Yarn...

lovely Malabrigo. I made scarves for a couple of people for Christmas. Now it's my turn. I wish I could get a photo that does justice to this yarn. Trust me, it's gorgeous and so soft.

This photo is from the pattern, Just Enough Ruffles by Laura Chau, which you can find on Ravelry here. I rarely make anything with ruffles, but this is a simple scarf with a nice drape to it. And it's very easy to knit while watching a movie, which is my big new year's eve plan for tonight.

Kitchen Faucet

This faucet was driving me nuts...so low to the sink that it was hard to get big pots under it. So, after looking at Lowe's I decided it would be 85 dollars well spent to get another one. It's one of those things you have to use several times a day, so worth changing out, even if you are renting.

I had the cutest plumber in town install it for me...my son. Thanks Mike! It's so much handier, and prettier too!

Window Film for Privacy

 This is the bathroom window.  It's a bit of a problem...I've just had a blanket hanging there for privacy. During that time I realized that I didn't want to lose all the light with curtains hanging here all the time.

 When you walk out of the bathroom you are looking toward the stairs and this is what you see, so you'd better be sure you are dressed! This house has so many windows, and even the interior hall upstairs is flooded with light. I love that and didn't want to lose it!

Here's the bedroom. I like the view of the tree. It's like being in a treehouse, especially when it's all green and leafy. I decided to block out the view of the roof (and from some angles, the neighbor's garage).

 I'd been looking for a window film at the home improvement stores, but didn't find a design I liked, so I went online and looked around.  I found this window film by Emma Jeffs at PureModern.

These are the tools you need, plus a spray bottle of water. The window film is renter friendly because you can remove it without any residue or damage to the windows. It takes a bit of patience, but is not really too hard to put up. I did all these windows on Christmas morning.

First you roll the film out flat the night before and let it rest. Then cut the film slightly bigger than the window pane, peel the backing off, and mist the back side of the film with plain water. Then you apply the film to your clean window, using a credit card and a soft cloth to squeegee the bubbles and extra water out. At this stage you can still slide the film around a bit to get it just the way you want it. Finally, trim the edges with a sharp blade.

 Here's the bedroom now. No more rooftop, or view of the neighbor's garage, and I can lay down for a nap and have a bit of privacy. Of course, I still pull the curtains at night for total privacy and to keep the room warmer.

 

 It's great for the bathroom. It obscures the view and provides privacy without sacrificing light.

When you come out of the bathroom, this is what you see now, and no one can see you either!

 

 Here's the view from the entry downstairs as we were nearing evening. I was worried when I bought this product, because it's rather pricy, and if it turned out to be hard to apply, I'd be out the money. I'm glad I tried it though!

Here are some sites with pretty designs in window film:

PureModern

Studio Haikje

2jane

Trove

Strossel Design

Scandinavian Design Center

Brume

O Christmas Tree...

 I have been enjoying the tree for the last week. It's not a theme tree...it's all the ornaments collected over the years. Today Dad hung the light over the dining table. It's the one we had growing up...straight from the 1970s. I love it.

I like a tree with tons of lights, but the lights these days are so much brighter, so I put a dimmer on it. Dad showed me this trick last year. I don't know why I never thought of it....if the room is very dim, you can have it nice and soft. If it's day light, turn the lights up brighter. Love it!

Christmas Lights

There are no outdoor electrical outlets, but I figured out a way to run a heavy duty extension cord out to the porch. Then I was able to put some lights on the evergreen garland I picked up earlier. We are having Christmas dinner here, so I want everything to be nice and cheery! We had such nice weather today, so it was a great day for doing this kind of project.

 This stable was built by my brother-in-law and is very special to me. We bought the Fontanini nativity pieces because they are unbreakable and we liked that the kids could move them around with out worrying about breakage.

 This star was one that the great grands brought from Germany.

Replacement Windows

 There were so many windows that were broken and/or rotting that the landlord decided to order replacemnt windows. I'm usually all about keeping the old wavy glass and orginal windows, but for this house I think this was good decision. These are from Window World. They work well, I'll be able to wash them from inside (yea!), and they will be warmer.

Most of the windows in this house were simple double hung sash windows, and they ordered the same style to fit the spaces exactly. One of my pet peeves is seeing older homes where the windows have been replaced with ones that don't fit the original spaces...it almost always makes the house out of balance and takes away some of the charm. All these windows match the originals, and the two leaded glass windows were left untouched. I like that these fit within the original woodwork too.

I know I'm going to love not having to stand on a ladder to wash windows, and not having to wash triple track storm windows anymore!