Yellow Dog Design

Denver: A Photo Journal

2015-02-18T23:17:00.000-07:00

I met Bryan in Denver for a quick weekend to celebrate our wedding anniversary a few weeks ago. It was especially meaningful for us since we lived in Denver a few years ago. I haven't been back since we moved away at the end of 2008. The first thing I saw when I exited the freeway was Coors Field. Go Rockies! I was so excited to see it I almost swerved off the road.

We swung past our old house, which has been painted a new darker color.....they even painted the garage doors. And they painted the shutters forest green. forest. green. Really? They left the front door black (which I painted while we lived there), but the shutters went forest green. Oh well. I guess it's not my house anymore.

We stayed at the Renaissance Denver Downtown Hotel, which is newly converted from the old Colorado Bank Building. IT IS INCREDIBLE!

The hotel lobby is probably my favorite lobby I have ever been in. The original Allen Tupper True murals remain, as well as all the original columns, ceiling, and flooring. It has been called the prettiest room in Denver. I think I agree!

The ceiling is just amazing.

Even the original vaults remain, and have been worked into the design.

Some of the furniture was not my favorite....it seemed a bit cartoony.

We also stumbled across this cool street art, done by the infamous David Choe. Look him up...he is quite a character. The I-Phone pictures I took from the car window seriously turned out so well that I had them made into large prints. I am framing them to use in our basement family room.

Aren't they awesome???

We got some snow the morning we left.

And look what I spotted at Cherry Creek Mall! A Restoration Hardware Gallery Store. Yay!

I am definitely thinking I will have to take a girls trip to check it out once it opens next summer.

And a beautiful vignette at the Ralph Lauren Store. According to my hubs, we had NO time to look inside. Ha!! The nerve... but it was his anniversary too, so I didn't push it.

We bought way too much candy.....

ate a little too much of this.....

and ate a whole lot too much of this.

And I got to spend a super fun weekend (not to mention the last 19 years), with this guy!

Chairish and a New Vintage Chic Playroom

2015-01-28T21:45:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago a friend contacted me about doing some design for her basement playroom. It had the same problems that a lot of basement playrooms seem to have. Lots of toys……..room to play……… no one there to do any playing.

For some reason she couldn’t get the kids to play there. She thought that by upping the style factor and making the space more visually inviting, the kids might actually want to play there. I couldn’t agree more!

Ironically, I received an email from Chairish.com right about the same time. They asked if I would be interested in designing a concept around one of their vintage rugs. Uh yes please!

As soon as I took one look at my rug choices I knew that Kristi’s playroom, and this amazing teal overdyed rug from Chairish would be a match made in heaven! And by the way, have you ever been to the Chairish website?!? Piles and piles of one-of-a-kind vintage finds.......it is seriously my happy place. You can find the other great rugs they have available, here.

The room is quite large, and a very basic beige color she had left over from another part of the house. There is no natural light in the room, so color and lighting will become her best friends. She will be painting, and getting new carpeting in the space also.

I immediately wanted to tackle the dark, ominous alcove in the corner. Right now that part of the room is so dark, there is nothing but a giant lonely beanbag hanging out there.

I suggested she move this AMAZING vintage gold velvet tufted settee she inherited from her grandma into the dark corner.

Pops of teal would look great with the gold/citrine color of the settee she already has. So a colorful teal rug like the Chairish one would be so incredible in this space! The rich color on the ground, paired with a few other colorful items, and a white wall treatment of some kind would instantly cheer up the gloomy Gloomsville feel of the room. If you are looking for a similar piece for your home, (and you should be, because there is nothing cooler than a gold velvet vintage sofa), you could go with this vintage one, (also from Chairish). Or the new one in the style board is available via Burke Decor.

Add a cool light fixture above the alcove, and some fun art, and KABAM… reading nook and instant style. The fixture in the mood board is new, but a vintage light would be pretty incredible here too. (link to mood board light at bottom of page)

If you are looking for your own vintage light, you should check out these two awesome choices, both available from Chairish. (links below)

Jonathan Adler Nickel Meurice Chandelier

Modern Sputnik Chandelier

I also suggested she add some stylish new storage. The one featured in the mood board is this one from Lamps Plus, but this EXPEDIT unit from IKEA would work great too. It is a steal at only $99.

On one of the long, window-less walls I am recommending a giant vintage map. (I found this one on Chairish, and I was fist-pumping for like five minutes straight!) It is the perfect color, and at over five feet wide, it is a great size. Can you believe it is only $175?

