Young House Love

Home Decorating & DIY Tutorials

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Ram Down!

Remember our dear sweet never-hurt-a-fly Ramsey who watched over us in a not-creepy-at-all way when we slept?

Vertical Bedroom

He was a beloved member of our household and even inspired Burger to do yoga.

Ram Pic6

Well, Ramsey will be missed.

Broken Ram

And yes, it totally felt like this tragedy of yore all over again.

Broke Dog Full

Except John didn’t draw a depiction of the event…

Broke Dog Cartoon

… because it actually wasn’t John’s fault. But yes, yesterday we bid a fond farewell to our TJ Maxx find when he somehow popped off the wall in the kitchen where he was temporarily hanging for a book vignette above the fireplace. No one was even in the room to attempt to catch him on the way down. It pains me that he died alone. John’s even a little sad too. He was a good little ram. And we loved sleeping under his all-knowing gaze very much.

We were doing so well over the last three weeks of photo-shoot madness. A house full of cameras + people + equipment + secret projects + extra furniture/accessories is definitely like Catherine Zeta Jones trying to slither through those red lasers in that scene in Entrapment (you know the one). Except more lurchy and uncoordinated. Which is why it’s no surprise that on our second to last day of shooting (yes, today is our very last book shoot day after three full weeks of photography here at our casa!!!) Ramsey was our first casualty. Poor guy. What not-creepy-at-all ceramic animal will we hang over our bed now? We’ll just have to wait and see who catches our eye. But for the time being, there’s a hole in our hearts (and on our wall) for our dearly departed Ramsey.

Speaking of the end of our book shoots (can you believe our last book process post was three whole weeks ago?) we thought it would be fun to share a few pics from the last 21 insanely exhausting yet completely amazing and exhilarating days of essentially turning this pile of paper…

ShootDay1 Manuscript Ready

… into a holy-cow-it’s-real book that now just needs to be laid out/designed, sent off to “the printer’s”, and will be available for preorder this summer and out this fall. Ahhhhhh. And you know this little ol’ blog is just about whatever’s going on at our house (projects, broken ceramic animals, miscellaneous photography-related chaos), so we had to alert you to the latest (both in ram-related injuries and photography progress). As our shooting marathon draws to a close, we have shot over 2,000 photos (!!!) out of which 200-ish will make the final cut (we got lots of angles and progress pics and variations of things, so for every ten shots that we took, we usually just kept one). We even shot three different cover concepts yesterday – all of which we managed to worm our way out of (haha, we were so freaked out by the idea of seeing our smiling mugs on the cover of the book for years to come). They all came out really great – especially without our awkward faces in them – so we can’t wait to see which one they pick.

And you know over-sharers like us want to spill those pics and deets rightthissecond, but alas, we’re not allowed (gotta save it for fall when the book is out). So without further ado: here’s as much as we’re permitted to divulge when it comes to the chaos that was our lives during these past three weeks. Um yeah, the playroom has secretly been painted about nine times. Not kidding.

Ram Sherry Painting

Different parts of the room got different colors that we assigned to spotlight specific shots/projects/vignettes (so the whole book isn’t full of Moonshine and Sesame and the other few colors in our house). So yes, part of the reason we’re tackling more Dude, Get On That Already challenges is definitely because all the items that used to live in the playroom have been offset into other rooms while we paint/shoot in there (the sunroom, guest room, our bedroom, and the dining room = crazytown). In keeping-it-real news, about four colors into it we got sick of repainting. Haha.

Ram John Over Painting

But oddly enough by about the eight and ninth ones it felt like second nature. Last night we even stenciled one wall for a special shot that we’re taking this afternoon. Yowsa. What will we do with ourselves when we’re not painting the playroom walls every few days after Clara goes to bed?

There was also gluing, taping, spray painting, dyeing, stenciling, staining, and a bunch of other secret DIY bid-ness going on. And we had to protect our hands for process shots throughout so we didn’t look – as Clara would say – “messy, messy, Mommy!” – hence all my dark nail polish as of late (to hide the grub under my nails) and John’s Dexter-ish rubber gloves.

Ram John Stain Hands

Clara had a lot of fun checking things out (and yes, those are my snazzy spray painting clothes, complete with fuzzy red socks). The photographer’s name is Kip Dawkins and Clara loved following him around squealing “Hi Kip! Hi Kip! Hi Kip!” on repeat (kind of like kids asking “are we there yet?” every two minutes on a road trip). By the end of week one she not only knew everyone’s name, she could identify their cars when they pulled into the driveway (“Marcie’s car! Kip’s car! Susan’s car!” was a normal morning refrain) and was surprisingly good about keeping a pretty safe distance while still enjoying all the action. We’re so grateful this insanity didn’t completely wreck Clara’s life (and very very thankful for John’s parents, who snuck off with her whenever things got really hairy). But she did amazingly well with so much “change” at home – in fact, I think she might ask where everyone went when they stop coming by every day.

