Ask Anna

DIY Extra Large Chalkboard

Did you see my awesome new extra large chalkboard in my office reveal last Friday? If you missed it, here’s what it looks like. But it didn’t always look this glamorous, in fact, it had very humble beginnings. The frame was actually in our house when we moved in and I wanted so badly to throw it away (because it was so ugly) but it’s hard to find frames that big so I held onto it, knowing someday it could be turned into something beautiful. You can’t tell in this picture but the frame actually had a faux crackle finish… Read More

FREE Printable Summer Bucket List

Summer is just around the corner. You (or your kiddos) might even be out of school already. We have another two weeks… ugh. I am ready for the school year to end and the days to be a little less rigorous. I am ready for summer and I know my kids are too. We have some big plans for this summer, okay, “big plans” may not be the correct terminology, our plans really aren’t all that big, but we do plan to have some serious fun. We’ll be using a summer bucket list to help us make sure we don’t… Read More

Office Makeover Reveal!

Remember WAY back in January when I started my office makeover by redoing the built-ins? And then back in March when I showed you the bling I’d added to the office? Well now that it’s almost JUNE, I’m finally ready to show you my whole office reveal! To be honest I’ve been almost done for months but I had one last project lurking over my head and I finally finished it last week while Matt was out of town. Months ago I saw this beautiful chalkboard on Pinterest and wanted to make one for my office. I’ll share the tutorial… Read More

DIY Spring and Summer Birdhouse Wreath Tutorial

Hey guys! I am Bev and I blog at Round and Round DIY Wreath Ideas, where I craft and share unique DIY wreath tutorials. I am thrilled to be here today to share a seasonal spring craft project ‚ a summer birdhouse wreath tutorial. The spring season brings two of my favorite things: bursts of colorful flower blooms and chirping birds. In this short tutorial, I will show you how to use these timeless accents to make a DIY burlap mesh wreath for your door that will wow the neighbors! Here’s what you need: Roll of burlap mesh Work wreath… Read More

The Best Way to Clean a Lampshade

I’ll be honest I really dislike cleaning tedious things like plants, decorations and lampshades but at the end of the day it’s a good thing to know how to do, even if you don’t do it all the time, because those things get dusty and dirty too. So today we are going to tackle lampshades and I’m going to show you the best way to clean a lampshade (and the easiest). Here’s what you need: Lint roller Microfiber cloth (this is the one I use) Water Step #1 The first thing you need to do is get all the dust… Read More

How to Sterilize Everyday Items in 90 Seconds!

My friend Renee is a genius. Well let me back up… My friend Renee recently had her 3rd baby and discovered the microwavable sterilizer bags. While I was visiting her last month she pulled one out and was so excited about her new discovery but then she ended up being mad at me that I’d known about them for all these years and never told her. (Oops!) I thought everyone knew about the microwavable sterilizer bags! They are so handy and make a new moms life so much easier! If you don’t know about them, I’m sorry, I should have… Read More

The Fastest and Easiest Way to Stain a Wood Fence

My husband recently rebuilt a small fence next to our house and let me tell you, he is SO proud of it. By the way he shows it off you’d think this was the most spectacular project he’d ever done (personally I think installing our bamboo floors was his greatest project) and the funny thing is that it’s not even our fence! We have an empty lot next to us where a house burnt down about 8 years ago. The previous fence was completely falling down so he tore it down and randomly decided to rebuild it a couple weekends… Read More

Tips for Organizing Pots and Pans

Hi, Susan here from Organized 31. We’ve just completed a kitchen renovation in our house so I have organizing the kitchen on the brain. I thought I’d share some tips I used in planning and organizing pots and pans in our new kitchen. Every house is different and every family’s needs are different, but these are tips that have worked for us and may help you discover what will work for you. With over 20 military moves under my belt, I’ve seen quite a few kitchens in my time. I learned (over and over and over again) what did not work… Read More