On the other long wall, I think she should install some kind of display system for her children’s own art. Instant, colorful, and super cheap!

And lastly, I am DYING over this teepee from Land of Nod. Kristi please buy this!!! Here is the link.

Kristi, thank you so much for letting me design your room. And Chairish, thank you so much for the opportunity to dream design!

If I can answer any questions, or if you need any help designing your kids dream playroom, don't hesitate to holla!

Here are the links to some of the other fun items in the room.: orb chandelier, Seletti neon light, Chairish cute yellow storage box, cat pillow, hombre pillow.

Northern Wasatch Parade of Homes

2014-10-05T14:54:00.000-06:00

My brother and his wife Cidne are building a new home this year. We have been busy with the early design stages, and meeting with the builder to finalize the details before they take their plans to the city. I few weeks ago we headed out to the Northern Wasatch Parade of Homes to gather inspiration.

There were some beautiful landscapes and patios.

My very favorite home in the show was this cute Tudor by Destination Homes.

Sorry for the blurry image. I forgot to snap one while we were visiting.

I absolutely loved the interior. It felt real, and collected, and not overly "Home-Showish".

The turquoise tiles on this fireplace were a real show-stopper. The photo doesn't do it justice.

The exterior color combo was so pretty!

I LOVED the brick tiles in the laundry/mud room. I may have to use those in my laundry room.

The sitting room off the master bedroom was one of my favorite spots.

Lucy and Sam were our dates for the day! They are taking a rest on

World Market's "Erin Cute-as-a-Button Loveseat". (It is on sale right now!)

The actual model home is currently available. Click here for more info.

I also thought there were some nice moments in this home too. I THINK it is from Ivory Homes....

I hope that is right. I should have taken notes!

I snapped these kitchen photos because this is the exact color I had been looking

for to paint the cabinets in my mini kitchen reno.

I like the detailing on this island.

Lucy "pondering" something in the family bath. I think she was wishing her bathroom at home looked a little more like this......our kids bath is this exact layout.....but ya, not nearly as nice.

It is definitely on the "re-do" list.

Pretty bedrooms.

Sam..."The Thinker".

I will make sure to keep the blog updated on Eric and Cidne's new house as things progress!!

Lucy's Lemonade Stand Party

2014-07-07T17:30:00.000-06:00

These pictures are ancient. Lucy is turning twelve this year, and these are from her 9th birthday. But when I stumbled across the photos, I really wanted to share. The "Lemonade Stand" was the best party we ever had for her!

We passed out bags of nickels the girls could use to redeem at the different stands....bounce house, popcorn, cotton candy, etc.

Obviously everything was free, but the girls loved using their nickels. It made the party have a real "lemonade stand" atmosphere.

For party favors we passed out old fashioned jars filled with lemon drops. Super easy and super fun!

New House & a Fourth of July Porch

2014-07-01T17:08:00.000-06:00

I wanted to share a few sneak peeks of our new house. Nowhere near photo-shoot ready, but overall a pretty great house. I'm not really a fan of the 1/2 pepperoni pizza shaped windows in the bump-outs, but something I can live with for a few years until we're ready for an exterior reno.

I love the front porch. There isn't room for chairs or anything, but we do have an amazing covered back patio which pretty much makes up for the small-ish front porch.

The door could still use a good paint job, but at least we got rid of the non-matching, wrong-name-listing, front door knocker. Somehow none of the previous three owners felt the need to shell out the $12 dollars it cost us to remove someone else's last name from the front door?!?!? I guess everyone has different priorities.

I'll make sure to post updates on how the house is coming along.

Oh, and Have a Happy Fourth!

Bedrooms & Baths

2014-06-22T15:25:00.000-06:00

Master Bedroom

I am finally getting around to posting pictures of the "bedrooms & baths" of our former house. The picture above is of the Master Bedroom. The bedroom itself was quite small in square footage, but the attached en suite was spectacular.

The bedroom before was covered floor to ceiling in plywood box cabinets. You know...you can never have enough storage in your master bedroom. Maybe I should install some cabinets in my new bedroom. I could have a spot for extra batteries, egg cartons, old newspapers, clothes pins......the possibilities are endless!

En suite

And the attached en suite. His and hers vanity areas, open shelving, giant soaker tub, french doors leading out onto a deck, walk-in European shower, walk-in closet and private laundry facilities (not shown), to the right down a small hallway between the tub and toilet facilities.

