Changing dated can lights!

My wing is broken.

Poo.

It’s my elbow…it is still boogered. I am trying to “heal” it by resting it but after about a month I’m ready to give up and see what a ortho dude can do for me.

While “resting” I pretty much sit around and look for stuff to do.

Laying on the couch, looking at the ceiling, I began to obsess about my dated can lights

SUPER simple fix and on a scale of 1-10 it is pretty much a 1.

This is what I have….

…an ugly old can light with a bulb. It had obviously been painted over when the prior owner painted the ceiling. I have five in the kitchen, two in the den, four in the living room, two in the bedroom and four in the bathroom…so yes, they annoy me. But truthfully only when I am laying on the couch or in the bed looking at the ceiling.

While they are “dated,” truth be told no one really pays attention to them except of course when a bulb goes out.

This is where I want to say that when “they” say an LED bulb lasts 10 years, “they” lie.

Beside the point…point is, it is cheap and easy to replace these “dated” fixtures.

So off to Lowes I went and THIS is what I found….

When I say it was easy to replace, I am not kidding. The hardest part was climbing up and down the ladder. Just remove the existing bulb and trim piece. The trim piece is usually held in place by little springs or pinch clips.

Then just screw the new fixture into the socket (like a light bulb) then slip the little pinch clips into the existing brackets on the side of the can. Simple!!!!

The fixture has five different light settings on the back…from bright white to soft “yellowish.” I set all my living space lights on a soft setting and the three in my kitchen on a brighter white for task lighting. Perfect.

TIP! If one of these eventually goes out you can’t just replace a bulb. My suggestion is to get an extra 1-2 in case one goes out in the future and this style or brand is no longer available…that way you won’t have to replace multiples if one goes out!

Again, one of the simplest and most impactful DIY projects you can do. Don’t know why I haven’t done this in the last three years.

Oh, yeah, I know why. Rarely do I lay on the couch and look at my ceiling lights.

We've come a long way baby...

So often I share the inside of this house and all the work we have done. This week I finished up another landscape project and realized I have never shared how far we have come OUTSIDE!

I didn’t even comprehend the amount of work we had done outside until I looked it up on Zillow again. The pictures are from when we bought the house three years ago. Sooooo much has changed…both inside and out!

The landscaping was basically a blank slate. I pulled out a few shrubs here and there, moved some azaleas, cut down an overgrown tree in a flower bed and pulled up some edging. But basically it didn’t have a lot of landscaping. I guess the lady who owned it for over twenty years before us really didn’t do a lot.

Fine by me…just that much less to demo!

So let’s start with the front…and keep in mind I didn’t do any “editing” on the pictures i took so you can see how things really look around here. Shade and all!

Before….

The first picture is the Zillow listing. The last two are the street views from Google Earth.

You can probably tell from the Zillow picture and the Google street view pictures…clever photography and heavy editing can really make a difference!

On the house I removed the ugly wood arch things to open up the front porch, changed out the front door, replaced the dated light fixtures, added some minor detailing on the garage door and changed out the arch transom windows.

Trimmed up all the overgrown trees…a must for aesthetics but also for safety…a big dead limb can do a lot of damage.

Removed a few flower beds and then composted and mulched the others.

We brought in new top soil and sodded the entire front yard with fescue. I removed some blocks from the block retaining wall. I really wanted to created a new retaining wall with native stone but that is another project for another time.

I moved four large azaleas that were planted by the front entrance to the side yard where I created a shade garden.

Nothing was going to grow under these trees and it features a huge dogwood …the space really needed to be highlighted! The azaleas and dogwoods are spectacular in the spring!

I planted new plants in the flower beds to the left and right of the entry. Again I am transitioning to perennials so I planted small boxwoods, chokeberries, tick seed, lirope and Stella D lilies…and of course a few potted hostas.

The bed on the left is filled with beautiful daffodils and tulips in the spring…I left those. (This is where I added a simple water feature…stay tuned and I’ll share how easy it is!)

I fill in with a few colorful annuals and I have a few pots I add ferns and impatiens to every year.

Dressed up the beds on the north side of the house with a little rock and planted a few easy plants…hydrangeas, lirope and some astilbe.

