The background is an important piece.  Since our theme was pink we knew we wanted a light background to continue the light pastel feel for the photo.  However, consider using a table, the floor, a counter top, the grass, the snow - your possibilities again are endless.  It just needs to complement your theme.  

Welcome to our first Christmas in this fun fixer upper log home!  While we are still under construction in many rooms we still have made tremendous progress and are having a wonderfully beautiful Christmas here in the Northwest!  
If you came from Dabbling and Decorating welcome.  We are sure you enjoyed Ann's amazing home and great tips!
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Whether you came over from Ann or from Instagram or however you found us we are glad you are here!  Grab a cup of hot cocoa and stay awhile!
While this home is certainly a different style than we have ever owned we are embracing it and loving every minute of it!

Our mudroom is the first room we renovated you can find that link here!  Since it was the first update it will also be the first we share here on our holiday decor tour!  With a log home we decided to go mostly with traditional Christmas colors this year!  And of course what kind of decorator would I be without throwing in some buffalo plaid this year!  

This mudroom has truly been amazing for us it is so huge and pictures just don't do it justice.  The biggest part of it isn't even shown here!  Just love having a place to put everything when we come in!  From our boot dryer to the railroad tie hooks it all works our perfectly for all of our winter gear!  Or hiding presents in the big white benches! 
 

Since we have a large family and now a large lodge to go along with it we also had to make sure one of the guests rooms was decked out for Christmas!  

Sometimes it is the little things that makes such a difference when decorating!  A quick tray on the bed with a candle and some small festive items can make a big difference for holiday guests!

Whether you are just starting out or have been decorating for years there is no need to spend a fortune on new decor.  We typically stick with one or two colors and buy just a few things each year to add to our collection.  Now we have been collecting for years so our Christmas decor has grown over the years.  For this year for instance we bought the adorable snowman's hat on our kids tree!  

The kitchen got a little Christmas spirit too!  This is supposed to be a temporary kitchen for us. We removed a wall to move the kitchen entirely but I am really starting to enjoy the kitchen where it is and the pantry with it so we will see.  The new plans are tempting but so is the sweet little fireplace in the current kitchen on those cold wintery days!  

The kitchen just has simple updates!  Now that we have the pantry finished we can put more out on the counters here!  So we had some fun decor.  The little sleigh is from Target dollar spot and a few other fun things that we have had.   

The entryway is the first impression that your guests see!  So for us we wanted this to be simple and reflect what Christmas is to us so when we found this Nativity inside the word JOY that was it.  Christmas is the birth of Christ and JOY!  Joy of family, joy of giving, and the joy of our saviors birth!  

Sometimes the simple little touches help to make it feel like Christmas and a touch of Christmas cheer to our room!  Like this little table in our library it simply holds a couple of Target Dollar Spot items that are a sweet reminder of the holiday!

The master bedroom had to have an elegant tree!  Who says you can't do elegant in a log home. Not us!  This is the one room in the house that does not follow our traditional colors.  We have always had at least two trees in the house.  One that is the kids and an adult tree!  We did that for so many reasons to have a family tree so we could all decorate together but still be able to have one that is decorated so pretty that hopefully stays that way.  

These pictures are all from the master bedroom which looks out over a beautiful lake!  Did you see all the beautiful white candles!?  Those are all Dollar Store candles.  While we love and prefer scented candles when using many of them in a decor setting for effect this is a very cost effective way of creating an elegant look!  These actually are left over from our daughters wedding which she had in our backyard this summer!  So they add even more meaning!

The lodge will have five trees this year.  We are saving the other major two for a later date so be sure to come back!  The fifth is a little real one that we cut down on our property for our sons room!  He really wanted a real one so we cut him one down and he can decorate it however he wants!  So fun!!  Can't wait to see what he wants to do!!  

We hope you have enjoyed our home decor tour!  We would love to hear from you!  Leave us a comment below and let us know your thoughts!!  Thanks and from our family to yours MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Below is the complete list of talented ladies that are part of "Our Home for the Holiday Tour"! #ourholidayhometour

Victoria Lambert Interiors  Little Blue House  The Home  Create  Laila Belles  The Renovated Acre  Tribe of Burton  Steeplechase Manor  Une Mason Privee   Military Mamas Farmhouse  Happy Home on Haddon   Made by Carli  House of V Decor  My Design Rules  

Well at least we thought it would be a quick update.  This room had indoor outdoor carpet which is typically easy to clean and get smells out of but this one smelled like a wet dog had been living in it ...... maybe because it had!  So we ended up ripping up the carpet and it still smelled :(!  We ended up replacing all the sub flooring so at least now we know it is good and smell free :)!  Happy Nose!

