/ and realizing how awesome y’all are at staging.. I wondered if you could ever do a post on how to Stage/decorate these dull, monotonous, grey cubicle walls.. (think Office Space&TPS reports :D ) ya know, to look at little more like home. Since we spend WAY more time here than at home anyway. Have an awesome sunday!

    Reply

  37. Laura says

    So glad you get so much enjoyment out of the dog pic I tweeted you guys. My husband and I pull it up at least once a week and always crack up about it. Must be a chihuahua thing because my in-laws dog sings all the time. I get a “Happy Birthday” serenade from him every year over the phone.

    Reply

  39. heather says

    I started reading right around the time you moved into your new home, and not regularly until after, so I had never read Clara’s birth announcement before. How sweet. Also, it’s proven Sherry has ridiculous genes. How someone looks that good after all of that is beyond me. Seriously though, since I had already read her birth story through some other link on this blog, it made me so thankful once again that you all were okay. What a blessing that little girl has been, and sometimes to us too as she makes us crack up laughing with the funny things she says!

    Reply

  41. Angela says

    I have a challenger for Least Gray Paint With the Name Gray In It … Benjamin Moore Gentleman’s Gray. We just painted our master bedroom this colour (sorry Canadian spelling!) and its a beautiful and rich navy/indigo blue.

    Also, Most Magical = Mind Blown!

    Reply

  42. Nicole S. says

    Will there be anymore monthly recaps for the rest of 2013? Looks like March was the last of them on the site :( These are so fun – hope they can make a comeback!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      So sorry Nicole! Those seemed to fall off before we moved, and for now we’re happy just to recap things in posts like these (even though it’s a few months at a time) but who knows, they might come back someday! So glad you enjoyed them!

      xo
      s

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