Prime example of why you should really research plants…originally I planted some Stella D lilies here and they did not get enough sun. This side yard only gets a little morning sun which is perfect for the hydrangeas and astilbe.

A few weeks ago I finished a little makeover on the side yard where grass would not grow. I added a little flagstone, some decorative rock around the air conditioner, planted some lirope my neighbor was thinning out in her yard, planted a redbud and added a little birdbath.

When I was at the livestock store picking up supplies for my water feature project, they had their azaleas 50% off. I snagged a few and planted one here and two in the side shade bed incase the older ones eventually croak!

The entire back yard slopes towards the house and to each side. This side of the yard gets a pretty heavy water shed because of a downspout. It is one reason this side of the front and back yard would not grow grass. I have to be VERY careful about any changes I make.

HERE I shared the changes I made to the side yard behind the fence.

The back yard has probably had the most dramatic changes.

These are the “before” pics from Zillow…when we bought the house….

If you are wondering what that big concrete bench thingy is, we don’t know. It was there and it is HUGE so it’s not going any where. We have been told it is part of the old farm house that was once here before this area was developed.

One of the first things we did was take out the shrubs along the back of the house and cut out the old pawpaw tree. I loath to cut down any tree but this one was just too big for the space and was on the siding and roof. We replaced it with a little Japanese Maple and someday I MIGHT figure out what I want to do with this bed. In the meantime, potted flowers will have to do!

We added a little rock and planted smaller boxwoods long the back.

I’ve never been a big fan of rock beds…I always preferred mulch. The ease of these beds the last few years has really made me a fan. Truthfully it is easy to plant in and of course pretty much maintenance free.

I added the large flower bed in the corner when we first moved in. Again, it was NOT going to grow grass under the humungus trees. I knew I was going to grow mostly in pots so I put the edging down around the trees along the “shade line,” applied some Roundup on what little grass was there, then just topped everything with about 4” of compost.

(Feel free to be envious of my spectacular wind chimes. I showed them to Brian last spring at a local garden shop…he remembered and gave them to me last Christmas. The man is amazing!)

I have always heard you should be very cautious around oak trees so as to not “smoother” their root system. We have a HUGE white oak and several large red oaks. I made sure to keep the compost and mulch thin around the base of the trees. When I plant in the bed, I dig a big hole then add a mixture of garden soil and compost before planting the plant…that way I didn’t have to amend the soil in the entire bed. With all the rocks and roots in this area it would have been dang near impossible. And again, I didn’t want to do anything to disturb the tree root systems.

HERE I shared the pathway I made with my grandad’s old grind stones.

I shared HERE the extension of this little back bed. Just what little digging I had to do for the edging and planting destroyed my elbow (don’t ask, I don’t know!)

Around this entire back bed is my next “want to” project. I “want to” extend the entire bed about 4-5’, add a flagstone walk and more plants…in other words make the entire thing bigger. Hum…maybe someday when I don’t have a bum elbow.

I shared HERE the construction of the swing…and HERE when I stained it.

HERE I shared my shop and the changes I made to it to make it more appealing. The inside is still a shop full of tools, supplies and garden stuff…but the outside had to be dolled up!

I added this bed last fall for the hostas. I split off the potted hostas this year! Everyone of these hostas are splits!

Two years ago I added a little “pergola shed” onto the back of the shop for Brian’s zero turn mower and our larger garden tools (shovels, racks, wagon, etc.) Everything else goes inside the shop.

We didn’t completely sod the back yard but over the last few years I have sodded and seeded here and there…it is a work in progress. Someday I hope to have a perfect back lawn. With the shade and sun combo it is a struggle.

I was fortunate this yard had an irrigation system. It had been neglected for years so it took several years and some back breaking days to get everything repaired and in working order but it has been worth every effort. I don’t know that I could keep everything alive without it!

I keep thinking that SOMEDAY I will get it all done and then I can just sit around my park-like setting and enjoy. But truth is, I like working in the yard…I like digging in the dirt…I like planting new plants.

There are days I just walk around with my coffee and enjoy. But in my mind I am always looking for new ways to get my hands dirty.

It is my therapy.

Piece by piece...

I had a friend on Facebook ask where she could find much of my decor because we share a style.

