Raise your hand if you spend your weekends working on an endless list of home projects? No? Must only be me then. Lately I've been tackling some of the smaller annoyances on my list, along with one really big project (see project 3). I like to think that together they make a bigger overall impact. Here are 3 to-dos I'm very happy to have crossed off the list - 

Project 1: Replacing mismatched door handles (sort of)

Fun fact, all of the door knobs in our house were different styles and finishes, no two were alike. Kind of like snowflakes, but unlike snowflakes I was not a fan of this unique quirk. The issue with immediately going out and buying new door knobs, was the fact I want all of the features in the hall and foyer to be aged brass, and the features in the second floor rooms to be brushed nickel. What to do?

We have 4, non-closet, interior doors - 2 bedroom doors, 1 basement door, and 1 bathroom door. The bathroom obviously needs to lock, but the other doors were a little unnecessary. So, I bought 2 Schlage Georgian Privacy Knobs (1 stain nickel / 1 aged brass), and 2 Schlage Georgian Passage Knobs (1 stain nickel / 1 aged brass).

I took the knobs apart and created my own version of mismatched doorknobs - The interior knob is the Schlage satin nickel, and the exterior knob is Schlage aged brass. I'd like to think they're a little more tasteful than our original scenario though.

Project 2: A temporary heating grate update

Next on the list was a rather large and ugly intake vent in our living room. It was rusty, beat up, and an all around eye sore. I don't have the budget to upgrade it yet, so I scrubbed it down, and gave it a good coat or two with Rust-Oleum Spray Paint.  It's not perfect, but it looks a lot better and will keep me from wanting to rip my hair out every time I open our basement door.

Project 3: Stripping the staircase

Our biggest renovation project to-date has been the staircase. We've spent the last month slowly (slowly) stripping the steps, sanding them, repairing the banisters, and testing paint colors. The detailed woodwork has been revealed and it made the entire effort worthwhile. We thought we were sold on a paint color, and then I started testing shades on the wall and realized I don't at all. I'm looking for an almost black blue, but the lighter walls are making it read navy not black. Back to the drawing board... - b.

We're still a long ways off from our bathroom reno, but that hasn't stopped me from dreaming of what the space will one day look like. Right now it's a pretty standard out-of-the-box design, slapped inside a 1920s house. My plan is to resurrect some of the original character of the home in the design, with vintage inspired features and accents. 

The crowning jewel will be the clawfoot tub, and everything else in the room will take it's cues from this element. Layer in creamy subway tile, a delicately patterned floor, and you're on your way to bathroom gold. I'm still vacillating between white and black grout, but luckily I have time to decide on all that.

Next to the tub, the sink is probably the next most important thing to decide on. Recently console sinks have caught my eye, and I think the right style will complement the tub perfectly. They feel really timeless and the extra space under the sink will be a perfect spot to put a basket full of towels or extra amenities for guests.

And because no room in my house will be without a healthy dose of color - I'm thinking a lush floral wallpaper will set off the creamy whites in the room beautifully. I love the eclectic feel of this mood board and hope that when the time comes we can accomplish something close to this vision. -b.

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image sources: inspiration - here | border tile | subway tile | floor tile | wallpaper | sink | basket | soap dispenser

Raise your hand if you've ever tried quitting caffeine? I think once or twice a year I contemplate the notion, but I've never been able to see it completely through. That is until recently. A couple weeks back I got really sick (like insides on the outside sick). Suddenly coffee didn't seem very appealing...

I decided to take this opportunity as a sign I should kick the caffeine habit. I haven't had coffee in a little over 2 weeks, but I do have a cup of caffeinated tea a day, because weaning yourself off of coffee is not for the faint of heart. I swear I went through drug-level withdrawal! There's an article about it in fact. 

Each day I try to wait a little later in the day to have that cup of tea, making it when my headache is at its peak. At this point I'm good until about 4pm. Now I'm also trying not to finish the whole cup, getting about half way through before I throw the rest out. 

I am not a health coach, and I don't pretend to be an expert in anything, but I think this is actually working. One thing that has really helped me is drinking a cup of warm lemon water each morning. I think part of the "habit" for me was wanting a warm cup of anything in my hand when I wake up. For more on the health benefits of drinking lemon water, read this article. I use half a lemon and squeeze it into warm, not boiling, water each morning - right after I feed Nellie of course.

One Google search will tell you there's a lot of contradicting research out there on the benefits or risks of drinking caffeine. I don't want to sway you one way or another, but I'm always striving to be more natural, and less dependent on just about anything.

Any tricks out there from the other non-caffeine drinkers? Tell me on Instagram - b.