Yes, the countertops are solid wood. I haven't noticed any change in color over the last two years. We use the product that IKEA sells to oil the countertops which helps repel water. With that being said, I never leave anything like a sweating glass of water on the countertops for a long period of time and any water that gets splashed from around the sink just gets wiped up. I have had a few minor accidents with a marker that I sanded away by hand and then reoiled. If there is ever any major type of accident like a water ring you can sand it out by hand/with an electric sander too. If it's a real concern I have seen where people put a true sealant over the countertops, so you might look into that. I don't really worry about it too much honestly, I would prefer the countertops to look a little aged and worn overtime but that's my personal preference. Hope that helps! :)

I've seen them at home depot too! My tree is around 9' tall and I was able to purchase it for more like $75... but I also live in the middle of Ohio where things might not be as pricey ;)

love the oversized photographs, they look amazing! just an idea if you haven't looked into it already... i special ordered a fiddle leaf fig for our living room through a local nursery. it was WAY more inexpensive than i thought it would be and only took a few days to get here. good luck with your search!

It may be hot and humid but your garden looks like a perfect slice of calm and peacefulness on these long summer days! (it's terribly humid where we are too, http://seelamade.typepad.com/seela-made/2013/07/this-week-in-my-garden-july-18th-.html )

Thanks friend - it feels nice to carve out a little time in the day to do something a little different. Love reading your posts too! xo, kt

I love seeing all of your berries - how exciting! We too are plagued by all the rain and bugs, even in our modest backyard garden! http://seelamade.typepad.com/seela-made/

This sounds exactly like our house hunting experience. Like most things in life, somehow the right house will just hit you. We had been looking for six months and came up empty handed after each search. It was now or never, must find a house TODAY and then, there it was, the perfect house. we thought we had seen everything but somehow we hadn't seen this house yet. Good Luck - It can be such a grueling experience but it's so rewarding in the end. :)

Thanks friend - maybe the power of a cute crib skirt will help her sleep through the night, hah. :)

Such good tips Elise! I am too am a big fan of setting the timer to get the boring mundane stuff done around the house so I can move onto the fun things in life. Thanks for the reminder and inspiration - good tips as we all do a bit of 'resetting' this new year. :)

Hi Laurie, Thanks so much for your sweet message! I'm just smitten with your etsy shop, love the reclaimed lath you're using. Thanks for all of the baby advice, it means so much to hear something so nice and positive. Happy New Year! :) kaytie

Hi Barbara, making apple chips is SO easy! It's my new favorite thing. I was planning on doing a blog post this week with my 'recipe.' So, check back soon. :) xo