Outdoor Christmas Lights

No, it's not the Vegas Strip, even though it's bright white lights may suggest that

And believe me what happens out here in the country really does stay in the country

 And no, it's not Atlanta Hartsfield Airport, even though it may look like runway lights from the sky

 And hold off calling the National Enquirer so fast because it's not some UFO sighting in the middle of the country on a dark night 

It's just our idea of creating holiday magic with our outdoor lights. 

This is the first year we put up arches. If I could have found more white mini-lights in the stores, we probably would have had a few more.

I was so inspired by this idea from a trip to Florida last Christmas and wanted to share how easy it is to create lighted arches for your driveway this season.

Supplies Needed:

3/4 inch PVC pipe and connectors. each tunnel is 30 feet.

60 feet of lights

wire and stakes to secure to ground

Step 1:

Drill a hole in the ground for your ends of the PVC pipe

Step 2:

Connect your PVC pipe with connectors so that it reaches across the width of your driveway. 

Step 3:

Wrap your lights around the PVC pipe BEFORE your insert into the holes. For every 10 feet wrap the lights with outdoor tape.  This step will go a lot faster if one twists the pipe while the other wraps the lights .

Step 4:

Insert each end into your holes. Anchor/secure by using heavy gauge wire and securing on both ends.

An area attraction is charging $60.00 a car to drive through the holiday light exhibit. That just seems like a lot of money.

Heck, I'll let you go around for free as many times as you want as long as you enjoy it. 

Just follow the lights to get here!

Grateful for~
A husband who likes to decorate for the holiday as much as I do!

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Between Naps on The Porch
Tip Junkie

Decorating with Pine Boughs

Who ever came up with the idea to package and bag pine cones to sell was just genius! 

And here I have them lying all over the place, just sitting and waiting to be either crafted,  thrown by my kids or sold to some craft stores by some smartie pants that came up with a great idea. 

I mean really, why couldn't I have thought of that!

And although I wish I was the genius making tons of money on the bags of pine cones, today's idea makes good use of them for your holiday table and is super easy to do in just a few short steps.

Pine Bough Candle Holder

Supplies Needed:

Grapevine Wreath

Pine Boughs or Needles

Pine cones

Floral Wire

Step 1:

Collect your Pine Boughs/Needles and cones in a bucket. I like to let mine stay in the bucket for a few hours before I use them to make sure any little critter doesn't end up in my project.

Step 2:

Lay out your wreath and pine needles to make sure that you have enough to cover your wreath.  Use this time to clean up any leaves or sticks that may be in your bunches.

Steps 3:

Using your floral wire, gently wrap the wire around your bunch and secure to your wreath. 

Step 4:

Continue to do this all the way around the wreath until it is covered. The fullness of your candle holder depends on how many pine boughs you use on the grapevine.

Step 5:

When you are finished it should look similar to this

Step 6:

Remember those pine cones that someone is making a fortune on, you know the idea you or I should have come up with? Well go ahead and place a few of those on the ring and secure in place with the floral wire. And to finish the look off add some of the cones and other dried elements to the inside of the glass holder.

Easy, pretty and good use of nature.

Grateful for~

The opportunity to bless those less fortunate then me during this holiday season.

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Embracing Change

The Last Outdoor Project of the 2012 Year

First- Apparently there has been some nonsense changes going on over at Facebook where some of you may not be getting notified when I publish new posts, if that's you- when you are on my Top This Top That Facebook page click on the little gear at the top right and click on add to interests list, then you will show up on my fans page and not miss any posts!
Now on the project!

Not only is my husband is happy to hear that we are done with outdoor projects for the remainder of the year (honey don't get to excited, that's only 33 days) but so are the kids as they swing with delight over some recent changes we made to the outdoor place set.

Ah, it seems like just yesterday when we set this up in the backyard. I remember the day that we brought this contraption home from Toys R Us. I thought it would last a lifetime. Wrong! See, it wasn't the quality that didn't hold up, it was the kids. They got bigger and outgrew it!

So we began the upgrade process.

We started by dismantling and moving the old one. The roofs will be re purposed for another project and the play set will be used as the kids "Pirate Ship".

Moving this beast was not fun.  My husband and I were able to tip it over, scoot it to the edge, slide it down the ramp and then scoot it over to it's new home. Looking back at this picture and how we moved it,  makes me wonder where I get my mojo from!

The Pirate's Ship in the middle of the forest!

And a new "kid approved" swing set.

I'd say the kids look happy, don't you think?

 

Head to the backyard if you would like to swing or you can send me an email for details on how we constructed the swing set. 
What end of the year outdoor projects are you working on?

 Grateful for:

My three dogs, 2 donkeys, 1 pony, 1 cat, 3 goldfish

My Southern Fall Porch

Fall is my most favorite time of the year, Seeing the abundance of color on the trees and feeling a chill in the air. I love the faint smell of campfires in the distance and stepping back into your favorite warm-ups after months of summer weather. 
Notice I did'nt say jeans! Afraid of that moment. Really Afraid!
During this time of the year we are outside 88.5% of the time. The other 11.5% we are either eating here or sleeping here.

We talk local high school football, what we are growing in the garden next year and the buzz about a new Walmart coming to the next town over.

I reckon thats why we moved out to the country, to escape the retail giants, even though the closest grocery store is only 32 miles down the road.

Imagine that, it's closer to gather some dried corn stalks then it is to get a gallon of milk.

We Southerners trade the traditional sweet tea for our favorite Fall Spirits and we sit wee into the night just chatting non-stop.

Heck, we don't have to travel far for an assortment of pumpkins picked right out of the neighbors garden

The cedar wood pedestals can be cut on any given day, except Sundays, if you just give us a hollar

And those grapevine wreaths that you are buying up in the city, we got the vines in the backyard, just got to twist em up.

Yup, we like our fall but love our Southern porches more!

For More of My Home Tour Click here

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At the Picket Fence

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You are talking too much

Savvy Southern Style

Is it Happily Ever After?

Before I get to the ending of my story it's only fair that I share how I met Mr.Rust Protector.

I wasn't pretty, I felt damaged and slightly neglected but he saw right through that and fell in love with my rusty spots anyways. Two even coats of the Copper Color Krylon Rust Protector is all it took. He had me at hello Spray Paint!
Trying desperately to gain my attention, he showered me with gifts of orange mums, pumpkins and candlelight.

I of course dressed in my finest linen pillows in 50 shades of cream, some burlap chair pads and my new embroidered fall pillow that I made especially for our first date. 

 Even my table inspired by Nature approves of the courtship and she usually doesn't think anyone is good enough for me!

Ahh..... bliss. A relationship that was meant to be! I couldn't possibly  think of anything else that could make me look this good. 

And to think all it took was some Krylon Rust Protector for these two to sit happily ever after!

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Cozy Little House
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Nature Inspired Side Table

Do you get overly giddy when a project turns out better than you expected?

A project that only used a few things to make and mostly materials from nature?

Projects that even Mother Nature would say "Bravo, nice job"

This is one of those projects. A table that I made with some tree bark, tree trunk and an old table topper.

You can click here to see how I made this side table and then come back and sit down and be giddy with me!

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Between Naps on The Porch
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
Savvy Southern Style
French Country Cottage
Funky Junk Interiors