Funny…as I walk around this house I see so many pieces I have cobbled together over the years. Pieces I bought at auctions and refinished. Some at flea markets. Some I bought new and tired of over time so I gave them a little facelift. Pieces I inherited. ( I am actually kind of shocked at how many pieces there are and how little I paid for them originally!)

Every room in this house has pieces I have refinished, refurbished or rehabbed.

My bedroom….

Twenty years ago I bought an entire bedroom set…bed, dresser, highboy and two night stands. Paid a small fortune for the matchy-matchy set so I couldn’t bring myself to get rid of it. Over the years I finally gave up the bed and dresser and the highboy and nightstands have had little facelifts. The furniture and our master bedroom got a full makeover HERE.

Before….

After….

My office…

I bought this desk at a junk shop YEARS ago…I think I paid $25 for it.

Still love it although it could use a little refresh!

The china display cabinet in the dining room. This is a prime example of a piece that is not my professed style but I absolutely love it all the same…LOVE!

I had a vision in my mind’s eye of what I wanted and I knew this piece could be exactly what I wanted with a little time and effort….

It took a bit more time and effort than I anticipated but it really is one of my favorite pieces.

I have several pieces in the living room I have rehabbed over the years.

This AMAZING coffee table I picked up at an auction for $22!

I sometimes wish I had a round coffee table but I love this piece so much I just can’t bring myself to part with it!

Several Lane Acclaim tables I have picked up here and there and refinished.

My grandmother’s little mid century chair has had two little makeovers. The teal chair is one I bought off Marketplace years ago and reupholstered….

My breakfast nook has several pieces as well.

The table….

The little china cabinet was a fun and relatively easy project….

They seem to work well together after their little facelifts….

There are so many more pieces I have curated and rehabbed over the years. Side tables, benches, chairs, dressers…every room has pieces I have refinished, painted or reupholstered.

It took years for me to collect all these pieces, bring them back to life and create a home I love with pieces that have purpose and meaning.

Most of the links are to the original rehabs where I share what I did…unfortunately I am NOT a good teacher so often I direct you to search the internet for good tutorials on how to repair, refinish and paint pieces. Find a tutorial that makes sense to you and begin curating your home one piece at a time.

It doesn’t happen over night! And it seems to be never ending…

Easter garland....

I have mentioned many times my obsession with decorating for EVERY holiday.

Christmas was a given for years….

And of course fall….

Up until a few years ago, that was pretty much the extent of it…maybe a few knick knacks here and there for a few holidays like Valentine’s Day or Easter, but nothing major.

Then I “retired”…and decorating EVERYTHING for EVERY holiday has become my thing. A wreath on the porch, entry and kitchen, a tablescape, special candles, special dishes…every event. I even bought “Easter” champagne glasses this year and we don’t even drink! But they matched the Easter dinnerware so ……!

Anywho…I think the little holiday banners and garland I see on Pinterest are just too stinking cute. This year I decided I wanted an Easter garland…you know, with carrots and eggs….for the fireplace.

So I went searching.

First I ordered THIS carrot garland from Amazon.

Cute but it wasn’t really tripping my trigger.

So I went on Pinterest and started looking for a little inspiration.

All said and done, this was the final look I came up with.

I had a little extra of every thing so I even made one for the dining room hutch.

This was super simple to make…the little carrots slid right off the jute they were on. I threaded the jute on a big upholstery needle I had on hand, then strung the beads, carrots and foam eggs onto the jute.

Garland…too cute!

As you can see, i have a thing for bunnies…just scattered around the house. Lots of pink, blue and green candles…spring wreaths…Easter pillows. Foam eggs here and there!

It may not be “the most wonderful time of the year” but fun none the less!

The Olive Tree....

I recently decided to jump on a “decor bandwagon.”

Seems olive trees are all the rage right now. As I have mentioned before I have a few issues keeping indoor plants healthy so I have zero issues with breaking the “no fake plants” rule. If you are like me and have a black thumb for indoor plants, it is the only way to bring “life” into your home. (I kick butt when it comes to outdoor flower beds but this is where indoor plants come to die!)

