Mackinaw Road

Travel-Inspired Design, One Trip at a Time

  • Travel
    • A 2-to-4-day Vancouver Itinerary
    • 6 Kid-Friendly Christmas Activities in Chicago
    • 6 Kid-Friendly, Rainy Day Activities in Boston
    • Banff: Something for Everyone
    • Chicago with Kids: Can’t Miss Places and Restaurants
    • Islands
      • 007 in the Bahamas
      • Island Travel Interveiws- Australia, Take 1 (Sydney)
      • Island Travel Interviews, Australia (Gold Cost)
      • Island Travel Interviews- Caribbean Islands, Take 10 (St. Barts)
      • MUST SEE Grand Cayman
      • Top 5 Hilton Head Activities with Kids
      • What to do on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
      • A Guide to Paradise Island, Bahamas
      • The Cloisters on Paradise Island, Bahamas
      • Where to Eat When Visiting Paradise Island
    • Michigan
      • 24 Hours in West Michigan
      • An Afternoon in Grand Rapids
      • A Long Weekend in Northern Michigan
      • A Few Hours in Saugatuck
      • Global Christmas and Holiday Traditions in 2 hours or Less
      • Leland Gal
      • Places You MUST SEE in Northern Michigan
      • Traverse City Wineries
      • What to Do in Charlevoix, Michigan
      • What to do in Leland, Michigan
      • What to do in Petoskey, Michigan
      • Where to Eat in Traverse City, Michigan
      • Where to Stay in Saugatuck: Judson Heath Colonial Inn
    • Midwest Christmas Tour
    • NOLA in 2 days
    • Philipsburg, Montana, Philipsburg Blue, and How They are Related
    • Top 6 activities in D.C. with Small Children
    • Top 5 Delhi Attractions
    • Top 4 Best Spring Break Beaches
    • To Plan or Not to Plan
    • A Weekend in New York City
    • Wandering in NYC
    • NYC in 48 Hours
    • What to do in Asheville, North Carolina (in 24 hours)
    • What to do in Monterey, California
    • What to do in New Orleans
    • What to do in San Antonio, Texas
    • What to do in Savannah, Georgia (in 3 hours)
    • What to do in Washington D.C.
    • What to do in Winter Park, Florida
    • Where to Eat in Chicago: Restaurants for Every Kind of Getaway
    • Where to Eat in Denver
    • Where to Stay in Denver: Hotel Teatro
  • Beach Cabin & Home
    • A Hotel-Inspired Guest Room Makeover
    • An Airbnb-Inspired Fridge Obsession
    • Christmas House Tour 2016
    • Cottage Kitchen Nook | ORC Week 8
    • Cozy Autumn Living Room
    • Decorating with Travel Trinkets
    • DIY Design: Cane Console Makeover Look for Less
    • DIY Ottoman for the Beach Cabin
    • Easy, Cost-Effective and Time-Efficient Flooring
    • Entryway Wallpaper : Serena and Lily Wallpaper
    • How to “Tile” A Fireplace with Wall Stencils and a GIVEAWAY!
    • Inexpensive Backyard Patio Ideas
    • Inexpensive Flooring: How to Stencil Concrete Floors
    • Kitchen Styling: Spring Shelves 3 Ways
    • Kitchen Shelf Styling- Autumn Decor
    • Living Room Plans: A Sectional and Accent Chair Options
    • Modern Traditional Laundry Room Makeover
    • Thanksgiving: At Home and Abroad
    • Travel-Inspired Shared Bedroom
  • SHOP OUR HOME & BEACH CABIN
  • SHOP MY CLOSET
  • About Me
    • Let’s Chat
  • Disclaimer, Disclosure, and Privacy
  • Travel
    • A 2-to-4-day Vancouver Itinerary
    • 6 Kid-Friendly Christmas Activities in Chicago
    • 6 Kid-Friendly, Rainy Day Activities in Boston
    • Banff: Something for Everyone
    • Chicago with Kids: Can’t Miss Places and Restaurants
    • Islands
      • 007 in the Bahamas
      • Island Travel Interveiws- Australia, Take 1 (Sydney)
      • Island Travel Interviews, Australia (Gold Cost)
      • Island Travel Interviews- Caribbean Islands, Take 10 (St. Barts)
      • MUST SEE Grand Cayman
      • Top 5 Hilton Head Activities with Kids
      • What to do on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
      • A Guide to Paradise Island, Bahamas
      • The Cloisters on Paradise Island, Bahamas
      • Where to Eat When Visiting Paradise Island
    • Michigan
      • 24 Hours in West Michigan
      • An Afternoon in Grand Rapids
      • A Long Weekend in Northern Michigan
      • A Few Hours in Saugatuck
      • Global Christmas and Holiday Traditions in 2 hours or Less
      • Leland Gal
      • Places You MUST SEE in Northern Michigan
      • Traverse City Wineries
      • What to Do in Charlevoix, Michigan
      • What to do in Leland, Michigan
      • What to do in Petoskey, Michigan
      • Where to Eat in Traverse City, Michigan
      • Where to Stay in Saugatuck: Judson Heath Colonial Inn
    • Midwest Christmas Tour
    • NOLA in 2 days
    • Philipsburg, Montana, Philipsburg Blue, and How They are Related
    • Top 6 activities in D.C. with Small Children
    • Top 5 Delhi Attractions
    • Top 4 Best Spring Break Beaches
    • To Plan or Not to Plan
    • A Weekend in New York City
    • Wandering in NYC
    • NYC in 48 Hours
    • What to do in Asheville, North Carolina (in 24 hours)
    • What to do in Monterey, California
    • What to do in New Orleans
    • What to do in San Antonio, Texas
    • What to do in Savannah, Georgia (in 3 hours)
    • What to do in Washington D.C.
    • What to do in Winter Park, Florida
    • Where to Eat in Chicago: Restaurants for Every Kind of Getaway
    • Where to Eat in Denver
    • Where to Stay in Denver: Hotel Teatro
  • Beach Cabin & Home
    • A Hotel-Inspired Guest Room Makeover
    • An Airbnb-Inspired Fridge Obsession
    • Christmas House Tour 2016
    • Cottage Kitchen Nook | ORC Week 8
    • Cozy Autumn Living Room
    • Decorating with Travel Trinkets
    • DIY Design: Cane Console Makeover Look for Less
    • DIY Ottoman for the Beach Cabin
    • Easy, Cost-Effective and Time-Efficient Flooring
    • Entryway Wallpaper : Serena and Lily Wallpaper
    • How to “Tile” A Fireplace with Wall Stencils and a GIVEAWAY!
    • Inexpensive Backyard Patio Ideas
    • Inexpensive Flooring: How to Stencil Concrete Floors
    • Kitchen Styling: Spring Shelves 3 Ways
    • Kitchen Shelf Styling- Autumn Decor
    • Living Room Plans: A Sectional and Accent Chair Options
    • Modern Traditional Laundry Room Makeover
    • Thanksgiving: At Home and Abroad
    • Travel-Inspired Shared Bedroom
  • SHOP OUR HOME & BEACH CABIN
  • SHOP MY CLOSET
  • About Me
    • Let’s Chat
  • Disclaimer, Disclosure, and Privacy

