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Planning an event that’s photo-shoot worthy! This episode is all about inspiration and aspiration as Graham and Kirsten chat with one of the country’s most recognized and celebrated event planners, Calder Clark! Calder shares her tips and tricks for creating swoon-worthy events, but also readily admits that for the everyday, nothing beats pizza and beer at home with a great group of friends! Links we mention on the show: Calder Clark: Gorgeous website of our gorgeous guest! Sferra: One of Calder’s go-to spots for beautiful table linens Roost:  Champagne Flutes Juliska: Calder’s everyday dishes Shag! The best movie ever made (*According to Calder, Kirsten, & Graham) Bite by Bite: Peter Callan’s cookbook that helped start the mini-food trend Among her dozens of accolades, Calder Clark has been named a “Best Planner” by Vogue and a “Top Planner” by Martha Stewart Weddings. In her incredible career Calder has planned events ranging from the 2001 Presidential Inaugural Luncheon, to the Bloomberg News/White House C

We all give them, we all receive them, but what makes a good gift? There are wedding gifts, hostess gifts, baby shower gifts, and the endless parade of children’s birthday gifts. On this episode of the home hour we’re tackling a huge topic and sharing our favorite go-to gift ideas. We learn that Kirsten pretty much sticks to registries whenever possible, but Graham has some standard gifts she always gives. Kirsten explains why her favorite way to package a gift is with a cute tote bag. And we offer one lucky listener the chance to win a $50 gift card to buy their own cute tote bag from one of our favorite online boutiques: Adornlee! See our Instagram account @thehomehour for details!  We talk about Kirlkland Wipes, the words most expensive spatula, and the amazing mailbox culture of Graham’s hometown. Links we mentioned on this episode: Marye-Kelly Frames – Precious Frames. They make great wedding gifts & baby gifts. Tiffany’s Atlas Bowl – Graham’s favorite standard wedding gift Adornlee tote bags!- Cute tote

Whether we like it or not, cleaning our house is a job that must be done. Today on The Home Hour, we’re strategizing to figure out how to make it easier! On this episode Kirsten and Graham chat with the Clean Mama herself, Becky Rapinchuck, about how schedules and routines can help make keeping a clean home more manageable! We discuss Becky’s approach to systematically laying out chores as well as her favorite time saving hacks, the best cleaning tools, and recipes to create your own all natural DIY cleansers. We also learn a great tip to help our kids to make their beds and get into a meaty debate with Graham’s cable guy over sharing favorite family recipes! Links we mention on this episode: Clean Mama Website!  DIY Disinfecting Spray Recipe DIY Marble & Granite Spray Recipe Visit the Clean Mama site for great resources and printables and be sure to check out her newest book SIMPLY CLEAN! The post Cleaning House with The Clean Mama: The Home Hour, Episode 79 appeared first on Life, Listened..

No business could succeed without proper planning, strategizing, and goal setting. So what if  we if we applied those same basic principles to the way we run our homes and families? On this episode of the Home Hour, Graham is interviewing her co-host Kirsten about her tradition of taking an annual weekend away to focus solely on goal setting. We discuss how Kirsten and her spouse plan their yearly calendar, their one year goals for themselves and for their kids, their house goals, and their long term planning for the future. Think of this episode as a to-do list on steroids! To help you get started on setting your own goals, here’s a sample template! The Home Hour, Sample Goal Worksheet! Also on this episode, we check in with our real life remodeler Jen to find out how things are going back at her house, while she’s halfway across the country on summer vacation! The post Goal Setting for Families; The Home Hour, Episode 78 appeared first on Life, Listened..

We’re putting on our party hats and getting a bit silly! Kirsten & Graham have always believed that sophistication is overrated and that laughter beats stuffy every time…and now we’ve found fabulous two ladies who agree! On this episode of the Home Hour, we chat with the Slageter Sisters! Susan (Slageter) Palma, a decorator from Dallas, and Babs (Slageter) Horner, a cook from Connecticut, are sisters, best friends and two moms on a mission to bring the giggles back to entertaining! Links we mentioned on the show: Sophistication is Overrated Book! Susan and Babs grew up in a home filled with laughter, joy, and parents who taught them that no matter what challenges life brings, the party should never stop!  They talk with Graham and Kirsten about how they were raised to smile at life and how they have tried to raise their children with the same sunny outlook. On this episode we learn about some of their favorite tips and tricks to make entertaining a fun-filled experience for their guests and hear about their n