Ram Clara Watching Kip

Here’s how we shot some of our pics to demonstrate how a few of our projects were done mid-process. The bigger ones got laid out on the floor and shot from further away. That white thing in the background is a “seamless” so the process shots look simple and uncluttered, while most of the after shots are things that we “styled in situation” – meaning they’re somewhere in our house to give those photos some environment (ex: on a table/on the wall/in a room/near a window or door/outside/etc – but they’ll probably only look vaguely familiar as being in our house since so many things like furniture arrangements and wall colors and accessories have changed). Oh and the thing over us is a reflector to keep the lighting consistent throughout the book. I liked to pretend it was a sail and we were out in the tropics on a boat. I guess I’m just as guilty of daydreaming as Clara (who saw fishies here).

Burger was also pretty cool with all the new folks and extra stuff in our space. Look, here he is perching on disembodied Karl like it’s no big deal. We worked him into the book like a champ. What’s a YHL book without some quality Burger shots up in there?

Ram Burger Blocked By Scrim

It was at this moment about a week and a half into shooting when we realized that our house hadn’t looked this crazy since moving day. Yup, that’s our guest bed in the corner of the living room. We carried that thing all over our house for different shots. It became kind of a game. Where can we put the bed next? The funny thing is that the bed shows how giant this room really is. It’s a gymnasium-sized room.

Ram Bed In Corner

Here’s that same guest bed up against the back of the fireplace, completely blocking traffic. That finished book shot is actually one of our favorites. It was two projects in one being shown in that picture (neither of which are visible here of course). Oh man, is it fall yet? Can’t wait to show you guys.

Ram Bed Against Fireplace

Look, no more bed in the corner, but that’s a drop leaf table back there. We had some dining scenes to shoot and since we have a giant round table we had to borrow a regular rectangular one from a local shop for the day to make normal shots easier to snag.

Ram Dining Table In Corner

Oh and look, that’s not our sofa! It’s another borrowed-from-a-local-shop item that we used for a few vignettes. This sofa also shows how giant Karl the Sectional is (we have eight of those pics hanging above Karl, as contrasted with the three over this standard-sized sofa).

Ram Coach In Dining Room

So to the crew who are practically like family after nearly a month of “living” with us: thanks for everything! And to you guys for bearing with us while we’ve juggled this and the kitchen redo and the bean and “the bug” that tore through our house earlier this week and all of our Portland prep (which means we were a little slower on comments from time to time): thanks for understanding! And to any and all varieties of dark chocolate: we couldn’t have done it without you! Hey, when you don’t drink coffee you have to grab a little zing of caffeine anywhere ya can.

Have you guys broken anything lately? Or completely turned your house upside down? Or gotten to know a group of total strangers over the course of a month to the point that you know their favorite music/food/color/quotes/movies? It’s so crazy how much has happened since Christmas. Is anyone else still scratching their heads that it’s mid-February? How did that happen?

Psst- You can check out our other three book-related posts over the last year here, here, and here.

Comments

  1. Jessie D says

    Can you let us know how to preoder your book when the time comes? I’m super excited to read it, especially since my husband and I close on our very first home in two weeks!! I can’t wait to try all the DIY ideas that float through my brain as a result of all the creative/beautiful things you guys have done. Thanks!!

    Reply

  2. Nicole says

    Moment of silence for Ramsey…..

    I like to think he has found his body again and is running free up there again.

    I can’t wait for the book, you guys really can build some suspense!

    Nicole

    Reply

  3. Deirdre says

    Looking forward to purchasing the book in the fall! I’m a summer birthday, so it might have to be a late birthday present – or an early Christmas gift!

    Oh, fyi, you may already know this – but you guys got a shout out on Tori Spelling’s webpage/blog/lifestyle thing called ediTORIal. go to http://www.torispellingcom and look under “dwell”

    Reply

  4. Emma says

    Super excited that your coming to Portland. If you need names of restaurants, great DIY / thrift stores ( remember we are tax free out here when it comes to shopping), great kid friendly places to take Clara, etc….just let us ( your PDX fans know) and we will be happy to make recommendations. Safe travels!

    Reply

  6. Erin says

    Advice you guys!! I hope you can help. My husband and I lost a house we were under contract in after the sellers refused to make expensive repairs for us. So we are stuck renting for another year. I really want to enjoy our place more than I do now… Hopefully paint, change blinds… Am I crazy god wanting to paint 1000 sq ft of renting space or spending money on blinds in a rental?! What do you guys think? :)

    Reply

  7. KathyG says

    Good Work Guys. Your work ethic is so wonderful to see. No complaining, no quitting, just forging ahead with the goal in mind. Way to go!

    Forget the caffeine, I think you need a Margarita! haha. I make a Yummy Mango Margarita that will make you think you’re already on that beach in Maui. ;-)

    Reply

  8. Janel says

    You guys are amazing. I don’t know how you managed to keep your sanity through all of this, and keep us totally entertained every day on the blog. Or at least appear to keep your sanity to all of us! I know I never really thought of all the work that would go into a book like yours and have an even greater appreciation now. I CANNOT WAIT til it’s out in the fall!

    Reply

  9. KC says

    Congrats to you both! Like many others, I can’t wait for the book to come out. And, on a completely different note, Clara is a pure genius. I love hearing/seeing her amazing progress as a toddler…along with her cute antics and sayings. You two are not only inspirations as DYIers, but as parents. Well done :)

    Reply

  10. Kristin H. says

    I don’t know if anyone’s asked this or not, but does painting the same wall 9 times make it look any different once you paint it back? Like bulgey compared to the other walls or anything? I always wondered if there could ever be such a thing as painting too many times! (I mean I know coats of paint are so thin and all, but I’m sure they add up right?!)

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      We were conscious of not painting to a sharp edge each time because otherwise we’d end up with a bit ridge on the wall. So each time we painted a slightly smaller area and feathered the edges with a paintbrush. Though I’m sure if you looked at the wall as a whole it probably bulges every so slightly in the middle now. :)

      -John

  11. Maaike says

    Can’t wait for the book! Can’t imagine the organization and energy it takes to do all that you do – be proud of yourselves! I am amazed and inspired:>

    We had our share of house chaos last year – mice! We had to empty our two bedrooms as well as all our storage areas to have the ceiling removed, professionally cleaned and sealed by a bio/animal control company, then new ceiling and lights installed. So we squeezed our two little girls in our office and my husband and I slept on an airbed in the living room. It was stuff upon stuff! And we only have 1000 sq ft! It took two months to recover from! ugh! Glad it’s over!

    Keep up the great work!

    Reply

  12. Sherry from BC says

    Oh my. You have been through the wringer lately and yet you haven’t dropped the ball on your regular blog entries….amazing…..give yourselves a pat on the back! I hope you release some outtake photos after the book comes out…..the teaser photos here look interesting. Can’t wait to see what you put over the bed to replace Ramsey.

    It is great that Clara is taking the upheaval so well. Perhaps she is a future decorator/blogger? I have an idea for her birthday gift. My ex and I built a bookcase/dollhouse for our daughter years ago that fit Barbies nicely. It was big and roomy and suitable for decorating. We just used thin plywood and cut some doors and windows and then painted it and put some carpet samples and wallpaper and paint and let her at it. Oh we also put it on big ole wheels so it could be moved around. It is still kicking. Went to my daughter’s house for her daughter a little while ago. We do need new furniture though. I have included a link to a site that has great plans that I am thinking of ordering for my little granddaughter.

    http://www.foreststreetdesigns.com/Forest_Street_Designs_First_Toy/Barbie_House_Plan.html

    Just think of all the fun Clara could have decorating. Right now my granddaughter just plays with the furniture in the doll house. She puts the dolls to bed and then moves all the furniture around. Maybe she wants to decorate too? Anyway. Just thought you might want to consider this for her upcoming birthday or Christmas when you might need a new project for your idle hands….ROTFL

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Haha- love that idea! I have been thinking a lot about a birthday dollhouse for her in May (she is enamored with tiny things like small plastic animals and blocks and stuff). Thanks for the tip!

      xo,
      s

  13. Anna says

    Congrats on wrapping up the book shoot! I decided to man up and come meet you at the Home & Garden Show. See you WEDNESDAY! Gah!!!!!!!! I am terrified and in awe of you guys.

    My husband will be a somewhat unwilling and confused participant, so I apologize if he does not show the proper deference that YHL deserves…

    I hope you really enjoy Portland! I look forward to hearing what you guys think. (Maybe give Clara another chance at the famous Voodoo Doughnut?)