Anywho, I have an olive wreath…but I was hesitant to spend a big chunk of money on a tree that 1) will go out of style in short order (think ficas, fiddle, etc) and 2) may or may not actually look decent.

So I did a little research and read reviews and landed on THIS tree on Etsy. I went with the 6’ tree. Pretty tree and very affordable but still seemed a tad short. I knew I was going to have to put it in a basket or pot so I decided to give it a little lift in the process.

I found a large pot at Lowe’s I like. To “pot” the tree I needed another smaller pot, some scrap cardboard, spray foam and decorative rocks….

I placed the small (and very inexpensive) pot upside down into the larger decorative pot…I secured it with a bit of hot glue just to keep it from moving around.

I hot glued the potted tree on top of the small pot. I used cut up card board around the small pot just to “fill in” the space and give a cardboard collar something to set on.

After all that I used spray foam to fill in and secure it all….

I use this spray foam for several reasons. First it puffs up pretty solid and kind of acts like a “glue” to hold everything super secure. Second, while it dries pretty hard on the top, it still is a foam and is easy to stick stuff in it if you want to…like for floral arrangements and such (I used it HERE for fall urns!) It is also relatively light weight so it fills these pots without adding a lot of weight like rocks would! It is also lightweight so it makes it easier to move the pot around!

Lastly…it is much cheaper than floral foam!

A few hints for using this stuff…it is super sticky…let it dry before you mess with it! If you get it somewhere you don’t want it, just let it dry well then scrape it off! (If you fail to take my advice and mess with it while it is wet, use mineral spirits to clean it up.)

It expands quite a bit so work in “layers”…let it cure well before you add more if needed. On this project I did two “layers” before I got it to the right height.

If you find that it is “too high” in spots, you can cut it with a serrated knife to trim it down after it has dried.

Since I was using black decorative rock, I sprayed the foam with black paint so it would blend in….

Then I just placed the rocks on top of the painted foam….

I like the overall height and look now. You have to “pot” these anyway, might as well add a little height to them.

I decided to put it in the corner of my breakfast room. If I want to move it to another spot, it is relatively light weight…not so much that it is a tipping hazard but not so heavy that it would be a pain to move.

You may notice I am already decked out for Easter…this little tree gave me the perfect spot for one of my newest Easter additions….

Next week I will share a bit more.

Until then….

"Mud room" bench....

This is a project you see a lot on Pinterest and it is a super simple and functional use of normally wasted space.

Case in point…my daughter-in-law’s sister’s (Laura) house….

This room is next to her kitchen…designed to be the “breakfast room” space but is really used as a thoroughfare from the garage into the house and has become a general “drop zone catch all. “ With two small kiddos, it could be the perfect “craft room” and drop zone but as you can see there was no form or functionality to the space.

So she sent me this “inspiration” photo.

A functional and organized space for shoes, backpacks, coats, etc.

Heck, I can build that!

She likes the board and batten look of my entry more than the “panelling” look in her inspiration photo. No biggy. Remember what I have said before…the key to any project is first, your inspiration…..second, your plan and third, the execution.

So we had the inspiration…just a few tweeks and we had a plan…

Now it was time to execute!

I have said before I am not a “how to” kinda person…I am a “YOU CAN DO IT” kinda person. So find a tutorial for installing board and batten and building a bench that makes sense to you and works for your space.

First up…the bench. I had to off center the middle support because of an outlet but it was pretty basic stuff…2x4s, construction mastic and wood screws. Again, find a tutorial that makes sense to you! (Even I look at tutorials sometimes and say WTH!)

I build the legs of the bench out of 2x4s then clad them with plywood. Simple.

I used 1x6 pre-primed pine to trim out the front of the bench. MDF will “swell” if it gets wet so you can use it on wall treatments but I highly recommend using a solid wood product on anything adjacent to the floor.

I always use pre-primed or prime and sand before I install to avoid having to prime and sand inside the house!

I used 3 1x6 lengths of oak for the bench top. You can also use pine…MUCH cheaper but Laura liked the look of the oak. I used a rooter on the edges, just a hair, so when I joined them together they look more “plankish” than solid.

I built the bench top, using a biscuit joiner, in the garage… no stain just 3 coats of polycrylic, and then installed it before I moved on to the wall treatment.