The benches were already installed and so were the hooks.  YAY!!!  So a quick coat of paint updated those and really brightened the room right up!  Bonus the two sides both lift up, for hidden storage!  Below is the before picture of what it looked like before we began our DIY project and then after ripping the carpet out and painting.

On the opposite wall as the benches we had a large empty wall so we decided to do a custom desk area to be a catch all for the mail and all the various paperwork that usually makes its way to the kitchen island!  There is still a large empty area in the middle which we are debating about adding an island but for now I am enjoying this huge mudroom and all the storage and benefits that come with a separate mudroom especially up here in the northwest!  

We splurged on a fun boot dryer!  They are made in a town just a few miles from us so why not support your local companies and with this acreage and snow plowing and skiing it will come in handy!
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The flooring that you can see in the pictures is a Luxe waterproof vinyl planks!!!  We wanted a wood look but needed something waterproof and durable and this is it!  The demonstration they showed us they literally soaked it in water for days and no harm!!    

On the desk we opted for a more durable top since this is just the mudroom and everything you can imagine will get dropped on it!  This picture is before the trim was put back up and everything finished.  But just love the cuties for mail and how long the desk is so more than one person can use it at a time!

We got the bins below the bench from Amazon - great purchase!  We wanted something durable that would hold up to being used for storing shoes every day!  These certainly have done that!  So we each have our own bin to store our shoes and so far they actually make it in the bins!  Hoping it stays that way!

  Let us know what your favorite part of this room is or what your favorite thing about any mudroom would love to hear!!

If you have ever tried to retrofit a farmhouse sink in an older house you know the troubles that can you can encounter.  If you haven't let us warn you - even though it is fairly straightforward; if you are dealing with cabinets that are not exactly level you are in for some work trying to get it level.  You have to build supports if your cabinet was not originally used for a farmhouse sink so why not build the supports as levelers also!

My brilliant husband came up with this genius idea on how to easy level it without shims and any one spot can be adjusted easily and quickly to get it level and keep it level!
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Some 2x4s 2x2s and some bolts
We also used a metal tray you will see later to keep the screws in place and from digging into the wood and wearing away at the wood over time!
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Simply build a wood supports for the sink that will also act as the leveling agents. To do this we used lumber we already had on hand 2 x4s on the bottom and 2x2 on the top.  You can see the bolts all the way around the support and leveling system.  Below is a close up of how it supports the sink all the way around and also how the bolts act as the levelers!

Since we are building this to last we used a router to make a groove to install a metal tray in the 2x2.  Then the screws will be held in place in the tray and not wear the wood down over time or slip.  The one listed below is an example of one like what we used.  You can see it in more detail in the picture below as well.

We hope this helps you in your remodel and retrofitting a farmhouse sink!  It sure was easy to level it up and only cost us the cost of the screws and the metal tray we had the lumber so overall a pretty inexpensive fix once we figured out all the particulars!!  Thankful for a genius husband this one was all him!!  

Now can't wait to enjoy that concrete farmhouse sink!!!  

If you have comments or questions would love to hear from you!! 

We have had a lot of interest in our Guest room Internet sign so we thought we would just do a quick blog post and include it here for you to be able to download!  It is always nice to have these documents around your house for guests so they don't have to bother asking for the Internet password - it is already in their room waiting for them!  Or you can make a few and put them in various places in your house. We have found they are great in the family room for the babysitters.  They have come in handy after the kids go to bed and they want to get on the Internet and not use their data!

We printed a slightly different version because we use a special software not everyone would have - but we just printed it with black ink on a nice card stock with a regular printer.

So go pick out some nice card stock that will match your guest room download the file and print away!!  We have linked a couple of different papers that would work below but use whatever works best for you!  Since there is a lot of text not too busy of a print if you use a print but we are sure you can find something you will love with it and feel free to change the print color or modify it as you wish for Personal USE ONLY!

