Light Fixtures

We have several light fixtures we want to replace in our house. The worst culprit was the giant dining room ceiling fan. Here it is in all its glory:

  

So I wanted to find something smaller and with a whimsical feel. When I saw this piece for $5 at Restore, I knew it was what I wanted. Our dining room has some little brass accents and fun plants and a botanical study/library vibe. Now, I am fully aware that not all of you will see the whimsy I saw in this piece, and I can understand that—it is totally a 90s piece. But for some reason, I like it. So I fixed it up and my husband installed it.

So then I started frequenting the lighting section in Restore. Which is how I happened across this gem. Since it was obviously an outdoor light before I got it, it wasn't in great condition, which is probably why this was also only $5. Yay for an awesome deal twice!! 

At first I thought I wanted it to replace a light that we have outside our hallway bathroom. Then as Jake started installing it, I saw that we wouldn't actually be able to see it, and this piece really does need to be seen. I love the different colored beveled glass panels, and I wanted to be able to enjoy this fixture in a more "seen" area. So my patient husband wasted 25 minutes of his time and energy to stop installing it outside the bathroom, reinstall the old fixture there, and then uninstall a different light and install this fun one in its place. Bless him.

Here is the before (boring, typical light):

 

 

And here is the beautiful fixture I replaced it with:

 

 And the lesson from today: Shop at Restore!

Picture Update

To celebrate over 10,000 hits on my blog (most hits goes to How to Paint a Curve on the Wall), I thought I would just do a little post with some pictures from tonight. Enjoy.

Garden Update and Hugelkultur How To

Just wanted to give a brief blog update on the garden and then give steps on how to build a hugelkultur bed.
I took these photos of the garden on April 27 so even now it's looking better. Our first harvest ever was a bunch of radishes. Soon after came the kale and lettuce. We planted a bunch more veggies that day and already the cucumbers, tomatoes, and more radishes are sprouting.

On May 3, we planted field corn for feed for the chickens we are hoping to get next spring and also watermelon and pumpkins in the hugelkultur bed.

 

 Hugelkultur is mostly about making a mound of rotting materials and then planting on/in it. 

Step 1: Pile up wood, preferably rotting.

 

 Step 2: Add compost/grass clippings/whatever.

 

Step 3: Pile on the dirt.

 

 Step 4: Go get more dirt. (And yes, even though I'm not pictured in all these, I did my fair share.)

 

Step 5: Pile on more dirt.

 

Step 6: Plant and water.

 

 

 Happy Spring!

 

 

 

 

Veggies

We have been very busy with cleaning up the backyard. We really did buy a jungle. It's almost like going treasure hunting though—finding all kinds of junk and hoping to reuse as much as possible. For example, found a pile of windows.....we are tossing the broken ones and saving the unbroken ones for a mini greenhouse or a solar dehydrator idea that Jake has in the works. Speaking of Jake.....he just got an instagram solely for urban farming stuff. Follow him— @thehippiehomestead. I also periodically instagram pictures of our gardening/yardwork/urban farming stuff. You can follow me— @exterra88. Here's a picture of what our garden looks like at the moment—radishes, lettuce, and kale. These are hardy vegetables and we have been waiting to plant everything else til later in the spring. Should be doing that soon! Hope all of you plant at least one thing this spring—even if it's just a pot of herbs to have on your apartment porch or doorstep.

Christmas at the Hippie Homestead

I know this is pretty late, but I honestly had just totally forgotten to post these pictures on the blog. And hey, Christmas cheer in late January? Nothing wrong with that. =) I enjoyed decorating our house this first year. Christmas made our home just that much happier.

Welcome!

Snowflake whimsy

Made these trees last year

Made this garland specially for this mantle

both our mantles

"Merry Christmas" in Norwegian

gift tags I made

the stuffed alphabet I made for my niece