Wine Anyone?

Hey Guys! I hope all is well. This is gonna be a super quick post this week--and I do mean super quick. Unfortunately, I've had absolutely no luck styling the table that I upcycled awhile back. Remember this? For awhile I did the whole decorative limb thing see here, but that got old real quick since it kept nipping at my clothes anytime I walked over to my lamp. Booooo! Then I thought about doing a whole gold decorative item spread, but I haven't found anything in my price range that I like, so I've decided to stage the table until I can do better.

And what better way to lighten the mood than with...dun, dun, dun...wine ;-) *claps hands excessively*

I didn't want to remove my photos from the table so I pushed them to the back, grabbed a few of my Wine Spectator magazines and laid them out, stuck a small wine rack in the middle and stocked it with Michigan wine :) and I'm done!

Simple aye?I must have swiped a bottle before this pic ;-)

 

By the way, I adore local wines. Besides historical house tours, visiting Michigan Wineries might be one of my favorite pastimes. Check out this old post that combines two of my favorite things :) If you're ever in the Romeo area stop in and visit my friend Tony at the Village Winery, he's an absolute sweetheart and his wine is sooooo delicious! I want to go there just thinking about it.



This might seem pointless, but I like the dark cover mags better. I am going to grab a few more from my stash and swap the lighter colors out.

 

It's nothing fancy, but it works for now. I think I will play up the whole wine theme a bit more by adding a space for glasses and maybe even some yummy chocolates. Now all I need is to dim the lights and turn on the dinner jazz, and I'll be all set. Until the next time guys. XO!

What's Your Address: DIY Post

It's been a rainy few days in  the mitten state, so I still haven't completed my flower bed/Sedum garden. Nevertheless, once the sun actually showed its face I decided that it was fine time for a little DIY. This project began like so many others do--in the aisles of the Dollar Tree :) I'd purchased a flag post and a garden flag, but once I got it home I discovered that the flag fit terribly...no biggie. My mind simply began going down the line of what I could do with my now useless post. Then it dawned on me, an address sign! I've been wanting an address sign for quite sometime now. Although our address is clearly posted on our home, I find the little posts to be endearing.

However, what I don't find to be endearing is the price...

You want how much for what????

 

I just can't see spending that type of money for something to literally stick in the ground. Of course there were some signs that were a bit less and some that were a bit more. But the point here is that I thought it was grossly overpriced...so I decided to make one of my own :) I always say there's nothing like DIY. It gives you something to do, and you can save money while doing it, yuppers!

 

To complete this project you'll need:

• 1 metal serving plate from the Dollar Tree
• 1 garden flag post from the Dollar Tree
• Spray paint the color of your choice (I used Rust-Oleum High Heat with a tough protective enamel since it will be outside)
• Numbers of your address that fit into your plate (I went with 4" reflective numbers)
• 2 hooks (comes in a pack for $.59 at Lowes)
• Drill
• Hammer and nails (included with numbers) or glue

 

Here's what I started with. I really liked the floral embellishments around the plate, I knew it would give my sign a little extra oomph! Never mind those eye hooks--didn't need them.

 

I started by spray painting my plate. It was a lovely day so the sun sped up the dry time :-) Be sure to paint both front and back. I painted each side twice.

 

 I kept it real simple with just a plain flat black, but remember you can get as creative as your imagination and pocketbook will allow ;-) Don't look at my horrible (backyard) grass--that's a work in progress!

 

Once my plate was dry I enlisted the help of my hubby to drill the holes at the top. If you have a high power drill you should be fine, but if you have a basic drill it might take a little muscle. Although I did not drill my holes first, I think it would be best to do it that way. After the holes were in place, I had to touch up my paint job :(

 My Hubby is so helpful...sometimes!

 

Next came attaching the numbers to the plate. Be sure to position the numbers where you would like them to go to make certain it looks the way you desire. I used my handy dandy hot glue gun--and honestly I advise against this. The glue was a bit messy and left me having to retouch the sign...again. *Sigh* After all of that, I ended up having to re-spray my plate and then I used super glue to secure the numbers...whomp!

 

Once your numbers are attached simply put the hooks through the holes and slip it onto the post. Next, be sure to stick it in the ground and admire your handy work. That's that!

 

 

Here's a close up :) It was still a little wet, but who cares--I was ready to put it out.