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Fashion

Fall Closet Staples

I recently read The Kingdom of Prep: The Rise and (Almost) Fall of J. Crew. Having been a J. Crew/ rollneck sweater fan since high school, this book was super…

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September 8, 2023
Gifts

Gift Guide: Gifts for 10 Year Old Boys

Okay, I lied. The Gifts for Him gift guide was, in fact, not the most difficult guide to create. Even with the help of our 10 year old, this Gift…

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November 27, 2023
DIY, Interior Design

ORC Kitchen Nook Refresh | Week 1 | Priming & The Plan

Hi Everyone! I’m so excited that you’re here and am also thrilled to begin another One Room Challenge (ORC)! This spring, I am going to be refreshing our kitchen nook…

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May 5, 2020
  • Decorating,  Uncategorized

    5 Plants To Buy Now

    April 18, 2019 /

    The Intro Spring is here!!! And, my non-green thumb is in plant mode. As an attempt avoid being too overwhelming, I’ve narrowed it down to 5 Plants To Buy Now. A recap of what happened last Sunday… But, I have to believe that we are good to go from here on out (with the occasional need to cover for frost). I love, love, love Kelly from The Lilypad Cottage‘s idea of buying plants for planters that you can later transfer to your yard. (She has so, so may good tips! Here are some fabulous ideas for flower boxes!) It’s nice to be able to get multiple uses out of plant…

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    Living Room Accent Chair Options

    Living Room Plans: A Sectional and Accent Chair Options

    October 19, 2020
    Inexpensive Tiling: How to Stencil Your Fireplace

    How to “Tile” A Fireplace with Wall Stencils and a GIVEAWAY!

