open house

Unless you're currently living in your dream house, chances are you had to make some compromises when you chose your current digs. Maybe you sacrificed square footage for a dishwasher, gave up outdoor space in order to be right in the middle of the city, or put up with drafty windows and creaky floors in exchange for your home's vintage charm.

Once you've moved a few times, you get a sense of what you're willing to sacrifice for other benefits, and what you won't budge on. Everyone's dealbreakers are different; what are yours?

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As we wind into the last stretch of Summer, my mind is racing ahead to all of the items that still need to be checked off on my end-of-Summer home maintenance to-do list. One task that I definitely need to get to in the next month is cleaning out my rain gutters. It's something I neglected to do at the beginning of the Summer, and even though the Bay Area monsoons won't start for another couple months, I know that it's better if I do it sooner than later.

Another chore that I've been neglecting is cleaning up under our fruit trees. The figs are just starting to ripen, but pesky squirrels have been getting a jump on the harvest by eating half of a fruit and then throwing the rest of it on the ground beneath. Since rotting fruit can actually contribute to disease in fruit trees, this task is an absolute must!

In colder climates, end-of-Summer tasks are even more important. Switching out window screens for storm windows is a common chore for many homeowners, as is putting away Summer outdoor plants. What's on your to-do list for must-do Summer maintenance tips?

While I love to think of Summer as a time to enjoy some carefree fun in the sun, the truth is there are numerous household-related tasks that have to be accomplished as well. From lawn maintenance to repairing outdoor patios, Summer often means hard work for many homeowners.

The Summer-related task that I'm dreading is powerwashing and restaining our deck, as well as our tenants' deck. Both decks are quite large, and I imagine that we'll spend at least the better part of one precious Summer weekend preparing, washing, staining, and then reassembling our deck spaces. Oh, and we should probably also clean and maintain the neglected teak outdoor furniture while we're at it, too.

I'm sure that the task won't be that bad once we get started — that's often the case with household projects. Worrying about them is usually worse than actually finishing them. Still, I'd much rather be canoeing on the river or visiting vineyards instead of powerwashing the deck.

Is there a Summer household task that you're dreading? Tell me about it in the comments!

Happy Mother's Day! As I celebrate today with my family, I've been thinking back to ways we celebrated Mother's Day when I was a kid. One of my most vivid memories of a Mother's Day past was the year my siblings and I said "thanks" by completely re-organizing all of her kitchen cupboards. I think that we were 12, 10, and 8 at the time, and while I'm sure she appreciated having her Tupperware neatly stacked and organized, I'm not so sure that she liked having entire drawers' contents moved from place to place. Still, being the amazing mom she is, she simply smiled and gave us huge hugs for the "help" we'd offered her around the house.
Since that time, my go-to gift for my mom has been a new flowering plant for her beautiful and extensive garden. Honeysuckle vine, butterfly bushes, and coneflowers have all made their way into her garden over the years.

How have you thanked your mom with a home or garden gift? If you have children, have they gifted you with anything special that's really touched you? Tell me about it in the comments!

After sharing Brian Patrick Flynn's five decorating pet peeves on Tuesday, I got to thinking about decorating pet peeves that aren't so much about taste or aesthetics but based on habit and irrationality. One example of mine is blinds. I hate blinds. I don't hate the look of blinds, per se; some I find quite lovely. But for the life of me, I can't stand to have my blinds down. I think this goes back to growing up on a very wooded and private property, where we didn't need to bother keeping out sunlight or the eyes of prying neighbors. The thing is, these days, I live in a city where I have plenty of snoopy nearby dwellers, and not a tree to speak of to keep the sunshine out; I do need blinds! Oh but I hate them.One of my co-workers here at Sugar was recently telling me how her boyfriend has a borderline-OCD habit of needing to put away his fruits, vegetables, and meats immediately away into Tupperware as soon as he brings home his groceries, even those already prepackaged. He's convinced they'll go bad otherwise, which isn't entirely irrational, but the habit doesn't jibe with his otherwise laid-back, not-so-high-strung personality.

Do you have any irrational pet peeves or home habits like these? Please share them below!

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As part of my 2011 home-related resolutions, I'm going to try to host more events at my house. Brunches, movie nights, babysitting exchanges, and crafting afternoons are all on the calendar in the next few months.

Apparently I'm not alone: a friend of mine is hosting her own "crafternoon" next Saturday, and several other friends have already sent emails about upcoming dinner parties and get-togethers. Are you hosting this month? If so, what's on your calendar?

A few close friends of mine are moving into their dream homes in early 2011. As you may imagine, their to-do lists are miles long, full of plans to repaint, retile, tear down walls, and in general, create a lot of mayhem in the New Year. Of course, this temporary mayhem will yield some amazing long-term results in terms of their homes' beauty and functionality.

My home-related New Year's resolutions are a bit more modest than my pals' plans. Since I live in an older home, a lot of my resolutions involve maintenance: scrubbing down the deck when the torrential rain stops, refinishing the kitchen floors, and giving the chimney a proper sweep are at the top of my list. I have left a little room for fun though — including rearranging some family photos on a new wall and switching around artwork.

Tell me, what are your home-related New Year's resolutions?

Our holiday decorating was a bit abbreviated this year because we had the windows in our living room, dining room, and kitchen installed this week, three days before our annual Feuerzangenbowle (a German flaming punch holiday party).

While I'd trimmed the tree weeks ago, we had to move it away from the windows for our contractor and crew to access them. (I don't recommend trying to move a fully trimmed tree, by the way.)

Today though, right before the party, I'm finally getting to do some of the decorating I'd had to put off. A fir garland is on our front steps, hand-painted ornaments hang from the pendant lamps, and I'm DIYing a branch centerpiece that the Rue girls inspired.

Tell me, have you gone all out this year in your holiday decorating? What have you done to bring a bit of merry into your home?

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Confession: we haven't had a proper tree topper for the past several years. It's the type of thing that I overlook until the last minute, and then scramble for a solution. Last year I DIYed a star ornament out of wallpaper remnants, and it was actually a good solution. But this year I want to get something a little more permanent.

I'm a big fan of this Santos Tree Topper ($70), whose articulated arms can be arranged in different positions. It's a restrained design and color palette and has a serenity about it that resonates with me.

How do you top your tree — with an angel, a star, or something else altogether? Tell me about it in the comments!

There are plenty of practical items we all want and need for our homes: a well-made sofa, unique art, and accents that reflect our personalities. But then there are those fantasy gifts that we dream of decorating our home — or surrounding outdoor space — with. For me, that dream gift is the Modo Chandelier ($6,000), which was used in Metropolitan Home's Modern by Design showhouse. Designed in 2009, this piece was inspired by off-the-shelf industrial parts Jason Miller found close to his Brooklyn studio. I absolutely love this chandelier, but I can't imagine anyone gifting it to me nor would I purchase it myself, in part because I've already hung another favorite pendant in my living room. Tell me, what's your totally impractical yet absolutely must-want decor dream gift?

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