 

And here's the big picture. Hubby wants to get a stronger post and says that we should put flowers around it. Me? I'm just pleased! :)

 

My sign may not be as fancy as the ones you purchase in stores, but I got what I wanted for a fraction of the cost. All together I paid about $7, I think that's a darn good deal. Keep in mind, your project may cost a little more depending on how many numbers you have in your address and the style of number that you want. 

 

So now that my first outdoor DIY project is completed for the year, maybe I can find the strength to tackle that sedum garden, at least that's what I hope. Until the next time guys, XO!

 

 

 





Timber!

Well, well, well...I guess I spoke too soon. In last week's post I mentioned how there were no big jobs currently going on at the house, and how I was content with the little things (I really was)...and then what do you know, we had a big job. *Rolls eyes*

So last week a neighbor of ours was having some trees professionally trimmed. Of course, my hubby took it upon himself to get an estimate for our tree. Cool, no problem right? We'd talked to our older, more experienced neighbor and he told us that the best solution was to have our tree cut down little by little. He had cut an entire tree down that way. And while, we would still probably be out of the same amount of money, at least it wouldn't be all at once (and our home would be safe in the meantime). That made sense. I mean, as much as I want that tree down, I really couldn't see myself parting with $5,000 all at once for a tree.



*LOL at my friend, when I told her how much it would cost she exclaimed, "To kill a tree? I can put a hit out on a person for less than that." Ain't that the truth...


Long story short, the professionals quoted us $2,500--just for a trim! Naturally, hubby sent them away, but not before they revealed that once the leaves began to grow the price would go up significantly. We truly didn't want to go through another storm season with that literally hanging over our heads. But whatever, kick rocks, respectfully.

Well, at the time, my husband was out in the yard chopping down smaller trees when one of the workers returned to tell him an easier way to do it. They began talking, and the man asked him how serious he was about getting our tree trimmed. And that is when my day was semi shot to hell.*Groans*

Don't get me wrong, getting those limbs trimmed were a real necessity. I got tired of pulling my son into bed with us every time the wind blew, just in case. I hated the possibility of  one of those super thick limbs falling on our roof and possibly causing significant damage. I didn't want to see that tree at all when we created our patio area later this year. So it was definitely a NEED. But if there is one thing I hate, it's coming out of money that I wasn't prepared to spend. Even if I could have mentally planned for it the day before, it would have been better than just being told on the spot. In the end, my husband bullied me into saying yes.

Basically, because they were already in the area, they would do the trim right then and there for $1,000. That was a lot less than the $2,500 they quoted us earlier, and it would get our home out of danger's way. Besides that, the tree has been one of the biggest items on our 'to do' list. And even if we couldn't make it disappear totally, we wanted to take the first step in the right direction. Considering everything, going ahead with the trim was the only logical thing to do. The problem? $1,000 is a lot of cash! I mean, were there benefits involved? Absolutely. But for $1,000 I could have redone my bedroom décor, got me a new rug, went on a shopping spree, purchased a new couch, paid off some bills,  hell, even went on a trip. I felt pretty crappy about it. Nonetheless, I could rest a bit easier knowing that there would be no more limbs potentially compromising the safety of our home, and that's something that you just can't put a price tag on. And so it began:

Getting ready...

It's going down

 

It really amazed me that the process was all done by hand. I always thought that you needed a crane or some type of heavy machinery, but nope! There was one man in the tree with the chainsaw, and several men on the ground lowering the limbs to the bottom with ropes. There were also several other men carrying the limbs to the wood chipper. They had it down to a science.

 

 

The whole thing probably took just under an hour (a quick way to spend a G right?), and when it was all said and done I was beyond disappointed because I really couldn't see much of a change. The men explained that if they took too much off, they'd run the risk of killing the tree and then we would really be in bad shape with a huge tree needing to come down ASAP. Luckily, I took pictures of the before's and after's, and once I did a side by side comparison I could actually tell the difference. Can you?

 

Much better aye?

No more limbs covering our home!!! There was a thunder storm last night and I was able to relax knowing that even if a limb fell, it wouldn't hit our house :) But like my husband said, it's God who protects us anyways ;-)
 

So in the end, I guess I am satisfied. Although that thousand dollars would have been really nice if it was used on a Savannah historical tour, this, I guess, is better. Unfortunately,  I still haven't gotten around to completing my sedum garden, but one project at a time right?

 

Until the next time guys, XO!

 



The Little Things!