It’s DIY Day on the Home Hour! Time to whip out the paint brushes and hammers as Kirsten & Graham are joined by Ashley of the popular Home Improvement & DIY Blog Domestic Imperfection. On this episode, Ashley shares the behind-the-scenes stories of some of the most popular projects on her blog including how she made a countertop out of pennies, how she painted and raised her big-box-store cabinets to look custom, and the DIY butcher block countertop that looked so good online Kirsten copied it in her own kitchen! Links we mentioned or should have mentioned on this episode: Domestic Imperfection: Ashley’s amazing blog! Butcher-Block Countertops: Ashley recommended, Kirsten copied, both loved! Waterlox: What Ashley and Kirsten used to seal their countertops Penny Countertop Painted & Raised Countertops We also learn about Ashley’s most sought after project to date: the infamous “Paper Bag Floor!” The Paper Bag Floor! Ashley and her husband are currently in the process of building their dream home in Texas with

Move over green smoothies, we’re taking the art of hiding veggies and vitamins to a whole new level! We may have just found the ultimate kitchen hack for those of us who deal with picky eaters! Oh, and did we mention it’s perfect for summer? Introducing “GLOW POPS!” On this episode of The Home Hour, we’re talking to wellness writer, creator of the popular blog Sprouted Routes and author of Glow Pops,  Liz Moody.  Liz chats with Kirsten & Graham all about why popsicles may be the ultimate “healthy freezer food” and shares tips and insights into some of the hottest new trends in healthy eating. Links we mentioned, or should have mentioned, on this episode: Our Instagram: (to enter to win a copy of Liz’s new book!) Sprouted Routes Glow Pops Book Adaptagens: Herbs that work with your body! They do things like balance your  hormones and they adapt to your individual needs. Ashwaganda: good for anxiety Maca  Maca a root from Peru which gets ground up. Ancient warriors used it to build up their stamina. *Note: this

It’s “The Home Hour away from Home!” On this episode of The Home Hour, Graham and Kirsten and talking about summer travels with families. We discuss our summer plans and how we like to travel…or not travel, with kids. We also talk about staying in VBRO’s, finding hotels for a family of 5, cooking while on vacation, and finding a balance between “cultural experience trips” and “beach & pina colada trips”. Graham tries to put Kirsten’s Disney anxiety to rest and shares a crazy story about the bizarre lengths her parents went to when they needed a vacation-babysitter in a pinch! NEW SEGMENT! REAL LIFE REMODEL! We also are meeting Jen Brigham as we begin a new series on the podcast! For the next 6 months (or maybe more!) we’ll be following Jen, a real life working mom of 3, as she embarks on a substantial home remodel. This remodel has been six years in the making but she’s finally moved out of her house and torn it apart! Now, we get to watch the process of putting it back together! Jen’s Living Room! Jen’s Kitc

Kitchens are the most utilized room in the house and as every mom knows, they can also quickly turn into one of the most disorganized! From a practical pantry, to a mom kitchen office, to the ultimate black hole of the ” the junk drawer” we’re addressing the biggest kitchen challenges! On episode 73, Kirsten and Graham talk with Ashley Murphy, professional organizer, working mother, and co-founder of the Neat Method, a nationwide organizing company Ashley and the Neat Method have been featured on Oprah, HGTV, Houzz.com, The New York Times, Vouge, and The Washington Post. Ashley give us some great tips for setting up our kitchens to maximize efficiency, shares some standard rules for keeping the junk drawer in check, and teaches us what is really the heart of the kitchen. We also have an honest talk about separating “Pinterest Perfect” kitchen organization from what works in real life! The Neat Method can be found in more than 20 cities around the country and has online services available. To learn more about