For the board and batten wall treatment I used preprimed MDF.

I usually install the horizontal pieces first…making sure they are perfectly level. Then I go back and add the vertical boards. Putty all the nail holes and seams and make sure you caulk EVERY joint and crack…sand it all super smooth.

REMEMBER if you can feel it you are going to see it after paint…so sand and feel with your hands! Sometimes it can take 2-3 coats of joint filler to get good coverage.

We covered the wood bench top and painted with a brush and roller…three coats!

GORG!!!!

We added cute little hooks Laura picked out!

I was still loading tools and the littlest (3 y.o.) was already claiming all the hooks for his back pack and Hulk costume and mask! Probably should have added more hooks…lol!

Props to Laura…I really believe the vision and inspiration are the most important keys to any successful DIY project.

She did good and I have no doubt this little area will now serve her family well!

Where have I been?

I know…I have been MIA for over a month.

When I first started this blog, I posted every day. That was just too difficult so I started posting twice a week. That was even taxing so I started posting once a week.

And now here we are…over a month later.

Truth be told, the holidays are a super busy time for me.

All the decorating, baking, entertaining.

And of course the sitting and staring at the Christmas tree. I do that A LOT. The season is just so short since I have a hard fast rule to NOT decorate for Christmas until after Thanksgiving…I want to soak it all in.

I get up every morning and turn on all the Christmas lights and they stay on until I go to bed. I don’t even want to tell you what my electric bill is that month…wowza!

This year I added ANOTHER decorated tree in my bedroom…I’ll have to share that next year. I featured my new black and white tree in my office HERE . Now I am one step closer to having my dream of having a decorated Christmas tree in every room. Upside…it is AMAZING…down side….what a chore to take it all down!

The MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR is in the books and time to move into the new year.

First up…a baby shower for my daughter in law.

Everything was beautiful and of course hosting this special event gave me a reason to do a super deep clean on my house.

Breath….

Now on to something that has been bugging me for several months.

The living room rug.

I bought a new rug before Christmas. I loved the old rug….

But after a few years and a puppy, it was ready to go. Rolled it up and hauled it to the trash can.

I tried a holiday Ruggable rug in my entry this year….

…I loved this rug…very durable and at the end of the season I picked it up and threw it in the washing machine! Sweet!

So I decided to try a washable rug in my living room. I couldn’t find one I liked on Ruggable so I checked out Tumble, another washable rug.

I found one I thought I liked, ordered it and put it down.

I didn’t even take pictures of it because I knew the minute I rolled it out it was all wrong!

Do you ever have one of those “design choices” that you get all done, stand back and go ICK!?

Yeah…that was my reaction to this rug!

It is a beautiful rug. And with 3 cats and 2 dogs, and a slew of granddoggies, I love the fact that I can pick it up and throw it in the washing machine.

But it just didn’t work.

The problem was the color…the rug is what I call a “cool” color and everything in my living room is “warm.”

I don’t have a problem mixing “cool” and “warm” decor….if it is done right.

But this just wasn’t right. All this rug did was make my couch look dingy and dirty…and it is not either.

Sooooooo…..what to do, what to do?

First, I do what I always do…I let it be for awhile. I live with it.

A few weeks later…I still dislike it immensely.

I couldn’t send it back because I had “let it be” for a few months and by then…well, life. Rolled it up, tore the bed apart and put it down in my bedroom.

I’m not swooning over it but I’m not growling at it every time I walk through the room… (yes, it looks lavender…but it is actually kind of a taupy/grey/blue kinda color…which makes it appear lavender)

So now I had to find a new living room rug…OH MY GOSH!!!! I can do a lot of things but choose a rug is not something I do well.

I went to 6 different stores…found a few I loved but not enough to justify the price. I know me…in a year I will tire of it and I will want something different. Rugs and pillows are something that is easy to change so I try to keep the cost on those in the reasonable range.

A $3000 rug in a house full of critters and traffic is probably not reasonable.

Finally settled on a new rug…

Meh…again, not swooning but …. (again, it APPEARS browninsh but it is more of a warm grey/copper/blueish color)

So, on to the new year.

So far I only have a few projects online.

