The Sled that Held the Christmas Tree is now a Coffee Table

I worked from 6:00 a.m. until precisely 2:03 p.m. -- 8 solid hours of packing boxes and hauling items down to the basement, rearranging the basement storage shelves and then hauling furniture items back upstairs.  I thought it would take about 4 hours at the most---boy was I wrong! It's a good thing I scaled back this year.

Forgive me if I sound like I am whining. I am not. I enjoyed the decorations this year and it was worth every sore muscle I am sure to have tomorrow.

While I was taking down the tree in the sled, I had a light bulb moment--why not use the sled for a coffee table?  Now that I have the green/garnet color scheme, the rusty old green sled might just work with the glass top from the current coffee table (that I moved into the family room for the holidays).  I was excited by this idea, so before 7am, I had already made this coffee table:

The inside is filled with all the pinecones I used for Christmas decorating.  Later (in spring) I will change the pinecones to seashells....unless I get tired of it by then and change back. 

I am really loving having a new color scheme to play with.  After all the Christmas items were gone, I changed out the corner hutch items--put the green boxes inside and on top then removed a number of book jackets from some hardcovers to make a color-coordinated stacked book vignette.

 It was fun doing the hutch.  While rearranging the basement shelves, I found a box of eagle sculptures that my son briefly collected.  I decided to use them in the living room. It's nice to have different accessories to look at.

Yesterday we switched out valances and put up a green one that I made a few years ago.  I am not quite done with the living room redecorating. I could use a few more rusty metal items. But here is where I am at the moment:

It is such a pleasure to look at something other than pink floral -- don't get me wrong--I loved the pink floral, but I have looked at it for 18 years.  I was overdue for a change!

I have another large cabinet at the opposite end of this room:

I brought up my cardinal table runner which works nicely with the new color scheme:

Yesterday I changed out the chalkboard in the family room. It used to say 'the night before Christmas and that just wouldn't do for a Jan. 7 dinner party, so I did a quick change to this:

Today I took it all done.  The greenery needles were falling all over the carpet, so it was time. Right now the wall is blank as I was too tired to think about what to put up next.  I think it will be "Love is in the air" as I am planning to have a Valentine dinner for six and I may as well get started with setting the theme.

I hope you are all having a great weekend.

Now I have to go shower and get ready to go to my BIL's for his birthday dinner tonight. It is nice not to have to cook. I sure hope I was not supposed to bring anything.  Normally it's a potluck affair when we go there, but DH said this time it's not.  I had too much to do today to call and check for sure.  I will be pretty embarrassed if everyone but me brings a dish!