Bright Idea: LED Table Lamp For Your Dining Table
I had a lightbulb moment a few weeks ago as it relates to dining table lighting. One of the reasons dining at a fancy restaurant is so delightful is because of the lighting. It’s not too harsh and, often, every table has a candle or mood light of some sort. You can recreate that ambiance at home with a candle or an LED table lamp for your dining table. The lighting in our dining room is not ideal, especially in the dead of winter. But that has changed now that I placed an LED table lamp smack dab in the middle of the table. No more centerpieces. It’s all about…
Why We Decided To Repoint Our Stone Walls Ourselves
On our long to-do list when we bought this Colonial Farmhouse fixer-upper was to repoint the stone walls in our basement. To emphasize how important these stone walls are, they are not there for show. They are our foundation walls. The foundation holds up the house. Taking care of it is not an option unless you want your house to fall down. We decidedly do not want our house to fall down. That would be bad. (Understatement of the year.) How did we know our stone walls needed to be repointed? The little piles of sand at the bottom of the wall were our first clue. We didn’t need any…
Happy List: #334
Hello! Welcome to this week’s Happy List. I’m so glad you are here. This week on the blog I shared the hidden meaning behind a reclaimed wood tray we made. If you haven’t read it yet, I think you’ll like the ending of that story. I also wrote about when and where to use rechargeable lightbulbs so that you aren’t disappointed that they don’t work as long as regular lightbulbs. As always, thank you for being here. Don’t be a stranger. We like talking to you! If you want to connect with us or ask a question, you can always comment on this blog post or send an email here.…
5 Places Rechargeable Light Bulbs Won’t Disappoint You
If you’re contemplating using rechargeable light bulbs, then I know you have a lighting situation that’s dimming your spirit a little. Maybe a lot. If it was a hassle-free, inexpensive fix, and your best friend’s sister’s cousin is an electrician, then you would have already shone a light on your dark corner. Same. Or maybe you are renting and there’s no way your landlord is going to spring for more outlets and hardwired lights. Gives new meaning to the Dark Ages. Been there too. Couldn’t see a thing. Rechargeable light bulbs are not going to solve all of your life problems. Disappointing, I know. However, they have been improving in…
The Hidden Meaning Behind This Reclaimed Wood Tray
I never thought there would be a hidden meaning behind a reclaimed wood tray. Yet, here we are. To set the stage, we live in a colonial-era home that we’ve been restoring for the last four and a half years. Old homes should come with a warning. Not the “this house is a money pit” warning. Although, it will be. Not the “this house makes disturbing noises” warning. It does. Not the “people probably died here” warning. For sure they have. They were born here too. Not the “rodents have more entrances to your home than you do” warning. It’s infuriating. The warning old houses should come with is this…
Happy List: #333
Hello! Welcome to today’s Happy List. I’m so glad you could join me here. This week on the blog I rounded up the prettiest tablet or cookbook holders that you could keep out on your counter all the time. I also shared an interesting story about St. Valentine and the unlikely place he turned up. As always, thank you for being here. Don’t be a stranger. We like talking to you! If you want to connect with us or ask a question, you can always comment on this blog post or send an email here. You can also reach out on Instagram or Facebook. Enjoy this week’s Happy List! MOUNTAIN…
From the Archive: St. Valentine’s Remains Are In Dublin
Editor’s Note: I originally wrote this in 2018 but it is still relevant today because guess what? History is still in the past and not much has changed on this topic between 2018 and 2024. I think you’ll enjoy this wild romp through history. Hold onto your pink teddy bear and open up your box of mystery chocolates because I have an interesting Valentine’s Day story for you! The actual saint that kicked off this entire multi-billion dollar holiday is St. Valentine and his remains (or part of them) are indeed located in Dublin. Ireland is usually all about St. Patrick, so this St. Valentine connection surprised me. I read…
In Praise Of: Pretty Tablet Stands
Every time it appears in a photo or video, I get compliments and questions about the brass tablet stand that holds my laptop or iPad while it charges. I agree, it is pretty amazing. My tablet stand is vintage from the 1970s, which means it’s not really a tablet stand. We were still typing on typewriters in the 1970s, not laptops and tablets. My oh my, how things have changed. My stand held a memento from my parents’ wedding. I’ve used it to display various pictures over the years, but now it functions as a beautiful and practical display stand for a laptop or iPad. I wondered if I could…
Happy List: #332
Hello! Welcome to the Happy List. I’m delighted you are here. This week on the blog I shared a personal post about our wedding anniversary. Thank you all for your well wishes and kind words. It meant a lot to us. I also shared a blog post about the cutest wood heart planters. I think they could also be called scalloped planters depending on how you looked at them. Either way, it’s a fun DIY. Once again, thank you for being here. Don’t be a stranger. We like talking to you! If you want to connect with us or ask a question, you can always comment on this blog post…
How To Make Wood Heart Planters
Hello, Valentines! Would you like to see how to make the cutest wood heart planters today? You wood? Fantastic! I’m glad we’re all speaking the same love language here. Puns. I think puns are our love language. And DIY. But mainly puns. This planter is not going to make itself, so let’s get to work! Materials Needed: 1×6 or larger piece of cedar or other wood of preference wood glue small finish nails or brad nails jigsaw or bandsaw sandpaper Wood Heart Planter Dimensions: Opening: 4.5 inches Height: 5.25 inches (total, includes base) Width: 5.25 inches Base: 2.50 x 2.50 x .25 inches To print out a PDF of this…