Yay! We're finally experiencing warmer weather in Michigan and I am just about as happy as happy can be. Yesterday I even made it out into the yard to get started on another flower bed. Hopefully, I'll be finished with that by next week, but that's another post for another day. Today I want to talk about the little things because...little things make me happy. I've started adding more pictures/wall décor in some of the bare areas of my home,, and when I tell you that I'm excited, that is really an understatement.

If you follow my blog, I'm sure you remember these wall sconces from a thrifting trip a while back. If my memory serves me correctly, I got the set for under five bucks. I fell in love with the old timey feel and couldn't wait to get them up. I first put them on the sides of my dresser, but decided to move them into the hallway for more lighting. This little guy is right outside my bedroom door.

This is the 1st picture of what I hope to be a gallery wall in my bathroom. I mainly opt to hang pictures of  family or photos of places that I love( like these shot by me at the Belle Isle Conservatory). Because art is so expansive and I loves o many different kinds, it can be somewhat hard for me to settle on a piece. Add in the fact that I would like for it to match my décor, and it could take years before I find some artwork to settle on. Pictures of loved ones and beloved places never go out of style. I also like to wow myself with my handy work #vain ;-)

Dug these three out of hiding. These wooden pieces blend so well with my bedroom set, it's almost as if they're a part of it.

Unfortunately, I couldn't get a good pic, but this mirror is 1 of a 4 piece set hanging above my dresser. Shout out to the hubby for so graciously hanging them up for me before church Sunday. Mauh!

This just came in yesterday. It's a FREE wall art piece (collage) from Shutterfly. The wall art is usually $24.99 so free is more than a steal. I'll be getting a frame and setting this out real soon :)

 

And last but not least, I also bought myself some flowers to put a little smile on my face. My husband usually buys me flowers, but, can't spend all day waiting on a man ladies :-P I wanted some flowers NOW.

These guys were only $4.88 at Wal-mart. There's nothing like fresh flowers to give a space a little pick me up, and it doesn't have to be extravagant either.

2nd day Tulips...whomp!

 

And before I go, here's a picture to prove that I've been working HARD in the yard:

I don't even want to think about how difficult it was to make this bed...certainly isn't as easy as it looks.

 

Well, that's that--the little things that made me smile this week. 1. Hanging up décor 2. A free collage 3. My droopy Tulips and 4. Proudly digging my own flower bed.

 

What kinds of things made you smile this week? Until the next time guys, XO!







Nothing New!

It's been another crazy, yet uneventful week. Not much to speak about as far as the home front goes. However, I got the opportunity to meet Sistah Soljah! What an experience that was :-) You may know her as a best selling author, or a 'sometimesy' member of Public Enemy, or you may even know her as an activist--the woman wears a lot of hats. I knew her best as the author of 'The Coldest Winter Ever'--a book I had no business reading, even in High School. Although I've largely forgotten the tale, the book was hot freshman year, so when my friend invited me to go see her I thought 'why not'. Although I'm truly not a fan of Urban Lit, I assumed I had nothing to lose--she's black, a woman, and an author--I figured I would learn something of value. I can't tell you how happy I am to have been present in that auditorium (or how embarrassed I am not to have been in  love with her before). Her speech was nothing short of magic. There were honestly times that I felt like I was at the poetry spot, a Panther rally, and church--all within the span of one hour. I could honestly go on and on, but I'll leave you with some of my favorite quotes from the evening:

• Dr. King organized families—husbands and wives, fathers and mothers, sisters and brothers. In 2016, a good-hearted activist has to figure out how they gonna organize these bitches, those bastards, and them mutherfuckers. We’ve lost our sense of family.
• Learn how to disagree without being disagreeable.
• Without self-reflection there can be no self-correction.
• No matter what you do make sure that a part of the light from your soul is in it.
• Even if you have a black face in a high place, they will still come gunning for your sons.
•  (And her advice to writer's) Don't be greedy, don't rush, and read every word of your contract!

Gems I tell you! In the end, I purchased the book Midnight upon her suggestion. She said that it was a good book for boys/men to read who father's wasn't in their lives. My friend and I plan on reading it book-club style and I'm very much looking forward to that.

Authors! Yup, I called myself an author too :-P

In the end, it was a very good experience. I wished that I could buy copies of her speech and play it on a loud speaker. The things she said were things that I feel every man, woman, and child of color should hear. When I write to her I will certainly ask if buying a CD is an option. But that's all I got. What a wonderful thing to have though, aye?
Until the next time guys, be blessed!

