Over on eHow: Sew a Simple Drawstring Laundry Bag

In need of a little weekend project inspiration? This industrial style laundry bag is quick to sew and as decorative as it is functional. We were in need of a travel-friendly bag for storing laundry, but a bag like this could just as easily be used for daily laundry or a housewarming gift for those headed off to dorm living or a first apartment.

Weekend Basics

We woke this morning to the first big snow of the season here in Richmond. While we're certainly below the band of blizzard conditions further up North, it's always exciting to see the snowfall and white blanket that covers the city. Are you also enjoying a #snowday?

The majority of the weekend was spent working to build out a pair of custom bookshelves, but outside of that major project we did get a chance to pop out and do a little antiquing and take part in celebrating our very first Burns supper. I've included all the highlights below if you care to see...

Over on eHow: Transform Old Light Fixtures Into Modern Geometric Glass Lanterns

Back in early December we'd made a stop into our local Habitat ReStore to seek out the perfect piece of reclaimed wood for this bath caddy we ended up making. While we were scouring around, you may remember how Mary made mention of these large outdated and in-need-of-repair glass light fixtures:

Fancy That!

Original image by Tori Watson

Today we're back again, sharing all the smaller things we're into (or fancying, hence the series name) that might not fit into a single post for one reason or another. Sometimes there might be a long list of randomness, other times it might be a single gem — whatever the case, here's what we're into right now.

Over on eHow: How Restore Brass Door Hardware

In our latest project post with eHow, we've detailed out an incredibly simple method for removing layers of paint from metal hardware, then restoring it back to its original glory. We used the handle plates from the pocket doors that surround our front office:

Dapper Dog: The Story Behind Basil's New Collars

Basil wanted to pop in today to show off a couple of his favorite new collars — and ask if you like his latest fashion statement?

Happy Happy!

Monday we celebrated Tim's 49th birthday. He was blown away by all your well wishes and greetings across Instagram and Facebook, we can't thank you enough.

Image by Tori Watson

It's been a bit of an extended celebration this year, starting on Sunday while Brandon was in town. We ventured out to Tim's parents house for a full "Nana" meal, which is birthday tradition for Tim. It was no joke — she made pork paprikash to eat with pasta or potatoes and finished with a caramel cake (which we sent the leftovers of back with Brandon as he starts his 2nd semester of school this year).

Over on eHow: Back on Track!

Goodbye outdated track lights; hello pendant lights! One of the home projects we'd hoped to tackle in 2014 was updating the eyesore that was an outdated track light system in our upstairs hallway. While all the way in the back of the house (and upstairs nonetheless), you could actually see it when walking through the front door — not the best introduction we wanted to present folks with when visiting. Here's a good "before" shot of it back from when we began to paint the upstairs hallway walls:

Close To Home: Sean Brock's Heritage Manifesto

Sean Brock's Heritage cookbook is one of my new favorites. It was a holiday gift and one I've been eager to own since hearing rumors of a new book in the works. While paging through the book in hopes of discovering new Southern recipes to try, I found myself completely wrapped up in Brock's storytelling.

What We Found Under the Tree: Our 2014 Gift Roundup

The holidays have officially come to a close and we're well into starting fresh in this new year. That being said, we thought it could be fun to share some of the favorite gifts we exchanged and received over the holidays if you care to see...

Weekend Basics: A Fresh Start

Happy Monday! It's the official start to a new year and work week for us since we were able to take some extended time off over the holidays. The break was such a welcome time to relax and come back ready and refreshed. Here's Basil, popping in to wish each of you a happy start to the week ahead...

2015 Goals & Resolutions

It's the start to a fresh new year (can you feel it?) and a time we like to indulge in the age-old rituals of looking back and looking ahead. Earlier this week we enjoyed taking a stroll down memory lane, sharing some of the most popular projects, milestones and memories we made from last year. In the spirit of looking ahead, we've listed out the goals and inspirations we're thinking about right now for 2015 and want to share them here on the blog.

Best of 17 Apart in 2014

We've always been open about this blog serving as an incredible archive of the adventures, accomplishments and life changes that take place in our little corner of the world (and are continually thrilled you care to stop in!). While we remember the bigger milestones or a few projects we may have tackled, it's always eye-opening to take a look back through the different posts, realizing just how much we did do over the course of a year, see and share.