The "BEFORE" master bathroom. Pretty enticing, I know. Hard to believe we felt the need to remodel, right? Oh and by the way, this was before we had actually started work. The bathtub plumbing was indeed missing before we even bought the house. Where did it go?

The former master bathroom was removed, and opened up into the former kitchen area. To the left you can see the french doors, which are now in front of the soaker tub.

Children's Bath

During Construction

The new bathtub is actually housed in the location stolen from the former master bedroom closet.

Boy's Bedroom

Boys bedroom "Before"

Thanks for visiting!

Good Bye House

2014-03-26T18:33:00.000-06:00

I thought I should report that we have sold our fixer-upper, and bought a house in a new neighborhood. The house went through a MASSIVE renovation, turning it from a 1970's Split Level, into a charming Craftsman Cottage. We LOVED the house by the time we were done with the renovation, and have always loved the neighborhood, so it was definitely a tough decision to sell. In the end, it just seemed like the right time to make the move. We have been in the new house a few months, and are working on a lot of projects here too, so as things take shape, I will try to post the progress. In the mean time, here are some pictures of the Split Level - turned Cottage, right before we said goodbye last fall.

BEFORE

Part One: Exterior and Main Living Areas.

Part Two pictures with bedrooms and baths will follow another day.

Hope you are having a lovely spring!

School Bells Ring

2013-08-27T21:49:00.000-06:00

So because of the way the district planned the calendar this year, our summer really actually is shorter than usual, but honestly, it feels like we didn't have a summer break at all! I don't even feel out of practice for making lunches, tripping over backpacks, and pushing aside the papers that start piling up on my kitchen counter.

A little first morning hot breakfast!

And Lucy in spongy rollers....

It is more quiet during the day, and the past two days I have already found it MUCH easier to get my work done. So I guess school starting isn't all bad. My two elementary-ers looked adorable on our walk to the "First Day Flag Ceremony".

And I am SOOOO proud of Cameron. He looks great in his new Vice President Sweater.

I put up a few "Back to School" items on the mantel.

I am working on a back to school bunting....more on that to come.

Before we know it, Halloween will be here!

Thanksgiving 2012

2012-11-24T21:05:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to post a few pictures from Thanksgiving 2012. We had dinner this year at our house,

with Bryan's family. Everyone else brought so much food, I felt like I barely had to cook!

(We missed you Drews!)

I got the cute FREE Thanksgiving printables from the TomKat Studio. HERE.

Only one of the guests in the next two pictures was actually asleep. Can you guess who?

We have so much to be thankful for this year. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!

Twenty

2012-08-06T12:52:00.001-06:00

So over the weekend, the hubs and I reached a milestone......

Our TWENTY-YEAR CLASS REUNION! I can't even believe it. That number has been hovering in my mind for so long, I don't know what I am going to do now that it has passed.

Every time I started a new diet I would think "I have to lose this weight...I can't show up at my reunion fat!" or "I better take care of my skin, I don't want to look like an old lady at my 20 year reunion."

And just like that, it came and went. It was a really fun night, and so great to see all our old friends.

Especially fun since Bryan and I are from the same class, so we got to attend together.

(Although truthfully we never even saw each other all night).

I just wish I would have had time to talk to EVERYONE, and that I would have taken more than 3 photos.

Oh well......there is still the FIFTY-YEAR to think about.

Happy July!

2012-07-23T13:02:00.000-06:00

Finally a new post.........even if it is simple. I had a few requests to get rid of the lamp post, so here we are.

Hope you are all having a fantastic summer, and a Happy July!

A New/Old Trellis Style Lamp

2012-03-27T14:10:00.001-06:00

Image from Phoebe Howard via DecorPad.

Really great lamps can TOTALLY make a space. I love the way Phoebe Howard uses lamps in her decor.

(see image above)

Lamps available from 1st Dibs. here.

The problem with a really great lamp, is that it usually has a great big price tag to go with it. These cute yellow cut work lamps were several hundred dollars on 1st Dibs.

Lamp available from Phil Michael Trading Co. here.

Image from Phoebe Howard via DecorPad.

The bright green lamp in this Phoebe Howard bedroom is so much fun.

I was STOKED when I found this vintage lamp at the thrift store a few months ago. It started out in a brassy gold finish, and I quickly painted it leaf green. (Like the color in the Phoebe Howard bedroom). I wasn't thrilled with how the color turned out though, so I re-painted it in an aqua/beach glass color, and I LOVE IT!!!

