Since I began blogging, I have closed out each year either by rounding up my most popular posts or my favorite posts. This year, I have decided on yet another approach. I am going to share my most popular DIY posts and a few of my most popular writing pieces.

Make a super sweet sock angel doll for any season or occasion. Follow the easy DIY directions to create a treasure of your own and one that works for anytime of the year.  Many years ago, on one of those lazy, hazy Saturdays, before kids, I found myself wandering around a local craft fair, in search of something fun for Christmas. I came across a woman selling the most darling Christmas sock angels, so I scooped one up. It's been true love ever since...from both the perspective of a holiday decor junkie and a crafting enthusiast. She's a genius little creation and one of the items that makes Christmas feel like Christmas in my home.

Single Serving Lasagna Rolls are easy to make and super easy to customize for individual tastes! As someone who does not enjoy cooking ~ at all ~ I always find it ironic that I host most of the holidays. Big cooking for a big family, many of whom have dietary restrictions. Yay. Well, they say that with age comes wisdom and I believe that's true. The longer I do this, the simpler my holiday menus become, including this year, when I will be serving these easy lasagna roll up singles.

Real versus fake Christmas trees...which do you prefer? There are strong arguments on both sides for sure. Here's my take... Christmas is such a magical time of the year and growing up the enchantment always began the day we put up the tree. On a snow dusted Saturday morning in December, we would head out, carols playing on the radio in our wood paneled Country Squire station wagon, in search of the perfect evergreen. Red scarves and hats, furry boots and mittens were clipped to our jackets, as we walked through the field of trees, looking for the one so my dad could chop it down and bring it home to light up our holiday. Perfect.

Take a tour of my country cottage style Christmas decor. It's simple, serene and elegant. Less is totally more. Especially at Christmas. I  partnered with Oriental Trading for this post, all opinions are my own. It's December! Let the decorating begin! Well, in my case, let the relaxing begin. I'm done decorating.  This year, once again, I have decided to tone down the amount of Christmas accessories on display. I'm embracing the rustic cottage style of my home and letting the glorious bones of the house take center stage. In my book, less is still more .

Here's a collection of 20 easy craft and decor ideas for Christmas. Come peek at the pretty, get inspired and get ready to decorate for the season! Ah, Christmas! I've spent the last several days unpacking santas and listening to Frank Sinatra sing it's that time of year, when the world falls in love ... Well, I don't know about that, but it's certainly the time of year when I fall in love with my home decor again. There's something about the lights that makes everything old seem new again. My home is like a girl getting ready for the prom. Sparkling from head to toe in the jewelry that only comes out for special occasions. Lovely.

A shopping trip with my mom started a wonderful Christmas tradition in our home. And now that she's gone it's become even more special to me. Ho Ho Ho friends! So Thanksgiving day has come and gone and Black Friday has officially ushered in the Christmas season. Fabulous. It's my favorite time of the year and, as such, I always try to make it a very special season full of sweet treats, holiday fun and family traditions . First up is the advent calendar.

Don't throw away those old ceiling fans. Keep the blades and turn them into fabulous hand-painted Christmas decorations. You can add trees, snowmen, Santas or angels. So many choices. Come see how easy it is! While I really am a one holiday at a time kind of gal, I must confess that I have been doing a bit of Christmas crafting lately. And I am so excited about this DIY that I just had to share it with you before the turkey is served.

Remove stains from your laminate countertops in minutes with this quick and natural solution. Get the details and watch the stain disappear.  We moved into this home when my youngest daughter was about two and a half years old. She was out of the crib and in a big girl bed and thrilled with her newly earned independence. She was generally very well behaved and once up, would come in my room to tell me that she and her big sister were ready for the day. However on one memorable morning, she did not wake me. Apparently, she had the itch to do some artwork...on my dining room wall.

Don't toss those Halloween pumpkins! You can decorate them with glitter to create stunning, sparkling pumpkins for your Thanksgiving table. It's an easy fall holiday centerpiece idea that will take you minutes to make. This weekend I found out that the honor of hosting Thanksgiving dinner was mine. Uh oh. You see, that was not the original plan and while setting a pretty table for the holiday is not a requirement, it sure does make the meal a little more special. What's a girl to do on short notice? Make due with what she has on hand and DIY, of course.

Decorate your home for fall with these 30 easy DIY craft and decor ideas. From elegant to whimsical, there's tons of inspiration here, including banners, pumpkins, creative makeovers, Dollar Tree finds, thrift store upcycles and more. Get your craft on and start decorating with some super simple and affordable projects. Fall is a wonderful time to feather your nest. As a chill settles into the air and we migrate indoors, why not whip up an elegant custom craft or swap out a few accessories to reflect the mood of the season? Need some inspiration?

