Holiday MashUp: where I lure you in with an abundance of sparkly Christmas stuff, but then discuss the prevalence of luxury-home blogs and how I have failed to sleep with Channing Tatum.

Hey there! If you’re here for the sparkly stuff? Welcome!
This blog is TOTALLY ALL ABOUT SPARKLY STUFF.

If you’re here for my mind-bogglingly amazing writing skills? Also, welcome.
I don’t break them out as often as the disco balls, but when I do, it’s fantastic.

My cheap mirror ball source.

When we moved here, all of a sudden I was tasked with juggling the design of renovating an entire house.

Which, objectively? Does not seem that hard… It already had walls and floors and rooms. So what is there to really design?

Wow. This is totally fascinating… keep reading.

Dec 4, 2012 By Victoria Elizabeth Barnes in Blogging, Holidays, My Favorite Posts 73 Comments Tags: Christmas, crafts, decorations, disco balls, DIY, evergreen garland, front door, Front Porch, Holiday, how to make a bow, mirror balls, Sparkle, Writing

I’m like Gollum. But much taller.

This year I wanted to do less.

Less with my manic, glassy-eyed hauling of stored ornaments. Less of my frantic bow-making when I realize the ribbon I used last year is undeniably hideous. Less of asking myself, where did I put that twelfth box of holiday stuff. Less with the hanging and nailing and hauling ladders and asking Paul to quit performing cold fusion to come help me hang a wreath.

Less of looking at my absolute mountain of Christmas decorations and asking myself WHY I HAVE SO MUCH CRAP.

Wow. This is totally fascinating… keep reading.

Nov 17, 2012 By Victoria Elizabeth Barnes in Holidays 39 Comments Tags: Christmas, decorations, disco balls, Front Porch, Holiday, mirror balls, Sparkle, Writing

Dear Studio 54 – your legend pales in my shadow.

I had planned to do at least twenty blog posts leading up to Halloween.
Maybe twenty-five, if I could find the time– I have that much to say about it.

That didn’t work out at all, but at least I can show you my Halloween porch.

Wow. This is totally fascinating… keep reading.

Oct 28, 2012 By Victoria Elizabeth Barnes in Holidays 49 Comments Tags: Christmas, decorations, disco balls, DIY, Front Porch, Halloween, mirror balls, porch and exterior ideas

Front Porch. Epilogue.

Has anyone seen my concentration?
I’ve been trying to finish this post for three days, but my brain keeps wandering off… The kind of stealth abandonment where it sneaks away, unsupervised and unnoticed.

Squandering your thoughts on the consideration of things that are clearly a total waste of time. And yet seem entirely necessary.

For example:
A Pinterest board dedicated to why Karl Lagerfeld is insane. Which would also be a Pinterest board dedicated to why Karl Lagerfeld is awesome.

In comparison, the final Front Porch post is boring. But that’s what you’re getting.

Wow. This is totally fascinating… keep reading.

Oct 17, 2012 By Victoria Elizabeth Barnes in Front Porch 46 Comments Tags: Big Project, Cabot, color scheme, DIY, Exterior, Front Porch, house colors, IPE, Painting, Porch columns, refinishing deck, Shutters, Writing

Front Porch – Part 3 of 3. Where we sand and stain the floor. But first try to kill each other.

The most exciting part of this front porch project? When we actually PAID someone to do work. It goes against everything Paul stands for… but sanding a floor is the one task he’ll allow someone else to do.

If you’re wondering what it’s like? To pay someone? It’s unbelievably awesome.

I left to go to the farmer’s market and the library and an estate sale. Because when you pay someone else to do work, you can leave your house… and when you come home it’s magically finished! Wow. This is totally fascinating… keep reading.

Oct 2, 2012 By Victoria Elizabeth Barnes in Front Porch, My Favorite Posts 135 Comments Tags: Big Project, Choosing stain color., Communication, Construction, DIY, Freshly Pressed, Front doors, Front Porch, frustration, house renovation, IPE, Marriage, Porch columns, porch floor, Refinish porch floor, Stain, wrap around porch, Writing