    Reply

  14. Sue says

    I too wanted to know about the pillows. I don’t suppose they are still available? I am moving into my own house in 2 weeks, and I love these!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      I think the ones from HomeGoods might be (they tend to stick around a while) but the West Elm one was so long ago it’s probably gone. Maybe try ebay though?

      xo,
      s

  16. Krystle Clark says

    So excited for your book! Just had to mention that I love that you named your sofa, Karl – hilarious! I’m entering dangerous grounds tomorrow and am going to Ikea for the first time ever! I’ll be sure to send Karl’s regards to his leftover friends while I’m there. Let’s see how many things I end up walking out of there with ;-) Congrats on nearing the end of the madness!

    Reply

  18. Jessica F. says

    Wow! That’s quite the life to live with now. Keep going! Giving you lots of kudos! My piggy bank has some money set aside for when the YHL book comes out. So technically one copy has already been sold! ;) Hopefully that will keep you going.

    Reply

  19. Karen says

    What an exciting time for you. I am very impressed with your multitasking skills. It must be time for vacation now.

    Thanks for keeping us in the loop,
    Karen

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      We’re not! We both wish we liked the taste but just don’t! Isn’t that odd. Both of us grew up with moms who drank it and kissed us with coffee breath in the morning (yuck!) – haha. So maybe that explains it?

      xo,
      s

  21. Adrienne says

    Aw, sad. At least Ramsy didn’t fall off the wall when he was over your bed, while you were in the bed! That would have hurt.

    Reply

  22. JanetL says

    you could convert the white dresser into a toy chest for the playroom. I love seeing pieces of furniture becoming something totally different – like what you did with the toy kitchen.

    Reply

  23. hyzen says

    Sorry to see Ramsey go–I liked him! I noticed One Kings Lane had some nice, reasonably priced faux mounted heads for sale today–you might want to check it out. I almost got one for myself, but in the end I feel a little funny about a disembodied head mounted to the wall, even if it’s obviously fake. I think I would have a hard time explaining it to my 3 year old. So, I’ll stick to whole fake animals for now. :)

    Reply

  24. Lana says

    We’ve just bought our first house and I can’t wait to begin decorating it and painting it. Your site is full of inspiration and now I’m finally going to have the space to try some things. Thanks for pushing through the book to get it published in the fall! I can’t wait to read it!! Have a great weekend!

    Reply

  26. Sarah says

    so sorry to hear about the ram guy. Such a tragedy!
    And thanks for the run-down on all the photo/book craziness… just makes my head spin reading about it. I don’t know how you guys do it!!!

    Reply

  27. Paula M. says

    Wow, repainting craziness! No wonder John is doing the mock-finger thing in that one photo (LOL).

    But speaking of which (and apologies if this has been answered already): what is that lovely sesame, wheat, toasty color that he’s painting there? I really like it (I’m looking for a subtle goldish color for my hallway) — although I realize my monitor may show it in a misleading tint. (Your kitchen still looks yellow-green to me, rather than a deeper avocado green, for example.)

    Thanks! … and if you don’t get to this question soon, or ever, I totally understand! You’re redoing the kitchen, doing your book, doing your book projects. When do you all sleep? :) …

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      I think it’s 25′ long by 15′ wide… so that’s 375 square feet? This back part of our house was an edition added in the 70’s (the original house was just 1200 square feet, which is the size of our first house too). We did live in tiny tiny tiny NYC apartments though (to the tune of 150 square feet including a tiny kitchen and miniscule bathroom) so we remember those days for sure!

      xo,
      s

  29. Chrissie says

    RAMSY! Why? WHYYYY?
    *ahem*
    I’m so impressed with how you guys made it through the craziness, I think I would have given in to panic attacks after the first week. Or you know, camped in the back yard or something to avoid it.

    I can’t wait to see the finished product!!

    I haven’t been destroying anything, but my husband was almost beaten by a gate last week… http://www.fearninckxrising.com/subjugated

    Reply

  30. [email protected] says

    hey sherry! i’ve been mia for a while so i’m desperately trying to catch up on your blog but i’m a little lost :)

    so, you’re making a book. i’ve got that much. and you’re redecorating for it, as well? am i getting things straight? haha.

    i’m so buying your book.

    Reply

  32. Stephanie N says

    Wow, sorry about Ramsey (Cute name).

    It is crazy to me that you shot a books worth of photos in your house! Is that a normal thing to do or something you negotiated to have? It’s very interesting. I will be happy when you can share more info! :)

    I will be buying a copy to support my favorite home blog!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      I think it just depends what your book is about! Some home books feature other people’s home and projects, but ours is just about our projects so shooting everything in our house made the most sense in the end! It was also convenient since we have Clara and the kitchen reno and the blog to juggle!

      xo,
      s

    • YoungHouseLove says

      All of the colors that we tried made it into the book so they’ll all be seen this Fall! Not allowed to show them sooner- although when we finally paint all the walls for ourselves of course we’ll share all the details in real-time!

      xo,
      s

    • Ali says

      Totally understand! Anyway, it’ll be awesome to see some fresh, never seen material in the book. It’s on my..ummm…Fall wishlist? (I don’t have a birthday or anniversary or anything legit so I’ll just make something up..haha!)

