I hate waiting....

....so I put up the new front step lights myself rather than calling someone (why I did this on an 85 degree day that is hazy, hot, and insanely humid---well, muggy as all Hell--I don't know!)

Man, this took longer than I thought as the screws that came w/ the fixtures were too long to make the light flush up against the house and I had to hunt through my stash of supplies to find some suitable substitutes. Anyway, an hour later, I had both lights up on either side of the front step. Again, as I mentioned in an earlier post last week, they were $39.97 by Hampton Bay at Home Depot. There was a larger size, maybe I should've gotten those, but I feel like they look a bit smaller in this dimly lit photo from my iPhone. But, I do love their styling and they're not too small--there were certainly smaller lanterns at Home Depot for sure. I also checked Lowe's and didn't really love their selection of exterior lights.

Here is a before & after of the front door w/ paint, new mailbox (14.99 from Home Depot), and lighting:

I also installed the floodlight w/ motion detection on the back deck. The challenge here was the old light was wedged under one of the wood shake siding shingles. I had to tilt the new fixture to fit it into place where the old one was. 



After all was said and done, I was so happy when I turned on the breaker and the lights worked!

New lights for the front door...

I purchased two of these lights for the front door area of the house to finish off the look of the new paint job! I wanted a traditional misson style lamp and I think for the price, these do the job quite nicely--I definitely didn't want to spend more than $50 per lamp. Man, these lamps are expensive out there! I also picked up a motion detector flood light for the back deck.

I also purchased some oil-rubbed bronze spray paint to do the mailbox and the door handle on the door......we'll see how that goes later!

They were $39.97 each from Home Depot. They are formally known as  the "Hampton Bay Wall-Mount 1-Light Outdoor Oil Rubbed Chestnut Lantern" (here's a link if you want to check them out on the Home Depot page: Link

Not sure if I'm going to install these myself or have someone come do it...

Lights worth a look!

Overstock.com has some really cool lights! (That site has everything, man! I mean, where else could you find a watch, a light, a tent, a jumperoo for your toddler, and a new sheet for your bed!)


I thought these chandeliers under $160 were inventive ways to add some flair to one's home without going too overboard on price or style. (click on the pics to a link to its page on Overstock.com)

1. Five light rectangular glass for $139.99:

2. "Rose" design metalwork pendant for $129.99:

 

3. Nickle chandelier for $149.99



4. Copper & Glass pendant for $159.99:





















5. Antique Copper Lantern-Style pendant for $139.99: