I like Pine Cones

I have a thing for pine cones. I'm just starting to realize this. This is my 2nd pine cone lamp that I have purchased for the log cabin.

I also collect pine cones. I like to make bird feeder projects out of them which I'll share in an upcoming post. I also like to put them in a basket at Christmas time. Sometimes I decorate them and scent them, sometimes not. This summer I tried to make a picture frame with them but me and the hot glue gun had a fight. (I may try again.)

But I think I love them so much because they are the fruits of my favorite trees - pine trees. Something so natural, beautiful and another connection to nature. Here is a cute quote I found:

'You can live for years next door to a big pine tree, honored to have so venerable a neighbor, even when it sheds needles all over your flowers or wakes you, dropping big cones onto your deck at still of night.'
~Denise Levertov


I almost forgot, check out this cute pine cone ornament that I picked up! See the little log cabin inside? Aww.....

**P.S. Don't forget about my GIVEAWAY! Click HERE!

Log Cabin at Night

There is something so mystical about seeing the Log Cabin lit up at night. I can't wait for this winter to see the cabin covered with snow at night, have a fire burning (wait, I don't have a fireplace yet...)and seeing it look like a picture out of Currier & Ives. (Yes, I daydream quite a bit!) I'm thinking the Log Cabin also needs a couple more lights underneath the roof eaves. My Log Cabin projects continue....

Log Cabin Ceilings

I like the way the log beams look on the ceilings of our log cabin. I love laying in bed and looking up at the ceiling at the perfectly spaced beams. They have individual characteristics with their coloring and knot holes. The best part is they are very useful and can be used with your log cabin decor. The 2 main level bedrooms have rustic bronze lights hanging from the middle beams drawing attention to the architecture of the logs. We hung our kitchen track lighting on one log beam. The lights point in different directions highlighting different areas in the cabin. On the beam of our loft are 2 ceiling fans. However, one fan is over 20 feet from our 2-story living room floor. How are we going to change that light bulb??

One at a time

I feel like I'm on a treasure hunt as I pick up items for the log cabin one at a time. I'm a very careful person and want to make sure I don't regret any purchases. I have a binder filled with cut out images from log cabin magazines to give me decorating ideas. I found this great lamp pictured here at Advance Lighting in Gaylord. I like it for its metal base that resembles a tree trunk. Now where to put it.... Right now I have it on the kitchen counter.

* Click on the photo to view the details in a larger version.

Lighting Up The Cabin

I didn't realize how expensive the lighting would be to decorate the cabin. With a log cabin, you can't just get ordinary lighting. I felt I needed a selection of wood, animal theme, rustic metals and antler type lighting to obtain the woodsy feel. My builder was rightfully pushing me to get the rest of my lights this week so the elusive electrician would appear and finish the job. (I didn't have enough lights there previously to create a sense of urgency.) I ended up buying lights from four different sources -Lowes, Home Depot, a local Gaylord store and Black Forest Decor (online store). Interestingly enough, the Lowes & Home Depot in Northern Michigan carried a good selection of rustic lighting, things I have never seen downstate. I purchased the moose light pictured here from Lowes to hang over the stairway. I also purchased a moose vanity light for the bathroom for only $79. (I do have a thing for moose!) This was a great deal compared to the other vanity lights I saw online between $300 - $600. At Black Forest Decor, our antler chandelier was on sale for $294. But I did make a mistake in not ordering enough chain to hang it from our high ceiling so I put in another order today.