Newsletters

Taryn Williford

Atlanta, GA

Taryn is a writer, editor, content strategist, and homebody from Atlanta. I might have helped you declutter your apartment through the magic of a well-paced email newsletter. Or maybe you know me from The Pickle Factory Loft on Instagram.
The Best Stores for Big (Really Big!) Artwork and Prints
Shopping
Some art just deserves an entire wall.
Taryn Williford
Jan 29, 2024
How to Fix Hot, Dead, or Stuck Pixels on Your Screen
See if you can fix it yourself!
Taryn Williford
Dec 18, 2023
11 Easy Ways to Reduce Dust in Your Home
It feels like no matter what you do or how often you clean, there's always a layer of dust waiting to settle on to every surface in your home.
Taryn Williford
Dec 11, 2023
Who's Responsible for Frozen Pipes in a Rental Apartment?
The renter or the owner? Well, the answer is: it depends.
Taryn Williford
Nov 21, 2023
126 Ideas for Creative & Thoughtful Housewarming Gifts
So for that new neighbor upstairs or your favorite couple who just bought their first place, here are 120+ creative ideas for new-home gifts they’ll actually love.
Amy Gordon
Nov 6, 2023
33 Words (That You’ve Never Heard) Which Will Speak to Your Soul
Life
These terms go mostly unused out in the world — but they shouldn’t.
Taryn Williford
Oct 22, 2023
What to Know About the Halloween Porch Light Code
Living
It’s a time-honored tradition.
Taryn Williford
Oct 16, 2023
50+ Ways to Learn, Grow and Find Happiness at Work
“Work” can look like many different things, and a typical 9-to-5 commuter job is only one of them. You might be a freelancer, or a graveyard-shift-er, or a part-time-er, or somebody who spends their days taking care of their family. All that matters is that you’re happy with where you’re at. When your life is in perfect balance, work is fun and motivating. Work takes just the right amount of time in your day (or week or year or life).
Taryn Williford
Oct 3, 2023
Code Red: The Warning Signs That Your Home is About to Get Out of Control
It’s a vicious cycle, this whole “being an adult and keeping a tidy home” thing. One day your home is spotless—like maybe the night before friends or family visit—and worthy of a shelter magazine, then the next, it feels like life has taken hold of your space again. So… things are messy. And you’re busy. And you feel a little overwhelmed, so you don’t tackle anything at all. Which is fine—you should take a break when you need it.
Taryn Williford
Oct 3, 2023
16 Spectacular Living Room Office Ideas for Working in Style
Short on space for an office? We have you covered.
Taryn Williford
Sep 7, 2023
10 Famous Phrases That Don’t Mean What You Think They Do
Want some good fodder for your next night of pub trivia? Impress your friends with this.
Taryn Williford
Aug 30, 2023
How to Quickly Drain Your Laptop Battery — And Why You Might Want To
Living
It takes a few easy steps.
Taryn Williford
Aug 20, 2023
Bye-Bye Blooms: 10 Frugal & Fabulous Wedding Centerpieces Without Any Flowers in Sight
When it comes time to choose decorations for your wedding reception, the first thing you’ll probably consider are the flowers. But many couples are trying to save money on their weddings these days, and one of the biggest ways to cut down is to slash the flower budget. That means you may want to explore some non-floral wedding table centerpiece ideas.
Taryn Williford
Jul 24, 2023
Make Your Tiny Fridge Feel Twice as Big: 11 Brilliant Hacks
You don't need magic or borderline-psychic Craigslist sense, you just need some clever hack-y solutions.
Taryn Williford
Jun 17, 2023
The 27 Greatest Laundry Hacks of All Time
While we can't come do your laundry for you, we can try to make it easier by rounding up a big list of our very favorite hacks, tricks, and techniques for making laundry day go a little bit easier.
Taryn Williford
May 31, 2023
Make Your Small Freezer Feel Twice as Big: 6 Brilliant Hacks
Because your small freezer is feeling pretty full right now.
Taryn Williford
May 25, 2023
A Happier Kitchen With $100 or Less: The Ultimate IKEA Cabinet Organizer Shopping List
When you can't afford what the pros use, you can usually find a suitable, affordable and arguably better solution here instead.
Taryn Williford
May 25, 2023
How to Replace Your Oven Light
If you’re an avid baker, then you probably rely on that little light in the back of your oven. The oven light helps you make sure everything is rising and browning like it should, whether you’re baking a batch of blueberry muffins or loaf of banana bread.While you may have a tried-and-true method for cleaning your oven, what about changing the oven light? Needless to say, if you’re absolutely lost when that little bulb burns out, you’re in the right place.
Taryn Williford
May 24, 2023
The Three Measurements You Need to Know When Hanging Artwork
It seems easy enough. Grab a hook and a hammer and get to work. But there’s definitely a bit of a science to hanging artwork properly. With these three key measurements as a starting point, you can’t really go wrong. This first figure tells you that the center of your piece should be around 57 inches (or a bit more) from the floor.
Taryn Williford
Mar 31, 2023
Yes, You Can Hang Art in Twos: Here’s the Secret to Making Pairs Work
When it comes to hanging art on a wall, design experts will always suggest that you decorate in odd numbers because they naturally promote interest. But art in pairs can be pretty harmonious, too. There’s just one thing to keep in mind if you want to host a “gallery wall, party of two”… There’s an inverse relationship between the number of pieces in a gallery and how well they need to relate to each other.
Taryn Williford
Mar 31, 2023
“DHY” is My Secret for Affordable Custom Framing
