2015 IN A NUTSHELL...

So are you psyched about the new year?  I am.  I totally am!!

First though, before launching into the future, the vastness of the unknown, let's take a moment to reflect on the year behind us.

I always love doing a year end review because it reminds me that I really did get some things accomplished throughout the year.  Though getting the house all clean at one time hardly ever happened because...I have kids...that live at home...need I say more?, I did get most everything checked off my to do list this year.  Wow, did I just say that?!

Anyway, after taking a look back at all the completed (or almost completed) projects this year, I feel pretty good about myself right now.

I set out in January to makeover the dining room...it took A WHILE...but it went from this...

to this....

Major improvement wouldn't you say?

I still need to accessorize but that is only happening if the house doesn't sell soon.  I don't want to buy a lot of things that I might not use somewhere else.

Anyway, I hung a gorgeous chandelier that I found at the thrift store for just a few dollars, made over some Craigslist chairs, gave a Craigslist china hutch a facelift, made my own Restoration Hardware style art for the walls, and built a farmhouse style dining table.  Not too shabby, huh?

To update you on the costs of this makeover as promised way back when, after selling (or giving away) some things and purchasing mostly Craigslist finds, the entire makeover was around $200.00.  Not bad if I do say so myself!

In the spring we (the hubs and I) tackled the screened porch.  It was a total mess and was pretty much a complete rebuild.

It was SOOOO totally worth it.  The porch has been the most used and enjoyed room in the entire house since...seriously! And, it is the one thing that I am truly going to miss when we sell this place.

After that, we tackled the flower bed along the front and side of the house.



We took out all the weeds, laid down a cardboard weed barrier and filled in with some mulch and plants.

Beautiful!!

By the way, the all natural cardboard weed barrier worked like a charm...no weeds all summer long. Yayyyyy!!!

I finally got around to redoing the bubs' room.

EVERYTHING got a fresh coat of paint and he got a new (used) antique bed...

I have partially given the dresser a facelift and hung some new window treatments since this picture but I still have some accessorizing to do in there yet.  Again though, I hesitate to do anything else with the house being up for sale.

The biggest accomplishment (the biggest, hardest and most pain in the rear project) this year was redoing the hardwood floors throughout the entire house.  We completely moved out of the house for two whole weeks...furniture and all...and lived in a camper in the backyard...but we got them done and though they are far from perfect, I am truly proud of us and of them.  They have made the biggest impact in this house to date and I couldn't be happier with them.  With that said, I will NEVER, and I do mean NEVER, refinish hardwood floors again!!!!!!!!!!!

With that, most of the major projects in the house are finished (as finished as they are going to get anyway) and I must say, after looking back at everything done, I have been VERY blessed and I truly do feel a big sense of accomplishment this year.

So that's 2015 in a nutshell here at Beyond the Portico. Now I am hoping the house sells soon because in 2016 I hope to get my hands on something a little farther out in the country!!  That would make for a REAL happy new year here for sure!

I pray that you have a very HAPPY NEW YEAR and that your 2016 is everything you hope it to be.

Ciao,

THIS TREE'S A HOT MESS!!...

So yesterday I mentioned that the reason you had not seen our Christmas tree yet this year was because it has some problems...and problems it has.  The spine is curvy, it has a few bald spots, the ornaments are in all the wrong places because I have a 10 year old (wink, wink), and the lights at the top and now the bottom of the tree have gone out.  Suffice to say it's a hot mess; but, with it being just a few short days until Christmas, it'll have to do.

As promised though I took a shot of the tree this morning to show you how it's looking.  Unfortunately I left my SD card at work yesterday so I had to take a picture with my phone. It's not a good one but that's just the way things have been going for me lately.

Fortunately with the low lighting you can't really see the curvature of the trunk so that's a good thing because when you look at it in person it kind of makes you a bit dizzy.

I was thinking that this mess of a tree might just cure me from ever wanting a "real" Christmas tree again.  I'm a perfectionist so dealing with this tree instead of a perfectly shaped fake tree has been a real challenge for me to say the least; but, I don't know, there's just something about a real tree that makes Christmas better, even if it is a hot mess.  Strangely enough, I love the real best even though it has flaws.  It kind of reminds me of me.  Like my Christmas tree this year, I'm not perfect but one day God decided that I was worth saving and he came to this earth to rescue a hot mess like me....and you too!  So although we've talked this year about pretty Christmas trees and decorations and food and parties and presents, I just wanted to leave a little reminder that Christmas is not really about all those things. It's about our savior....JESUS. He's the reason for the season and I don't know about you but I'm so thankful he overlooked my flaws, has had much patience with me and loved me anyway. You too?

