Author: TaiteFloor

I look forward to it every year, planning a dining room tablescape in anticipation of Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. For the holidays, I prefer classic patterns like tartans or leaf motifs, or something with a little metallic sparkle, but there are no rules as you can scatter festive decor over just about any pattern and make your tablescape chic and unique. Having a tablecloth or a runner you can decorate with then put away and return to again in seasons to come is a wonderful tradition. I bought a new set of neutral plates recently, these Coupe Dinner Plates in…

Every year, people ask us for theme ideas from my family’s annual Christmas gift exchange. We first mentioned this tradition on a podcast episode in 2016 and now, nearly a decade later, we’re putting the full, updated list in an easy-to-reference blog post. So if you or your family are feeling stuck or overwhelmed by your holiday shopping list, see why introducing a theme might do the trick! How Our Gift Exchange Works For as long as I can remember, my extended family has organized a gift exchange to lighten our collective holiday shopping load. Instead of buying gifts for…

21. Suminagashi Craft Kit ($34+) This Japanese Marbling Craft Kit is something both of our kids would love… and that John and I would also have so much fun using! So it really works for both lists. If you know anyone who is crafty and likes to make things, this would be such a hit. You might even get a marbled thank you card from them 😉 22. 50 States Water Bottle ($58) This “bucket list” water bottle comes with a sticker for every state, so the traveler on your list can track their journies. They also sell versions for…

Packing For Style I also included a few more interesting pieces in my suitcase – like a red tank top and a blue sleeveless top, along with a floral shirt, and a bolder leopard skirt and jacket. They added a little something extra to the other more neutral items I packed. From afar the collage of all my outfits might look somewhat drab, but up close a lot of items had more interest – like my plaid blazer that has brown, black, and bright blue streaks in it. Plus maroon! Literally every color of everything I packed basically. While I…

Sherry loves a hot cup of pour over coffee, but I usually choose an iced *something* for my daily coffee. And most days it’s a cold brew that I make at home. For over 2 years now, I’ve relied on this cold brew maker to keep a delicious batch at the ready in my fridge. So I’ll quickly walk you through exactly how I make homemade cold brew, and why it’s my method of choice. As we noted in our pour over coffee guide, Sherry and I aren’t expert baristas or even persnickety coffee connoisseurs – but we value a…

We get a surprising number of questions about how we make our pour over coffee (and even requests for a video tutorial). We aren’t baristas by any means, but we love an easy, affordable, and delicious cup every day. So we’re sharing how our system checks all of those boxes – without ever tasting bitter or burned. Pour over is known to make better tasting coffee with less equipment & waste than electric coffee makers, but the process can sound intimidating – especially for beginners! Honestly, pour over is only as complicated as you want it to be. So we’ll…

There’s nothing quite like the feeling of a warm, cosy home, especially when the great British weather does what it does best. But what if one of your radiators has a chilly patch at the top, even when the heating is on full blast? It’s a common frustration, but we’ve got some good news: a simple little trick called ‘bleeding’ your radiator can often solve the problem in no time at all. You see, over time, air can get trapped inside your central heating system. This air rises to the highest point—the top of your radiator—preventing hot water from circulating…

Drip. Drip. Drip. The sound of a leaky tap is a special kind of household annoyance. Not only is it irritating and a waste of water, but it can also feel like one of those jobs you put off until it becomes a bigger problem. But what if we told you that fixing a dripping tap is one of the most straightforward plumbing tasks you can do yourself? You don’t need to be a professional to tackle this one. In most cases, a dripping tap is caused by a simple, worn-out part called a washer. Over time, these little rubber…

A home should be a place of comfort, not unpleasant surprises. But every now and then, a faint (or not-so-faint) whiff of something sour can waft up from your sink or shower. It’s a common and frustrating problem, and you’ve probably found yourself asking, “what on earth is that smell?” The good news is that most of the time, the solution is simple and surprisingly satisfying. A little detective work and a savvy fix can have your drains smelling fresh again. Let’s get to the bottom of that bad smell and find a solution that works. The culprits: why your…

Imagine this: you’re sitting on the sofa, minding your own business, when you hear a faint, ghost-like shhh… from the bathroom. Your toilet is refilling itself, even though no one has used it. This spooky sound is known as a “phantom flush,” and it’s a frustratingly common household annoyance. Beyond the eerie sound, there’s a serious side to this problem: a running toilet is one of the biggest water wasters in your home. It can cost you a surprising amount on your water bill each month. But don’t worry, this isn’t a problem that needs a professional plumber every time.…