The trellis cut work detailing is so trendy right now. The details on this lamp are amazing.

I'm going to list the lamp on Etsy today. You can find the Etsy listing here.

That's Better

2012-03-20T14:39:00.000-06:00

I want to thank everyone again for all the love and support the last few months. I had a miscarriage the first part of February, and I have just sort of been in a funk since then (and actually a pregnancy funk before that). But, Bryan and I took a little vacation to Seattle, and I have finally started to feel physically and mentally like my old self again. (except with a few pounds to lose)

Anyway, I can't promise my blog will be back in full effect, but I will make some effort at periodical postings.

In other news.......

Lucy's cheer team has been great this year, and super consistent. They have placed second in almost every meet. Which is kind of weird, since there are varying numbers of teams and completely different teams they compete against at each meet, but they always do great, and have gotten a whole slew of second place trophies.

Lucy even got to bring home the team trophy this week!

Bryan's comp basketball team finished a rather long season a few weeks ago.

The "Red Fury" did not have a winning season, unfortunately, but they got MUCH better!

Cameron (far right in the photo) also turned 13 on March 2nd. Yikes!

He is as sassy and gross as you would expect a 7th grader to be, and I love every minute of it!

And this guy just signed up for his first season of baseball.

He can't wait for practice to start.

On the home front, I have been re-finishing this piece of furniture.

I'll have a post on that in the next few days.

Here's a sneak peek.

Thanks again. It's good to be back.

Thank You

2012-02-17T16:25:00.000-07:00

I don't have much to say, except thank you so much for all the kindness and support. I have been truly overwhelmed.

Fun Nursery Pictures

2012-01-24T12:00:00.000-07:00

I have been collecting nursery pictures for my super cute next door neighbor who is having her first baby (a girl) in June. Here are some of my faves.

Vivi's Room via House of Turquoise

Leighton's Room via Life Made Lovely Blog.

Source unknown. Via Pinterst

Source unknown. Via Pinterest.

Kitchen Organization

2012-01-03T16:32:00.000-07:00

Those of you that have been in my kitchen (or in my house for that matter) will laugh that I am posting about any kind of organization. Let's just say I am not by nature a super organized person. I am rather laid back, and my house reflects that. I do, however, like a somewhat minimal and clean home, so I need all the help I can get to keep it that way.

So today, I am posting tips for the organization of the naturally unorganized.

Part One: Fridge Junk

One thing I just don't like, and I truly apologize to all of you that have this, is the fridge front plastered with all kinds of pictures and junk. I HATE a messy fridge front. My personal solution to this, is a hidden wall in my mudroom, where I keep calenders, chore charts, and kid stuff. I am planning some kind of a permanent cork-board wall solution, but until that happens, I just stick everything right to the wall. I know some people may object to this, but it works for us, and it works for me because it keeps everything close, yet I don't have to look at the clutter all day long.

Also, the chore chart is an invaluable tool at keeping on top of jobs in the house, and keeping kids accountable to their responsibilities.

Part Two: Pet Gear

One of the best purchases I ever made, was this lidded Pottery Barn basket. I saved up, and paid full price for it because it was the PERFECT size to hide our plastic bin of dog food.

My basket was from the Winston collection, which I don't think they are making anymore, but I am sure there are other options. (The Pottery Barn Havana line could be a replacement).

Anyway, I LOVE that the dog food is close at hand, it doesn't look ugly, and because it is down low, and easy to access, even our six year old can take his turn feeding the dog.

The other "so simple its genius" pet solution I have for you, is to buy a hook (available at any hardware store), and hang up your dog leashes by the door.

Now I have to say, I would not do this next to my FRONT door. I happen to have a back door that is in the mudroom, so I don't mind the hook and leashes in there. I think it is tidy, and so easy to access.

Part Three: Counter Clutter
I keep my counters as bare as possible. With the food, homework, dishes, etc. that end up on the counters everyday, I just don't like to add extra clutter in the form of lots of decorations, or too many appliances or anything. And yet we still end up with that inevitable pile of stuff everyday. You know the stuff, the merit badge applications, report cards, assignments, brochures, mail, catalogs, etc. Well here's what I do. First of all, I recycle all junk mail as soon as I take it out of the mailbox. It never even makes it into the house. This step has saved me a TON of work since I started doing it. Catalogs I want to look at (Pottery Barn, Restoration Hardware, etc.) are the exception. For those, I simply put them on the magazine shelf on my entry table until I can look at them. Every few months I sort through the magazines, and toss the out of date catalogs.

