A little unknown fact about me is that I get absolutely beside myself with anxiety over hosting dinner guests. Some of my closest friends are the most incredible hosts, but the crowd I run with does not influence my hostess with the mostest skills. I love to cook and I love to decorate, but putting those two things together with an audience makes me so nervous. I just can’t do it. What I can do is offer you a few ideas for Simple Thanksgiving Tablescapes for the event you host in your home.

Jamie StaufferNovember 12, 2018holidays, thanksgiving, diy, home decor, tablescapes, homeComment

Let Me Tell You Who I Am

I think the trend is technically “Introduction Friday” if your an Instagrammer, but here it is on Thursday and I’m doing my introduction ahead of the game. Who’s gonna stop me? I know that I have made new friends via social media that may not know who I am and I thought it would be right and proper to introduce myself.

Making Enemies: Painting the Fireplace

Introducing how I trusted my own gut and thought it would be a barrel of fun to paint a massive brick fireplace and then realized I had been completely duped by my own risk vs. reward meter. Our lovely 1980's home would not have been a true renovation if I hadn't addressed the huge elephant in the room. That elephant was brick. One big ole wall of it. Brown, black, red, and outdated. I knew right away I was going to be searing Pinterest for inspiration. I'd seen it a million times, it couldn't be too hard. I considered renting a paint sprayer to tackle all of the paintwork throughout the house, but our small town resources provided nil. Because I was trying to do my part and be frugal, buying a sprayer didn't seem within reason.

Jamie StaufferJuly 4, 2018diy, home, home renovation, real estate, renovatingComment

Tearing Out Walls: Chip Gaines Makes it Look Easy

Once we'd decided that we would take on a "fixer upper", I immediately envisioned myself taking a hammer or ax to the walls that we would want to remove. Heck, maybe I would even try to remove the wall by running through it. That's how it's done on tv right? Wrong. Our "new" house was built in 1980 and the number of updates that had been done prior to our name being added to the Deed was mostly superficial. The master bathroom had been redone and at some point, the carpeting had been replaced. What was still intact was the dark stain, original dark oak-ey cabinetry, some chopped up rooms, and wall to wall wallpaper that

Jamie StaufferJune 30, 2018diy, fixer upper, home, houses, renovating Comments

Gutting the House. Are we Really Doing This?

Prior to renovations, Jake told people that we were doing a "total gut" on the house. I scoffed and told him to quit being dramatic because a kitchen and bath renovation and taking out a couple of walls hardly classified as a gutting. However, as I walk through the house now, I see that Mr. Right is, in fact, right. The floors are out, the kitchen is almost completely gone, and two massive walls have completely vanished. Let me just admit that I had grand plans of blogging this every step of the way through, but throw renovations in with moving (and child raising), I'm in way too far over my head.

Jamie StaufferMay 16, 2018diy, home, lifestyle, Painting, real estate, Removing Tile, home renovation Comments

Removing Carpet: How to

House renovations have been in full swing over the past week. No sooner than the ink had dried on the contract, we started with step one: removing the carpet. I felt like Rocky in the corner of the ring: bouncing back and forth, slapping my gloves together, stretching my arms and neck one last time, before showing my opponent who's the boss.

Jamie StaufferApril 26, 2018carpet, carpet removing, diy, home renovation, removing carpet Comments

How to Create Your Own Chalkboard Sign

Jamie StaufferMarch 12, 2018chalkboard, chalkboard sign, Creating a Chalkboard Sign, diy, Special Event Comments

Birthdays are Special!

Jamie StaufferMarch 5, 2018birthday, chalk paint, Chalk Painting eBooks, diy, Furniture Flips Comments

About Here, Let Me

Jamie StaufferFebruary 27, 2018about, diy, kids, lifestyle, marriageComment

Chalk Painting: A Trombone inspired Yellow Chest of Drawers

In my previous chalk painting days, I found one of my favorite parts of redoing a piece was learning about where the piece came from or even the "how" of taking it on as my own. I'm naturally a bit of a Nervous Nelly, when it comes to meeting new people, so when I started the endeavor of furniture picking, I had to step outside of my comfort level and know that I was going to take some chances when it digging for just the right piece to paint. Fortunately, I always made it out without a scratch on each pick up and from time to time would be pleased to find I'd left with a new friendship to put in my Rolodex. One piece that comes to mind when I think of friends I've made along the way, is a...

Jamie StaufferJanuary 22, 2018chalk painting, Chalk Painting chest of drawers, diy Comments

Chalk Painting: Creating the Perfect Swanky Bar

A couple of years ago, it seems like ages, I became a furniture painter. I loved chalk painting pieces for myself, starting with my own bathroom vanity, pieces solely to sell, and I even got to paint custom pieces for others. It was a fun time; quite good therapy for a young mom and I felt proud of my work and delighted when someone called me to do something for them. I would always feel a little bummed when someone said they just wanted white. I loved to create my own colors and when customers turned me loose and said to do what ever I felt like doing, it was a thrill. Such a thrill, in fact, that

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with Stauffer Design Co.