Brighter

While looking for a large whiteboard for Randy's newly organized (you read that right, organized!), we stumbled across a deal that has me grinning ear to ear, still reeling with excitement.

 LED can lights!!

First off, they were $10 for a box of two.  Our entire house has 15 can lights.  To simply replace the covers that used to look like this...

It would have cost $10 just for the covers, not to mention having to replace lightbulbs.  This way, we got TWO for $10, and we won't have to replace lightbulbs or change them out for TWENTY YEARS!!!  So, upfront it cost us half what we thought we would spend, plus we don't have to spend money on bulbs.  This was a stellar find!!  And get this:  Keilie did two of them.  That's right, my 13 year old daughter was able to help with this update!!  It took Randy and Keilie 20 minutes to do all 15 lights, updating this house by at least 20 years.  I was giddy at the prospect, but became even more so when we turned them on...

 This was sitting in our front room, looking down the hallway to our dining room.  To give you an idea of how bright these new lights are...the lights in the front room were on, yet it looks dark where I am sitting.

 Looking into the dining room from the kitchen.  Do you see that stack of black can light covers on the table?  It is a resounding, "Bah-Bye Beasties!" for those babies!!!  I bet you didn't notice the covers first, though, when you have a cute little first-grader doing his homework in the picture!

And finally the kitchen.  From the first time we walked into this house, we knew we were going to update this kitchen.  First it was just going to be painting them white and having a cabinet guy make us all knew Shaker door fronts, but I think we both agree that it needs to be a complete gut job with cabinets all the way to the ceiling.  However, until that happens, these new lights and paint make the house feel like a newer-build.  I'm not even joking!  It is so bright and light in this kitchen, it almost masks the hideous 90's cabinets and pinkish countertops.  Almost.  It makes me more excited to do the kitchen reno, but helps me like the kitchen space a little more, and hate the wait a little less.

The upgrades that we have already done have made this house look even better, I can't imagine how grand it will be once we do the siding (we have sketches drawn up for this one, with colors for stone and Hardie Board almost selected- going for the Craftsman look, baby!), kitchen, and landscaping.  This house is turning into my favorite pretty quick.  We fit so well, love the location, and are making it our own. 

The perfect recipe for our own little slice of heaven on earth.