Learn how to embroider with this super simple beginner tutorial and whip up a give thanks piece in no time! The whole premise behind my blog is finding beauty in the everyday. Of course, sometimes that means creating beauty. Especially around the holidays.

A few weeks ago, I was decorating my home for fall, when one of my daughter's friends spied my newly updated "Give Thanks" banner hanging from my kitchen hood and he made a face. "Uh...a little early for the Thanksgiving decorations, Kim."

I started this blog several years ago after some pretty tough times turned everything in my world gray. I felt like I was living in one of those old black and white movies I love so much. Getting lost in their dark plot lines and pithy dialog was always entertaining, however existing in a reality without color, was not.

Want a handmade pumpkin pillow for fall, but don't want to pay the high price for one? Yeah, me neither. Come check out my DIY and make one yourself. This weekend, I went on a fall crafting binge and whipped up a few items to decorate my house for the upcoming autumn holidays and the season in general. Since I'm very frugal when it comes to home decor and very lazy when it when comes to creating, all my projects were cheap and easy. Including today's DIY ~ a hand painted pumpkin pillow. Now wait.

Don't throw them away...turn those old ceiling fan blades into cute ghosts and pumpkins for Halloween. Recycle and decorate all in one super easy step. Check out these cute creations. Like most people, I have a love/ hate relationship with the internet. This time of year however, it's mostly all about the love, especially as a crafter.

Make a super easy wooden farmhouse sign. No fancy painting, woodworking skills or cutting machine required!  When it comes to home decor decisions, once I pick, I generally stick. Sure, I swap out little things, accessories and a few seasonal pieces from time to time, but for the most part, I tend to stand by my choices for the long haul. Well, last week, I finally made a change in the kitchen . I whipped up a brand new wooden farmhouse sign And let's just say, it was about time.

So. Today, I am going to step out of my comfort zone and share a little video of my kitchen with you. I know that video is all the rage and while I am not adverse to speaking in public ~ I actually possess a degree in it ~ I much prefer to communicate via the written word and stills. 

It's fall! Yup, there's an exclamation point there folks. I know, I know, I have been sharing my sadness about the end of summer for weeks, so it's unexpected see me so excited about the season. What turned this frown upside down? Decor. Any chance to decorate makes me smile and now that the weather has started to turn a bit, it seemed appropriate to whip out the pumpkins.

Welcome to fall in my living room.  When we first toured this house, almost fifteen years ago, the stone fireplace and beamed ceiling captured our hearts the minute we walked through the door. The rustic charm of the room is what sold us on this tiny cottage. The space was so warm and cozy, we felt hugged, we knew it was where we wanted to raise our family. We wrote a check that day.

Grab an old wooden hanger and a seasonal garden flag to make a festive accessory to dress up your front door or front porch for fall. It's an easy DIY and inexpensive, too. Even though the weather is still warm in my neck of the woods and reminiscent of summer, the calendar says otherwise. So like it or not, I had to change up my front door decor and bring on the pumpkins. As usual, I did not want to spend a lot of money or time on my DIY, but I did want something elegant and unique.

Hello there friends. Today, I have a little bit of an announcement to make. I am going to try something new on The Exquisitely Unremarkable Facebook Page . Yup. As the new season gets underway, not only am I fluffing and (literally) feathering my nest, I am shaking the dust off of my old ways and shaking things up a bit over there.

Turn a wooden duck planter into a beautiful swan with a little bit of paint. Check out the easy how to and the fabulous finished product. Several weeks ago, I received a text from my husband that read, I have a present for you! Hmmm. I love presents and given that I had just shown him a picture of the Tiffany ring my cousin received for her anniversary, I was sure I would be getting something big and sparkly...and I did. It was a big, sparkly-eyed white duck or swan planter, that he found on the side of the road. And now it was all mine. Fabulous.

A small thrift store table turned treasure for a fall tablescape. So a few weeks ago I was complaining about the selection and prices at my local thrift store . Turns out it was a pretty ironic rant, since two of my most recent DIY projects were made with items I found at said thrift shop.

While summer isn't officially over (trust me, I am hanging on to the very last drop), my summer vacation is drawing to a very rapid close. Fresh folders and new pencils are gathered in a corner, the first day of classes is on the horizon, and I don't like it. I am not a fan of routines, making lunches or early mornings, but like it or not, it's coming and I will make the best of it.

This is a sponsored post on behalf of Groupon, all opinions are my own.  So if you have been following Exquisitely Unremarkable for any period of time, you know that I'm all about simple and inexpensive DIY. Well, actually, I try to run my whole life like that...no matter what I'm doing, I want it to be easy to accomplish and I always want a great deal.