    September 24, 2018
    Green Kitchen Cabinets & A Simple Salad with Avocado

    Favorite Blue and Green Paint Colors

    January 30, 2020
  • Decorating,  Uncategorized

    How to Update a Porch in 10 Steps, A Beach Cabin Update (ORC Week 3)

    April 18, 2019 /

    Why am I always surprised when it snows in April? It seems like it always snows in April in Michigan. So, I’m just going to use the snow as my excuse for minimal progress on the Beach Cabin Porch. As such, a good old list is in order to get me organized and motivated. Keep reading for my plan on How to Update a Porch in 10 Steps.

    read more

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    Winter Decorating | Silver Dollar Eucalyptus

    Floor Lamp Round Up and Winter Decorating

    January 14, 2021
    Green Kitchen Cabinets & A Simple Salad with Avocado

    Favorite Blue and Green Paint Colors

    January 30, 2020
    Halloween Kitchen Decor

    Day-to-Night Kitchen Halloween Decorations

    October 22, 2021
  • Decorating,  Uncategorized

    Porch Furniture Options: ORC Week 2

    April 10, 2019 /

    Porch Plans Hi there! The plan for this week was to prep the porch for some new paint but I didn’t make it out to the Beach Cabin when the weather was nice earlier this week and now we are expected to get an ice storm tonight. So those plans will have to wait. In the meantime, I thought I’d give you a quick round up of our porch furniture options.

    read more

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    Cottage Bedroom Mood Board

    Mackinaw Road Monday: Mood Boards & Headboards

    April 13, 2020
    Winter Decorating | Silver Dollar Eucalyptus

    Floor Lamp Round Up and Winter Decorating

    January 14, 2021
    Living Room Accent Chair Options

    Living Room Plans: A Sectional and Accent Chair Options

    October 19, 2020
  • Decorating,  Uncategorized

    Screened in Porch Plans: ORC Week 1

    April 5, 2019 /

    Hi there- I hope you all are having a wonderful Spring! I’ve decided to participate as a guest participant in the One Room Challenge with Media Partner Better Homes & Gardens again! (Check out all of the wonderful design plans from the other participants here!) It was just what I needed this past fall to finally finish the Beach Cabin Sleeper Attic. (You can check out the finished room here.) I was trying to decide between our Master Bedroom at our house (it needs a ton of work!) and the screened in porch at the Beach Cabin. Given that summer is almost here (fingers crossed, fingers crossed), it made more…

    read more

    You May Also Like

    Cottage Bedroom Mood Board

    Mackinaw Road Monday: Mood Boards & Headboards

    April 13, 2020
    Teen Boy Bedroom Ideas

    Teen Boy Room Ideas

    August 6, 2026
    Coastal Boy Bedroom

    Coastal Boy Bedroom

    March 6, 2020
  • Necessities,  Uncategorized

    5 Swimsuits under $100 (and 2 Splurges)

    March 28, 2019 /

    Hi and Welcome Back! We just returned from our beach vacation and of course I didn’t have it together enough to update my swimsuits before the trip. At least the kids had new travel outfits. Of course, their favorite swimsuits were from last year’s list. (You can check that out here.) I guess swimsuits are sort of like vegetables… If you put them in front of the kids for long enough, they’ll grow to love them- haha!

    read more

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    Cozy Winter Living Room

    Mackinaw Road: Five February Favorites

    February 28, 2022
    Mackinaw Road | Original Watercolor Paintings

    Mackinaw Road Mondays: On turning 40, a Circus, Jeans, and a Salad

    March 1, 2020
  • Uncategorized,  US Travel

    Wondering Where to Stay in New Orleans? Read On…

    March 11, 2019 /

    This cold weather has me reminiscing fondly of our trips to New Orleans. We have been three times in the past five years. Each time, we try to stay somewhere new. In addition to all of the wonderful restaurant options (check out my top picks here), New Orleans appears to have a wealth of hotel options as well.