Now if you want to print on standard paper and cut it down to size you can.  For it to fit perfectly in a 5x7 frame print it at 45% not 100% and that will reduce the image enough to fit perfectly into a 5x7 frame.  

If you download it all we ask is you write a quick comment below and keep in mind it is for PERSONALl USE ONLY!!  Thanks and have a great week!!

Important note before you do any electrical work in your home you should consult an electrician.  Always use extra precautions also.  Make sure the power is off and use a voltage tester to double check.

After you have consulted with your electrician you are ready to get started!  Styling and building your own Industrial wall sconce or lamp is probably easier than you think!  We love the look of the pipe lights but weren't sure if we wanted to fork out the money so we decided to build one ourselves first before we bought one.  Now we like it more and we can configure them any way we want and the price is great when you do it yourself.  So get dreaming up what you want and let's get started!!

Pictured here is a basic layout and all the items we used for our wall sconce.  If you only want one light you can eliminate one side.  You can have them go up or down or one up and one down.  You choose what you want and customize if for your needs but this is just one example.
The pipes used are gas pipes you can find in a hardware store like Lowe's or Home Depot or you can find them on Amazon as well.   Don't worry about color on any of these because we are going to spray paint them!
Parts list:
1 light cover - (this one was an outdoor one that worked perfectly for what we wanted.)
Gas Pipe equipment:
1 tee (we used 1/2 inch but they make many different sizes)
2 90 degree elbows
1 small nipple  - we used 1/2 inch by 1 this is the part coming out of the plate on the wall
2 medium sized nipples for the long part - we used 1/2 inch by 3 and 1/2 inch
2 Connectors - these are the small threaded pieces they don't show but add stability
2 3/4 to 1 inch reducer
2 PVC 3/4 inch to inch coupling adapters
2 light sockets - we used the keyless light socket
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Spray Paint all pieces with Oil rubbed bronze paint 

The gas pipes will be a greasy mess so be sure to wash and dry them before painting.  After everything is dry start to assemble your wall sconce.  A couple of lessons learned - put the wires in before you screw everything together much easier.  Leave extra wire - again much easier to cut off then rewire!!
We couldn't find a good connector in the gas pipe so we used the PVC pipe show but it worked great and you can't tell what it is.  We put it together just as show in the picture above.  The only step that may need some explanation is we used this amazing stuff called steel stik.  If you haven't used it you have to try it!!  AMAZING.  It goes on like putty and dies as hard as steel and can be drilled etc.  
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THIS IS THE WONDER WORKING AMAZING STUFF!!!  SERIOUSLY LOVE THIS STUFF!  THANKS TO MY HUBBY FOR INTRODUCING IT TO ME.  He loves riding dirt bikes and said he kept it on him when he road if he needed to fix any parts on his bike to get back! 

This is a close up of the Steel Stik.   Put this on before putting the reducer on.  Then add the reducer and let it set until hard before adding the PVC part and the light socket.  

The cages above are the ones that we used.  We needed six sconces so this was great for us.  You can get single ones as well - see below.  I have tried to find them other places but not much luck - let me know if you find a better deal would love to hear!

If you make one please share the pictures with us we would love to see what you come up with!!!!!!
​Due to legal reasons we can't show you the wiring part  :(!   Again please consult an electrician!

We have four full bathrooms in our house and while technically all of them were usable they didn't exactly inspire relaxation or style. They were functional and fantastic for the 1980s but we preferred a more up to date style without breaking the bank because let's face it the whole house is stuck in the 80s!  Don't get me wrong we love it; great space great rooms gorgeous fireplaces and breathtaking views so fixing up the decor for all these things we will take it.
Below are some of the ways we saved money on our project and other things to consider. 

Using Granite or Marble Shop for Remnants
or 
Consider using granite look alike Laminate 

First can the vanity be saved?  For us we didn't like the vanity or countertops at all but a new countertop on top of a Refinished cabinet would do wonders for the room. So we started looking at granite to replace those tiles. I always thought it would be so expensive but you know what the best way to do bathrooms is with remnants. They are much cheaper and often you can find something that would have been more expensive but since it is a remnant they are typically heavily discounted. The piece for our bathroom installed was only $300!  And it is a gorgeous piece of granite.
Most major hardware stores now have some new laminate that looks like granite and is said to be very durable as well so if you can't find remnants try to see what you can find in the area of laminate that looks like granite.  