A “mudroom” bench and storage for my daughter-in-law’s sister.

She found her inspiration…..

I took measurements, I drew up a plan, and made a material list.

We were going to start that project this week but we got 5” of snow Tuesday so that got pushed to next week.

Definite share when I get it done!

My neighbor wants to redo her pantry like I did mine (shared HERE). She has some family obligations for the next few weeks, so that is on hold.

We are only a few months away from potting, mulching and planting! But as I said, snow…and cold…sooooo….

So I am doing what I always do in January and February….I am hibernating.

I need these few weeks to decompress…and breath!

Christmas! It really is the most wonderful time of the year!

I almost didn’t do a Christmas post this year because I thought not much has changed.

But every year I add more and more to this house.

A few weeks ago I shared the new “black and white” tree in my office (I shared the accent wall and office makeover HERE)….

I love this tree and this year I wrapped all our Christmas eve gifts (shhhh…it’s pajamas) with white paper and black and gold ribbons to match the tree….LOVE!

Next year this tree will play an important role because we added a VERY special element to our Christmas decor.

In the 40s, Brian’s grandad (his Papa) gave his dad a used cast iron train set for Christmas. Brian remembers it going around his Papa and Grammy’s Christmas tree every year.

This year Brian got it from his dad. It is magnificent!

This year we are displaying it above the dining room with some miniature Christmas knick knacks and little fairy lights.

We can’t put it around the main tree in our living room because of all the gifts but next year we will put it around the tree in the office.

Why….because next year we will have a 10 month old grandson who will absolutely love it…it goes around the tracks and even blows steam!

When I began to look around I realized how much has indeed changed because of all the little projects I have completed this past year.

The dining room…I added wainscoting and the china display cabinet and that changed everything up a tad!

No major projects in the entry this year but I added a tartan holiday rug from Ruggable!

So far I really love this rug and am considering getting one for the living room!

The breakfast room…this year I added the board and batten and a new china hutch….

It didn’t change up things too terribly much…just added a few touches to the hutch, moved the tree that use to be in the corner onto the screened porch and replaced it with the tree that was in the office last year!

My master bedroom….

I’ve never decorated the master bedroom for the holidays but this year was kind of a fluke. I ordered a ton of stuff for the guest room earlier this year. My oldest son is currently staying with us while he gets his pilot license so there is really no reason to deck it for the holiday. So I decided to use all the holiday froo-froo for my bedroom.

I LOVE IT!!!

The green pillow with the Christmas trees is one I made with the scraps from THIS never ending quilt project. (To date I have made 8 quilts, two pillow covers and one throw pillow)

My friend brought me this amazing star from Germany…I can’t wait to add a light to it!

The little tree is the one I had in the guest room last year. Next year when the big dog kennel is finally gone I am going to put up a bigger tree. Similar to the one in the office…only red and white! (I am slowly working my way to my dream of having a Christmas tree in every room!!!)

Decorating this room was a no brainer since, like the guest bath and office, you see it from the entry….

Not sure why it took me three years to do it!

The living room…earlier this year I changed out the fireplace surround. It didn’t make a huge difference, but this year I decided to add garland to the fireplace mantels. I desperately wanted the soft touch Norfolk pine that is all the rage but by the time I knew I wanted it, it was all sold out.

I have to be careful about the height and placement of any mantel decor because of the televisions (one of the few “design concessions” I gave Brian) .So I settled for some pretty frosted berry picks…four laid out in a row. I added them to the living room and den fireplace mantels.

I left the mirror in the living room and I love how it reflects the tree!

Truthfully, I think I like the color and texture of the picks on the mantels better than I would plain green garland.

Great example of doing what you love rather than what Pinterest tells you to do!

So simple and so pretty.

Last year I shared how to make these little door signs…still think they are cute as a bugs ear! (the one on the left really is my wrapping room)

I did change all the other door wreaths. It really isn’t hard. Candle wreaths with a little ribbon…simple and inexpensive but very pretty throughout the house!

The kitchen…the only change in there this year was the pantry. Humungus difference for me for holiday baking but didn’t change the holiday decor!

I didn’t change much in the “Stewart plaid” all season room. I found this darling Stewart plaid top hat topper in a Christmas shop in Breckenridge and had to have it!

