Still Woods Farmhouse

Christmas in July sales are everywhere and I am in the market for a new tree.  We currently have a 12 foot Christmas tree for our family room and believe me, it is a monster!  I would like to downsize a bit to a 9 foot tree.  I have to tell you that I have been drooling over Balsam Hill   trees for years!!  My household suffers from live Christmas tree allergies; therefore, we only have artificial trees at Still Woods Farmhouse!  In my mind, Balsam Hill is the leader in realistic, artificial trees.  They also have a great sale going on until July 31. Eeks!! That only gives me a few more days to make a decision.  By the way, I am not getting paid to endorse their products.  Balsam Hill doesn't have the slightest idea I exist!!  I'm just a fan of  beautiful, well lit, artificial Christmas trees! After much deliberation, I have narrowed my exhaustive search to a few trees.  Tell me what you think! My top choice has been the  Brewer Spruce .  I love the beautiful shape of this t

It was time.  Our laundry room needed a major re-do.  When we first moved in, I couldn't decide if I wanted cabinets installed at the top of the room.  As a temporary solution, we put in a long shelf for storage.  I made a toile curtain to cover the storage area and hide what I "stuck" up there. While it worked well, it also made the room appear top heavy.  Another obstacle was my grandmother's clothes press.  It seemed at home  in the laundry room, but it took up a lot of space.  So here is what my laundry room used to look like. I know...it's definitely cluttered.  In fact, I did an entire post about this crowded room...ugh!   Old Laundry Room We also had the upper section of one of our china cabinets on top of the counter while the bottom of the china cabinet was moved upstairs to house DVD's.    The top of the cabinet was a great place for my collection of Christmas china.  It fit perfectly and I thought it was a pretty clever idea! The only problem

Our youngest son recently purchased his first home.  He has a "just starting out budget" and we knew improvements would be required.  Our son lives four hours north of here.  Since I am now officially retired, I am excited to be able to lend a helping hand.  Our son closed on his home a few days before his dad had knee replacement surgery.  We had one weekend to move him in and get as much done as possible prior to surgery! With the help of a friend and her two daughters, we tackled the kitchen.  Pulling out previous shelf paper, giving every inch a thorough cleaning, putting in new shelf paper, and setting up the kitchen was my priority.   This mama wanted her boy to have a clean kitchen, clean bedroom, and clean master bath before heading home. Mission accomplished!  Now let's take a closer look at what updating is needed on a shoestring budget. First thing my guys did was to take down the "faux whatever" above the counter to the left. Notice the lovely (

Can you believe that it is already July?  Our June was jam packed with activities, a Disney vacation with our adult children...loved that...my retirement after 33.5 years...moving our youngest into his first home...and on Monday, my hubby became the proud owner of a new knee!  I have gone from being a psychometrist to a nurse in just a few days!  No matter what is going on, I am ready to set out the red, white, and blue for the 4th of July.  I am scaling down our decorations since it will be a quiet 4th, but patriotic table decor is a must. I can't have Mr. New Knee climbing on the upper roof hanging the bunting this year!  If you are looking for inspiration, here are a few ideas for your own table! Let's start the tour with my home. I am using my  Reading Room  table for my tablescape.  It's a cozy setting and the dark navy walls add to the patriotic decor!  I have the table set for a scrumptious 4th of July breakfast.  Everything on the table I grabbed from around the h