The last month of 2014. It’s been a crazy year, that is for sure. I never made any goals for November, although the one I had in my head was to get the living room painted, which was just done on Friday. Whew. We have hung up a couple big pictures, but the smaller ones have to wait until the paint cures for 10 days before using the Command strips on them. We also have thought about the arrangement of the living room. What do nerds do when you want to do that?
A scale model of the living room. It almost is like Colorforms for adults – anyone remember those? I remember having to lick the pieces after a while when they stopped sticking…
Anyway, the piano is really the elephant in the room so to speak. I decided on a new home for my chaise, though. In the corner where it says ‘settee’ in the above picture.
I need taller lamp, though, I think. And please excuse my cords. My life is made up of cords. For the computer, my headset, my foot pedal, etc. It’s like I am Doc Oc or something.
Anyway, I do have a few goals in mind for December:
1. 60 minutes a day for exercise as many days as I can. Since this is the season of eating, I need to also make it the season of exercise in order to balance all that out.
2. Enjoy the season. In the rush, rush and all that – I need to make sure I take time to relax and enjoy the festivities and the fun of Christmas in our new house. John and I aren’t religious, but we do get caught up in the holiday spirit this time of year.
3. Finish the downstairs bathroom. There are 2 places of wallpaper left on the first floor – the foyer and the half bath. My goal for December is to finish the half bath. It’s a small room, so hopefully that won’t take long to get the wallpaper off and paint, and I really hope to get it done before we host the Christmas Eve dinner. Best get started on that soon, then…
4. Post some vegetarian recipes. With John eating all veggie now, we are trying new recipes, so I hope to share some of them.
I have been working on decorating the mantle in the living room. 10 years ago or so in our first house, we had a fireplace and for the life of me I cannot recall how we decorated it, if we even did other than hang stockings. CRS, I guess. Anyway, I wanted to decorate our new mantle, but it has to be done on the cheap. Hello Pinterest and the Dollar Tree! I went to Dollar Tree and got 3 candlestick holders, 3 glass candle jars and 3 things of ornaments. $9 total.
Then (after cleaning with glass cleaner), I superglued the candlestick holder to the bottom of the glass jar:
This is a nice craft to do while watching Monday Night Football. About 5 minutes later waiting for the glue to set up and I have nice hurricaine glasses!
Filled with ornaments and they are very pretty!
The nice thing about these is that you can use them all year with candles in them or sea shells or fresh flowers. Whatever! Pretty good deal for under $10.
I am still working on the rest of the mantle. Note that I did not paint the brick on the fireplace. After we got the gray paint on the walls (which doesn’t show real well in this picture), it toned down the pink color in the brick and actually highlights the mortar. John likes the brick and since I can tolerate it now with the wall color, I am not going to paint it…yet.
Here’s to a good December.
—————————————-
I also wanted to take a moment and ask you to go over and give some support to Biz at My Bizzy Kitchen. She has just lost her husband and I know that she can use all of the cyber support she can get right now.
I love nerds. And I really love that mantle DIY project.
I love how it came out as well. Who knew Dollar Tree could really give you a lot of bang for the buck (har, har).
I did something similar for my fireplace, too – GMTA!
Yay! Pictures please 😀
I laughed out loud at the “doc oc or something” comment lol. Loved your Christmas decorations I want to make some now 🙂 I see you having a wonderful December 🙂
Wow very crafty of you!
Very clever idea to use colorforms (love!) Instead of endless drawings like I did. Your living room looks so clean and restful.
Well, it is not my idea for the vases – I saw a ton of pins on it and it sounded easy enough, and it was 😀
We once saw a fireplace decorated for Christmas in a store and we loved it so much we bought exactly the same things they had used 🙂 but till today I’m not bored with it and it’s going up again this year. Like you we are not religious but we also have the holiday spirit.
I like your goals for the month. I’m not doing goals anymore but the 60 minute exercise is a good one. Going to try that too this month.
Oh forgot: are you going to show us an overall look how the living room turned out?
Yes, once we get the rest of the pictures on the wall and such. And finish the mantle. So maybe by Christams LOL!
I’ve always wanted a nice fireplace with a mantel, just to have a place to decorate and hang stockings at Christmas lol! Your project came out great. An arrangement like that would probably sell for $30 at TJ Maxx or Homegoods.
Cords are the bane of living in an older home too. One of these days I’m going to have the money to get an electrician in to tell me if I can just have more outlets!
You should make a fake mantle. Then you can decorate all you want 😀
Oh no, don’t paint the brick. It so goes with your whole outside/inside. And, I am never a fan of painted brick, it looks amazing with the grey mortar, you are right. Luv the glass hurricanes, so pretty. I may have to do that, for other seasons , though. We have so many Christmas decorations, was just thinking on my way in to work this AM that this year I am going to not put everything out, Lol.
As for December goals, mine is the same with an added no scale looking. If I continue to exercise as my days allow, then after the Holiday I will get on and evaluate then. This will be the first time in 4 yrs for me to stay off the scale during this season. I was so very careful before while losing. Now that I have maintained for quite some time, I have to have confidence that I know how this works.
Hope you enjoy your week. You have inspired me to decorate this weekend.
I think the scale can easily throw you off – even when you are doing well. This time a year doing the best you can without being judged by the scale is a good enough.
I missed that John was vegetarian now! How long has that been going on? Are you going to do that as well?
He has been moving this way for a while now and no, I am not joining him in that.
Wow, I am really liking how the brick looks with the wall now! I’ll reserve final judgment until we get a full view photo. I used to have a long top shelf of a bookcase that I used like a mantle at xmas, but I don’t have that anymore or I would try your great décor project. I need to figure out an exercise plan too – I was loving my first summer in years on my bike so that I think I’m suffering exercise depression now that I had to put it away.
I does look a lot different with the paint. Again, paint is the most amazing thing to transform a room.
I hear you about the depression in putting the bike away…
Your idea for the glass vases is so cool and the mantle looks very classy. Thanks for the shout out to Biz, too, I went to high school with her and that’s a very sad loss.
It is terribly sad. I feel so bad for her.
Love your DIY hurricanes – awesome idea!!!
Sounds like you have a great plan for finishing some of the final projects (at least on the first floor!!).
I’m so sad for Biz – I wish there was a way to help her right now!!
Those are FANTASTIC Lori!! And absolutely sending love to Biz! Such a sad loss, and her husband was so young. Puts life in perspective doesn’t it?
my heart just aches and breaks for Biz, too.
<3
I LOVED Colorforms!!!!!
Lori – you are so crafty! Love what you did & yes to using all year round! I can’t wait to see all the holiday pic at Radiance manor!!!!