    read more

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    Gift Ideas for Grandparents

    Gift Ideas for Grandparents

    November 24, 2025
    The final touch/the perfect bathroom rug

    Mackinaw Road: The Quarterly 02

    August 22, 2024
    Design Board Bedroom

    Mackinaw Road: The Quarterly 04

    February 21, 2025
  • Decorating

    Tween Girl Bedroom: Beachy Vintage

    February 25, 2019 /

    Well… our daughter will be turning 9 this spring, which will officially throw her into the “tween” category. She requested a Beach bedroom, which to her, meant turquoise walls. Ombre if all the stars were aligned. Apparently, this meant that her peachy-pink walls were “not cool” anymore. This was a hard refresh from the mom who, as a little girl, had pink carpet, pink wallpaper, and pink bedding- haha! It’s hard to get rid of the pink! Being a true “tween,” our daughter still wanted a Princess Canopy over her bed but a more grown up overall feel. And, we wanted to keep her lighting and dresser. So, we landed…

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    Green Kitchen Cabinets and Custom Hood

    Simple Spring Kitchen for Staying Home

    March 31, 2020
    Teen Boy Bedroom Ideas

    Teen Boy Room Ideas

    August 6, 2026
    Living Room Accent Chair Options

    Living Room Plans: A Sectional and Accent Chair Options

    October 19, 2020
  • Decorating,  Uncategorized

    The Perfect Gray Paint Colors for Colonial Homes

    February 20, 2019 /

    We love colonial homes. Or, at least homes that were built in the 1920s. We have lived in three 1920s houses to be exact. And have loved them all. While Colonial Homes definitely lend themselves to the ability to have a different color in every room, when we moved into our current house six years ago, I was determined to keep it neutral. Gray was “in” at the time, and I think it has stood the test of time. We have updated a bit, added a few more neutral shades, and pops of color through decor and accessories.  Disclaimer: Obviously paint looks different in different houses with different lighting, so…

    read more

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    Green Kitchen Cabinets & A Simple Salad with Avocado

    Favorite Blue and Green Paint Colors

    January 30, 2020
    Green Kitchen Cabinets and Custom Hood

    Simple Spring Kitchen for Staying Home

    March 31, 2020
    Winter Decorating | Silver Dollar Eucalyptus

    Floor Lamp Round Up and Winter Decorating

    January 14, 2021
  • Decorating

    Winter Living Room: Warm Colors and Hardy Plants

    February 7, 2019 /

    When it soooo cold outside, it is important to create cozy interiors with warm colors and live plants. Neither of these come naturally to me. I love cool tones and kill plants on the regular. That said, if I can do this, so can you! Read on to check out our Winter Living Room.

    read more

    You May Also Like

    Teen Boy Bedroom Ideas

    Teen Boy Room Ideas

    August 6, 2026
    Living Room Accent Chair Options

    Living Room Plans: A Sectional and Accent Chair Options

    October 19, 2020
    Green Kitchen Cabinets & A Simple Salad with Avocado

    Favorite Blue and Green Paint Colors

    January 30, 2020
  • Decorating,  Food and Drink,  Uncategorized,  US Travel

    Where to Eat in New Orleans

    January 31, 2019 /

    Hi there! Wondering Where to Eat in New Orleans? NOLA has quickly become a favorite late fall/winter/early spring destination. Not only is the warm weather a draw but the oh-so-good food certainly is as well. With over 1,000 restaurants, the possibilities are endless! Here are my recommendations for Where to Eat in New Orleans. If you’ve read this post or this one, some of these may be familiar. (There are some amazing additions so keep reading!) 

    read more

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    Thanksgiving Dining Table | Centerpiece

    A Thanksgiving Table for 4 (and More)

    November 22, 2020
    Green Kitchen Cabinets & A Simple Salad with Avocado

    Favorite Blue and Green Paint Colors

    January 30, 2020
    Living Room Tv | TV artwork

    Mackinaw Road Mondays: Springtime, Sunglasses, Flowers, and More

    March 17, 2020
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