Little has changed outside…I did finish a TON of projects this year but nothing that really affects decorating for the holidays! (Check out the outdoor swing pergola I featured HERE)

I scattered a few things in my laundry room…nothing earth shattering.

So, while there doesn’t seem to be a lot of changes, additions and tweeks, there are.

I hope you and your family have a WONDERFUL holiday!!!!

A new black and white Christmas tree...

This is our third Christmas in this house and every year I add something new.

Last year it was the “Stewart decor”….love and can’t wait to deck this room this year!

Year before was my “funky bow” obsession…still love those as well.

In both these links you can see a lot of my Christmas decor. Over the past few years I have added simple pre-lit trees to several rooms…guest room. office, all season room, dining room…most already had some “froo-froo” (flocking, berries, pinecones) so I didn’t really decorate any other than the main tree in the living room.

But while cruising Instagram I saw something that stopped me in my tracks.

This tree….

LOVE! I just think it is soooo pretty!

When I added the accent wall in my office earlier this year, a credenza is one element I wanted for this room. A few months ago I found the perfect credenza….a Heywood Wakefield Cliff House credenza in super awesome condition. Just happen to see it on an Instagram posting from one of my favorite vintage stores and was able to snatch it up over the phone. I can not tell you how much I love this piece….

So….when I saw the black and white Christmas tree I knew exactly where I could put it. In the corner next to the new credenza in my office where it can be seem from the living room and entry!

Last year I bought a little flocked tree for this room and set it on the side table in the front window. Pretty but just okay.

So I set out to recreate the black and white tree!

First thing I did was order a simple pre-lit flocked tree…bought THIS one and I really like it.

Then I took a picture of the inspiration tree to Hobby Lobby to find each little element.

One problem I ran into was finding the different ornaments…black and white polka dot and striped ornaments are not really the “in” thing.

What to do, what to do?

Time to break out the ole’ glue gun and get creative.

I bought some plain black and white ornaments and glued black glass beads and ribbon to the white ones and gold ribbon to the black ones.

I added pretty little bows to a few ornaments..

I was able to find a few “glitzy” ornaments that I dressed up with bows, a few velvet picks and even some simple white pinecone ornaments.

I made big bows out of gold and black holiday ribbon and glued inexpensive small black ornaments together to create little clusters.

Filled in here and there with inexpensive poinsettias.

The ornaments are certainly not “keepsake” ornaments like the main tree but simple and inexpensive and will be super easy to change if I decide to go with a different color scheme later down the road.

I wanted a tree that was simple but elegant.

I think I pulled it off!

I wish I had a link to the inspiration tree but it was on instagram and now I can’t find it. But there is tons of inspiration on Pinterest so look until something takes your breath away….then go out and create it!

YOU CAN DO IT!!!!

Another check mark on the "Honey-do" list...

We returned from our annual Colorado trip last Thursday. We rode trains, zipped across the Royal Gorge, rode bikes from Vail Pass, did our guided fishing trip, shopped, gambled a wee bit and drove the mountains looking at Aspens! Glorious!

Before we left I completed a few “honey-dos.” I got my fall decor up, we got our back yard sodded, I got the yard over-seeded, I painted some of the trim (repainting it with my new favorite white but still have more to go!)…just a few things on my “Honey-do” list I keep on the refrigerator.

Back home and back to work!

One of my spring projects this year was another swing pergola. I love these little projects and we sit in this swing all the time. (HERE you can find a pretty decent tutorial!)

One thing I knew I wanted to do from day one was to stain it black. I like the natural look of treated wood but it does grey over time.

I used Cabot Semi-sold stain mixed in black. I wanted black, but I also wanted to see the grain through the stain.

Almost all tutorials I have read on sealing or staining treated wood suggest you wait 3-6 months to treat it. Treated wood tends to be “wet” and it is important to give the wood time to dry out and “cure” a bit. In my case I waited around 5+ months…I would liked to have waited a tad longer but we had a super dry summer and I wanted to get it done before it gets too cold.

So this little chore has been on my fridge for 5+ months…I finally tackled it this week and was able to check off that “honey do!”

One down…so many more to go!