By Allison Arieff, Sunset editor-at-large

It seems like everyone I know is dreaming of a renovation, planning one, or is construction-dust deep in one. There are our friends who raced to finish their house before the birth of their first son back (and barely made it in time). Or the family friend who just moved her family back into their home after a near-gut renovation that kept them in a rental for over a year. We've all got these kinds of stories, and no matter the scale, budget, or aesthetic of the project, the one common theme is that it's never easy. Luckily, there's an ever-increasing number of great blogs to show us all that we're not alone. When the painter's late or there's sheetrock dust in your bed, that's pretty comforting. Design blogs aplenty such as Apartment Therapy offer this but there is something particularly special about hearing the adventures (and misadventures) straight from the source.

One of my favorites is House & Fig, created by Sarah Wert and Joe Hebenstreit who describe themselves as "newlyweds living in a construction zone." Sarah and Joe tackled their demo with gusto (see below) but things are taking a little longer than they planned.

In the process, they've become expert DIYers as evidenced by their amazing interim kitchen solution--by way of IKEA no less:

Another great blog, this one more specifically about green design and construction of a new home by a couple in Toronto is at 360 Winnett. Here's a model of what they plan to build:

As 360 Winnett homeowner Jeremy Bell explains, "From start to finish, I want to share our experience with complete transparency; finding a contractor, choosing an architect, defining our green strategies, and balancing the budget. "

Ultimately what's great about these blogs is not only that they can help us learn from others but also, equally importantly, to let us know that we're not alone in our home improvement madness! We'd love to hear about your blog (or one that you've turned to for guidance/sanity). Write to us!