Custom framing can be mind-bogglingly expensive when you're trying to dress up your walls on the cheap.
Taryn Williford
Mar 30, 2023
How to Iron Your Clothes with a Hair Straightener
Sleep is good, right? So anything you can do to get a few extra winks in the morning is going to be a good idea. For instance, you could try to combine parts of your get-ready routine to save a little time and effort. Me? I swear by this trick: Before I use it on my hair, I use my flat iron to smooth wrinkles in my shirt.I find that my hair straightener does a great job of smoothing out small creases and wrinkles from my blouses and shirts.
Taryn Williford
Jan 2, 2023
What RSVP Really Means — And All of Your Other Invite Questions, Answered
Life
Who knew four little letters could cause so much strife?
Taryn Williford
Dec 8, 2022
10 iPhone Email and Texting Tricks You Probably Don’t Know
The really cool thing about smartphones is how updates can happen right under your nose. Sure, you notice the big stuff, like when iOS 6 replaced Google Maps with Apple Maps. But there’s always little changes happening underneath, too.Here’s a list of 10 minor features that have been built in to the iPhone text and email user experience; some we’ve seen, some we’ve read and some we’ve noticed on our own.
Taryn Williford
Nov 14, 2022
30 Totally Doable Last-Minute Spring Cleaning Tasks
Even though it feels like the gates of hell are opening every time you step outside, remember it’s still technically spring until June 19th. So if you’ve managed to – oops! – totally neglect any kind of spring cleaning routine, consider the next few days like a grand, omnipotent snooze button. There’s still a little bit of time left!
Taryn Williford
Nov 14, 2022
The 3 Things Experienced Travelers Always Take to the Airport
Packing for a trip is tough enough. (How many shoes should I pack? How many times can I wear these shorts before they’re considered dirty?) By the time you’re at the bottom of your packing list, your suitcase is full, and you’re not thinking about all of the things you’ll need before you even arrive at your destination. Tucking away a few tiny luxuries for the road—er… air—will make your airport experience go smoothly and efficiently.
Taryn Williford
Nov 14, 2022
Why Does My TV Turn on By Itself? 6 Possible Reasons
If you’ve ever experienced your TV randomly turning on in another room, you know it can be quite an unsettling feeling. You’ve likely asked yourself, how — and why — is my TV doing this? Is my home haunted by ghosts? Regardless of the reason, we can bet that you’re ready to put this weirdness behind you. And as always, we’re here for you. We’ve reached out to a few experts to determine why a TV turns on by itself, and what can be done about it.
Taryn Williford
Nov 11, 2022
6 Tips to Make Your Living Room More Like a Theater
Living in the city has it’s advantages—none of which are awesome McMansions with pre-fab home theater spaces. But if you’re a movie buff, you can still fake that luxe home theater look. All you need to do is take on a few quick fixes in your living room.Get the theater vibe by painting your room with dark colors, like burgundy or navy blue. As a bonus, the images on your screen will look better because the light won’t reflect off your new dark walls.
Taryn Williford
Nov 10, 2022
Everyone’s Painting Their Own Abstract Art, And You Should Too
Don't let your artistic skill-level prevent you from creating your own masterpiece.
Taryn Williford
Nov 9, 2022
How To Move Long Distances with Plants
It’s hard enough making any big move, but add in actual living things like pets and plants, and the stress of moving gets even tougher to handle. You might already be thinking about how to keep pets happy during the journey to a new home, but have you considered the well-being of your botanical friends, too? Here are some great strategies for making sure your plants survive the long trip to a new home and stay happy and healthy along the way. Prep your plants.
Taryn Williford
Nov 9, 2022
You Should Probably Give Your House a Name — Here Are a Few Lovely Suggestions
If you're a homeowner, a great name for your home might even help you sell it.
Taryn Williford
Nov 8, 2022
Everything You Need to Know to Paint a Projector Wall
So you’re on a high from last night’s Oscars and finally ready to set up a proper home theater, huh movie buff? Well, you’ll need more than a projector and comfy chairs. It’s a common misconception: You can’t just aim your projector at a bare white wall and drool over your $1,800 projector’s stellar picture. To get the best viewing experience in your home theater, follow these tips for painting a projection wall. Paint it proper.
Taryn Williford
Nov 4, 2022
Troubleshoot a Fuzzy or Blurry Picture on Your TV
Our bedroom TV has been in need of a little upgrade for several years now, so we’re using the excuse of hosting a Super Bowl party to finally take the plunge. We’ll grab a new, compact HDTV for the bedroom—but first, it will pay its dues by supporting a sports-bar-style 2-TV setup in our separated living space. Stoked? Sure, but we know that we’ll have to troubleshoot a few things to make sure we’re getting the best image from our new TV.
Taryn Williford
Nov 3, 2022
Does Your Shirt Hem Flip Up? There’s a Simple Way to Fix It
Two actually.
Taryn Williford
Nov 3, 2022
How to Keep Your Fuzzy Sheepskin Looking Like New
Assemble our essential toolkit and learn the 5 A's of caring for your (real or faux) sheepskin rug.
Taryn Williford
Nov 3, 2022
The Best Bluetooth Headphones, No Matter Your Budget
For fitness or commuting, for playlists or podcasts, these are our picks for the best (and most stylish!) Bluetooth headphones you can buy.
Taryn Williford
Nov 1, 2022