Week In Review

Boy! This has certainly been a crazy time at the Harris House. So much has been going on that I completely forgot to write a post last week. There's still a lot happening (mostly happy things), so it will be a pretty short post this week. But here goes nothing!

How was everyone's Easter? Ours was GREAT! Of course we started the day with church. By the way, my son did EXCELLENT on his Easter speech. Afterwards, we headed out to take some Easter pics (Harris Family Tradition). This year, we found ourselves downtown Pontiac ;-)

City Shots!

My Love!

Me and my favorite little guy!

 

While we were at it, we even discovered a new local date night spot in the process. A gentleman that took a family picture of us literally forced us into the restaurant that he and his wife were headed to--their nephew is the chef and they were sooo very proud :)

Did I mention how happy I am that they forced us inside? This place is all the way my style, as a matter of fact it reminds me a lot of my wedding reception venue.

Not the best comparison shot, but can you see the similarities?

 

Now we can go downtown and enjoy a 5 course meal--that's a big deal for our small little town!

 

Fast-forward a bit, while on spring break my son bit through his lip and needed stiches (which was an ordeal within itself), and a few days after that my husband bought a new old school car, a Trans Am to be exact. Add to that the fact that I finished another novel and began editing an older one, and you can see that I've been really preoccupied. Oh! And I almost forgot, my entire household has been battling a cold. I think the worst of it is over though :-) THANK GOD!

 

But maybe, just maybe, most exciting of all, MY SON FINALLY LEARNED TO RIDE HIS  BIKE!!! WHEW HOO!

 I was beginning to think that he would never ride. But I suppose 4 years old isn't so bad. Either way, I'm just glad he's doing it. So that's that! My last week or so in a nutshell. Hopefully, there's some chill time somewhere in my near future. Did anyone else have a crazy couple of days?

 

Until the next time guys, XO!







Sping Into The Holidays: Easter Is Near!

It’s almost Easter, so you know what that means. It looks like Mr. Rabbit is going to come hopping through my house at any moment now :-) Luckily, I was able to pick up some really good deals at Target (and the Dollar Tree), and the rest of the décor was items I already had. Check it out:

 

When I came across this bunny garland I just couldn’t pass it up, good thing too, because it was only three bucks! She scores!

Here's a close-up. I just love that the bunnies are wood & a tad bit distressed :)

Next I picked up these little woodland friends. Originally, I wanted to use moss covered rabbits (super cute right?),*clears throat* but these were the right price. I thought they’d look awesome with burlap, since they have brown streaks running through them.

Hopping Merrily! Perhaps you can't see it, but underneath that moss is a burlap ribbon that I'm using as a runner. It just gives it an added something.

  As you can see, I recycled my 'Christmas' trees that I made. I think they work well with the bunnies.

I also grabbed these glitter eggs from the Dollar Tree. My intention was only to use the gold eggs, but I needed more. Because I wasn’t going to spend the money to buy more packs  of eggs (just for two gold eggs), I decided to suck it up and just use all of them for a more colorful display Whomp!

All the colors of the rainbow!

And that's that!

Moving right along to the table setting. I would have liked a more Easter themed table, but the way my bank account is set up, it just wasn’t happening. So I dug up my boxes of decorations and tried to make it look as spring like as possible. Let’s take a look-see, shall we?

I mixed and matched a few pieces to give it a bit of a new look. The Hydrangea garland is from my Mother's Day tablescape. The golden elephants are from my mantel, the is, of course, from my writing room (which was also the center of my Christmas table), and the chargers are also from Christmas as well. Again, I stole the marble encrusted candle holders from my mantel. So the table has a bit of a new look, but it's filled with all things you seen before.

 

I also decorated the outside of my home. Unfortunately, we had a wind storm last week that literally ripped my little décor apart :( The things that weren't destroyed are waiting for me to hang them back up, like my Easter tree--it looks like this one:

 

Isn't that something? The only difference is I live in Michigan so the grass isn't that green yet, and my flowers haven't bloomed, and the days aren't consistently sunny, but besides that--my tree looks just like this one...once I pick up all my eggs and rehang them, lol :-P

 

Well, that's it. That's the Harris House for Easter. And I think that's the last holiday that I have to decorate for until Halloween :) Yay! My mantel can finally go back to being an adult. If you'd like to share your holiday décor, I'd love to see it. Remember, Jesus is the reason for the season, and have a very happy Easter!

 

XO!