  34. laxsupermom says

    Oh no! It stinks that your ram broke, but with the craziness in your house, it’s almost incredible that it was the only casualty. I’m exhausted just reading about all you guys do. Looking forward to this fall when the book comes out.

    Reply

  35. Heather says

    A photo of your ‘house guests’ (book crew) would be nice! Did you take one?
    Good luck with the next stage of the book. Let’s hope that it will be available to your overseas fans too!

    Reply

  37. katelyn says

    dearest sherry and john, first and foremost this is by far my favorite blog and consider my book pre-ordered, along with my mama’s–we talk about your house weekly. :)
    I’m exhausted just looking at this post and full of excitement as well, but I have to ask, please take a week off!!! We’ll be back here on pins and needles waiting for you guys I promise!

    Everyone needs a week vacation!!

    C’mon fellow readers!! I can’t be the only one who supports this?!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Aw thanks Katelyn! You’re not the only one to request this and we actually have one planned! It was our resolution this year to actually take a week off and by golly we can’t wait! Haha.

      xo,
      s

  38. Kristy says

    This week a shelf fell down in my toddler’s room while we were at work. It had several family heirlooms on it- teapots from my great-grandma, a ceramic lamb that was given to my grandma when she had my mom…I totally started bawling when I looked at it. My daughter looked at me and said, “Mommy dying,” which of course was supposed to sound like “Mommy crying”. She has been saying it all week! So sad! I’m not crying about it anymore, but still sad it happened. It did give me an excuse to rearrange things in her room.

    Reply

  40. Laci Waner says

    Wow! I just went on an emotional roller coaster reading your post. …amazing! All I can say is…amazing!

    Apparently my brain hiccupped, and now I can think of more than just “amazing.” I love that you shared info about Clara’s interaction with the photographers! I have been dieing to find out info on them. I think it would be so cool to hear 1. about them (like a caricature of each using words) and ya’lls interactions over the month and 2. a behind the scenes insider look (from their point of view) at the Petersiks and the the making of “How to Happily DIY Chaos” (I mean that as a sincere compliment). I am giddy beyond belief with anticipation of “the fall!!” …and I fully intend to see a “In loving memory of Ramsey. His dedication and sacrifice to keeping an open mind even in the face of chaos will be forever appreciated.”

    Reply

  41. Laurie says

    My husband’s beloved ceramic gnome (who I lovingly welcomed into the family when we got married) experienced a similar fate, although it was all my fault. I picked him up to dust (being a good wife!), and when I set him down he fell over and crashed on the floor. It all happened so fast. So the hunt to find a replacement gnome has ensued.

    In other news, it’s so much fun to read about the book updates! Can’t wait until it’s available for pre-order!

    Reply

  42. Bobby says

    We have a TJ Maxx nearby but I’m pretty sure they only sell clothes.. never seen anything sculptural or artistic there anyway. Hard luck, reminded me a little of the white dog from Friends!

    Reply

  43. Dawn Camp says

    I had this really horrible vision of that ram falling off the bedroom wall at night and landing on one of your heads, so maybe it’s better this way. If someone had to go, it should be him. :)

    Reply

  45. lauren claire | on the park says

    Oh no, Ramsey! We have the same guy (also from TJ’s) hanging in our bathroom, of all places. So if yours watched you while you slept, ours is watching while…

    We brush our teeth. (What did you THINK I’d say?!)

    Anyways… So excited about the book! Can’t wait to get my hands on a copy.

    Reply

  49. Chelsea in Richmond says

    I hope you guys took the entire weekend off for a well deserved R+R session!

    So I didn’t even think of this until just now, reading this post, but when you mention that you got stuff on loan for the photoshoots, did you ever call the Pier One in Short Pump for stuff? I only ask because a film crew called a few weeks ago to get some things- I think lamps maybe?- then they called again last week or the week before for something else. Film crew = movies in my mind so it didn’t even dawn on me until just now that maybe, possibly it was you guys, which would be so cool haha!

    Reply

  50. Heather Tucker says

    My condolences on the loss of your beloved ram. :-( Maybe you outta dedicate the book in his memory. Lol Just want to THANK YOU for sharing the cool conversion kit for the toilet flusher. I’ve seen these on public toilets and I’m so excited to get them at home! Headed to HD tomorrow! Thanks for sharing the 4-1-1. xo

    Reply

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