Busy around the house

Last week we were so busy around the house! Something got into us Friday night on our date and we decided to go to Home Depot and get some stuff to do home improvements! We picked out a new light for the kitchen, I got some decorating magazines - and we were just motivated. So here are some pictures of what we accomplished:

I started by taking the last of the Christmas Decorations down off the dusty entry table. What, it was only Jan. 25th.

This was the light that we had hanging above the kitchen table. It didn't bother us much until we really looked at it.
So we picked out a bigger, better light! I was hoping to ask for this for my b-day in March, but Ty said, "let's just do it now." I love those kinds of moods.
In my mom's house in Mesa she had a medallion like this on the ceiling above the light. I liked it a lot and wanted to get one too. We decided to paint it the same green that we used in the guest bathroom in our last house. Convenient.
After some serious exercises in arm strength and teamwork we got everything up and hung and working! I love it. I don't have a before picture, but I'm sure you all can imagine. A big improvement in the overall look of the room!

On the master bedroom front, I finally hung the large clock that Heidi and Brett gave us for Christmas! It is exactly what I wanted for that spot! (thanks again, guys).
I hung pictures in our bedroom and took everything else out - completely decluttered. Kids' stuff - out. Suitcases in the closet - out. Surround sound speakers stacked in the corner - out. It feels much more fresh now.
And I continued the purging in the closet. Now I am down to all things I fit, feel cute in, and wear! Ahhh. And look at all those empty hangers... what to do...
It only took us 15 months to have a family picture taken, choose which one we liked best, have it enlarged on canvas and get it framed. Thank heavens we didn't add another family member in that time, or that would have been depressing! But we love how it turned out - and I hung it right above the piano where I've invisioned it all this time!

Once I hung the picture in the living room it prompted me to do a clean-out of that room too. I pulled everything off the shelves, dusted and replaced only the nice stuff (not everything that accumulates on shelves over time) which feels much better. Then I went to move the couch and when I separated the parts I saw THIS on the carpet beneath and about - uh - how do I say this - ran for my life?! Even though I got my distance and it appeared to be a fake, I watched it for several minutes. I have never purchased a toy snake for my kids, nor seen one in our house so I was skeptical. Ugh! It took ALL THE GUMPTION I had in me to finally touch it - and I jumped! Finally I picked it up and set it on the window sil. Minutes later I saw this out of the corner of my eye and jumped out of my skin again!! Doesn't it look so real?! So I'd had so much fun with this little guy that I thought I'd share the fun with my kids and set him up like this on the driveway for when they walked home from school. Hehe. My plan flopped though.. they walked right past it and when I asked about it, Luke read right through me.
Don't worry though, I have him safely stowed and waiting for April Fool's Day. That day he may just find himself a new home in somebody's bed or cereal box! :)

I love days at home working and thinking up crazy antics.