We bought a cantilever umbrella that is huge and creates a sort of extra room when extra shade and privacy are needed. It works well and can even withstand some wind, but we won’t tempt fate, of course.

Front yard:

Backyard:

This has been something we were looking to install for well over a year. We had a lot of quotes and plenty of false starts as people have fallen by the wayside with the shortage of resources during the pandemic. The light in the cathedral ceiling in our family room is quite a game changer. It feels wonderful to have a subtle natural light and not to even need a lamp on in the darkest part of the house. While it’s just a step away from the outside, this makes our family room more like a solarium. it also improves the light in the adjoining kitchen too.

Let there be light! With the new garage door with windows and the largely glass-framed side door to the garage, there is daylight flooding into the garage, which is purifying, healthy, and better for the environment since we don’t have to use electricity constantly. It is a graveyard for old furniture but it also has some utility when we entertain, have people over, a place to store extra food in the extra apartment fridge, and store things, of course, with the help of the attic access, and an indoor playground for the dogs when they can’t be in the rest of the house, complete with divided backyard access.

Some final touches around the house including a higher end office chair made for big men which is sort of a game changer. It rolls nicely on the hardwood floors and does some fancy tilts, but the most important thing is that it can feel comfortable and allow to maneuver around the office without much effort, being mindful of the dogs at my feet.

Inspired by our recent trip to an art colony on Mare Island I started repurposing some of the old items I organize in drawers and containers for the purposes of art. The recent fake plant and correctly fitting vase really stretch up the cathedral ceiling, but there was something missing on the “face” of the vase, which I remedied with some museum glue and parts I dug up and cut to size (at least in the case of the eyebrows). I might find other blank surfaces inside and outside that are screaming for faces or other design when I get an order of fresh superglue.

I love my new (safe) dartboard, along with a miniature bowling set for my desk). These kinds of toys make my home office a joy and more “me.”

While I loved what Shando did with the wreath and xmas decorations on our hearth, he wanted to see the two cool fake plants I bought in that area, so I moved them to the mantle.

We struggled with where to put the ashes of our deceased dogs, but it turns out the storage in the wood house on the mantle fit the four sets of ashes perfectly.

You’ll see we took down our xmas tree on New Year’s Eve also, even though we usually wait until after the stroke of midnight. It’s always nice to reclaim that space and get our living room back, even though we don’t use it nearly as much as the family room.

Without even knowing what we’d do with our gently used bar stools, I wanted something more robust and traditional looking (even though Shando says they do not match the modern kitchen) since I spend quality time there each day cutting fruit and vegetables while watching TV in the family room. I cannot imagine a kitchen where I do not see the main TV in my future. Fortunately, our friends who just moved to the area were happy to take our previous bar stools, so it worked out very well.

The backyard is doing well with most of our plants, but it’s been joyfully raining a lot, so not too many pictures of the garden this month.

The trip to the thrift store also inspired me to reorganize our coffee station.

Speaking of dogs, you’ll see I also got Shando a piece of metal art that we have in our foyer with two men with umbrellas kissing and a dachshund by their feet.

Our dear friends mentioned above, Greg and Steve, who bought a house nearby did not want this violin display that came with it, so I added it to my office decor.

Other little touches from before and after xmas:

I try to keep the wall behind me particularly entertaining for those who I meet virtually. Sometimes it’s a conversation starter!