It’s back to school time in many parts of the country right now and for those of you heading back soon, especially those parents of young children, I wanted to share a great game that has kept our family connected even though we are not together all day.   It's called “The Best Thing ~ Worst Thing Game” and we have played it for years with great results.

I love summer and always hate to see it go. I've figured out a way to hang on to a piece of it, even in the dead of winter. Come on over and I'll share my secret. Summer is my favorite season, hands down, no competition, I love it. You will not hear me complaining about hazy, hot and humid conditions or having my kids home from school and underfoot all day. Nobody goes to camp, there are no lunches to pack, clocks to punch or snow storms to fight. It's all about fireflies, hot pavement on my bare feet, warm pool water, high tides and starlit nights.

Last year, right about this time, I received a mysterious email. It was from a person I did not know, but the subject line was intriguing. It simply stated, You Have Been Nominated . Probably spam, I know, but I couldn't resist. I clicked.

I have a bunch of vintage player piano rolls and I have no idea what to do with all of them. Sell them, craft with them, store them? Do you have an idea? Let me know! When I was a little girl, every summer, my mom would pack us into our old Country Squire station wagon and take us on a road trip to visit my grandparents. They lived in the most glorious old home and even though it was 1975 on the outside, the inside had been frozen in time somewhere around 1945. Even as a child, I knew the house was something special.

Whip up a custom hand painted plate in no time with a stencil and a little decoupage. It's super easy, check it out! Whenever I tell people I have a website where I share easy crafts and DIY projects, I am generally met with skepticism. I know, easy can be a relative term. However, what most people don't understand is that I used to be a kindergarten teacher . And more often than not, the ideas you see featured here, originated in the classroom. If five year olds can do it, anyone can. Today's project, stenciled and decoupaged glass plates, is no exception.

My thrift store stinks! It's pricey and the merchandise is not that original, but I keep going back. Does that make me crazy? Hello friends! Well, the dog days of summer have finally arrived in my neck and of the woods. And when temperatures and humidity soar, I head straight for the pool ....and that's exactly where I've been hiding out for the past two weeks. Floating, soaking and swimming. As you can imagine, wet hands and computers do not make good company, so I have not been online a whole lot.

I am part of the sandwich generation, trying to care for an elderly parent and children of my own...but who is taking care of me? Ah, the joys of a lazy summer afternoon, you know, those days when you have nothing to do, nowhere to go and you just sit in the backyard listening to the rustle of the trees and the birds that fly by? No? Uh huh. Me neither.

Galvanized tubs are all the rage. They come in many shapes and sizes and old or new, they're great for home decor and gardening. How can you use galvanized tubs? Check out these super creative ideas and where you can find the best ones. A few weeks ago, my neighbors moved. They had lived in their house for more than fifty years, so you can imagine what a treasure trove it was. For weeks, all sorts of unique items tempted me from the curb. Since I'm still firmly entrenched in my simplifying phase , I refused to peek at the growing pile, but when two galvanized buckets showed up, I grabbed them. And ran.

Painted rocks are a lot of fun to make. They're a super easy craft for adults and kids, make great gifts and fun home decor accents. Check out my easy tips to look like a painting pro! A few weeks ago, I mentioned that summertime is when I really get to dive into crafting. I can step away from the home decor and repair DIYs and play with all the fun stuff I have stashed away in my craft closet. I can experiment, make frivolous, fun projects, upcycle and when they let me, involve my kids. Although truth be told, lately, it's been them telling me to step away from the computer screen and join them at the kitchen table to craft. Of course, I'm always thrilled. This week, we painted rocks.

Whenever the lottery numbers grow and the news media begins to tout the jackpot amounts, the inevitable conversations about how the winning loot would be spent start to surface. All you need is a dollar and dream, or so the radio announcer says. "You have to play," I'm told. "The jackpot is up to $350 million!"

Sometimes, even at middle age, I still need my mom. And apparently, despite being incapacitated in a nursing home, she needs that, too. Last night I visited my mother at the nursing home. It's become a pretty routine event around here, since her care required the move. Several nights a week, after dinner, my husband and I get in the car and make the trip across town.

I repaired a hole in my rush seating with a quick patch. It took me just a few minutes with my handy glue gun to fill in the hole and make my chair as good as new. So yesterday, I was sitting in my kitchen, working on some writing pieces, when my daughter jumped up from her chair at the island with an audible moan. What's wrong? Something pinched me. 