Limit Expensive Tile to Borders

We saved $1000 by going with a custom made shower pan rather than a tile bottom of the shower. And we don't have to clean grout on the bottom of the shower where it is the worst!  They make them in many colors and are custom made for the space. Not like the cheap plastic ones we used to see. 

Use expensive tiles as borders or accents 
Use a less expensive tile for the majority of the project and accent with more expensive tile. When we first went to pick out our tile the one I fell in love with just so happened to be the most expensive tile in the place. Of course just my luck and I already loved it. So we used it for an accent piece rather than using it overall. Turned out great and probably like it better than if we had used it more. 

Paint Cabinets if Possible

Often painted cabinets can greatly change the look and feel of a room.  If they are good quality cabinets try painting them.  There are a number of tutorials and different ways to complete this task so we are not going to get into a tutorial for that at this time.  There are also do it yourself kits at the hardware stores but search for some tutorials first because often these kits can be expensive for what they provide but if you are nervous and your first time might be worth the investment.  
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It is so easy to get lost for hours on Pintrest, Instagram, or Houzz; but whatever you use to search for ideas it is important to narrow those ideas down once you have a good idea of your overall desired style and budget.  Let's face it we can all drool over some of the wonderful pictures and ideas out there but it is not always a reality so we keep those thoughts in mind as we figure out how to get a similar look on a budget!
We have developed and will share with you our easy and successful process that we developed over the years of fixing up homes.  It will help you take control of your project and be successful with the overall desired style and decor whether it is farmhouse, country or anything else the process is the same.

This is especially where Pintrest, Instagram and Houzz are very useful!  Create a board specifically for each room or project so it is specific to that project.  It is also helpful to name it what you are doing for example KitchenRemodal, or MasterBdrmUpdate whatever works for you that identify what you are doing and where you are doing it.  Then do specific searches for both the room and style you desire for example farmhouse style master bedroom or farmhouse kitchen or country kitchen whatever key word you want your style to look like.  If you aren't sure search a few different ones until you begin to find pictures you love.  This is not the time to worry about budget or can't have pin what you love no matter the cost, we will narrow it down and get more specific later! Now that you have your dream ideas the work and sometimes hard choices begin!
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Look over all the pictures you pinned to your boards which ones do you gravitate towards.  You will know some of them you will just keep going back to or maybe you picked it by accident to pin more than once those are the ones you need to look at again now.  Out of those which ones work with the house you have?  Do you have brown carpet but like the grey rooms will it work together if not can you do a modified color scheme that will still work and get you closer to what you would really like.  It is ok to spend some time on this part as it will drive the overall look and feel of the entire room so go ahead ask others print picture and hold them in the room whatever you need to do to ensure you are choosing the one you love!
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Save one or two of the pictures that are your major design style and color scheme.  The picture above is the color scheme and start of the design board for a bathroom.  This part is important to be sure you have narrowed down your style and color.  You can start it off with one specific piece or color.  For example on the bathroom we were not sure what color we wanted but we fell in love with this tile so we based the color and style around this.  The style was somewhat set with the style of the house but even within one style there are so many variations and options your choices are endless and that is why we have to narrow it down.  
​This is where many people fall off course and end up with a mix-match room because they were not decisive enough on the front end.  This part will help you in the long run to save costs so that you aren't buying something you don't need or that won't match or from going with a color to find out it doesn't match anything you currently own so be sure you are set on your style choice and color scheme at this point. 
Now save the photos to a file on your computer or print them out.  We usually save them to the computer then print them out later as we begin to start the buying process but you use whatever method works for you there is no right or wrong here.
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After you have several of the pictures saved there are many ways to create your actual board.  You can create a physical board with pictures put together on one board.  With a physical board you can also later add other items like paint chips and swatches of fabric.  A virtual board is often good to have as well so you can carry it with you or share it with others that you might be collaborating with on the project.  If you do a virtual board there are many free software programs out there that are easy to use and will be a tremendous help in creating your board.  Picasa was a free tool from Google that is easy to use; however, in March of 2016 they stopped supporting the software so even though you might see recommendations from others to use it I would stay away from unsupported software if you have a problem you are on your own.  So look at Google Photos, Windows Live Photo Gallery, Phototheca, ACDSee, or Zoner Photo Studio, however the Zoner is not a free one but has some great features that you might want to consider if you will be doing a lot of boards or photo editing.  