Turn Trash into Treasure and create a unique home with vintage pieces! On this episode of The Home Hour, Kirsten & Graham learn how get that vintage look with Coley Arnold, the founder of Junk in the Trunk Vintage Market! Coley explains how she uses vintage in her home to make a space feel special! She shares some of her favorite projects using repurposed vintage finds and gives us some great tips for navigating vintage markets. She also explains why taking a little extra effort to re-paint, re-finish, or re-upholster a vintage item not only results in you having a unique piece for your home, but can also be a wise use of time and money since vintage pieces were usually created with high quality craftsmanship. DAVID TSAY PHOTOGRAPHY © 2015 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED DAVID TSAY PHOTOGRAPHY © 2015 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED DAVID TSAY PHOTOGRAPHY © 2015 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Junk in the Trunk markets are held several times a year in Arizona and California. Check their website for dates and be sure to follow them on Instagram f

When should you put your house on the market, how much prep work do you really need, how to find a good realtor, and when it’s really better just to skip that “For Sale” Sign and stay put! On this episode, Kirsten & Graham learn the tips, tricks, and must-do checklists of selling a home. We speak with one of the Top Producing Realtors in Atlanta, Mary Stuart Iverson. Mary Stuart Iverson   Links we mention on Episode 71: Mary Stuart Iverson, Atlanta Realtor Ballet Barre DIY Project: Handrail $12.40 Handrail Brackets $4.97 each Wall Mirror $52.98 Plus Fun “Extras” from the grandmothers: Portable “Dance Floor”$68.99  Ikea Gymnastics Mat $34.99 Featured Sponsor: Do you own a DSLR camera and are finally ready to really learn to use it? Shoot Along, an online photography community for parents, is here to help! Sign up now for their 8-week short course and get weekly photography lessons sent right to your email PLUS membership in a private Facebook group where you share your progress and connect with other participa

Thinking of throwing a party? Just do it!  (And don’t let Pinterest-Pressure stop you!) On Episode 70 Graham and Kirsten chat with party planner, Traci Chandler, owner of Oh Sugar! Event Design & Paperie about all things party planning. Here are some beautiful party pics to get you in the mood for hosting! (And so many more on her facebook page)! Since all three of us are moms, we first had to ask Traci about Children’s Birthday Parties! Have things become too over the top when it comes to kid’s parties? (Spoiler Alert: Traci says we asked the wrong person and she never thinks anything is “too much”)  But in all seriousness, Traci tells us that if we do go to one of those outlandish parties, just enjoy it and be grateful for the experience! Don’t feel pressure to compete with that party. Just do what you feel comfortable doing! Traci tells us a great story about what happened when the local train-park party venue accidentally double-booked her date and she had to make her own train parade at home for her daug

Design your home yourself? Or hire a pro? And what’s the difference between a designer, a decorator, and a stylist anyway? On this episode, Kirsten and Graham chat with Interior Designer Terra Mimikakis about all what it’s like to work with a professional. We talk about trends in design and how Graham & Kirsten both have what they would call “traditional taste” but worry they may sometimes look outdated!  We discuss how things like wall coverings, crazy paints, or unique pillows are easy to change out after a few years and can freshen up a room, keeping it from looking stale. However, more expensive pieces like furniture should be timeless. We talk about what happens when a designer and a client don’t agree on what looks good! Terra explains how examining things on paper and in drawings to really see the ideas visually before committing  with real dollars can usually prevent mistakes and disagreements. But sometimes, in the end, it comes down to finding the designer who you mesh with style-wise before the pro

The More the Merrier? Or Too Much of a Good Thing? On this episode, Graham & Kirsten take entertaining to the next level as we discuss whether throwing a big blow-out party is really that much more work than hosting a small gathering? Kirsten just threw a backyard crawfish boil for 400 guests and we devote this episode to looking at what went right, what went wrong and whether or not she would to it again! Links we mention: Powder Cheese (to make mac & cheese for a crowd!) Louisiana Crawfish Company Catering from a grocery store deli  On Episode 68, we get down to the details about hosting large parties and Graham gets the scoop from Kirsten on how her party got so huge in the first place? Crawfish Delivery!  We discuss why Kirsten chose to throw a crawfish boil, who was there to help her, how she entertained and fed the kids, and what was the surprisingly messiest part of the cleanup. We talk about how we both think differently than our spouses when it comes to what think makes a party great. Graham and Kirs