Everything else, that I am not ready to deal with yet, or that I am not ready to throw away, gets put in a crate on the bakers rack. And when it gets full, and starts to look like this........

I pull everything out and sort in on the counter. I have a trash pile, save pile, file pile, and keep in the crate a little while longer pile. It's amazing that after a few weeks, so much of the pile that I at first didn't know what to do with, becomes something I can easily throw in the trash.

And when it's all sorted and put away, the crate looks more like this.

I also keep some of my large serving pieces on the bakers rack. And usually a plant in the basket on the top shelf.

I also usually keep my little beehive candy jars filled with seasonal, and holiday treats. (They are empty now, because I couldn't stand to look at the Christmas candy another day)!

I think the baker's rack seems to consolidate the inevitable "stuff" we all have, and helps keep my counters and kitchen a little more clutter free. I have also used a hutch in the kitchen before. If you have the space, I highly recommend a separate piece of furniture to stash the day-to-day clutter. It really does help keep your kitchen feeling more clean and tidy.

And that's it! Organization tips from and for the unorganized. I can't wait to do more January cleaning and organizing. And I have GOT to get rid of all the Christmas decorations.

Speaking of Christmas decorations. I know we are all sick of Christmas, but I wanted to let you know my Candyland Christmas door was featured on a fun online magazine, Front Porch Ideas and More, and you can see the feature here.

Happy New Year and Happy Organizing!

Spec Home House Tour

2011-12-28T11:57:00.000-07:00

Exterior Of Home Before

The week before Christmas, we found out that the sale of our spec home had fallen through $%#@!!! It also occurred to me that I had never given a whole tour of the spec home. So here you go.

Exterior of Home Now

The kitchen before had VERY nice new cabinetry from a few years ago, but it also had mismatched appliances, a laminate countertop (in a clashing color), and Pergo floors. (I am not a big fan of Pergo......sorry). Also, super dated lighting and plumbing fixtures.

The kitchen received new paint, amazing brick pattern tile floors, stainless appliances, lighting, granite counters, cool industrial faucet, and a really pretty crackle finish subway tile backsplash. Look how much better the cabinets look with the right color countertop!

Julie (My Mom) sewed the new hand towels to coordinate with the curtain fabric that became the color inspiration for the whole project.

Julie also sewed the curtains. The cute green tabs were a solution to a shortage of curtain fabric.

(Not sure how I managed to do that, but the tabs fixed it).

The new flooring, and getting rid of the ugly vertical blinds made a HUGE difference in the amount of light in the room. Also notice the giant pine tree from the before that is gone in the after. It is one of MANY trees that fell in Davis County in the huge wind storm.

It is hard to get a good picture from inside the bathroom, but the stripe in here is one of my favorite parts of the whole house. It has a slightly metallic sheen to it, and looks really great with the marble floors, and Ceasarstone Counters.

We put new bathtubs in, and white subway tile surrounds. Here is another look at the striped wall.

Besides the obvious new carpet and paint, we also widened the entrance to the family room at the bottom of the stairs, and put in a new iron and wood topped railing (in the left of the photo). We also got rid of the obnoxious low hanging light fixture at the bottom of the stairs.

At one end of the family room in the basement was a wide storage room. It took a lot of the light from the room, and seemed like a giant waste of space, so we tore it out. The family room is big and bright and open now.

I have written about the laundry room changes before. I love this room now!

I have also posted this fireplace before too. I think it is one of the most dramatic changes. I wish you could see it in person. The wood work fireplace surround is so beautiful in real life.

If you live in Utah, this house is back up for sale! The real estate listing can be found here.

Merry Christmas

2011-12-23T12:48:00.000-07:00

Here's Wishing You a Very Merry Day!

Image Via HouseandHome (dot com)

Candyland Christmas Part 2

2011-12-20T08:42:00.000-07:00

I updated the original post I did for my outdoor "Candyland Christmas" theme. But most likely people didn't scroll back down through all the posts to see the update. I finished up the urn bases by adding some fresh pine boughs leftover from the windstorm outside (necessary to hide the rocks).

And I brought out some lanterns from inside.

Thanks so much for spending some time at my blog!

I would really love for you to became a new follower!

Hope you are having a really great Christmas week!

Happy Birthday Hubs!

2011-12-19T09:44:00.002-07:00

It's the Hubs birthday today.

The thing about Bryan is, he is always a good sport. He is super willing to help out ANYONE that needs his help. He is pretty much the best person I know in that regard.

