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Tell Us: What's Your Biggest DIY Disaster?

There was the time I decided to make my own mosaic mirror, and broke enough mirrors to guarantee bad luck for life. Or the time I decided to tackle the small task of repainting my bathroom and ended up peeling off the bubbling, existing paint in huge sheets for days before I could even get started.

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Last night I was lucky enough to attend a remarkable event — a warm, festive, stimulating gathering in which a family opened their home to over 60 people, some friends, some friends-of-friends, and some several more steps removed (like me). The friend I went with said something like, "With everything going on in the world, this openness and trust is all the more amazing. And encouraging."

One of our favorite annual architecture awards is the AIA Chicago Small Project Awards. It's an opportunity for small firms to recieve recognition for work that might otherwise be shadowed by larger offices. The AIA awards innovation, low budgets and small firms — this year there were 15 winners, ranging from a table on two wheels to a studio renovation in the Hancock building.

Moving In Together Means Getting Rid of All the Ratty Old Granny Panties

High Fidelity keeps coming up in conversation, and it's made me think of this exchange between Rob and Laura: "And then I come home, and there´s no lingerie and..." "I have lingerie." "Yes, you do. You have great lingerie, but you also have the cotton underwear that´s been washed a thousand times, and it´s hanging on the thing.." I'd like to avoid that exchange.

9 Smart Shopping Tips for Flea Marketing this Summer

Shopping flea markets can be a great experience with bargain prices, unique finds and the thrill of the hunt all making for a perfect weekend excursion. In the moment, however, they can also be a bit overwhelming as it can be tough to know what to buy and what to pass up. Before heading out, here are a few tips to keep in mind.

Marking The Weekend:
Day-Off Hats, Lights, + Plates

Some people always have Saturday and Sunday to look forward to: The Weekend. But for many of us, weekends occur haphazardly and sporadically, with "my Saturday" falling on a Tuesday and "my Sunday" not appearing until the next Thursday. How do you mark your weekend, when it's not clearly marked on the calendar?

Countrified Economics: I'm Still Going To Have To Work, You Guys!

When I told my dear friends that I'd be moving to the prairies of Illinois, they were all excited for me, thrilled about the new adventures I'd be embarking upon. But whenever acquaintances hear I'm moving to the country, they immediately start listing all kinds of elaborate ways I can fill my apparently soon-to-be-empty days...

City or Country: Nothing in Between!

In preparing for my upcoming move to Illinois, I was faced with a decision: live in a town of 9,500 on a quarter acre of land surrounded by neighbors, or live in the country surrounded by 2,000 acres of prairie. For me, the choice was clear.

5 Things to Do Before Clicking "Buy" on Home Flash Sale Sites

We've all heard the arguments, for and against, online designer sample sales: the adrenaline fueled urge to buy things you may or may not really need, the inability to "try things on" before committing, non-refundable purchase. With the surge in home-centric versions of these sales, how do we best navigate these issues?

Spending Every Minute Together?
Lean Into It

My work-wife (boss/dear friend) and I have been working an inordinate amount of hours together lately, and things are only going to get more intense over the next month. When we received the offer of a dog-/house-sitting gig (usually we take turns handling these), we decided to do it together. If you're already spending 12 hours a day with each other, you might as well just go for it!