Totally Crazy or Totally Genius? What is Feng Shui anyway? On this episode we dive deep into the simple truth at the heart of Feng Shui: Environment affects us! On Episode 67 co-hosts Kirsten and Graham talk to Feng Shui consultant Katie Rogers about this ancient practice. Here are a few links we discussed during the show — and keep reading for interview highlights, DIY success, and more! Links we mentioned in Episode 67 Katies’ website is fantastic and it contains a wonderful list of reading materials.  Be sure to check her blog for some great articles. Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter HC-172 is a go-to warm gray paint color(Katie likes it at 50%) The Western Guide to Feng Shui: Room by Room, by Terah Kathryn Collins My Overlays (Kirsten’s DIY obsession) Interview with Katie Rogers We learn how Katie accidentally discovered Feng Shui when she began her first job out of college and couldn’t stand working in a sea of gray cubicles and florescent lighting. She had the idea that perhaps she could go into companies a

In this first episode of the newly relaunched Home Hour, Kirsten and Graham welcome listeners into the room that is truly the heart of every home: the kitchen!  Kitchens are a big topic! In this episode, we explain what OUR kitchens are like, and how they may be similar or different from yours, our listeners. Kirsten completely rebuilt her kitchen three years ago. Graham’s kitchen is still exactly the same as the day she moved in, but she is on the verge of a whole remodel.  On this episode, Kirsten shares all she did right and what she would do differently when it comes to kitchens. Meanwhile Graham looks for answers about countertops, appliances, and how to add unique touches and beauty to a room that serves such a utilitarian needs in the house!  Some quirky touches in Kirsten’s kitchen: Getting Gracious with Graham!  In this week’s monthly recurring segment, Graham shared some fun facts about the history of napkin rings. Products we talked about on this episode: Earthquake Handles from Signature Hardware

We’re BACK — and we’ve got big news! The Home Hour is relaunching with renewed focus on all things home: design, DIY, and gracious living. Co-hosts Kirsten Dunlap and Graham Smith have been busy behind the scenes preparing amazing shows, lining up interviews with experts in the home design/decor sphere, and freshening up this space with a brand new look and feel. In Episode 65 you’ll hear Meagan Francis, the podcast’s original host and founder of the Life, Listened Podcast Network, chat with her good friend Sarah Powers (of The Mom Hour) about the changes to The Home Hour and the growth of the network. Then Sarah interviews Kirsten and Graham to find out some of their favorite home projects, what they have planned for their first few episodes, and how they handle common organizational challenges around the house. Welcome, Kirsten and Graham. Welcome, new (and longtime!) listeners. Welcome back, The Home Hour! Look for The Home Hour wherever you hang out online! Subscribe to The Home Hour in iTunes or on Andro

I've always wanted to learn to take better photos, but for years I've been stumped by settings and terms I didn't understand. ISO, shutter speed...it was just easier to stay in automatic mode and hope for the best (and usually, the results weren't even close to "the best.") I've read tons of photography tutorials, but they just left me more confused. If you're a similarly confused beginning photographer or even if you've got some experience but want to build on your skills, you're going to love this episode featuring Karen Walrond of Chookooloonks. The post Take Better Photos Today, with Karen Walrond: The Home Hour, Episode 64 appeared first on Life, Listened..

Whether you're a newbie in the kitchen or a "good-enough" cook who could use some inspiration, you're going to love my conversation with Alana Chernila, author of the soon-to-launch book The Homemade Kitchen. Alana's warm, encouraging spirit, sense of humor, and humility (she fully admits to being a mess-maker in the kitchen, a "slow chopper," and best yet, an imperfect cook) shine through in our discussion. The post The Homemade Kitchen with Alana Chernila: The Home Hour, Episode 63 appeared first on Life, Listened..

Sometimes, things that start outside of your home can end up making a big impact on your family life. In this episode of The Home Hour, Meagan and her sister Kathreen discuss the way the musical soundtracks and movie musicals they ravenously consumed while growing up impacted their love of live theatre as teens and adults, as well as why and how the arts can create a richer home and family life and create memories siblings share, even decades later.   Meagan and Kathreen during a recent trip to the Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Stratford, Ontario. (Listen to the episode to find out why Shakespeare isn’t scary!) Plus, Meagan explains why she loves old-school musicals and seeks them out over the newer, trendier shows when she gets a chance to visit Broadway stages (like her recent opportunity to see Tony-award winning An American in Paris, below.)   Does music, art or theatre play a part in your home culture? Tell us how at hello@thehomehour or in the comments below.   Header Image: Bahman Farzad, via Flick