Once you have decided on what software to use start adding the pictures.  Be sure that you don't crowd the photos too much you need additional room for words and labels so you and anyone else who looks at your board will quickly know what everything is going to be used for.    So once you have added all your photos go back in and add your labels and now you are on your way to a successful DIY project!
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Now is the fun part.  Begin using your board to start shopping and looking for the items needed to complete your project.  Once I have purchased something especially for larger projects I add that to the board as well to keep it updated and a living document for the life of the project!  Have fun and be creative remember there isn't a wrong or right way to do a board so do what works best for.  But be sure to keep in mind when purchasing items so you know they will work.  When you look at something to buy ask yourself: Does it match, the color and style of my board, is it in budget?  If you get in the habit of asking these questions you will have less buyers remorse and more success in your projects!  Have fun and get creating those boards!  Be sure and check back often and we will show you progress of the bathroom that are design boarding right now!
​Please let us know what use and how you create your boards would love to hear from you!!

 When you buy a true "Fixer Upper" there are so many projects it can be difficult to prioritize them and to wrap your head around when and how to do each and every one especially when taking budget into account.  At first we found ourselves searching supplies and how to complete one DIY project then another and another because we were so excited to complete them all but we were limited on time and money for each of them because the budget is a reality for us like it is most.  

So we sat down and wrote out a list of major and minor DIY projects then we prioritized each list.  While you might think to just get the major tasks out of the way first, it is also important to see progress and have something to look on with pride for those days when you think you just can't go on and believe me you will have those days!!  So having some minor tasks that take less time and can get checked off your list not only gives you a sense of accomplishment it often gives you something to work on while you are waiting for something on the major project whether it is something you ordered or an electrician or plumber.  

In prioritizing our lists we had many things to take into account including the following and a few others:

• materials 
• cost/budget
• time 
• difficulty  

The entire list of items considered and an example spreadsheet that we used can be obtained by emailing us at contactus@farmhousefixer.com.  It was a very valuable yet simple tool that we created to help us complete all our DIY and outsourced projects on time and on budget!
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After prioritizing both lists then we began to work on the first major task and when we have time waiting for materials or someone or something then we complete a minor task.  Although some of the minor tasks turned out to be much more major than we thought!  For instance, our mud room was on our minor list but then after removing the carpet we determined we needed a new sub-floor which of course added cost and delayed our schedule.  However, that is too be expected.  You will always have some things uncovered, but best to fix them right the first time if you want a quality home for a long time!  Which is why every project whether major or minor needs a contingency budget, just be careful they don't all add up to more than your overall contingency bucket.  We certainly want this is to be our forever home for us and our children and grand children so we must fix things correctly when we find them so the contingency budget is one of the most important things especially for the DIYer!
So while it is going to be a long time coming before our farmhouse is finished we have some minor tasks completed that we can now go look at and take heart in when the major tasks become too much!
We can't wait to share more of our home and progress and lessons learned as we continue to fix our fixer upper farmhouse and farm!!

 While hesitant because of the expense (although decidedly less than a tractor), this CanAm has been a blessing! This winter we have had an incredible amount of snow. With our driveway being over a mile long, my arms are thankful that this awesome machine is doing all the work! 
It handled almost all circumstances; however, we did get stuck once because of too much snow so we added the snow tracks.   Since adding them we certainly don't have that problem and it has made it twice as fun and twice the beast.  We can go anywhere and climb almost anything now.  Exploring the property has never been so fun in the snow!

In addition to pushing snow it will be a great workhorse for us with animals and gardens.  
We even used it to haul a new dishwasher to the house when the delivery truck got stuck on the road coming up.  We were able to bring it up and get it installed while waiting for someone to pull them out.  Living on a farm and a Fixer Upper leaves little time to sit around and wait when delays happen!  

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This is not a sales ad for the unit we just love it and have enjoyed the work and play with it!!