Here are my top ten summer activities for homebodies. Especially if you're into crafting or home decor.  Why leave the house when you can have this much fun at home? Summer is here and I am so excited! The winters are downright brutal in my neck of the woods and the calendar is always jam packed from September to June. When school ends and I finally get to rip those chilly pages out of my planner, I embrace summertime with a vengeance. Now, I know that for some people, summer means escaping to fabulous vacation destinations. But not me.

Make easy valances from linen fabric. Hang them on rings or a rod. Here are the tricks, tips and pitfalls! Several weeks ago, I updated my kitchen and den by taking some long loved elements out of each room.  Curtains in both spaces got the (temporary) boot. A custom made pair of dark red, ring clip rooster valances and red gingham rod pockets were tucked away and replaced with lightweight linen versions.

Organize and hide your messy cords with cable grommets. With the right tool it's an easy DIY. Come see how to hide that tangled mess under your desk or tv.  I am a purest when it comes to home decor ~ purely form over function. I know, I know, there are necessary evils in every home. And many of them are unsightly. But when at all possible, I will choose pretty over practical and attractiveness over amenities. Sometimes, it creates extra work or causes me to think outside the decoration box, and it frustrates the daylights out of my husband , who is my contractor, but I can't help it. If it doesn't look right, I don't care how it well it works.

Want to make an easy rod pocket lace valance with trim? It's a great way to add some charm to your home and sew or no sew, it's a simple project, I promise.  Come take a peek at the full DIY.  I've always been a big fan of lace fabric, but I'd never worked with it. Honestly, I was a little fearful of its delicate nature. When I dug in, I was surprised at how resilient it was and how easy it was to end up with a professional looking curtain in no time flat. Today, I am excited to show you how to make one just like it. Or at least inspire you to add a little lace to your decor - even if you don't sew.

Knitting, crocheting, painting, sewing, upcycles and paint by numbers. I love them all. With so many choices I have to ask. What's your favorite craft? As the warmer weather approaches and the school year draws to a close, I find myself daydreaming about all those lazy, hazy days of summer and how I am going to fill them. A  lot of people make a bucket list  to plan it all out and while I am the ultimate list person, I prefer a more open ended plan so I can fit in a lot of crafting.

I love to style my home decor accessories and photograph fruit. Pictures of me? In my newest  No thank you, I'll leave that to the fashion bloggers. Years ago, back in the days of the dinosaur, before blogging, before kids, before marriage, before my master's degree in teaching and time spent in primary level classrooms. Before my many retail positions, both sales and managerial, for Esprit, Pottery Barn and The Children's Place. Even before my stint as a public relations intern in a New York City museum, mingling among the likes of Brooke Shields and Monty Python, I was a fashion major. Yup.

When I first started blogging, I had exactly five fans and I was related to all of them. In the three years since, my audience has grown just a little bit bigger and I have written over 300 posts. Of course, some of those pieces have only been seen by the original five, of whom, no one could figure out how to comment!!

Get that cottage style look in your family or living room Embrace pattern. Mix and match texture. Add color and a country floral sofa to achieve the room of your design dreams. I'm a cottage style girl. There's just something about that particular decor that makes my house feel like a home. And since I live in an actual cottage, built in the 1920's, it definitely fits. My family room is one of my favorite spaces, full of charm. It's tiny, but it lives large with a window seat nook, sliding pocket doors, tons of color and a giant floral couch . Yup. Flowers. On my couch.

I don't wear my wedding rings that often and it seems to bother a lot of people. My husband isn't one of them. I don't wear my wedding rings that often and for some reason, this does not sit well with most people. I don't know why what jewelry I choose to put on is anyone's business, but when my naked finger is noticed the reaction is swift. And predictable. Where's your wedding ring? Uh, oh, you forgot your wedding ring! Did you lose your wedding ring? Of course, my personal favorite is the ever popular WHY aren't you wearing your wedding ring?  That one usually comes with a an expectant tone and forlorn expression.

Bisque appliances are supposedly outdated and no longer readily available even in 2024. My journey to replace a bisque refrigerator was eye opening to say the least.  And apparently a lot of people have the same tale. The call came in as I was walking out of the ice cream shop. I was balancing a $40 cake I had just picked up for my daughter's 18th birthday, while fumbling to answer the phone. " Hello ?"

Change is not really my thing. Once I decide I like something, I stick with it, especially when it comes to decor. I'm not into trends and or fads , I like the classics. So once I decorate a room, it stays that way, for a good long time. Or about 15 years.

Social media has a language all its own. While my teens may be able to keep all the latest terms and rules straight, I can't keep up and frankly I'm not sure I want to. Do you? The other day my husband was texting with my daughter when he asked me a question. "What does i-g-h-t stand for?" I couldn't picture the letters in my head so I walked over to him to see them in black and white. He was busy trying to figure it out on his own.