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The Grit and Polish
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FEATURED POSTS:
How We're Phasing Our Hill House Renovation (and What's Changed)
Oct 8, 2025
How We're Phasing Our Hill House Renovation (and What's Changed)
Oct 8, 2025
Oct 8, 2025
Six Months of Small Living at the Poplar Cottage
Sep 10, 2025
Six Months of Small Living at the Poplar Cottage
Sep 10, 2025
Sep 10, 2025
"How Accurate Is Color Matching Paint?" Let's Find Out…
Mar 19, 2025
"How Accurate Is Color Matching Paint?" Let's Find Out…
Mar 19, 2025
Mar 19, 2025
A Full Tour of the Finished Farmhouse ❤️
Nov 15, 2023
A Full Tour of the Finished Farmhouse ❤️
Nov 15, 2023
Nov 15, 2023
3 Years of Age on our Unlaquered Brass Hardware
Jan 10, 2023
3 Years of Age on our Unlaquered Brass Hardware
Jan 10, 2023
Jan 10, 2023
Our Farmhouse Kitchen Reveal!
Dec 12, 2019
Our Farmhouse Kitchen Reveal!
Dec 12, 2019
Dec 12, 2019




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How We're Phasing Our Hill House Renovation (and What's Changed)
How We're Phasing Our Hill House Renovation (and What's Changed)

walking you through our process

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The Hill House, RemodelsCathyOctober 8, 2025 Comments
Happy Friday 10/3/25
Happy Friday 10/3/25

links and musings from the week…

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Links & MusingsCathyOctober 3, 2025 Comments
Hill House Renovation Update: Two Years In
Hill House Renovation Update: Two Years In

let’s get caught up

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The Hill HouseCathyOctober 1, 2025 Comments
Happy Friday 9/26/25
Happy Friday 9/26/25

links and musings from the week…

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Links & MusingsCathySeptember 26, 2025Comment
DIY Mini-Split Installation at the Poplar Cottage
DIY Mini-Split Installation at the Poplar Cottage

how we added inexpensive, DIY-friendly heating and cooling to the upstairs

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DIYs, The Poplar CottageCathySeptember 24, 2025 Comments
Happy Friday 9/19/25
Happy Friday 9/19/25

links and musings from the week…

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Links & MusingsCathySeptember 19, 2025 Comments
The Poplar Cottage Upstairs Bathroom Reveal
The Poplar Cottage Upstairs Bathroom Reveal

a brand new bathroom with old house charm ✨

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The Poplar CottageCathySeptember 17, 2025 Comments
Happy Friday 9/12/25
Happy Friday 9/12/25

links and musings from the week…

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Links & MusingsCathySeptember 12, 2025 Comments
Six Months of Small Living at the Poplar Cottage
Six Months of Small Living at the Poplar Cottage

Lessons learned from downsizing with a family of five

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The Poplar CottageCathySeptember 10, 2025 Comments
Happy Friday 9/5/25
Happy Friday 9/5/25

links and musings from the week…

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Links & MusingsCathySeptember 5, 2025Comment
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Hi there!

…we’re Cathy & Garrett, old-home lovers and DIY renovators. Join us as we renovate our small-town fixer and craft a simple, family home for the life we love

🏡 Ellensburg, WA

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The upstairs bathroom at #ThePoplarCottage is done! ❤️ Swipe to see all the details It’s hard to believe that when we first bought Poplar, the upstairs was nothing more than an unfinished attic. Fast forward five years - a house lift, a new po
Six months of living small ✨ When we moved our family of five into the Poplar Cottage - all 1,000 square feet of her - it was part necessity, part adventure. We needed a place to land while we started the Hill House renovation, and honestly, we were
A few more pics of the finished picket fence at #thepoplarcottage. Guys, we are SO close to finishing this house! Just waiting on the temps to drop so we can add some more landscaping ☺️
With the right set of tools, Garrett sure can create magic! Swipe to see the picket fence come to life at the Poplar Cottage #HomeDepotPartner    This was a hands-on project, and relied on our stocked Husky Buildout mobile tool storage ever
 

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