So with that, I say MERRY CHRISTMAS my friends.  Have a fabulous holiday!!

MY ATTEMPT AT A PROFESSIONALLY DECORATED CHRISTMAS TREE...

I know you all have been wondering why I haven't showed you my Christmas tree yet this year as I usually post a picture or two the week after Thanksgiving.  Well, let's just say I haven't wanted to talk about it.  Here's why...

It's been our tradition every since I can remember to put up our Christmas tree Thanksgiving weekend.  Somehow this year we missed the boat on that one....whooops!!  We were a week or two late at picking out and putting up our tree.  Can anyone say BUSY!!

I had a special time planned to go to the Pea Ridge Forest tree farm and enjoy the hayride out to the forest, pick out our tree and cut it down ourselves. You know like they did on National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation...only our experience would be so much better...of course...Hehehe.  I was so looking forward to enjoying a nice steaming cup of hot chocolate and warming myself by the fire at the lodge and then listening to Christmas carols all the way home but that did NOT happen.  We ended up at Lowes when the hubs decided that paying $10 per foot for a Christmas tree was too much.  O HUMBUG!!!

Anyway, Lowes had a bunch of trees and though I was pretty disappointed that we didn't make it to the tree farm, I found one that looked pretty good....or so I thought...and we took it home.  The 6.5 - 7 foot tree was only $21.00.  Sure beats paying $10 per foot doesn't it?  Not!!! Because once we got it home we realized that it has scoliosis of the tree trunk.  Yes, our tree is curvy...VERY curvy and yes it's noticeable.  Another whooooops!!, but it's not like we could take it back or anything so we were stuck with it...it's curvy spine and it's few bald spots as well...OH MAN, what a tree!!  Nevertheless I went ahead and decorated it...the best I could.  Then after it was completely decorated with ribbons, ornaments and all, the top strand of lights blew out...every last one of them!  Yes, that's been my luck this year.  Needless to say I have pretty much lost all patience and hope with this tree and so I haven't taken any pictures of it.  I know you understand.

However, I didn't want to leave you this Christmas without showing you a Christmas tree at all, so I thought I would share with you the tree that I decorated for Children's church.

Now you might remember that a few weeks ago I shared Jennifer Davenport's video on how to decorate a tree like a professional.  Well, I decided to take a few ques from that video when decorating the Children's church tree and here's how it turned out....

Hmmm, not bad!!

I used the pencil tree that I used in my dining room last year.  It's prelit, slim and super easy to use. You basically fluff it and plug it in.  Easy!!

Since it was for kids church I went with a whimsical theme in the traditional reds and greens.  I used a similar theme last year as well but I hadn't tried to "professionally" decorate it.  I simply decorated it like I decorate all my trees..and I thought it looked okay. Ha!! However, I think you will agree when you see my side by side comparison of last year's tree vs. this year's tree that Jennifer's ideas and suggestions really do work...

Boy what a drastic difference!!! And you know what? I used way less ornaments to boot.  Can you believe that? This year's tree looks sooo much fuller.  Wow!

I found the Noel, Wish and Joy signs at $1 tree for just a buck a piece and I think they make such a big impact.  Hmmm, maybe because they are so BIG and take up a lot of space.

 The large candy cane ornaments I used as a topper also came from $1 tree and the large "lollipop" is a small styrofoam plate I decorated to look like candy and wrapped in cellophane.

The most tedious and time consuming part to the whole tree was attaching the ribbon.  I layered three different ribbons for fullness which made it a little difficult to tuck in between the branches because this tree is so compact.

but it was totally worth the effort because that ribbon gives the tree so much dimension.

So there you have it, my attempt at a professionally decorated Christmas tree.  What do you think? Did I do a good job?  The kids thought so.

Before I go, I will tell you that I did attempt to somewhat professionally decorate my spine challenged tree also and since I have already told you about the poor little thing, I guess I will go ahead and try to post a few shots of it later this week...before Christmas...you know, in case you need a good laugh.  Haha.

Until then I hope you are enjoying this holiday season.  Merry Christmas!