He's a super nice Dad.......

And a super fun Dad.........

And you know those assignments they give kids in Elementary School, where you have to write about "My Favorite Person", or "My Hero". Well so far, Bryan has been picked hands down every time as the topic in those assignments........for all of our kids.

Even though this is what his face looks like when I say things to him like, "Briny, do you think you could rock over the old fireplace"?

He still rocks over the old fireplace.

(The problem with being good at things, is that you get asked to do them).

I can't think of anyone I would rather spend time with.

And we just keep having more fun year after year.

Oh, and he looks pretty good in a suit too. Happy Birthday!

We love you lots.

The Wrong Kind of Vintage

2011-12-18T12:18:00.000-07:00

Look what I dug out of the basement last week. I stumbled across a craft bin I haven't opened for YEARS! Apparently I spent a good portion of 1996 tole painting woodsie ornaments.

I can totally picture myself at the kitchen table in our condo wearing my Gap overalls and Doc Martin sandals, painting my little heart out.

And good thing I owned the Christmas Simple Shapes pattern book. I wouldn't want to stray too off course with my painting.

How else would I have known that bears wear sweater vests???

Oh, and I guess snowmen too. Check out the sweater vest on this guy!!!

Remember when we put Raffia on EVERYTHING? Do they still make Raffia?

Anyway, the dozens of ornaments that didn't get painted in 1996 turned out to be a really fun Christmas craft for my kids on Saturday.

Here's to a great and crafty weekend! I hope yours has been great too.

Just A Note

2011-12-16T16:19:00.000-07:00

Just a note to say I linked up my table vignettes here.

And I know my link-up is not a tree, (which is why I'm leaving this note). I was trying to pair things down a bit this year, so I didn't do our real tree that we usually do. I did let the kids decorate their little small one with their ornaments. Sorry if I am breaking the rules.

Vintage Christmas Tablescapes

2011-12-15T21:32:00.003-07:00

Have you seen the Anthropologie Kerr Jar snow globes? They are adorable. But, they are $38 dollars. A little out of budget if you ask me. So this is my "Knock Off" Anthropologie snow globe.

I packed a whole bunch of ornaments (some vintage, some recreations) into a wooden crate I have had FOREVER.

I didn't put up my "fancy" tree this year, so I had plenty of ornaments to put into tablescapes around the house. The crystal bowl on the right was my Grandma's.

The boughs came from outside after the huge wind storm here last week. There are literally pine boughs piled up everywhere all over the city.

The vignette on my entry table.

Vintage ornaments on the kitchen island.

The dining room table. I opted for Hydrangea this year instead of Poinsettia.

The "25" is just cardboard, with fake snow glued on.

By the way, I have been linking up all over! I linked up to the Link Party at French Country Cottage. Check it out here. And At the Picket Fence, here. And finally, at The Shabby Creek Cottage, here.

Merry Christmas!

So Pretty

2011-12-13T07:17:00.000-07:00

All images via Sarah at A Beach Cottage blog here. Have a great week!

Candyland Christmas

2011-12-11T21:32:00.002-07:00

This is my second year doing the "Candyland" Christmas theme outside. I made the candy poles last year out of 6" PVC pipe, that I spray painted white. I hot-glued the ribbon around the pole, and then added giant ornaments glued to the top.

My neighbor came over while I was putting everything together and says "You sure have a lot of stuff on there", (picture me doing my doofy voice impersonation there). To which I replied, "Oh, do you think it is too much?" (As if I care what he thinks). He then says "I don't know, don't ask me". It was at this point that I realized there was food all over his chin. I then said, "You're right, I won't ask you, you don't know anyway". He was not in the least offended.

I swear I did not pose this picture. Fred was staring at me taking pictures through the glass, and Bryan thought he wanted to be let out. So he let's him out, and Fred plops down right in my picture. Then he posed like he was gazing off into the distance romantically.....I swear! This was not planned!

(Make sure you look at the update pictures at the bottom of this post).

I know, this is a bit over the top than my usual taste, but my kids love it, and that is actually the reason I do it.

At night.

I took these pictures before I had finished the bases. (See below). The rocks are needed to hold the heavy poles in place. Last year I had fake snow in the urns, and giant candy ornaments, but the "snow" blew all over the yard and made a huge mess.

UPDATE: I did get the bases done. I used some of the fallen boughs from the wind storm to fill up the bottom of the urns. I also brought out some lanterns I already had. I like the finished product MUCH better.