work with what you've got.

When we first moved into our house, we worked with what we had. That meant using DVD spinners from my dorm room days as end tables, bachelor pad couches to furnish our sitting area, and every piece of art we could get our hands on, regardless of how tacky or under-scaled it was. (See photo below, just before Bryan's 30th birthday last spring):

It was a fine living room for a young, busy couple. We were working full-time and planning a wedding, and thought painting a wall was enough on the homemaking front. And then I caught the bug. And here's what we've been up to since:

All it took, of course, was a new sectional and a giant TV. But truthfully, those were items we had planned to invest in anyway, and all it took was the right accessories and accents to put the rest of the room together. That clock, for instance (my favorite, by the way), was scored for $40 on clearance at the J.C. Penney outlet. The floating shelves? Custom. They cost about sixty bucks and two hours.

Of course, it needs a few finishing touches, namely a taller, upholstered ottoman for underneath those shelves to house that eyesore of a sub-woofer. It's either that or I convince my husband that quality sound is less important than quality decor. I'm not holding my breath, though.

and a blog is born.

Hi there. I'm Laura, and this is my house:

I live here with my handy husband, Bryan (who you will know as Bubba from here on out), and our 100-pound bear (okay, okay, dog), Remy. We bought it in November 2009 after looking at every single house in our typical, New England city. I often refer to it as a baby house (2BR, 1Bath, and just shy of 1100 square feet), but it's just perfect for our little family.

Before we go any further, there are a couple of things you should know about me. First, I don't do exclamation points. Don't take it as a lack of enthusiasm. Truly, I'm excitable, just not all that into the exclamation. Second, I refuse to pay good money for something I (read: Bubba) can do myself. Slowly, but surely, we're making our house into a home, and riding the DIY craze wave the whole way. Here, you can check in on our progress as we rip apart our home with varying levels of success. One last thing I should throw out there: sometimes, this involves wine. Reader beware.