Once you’ve cut out the center part where the tree will go, cut a line towards the outside of that “skirt” so that you can easily drape it around the base of the tree.. Can you guess the last step?.

That’s original hardwood there.. Isn’t that kinda the dream?You buy the big old country house in need of love, pull back some of the ugly and find tons of original beauty waiting for you to unleash it!.

But how to get rid of all that glue from the peel ‘n stick tile?.The varnish has yellowed like crazy, so I don’t mind that some of the cleaners I’ve been trying have been taking off some of the top coat.We’ll be sanding and staining again anyway.. And then we started ripping out walls.. Our master bedroom is an addition so behind the entrance wall is the original brick exterior wall.

Well, how cool would that be to expose it and get to see that everyday?.Answer: Pretty cool.. It’s going to take a lot of work.

They pretty much went crazy with the demolition of the wall for the doorway, so lots of insulation and thick moldings will be needed, but I think I’ll somehow manage.. On a completely different note, I’ve been doing some baking, as have a lot of us I’m sure.. Last year I found myself wanting a “signature” fall recipe that I could make for my family that would just feel like home.

I think I found it this year in a recipe for apple spice cake from Martha..I grabbed a 5 dollar black frame from Walmart.

Yup no dollar store frame for these guys.The spoons are actually just stuck right on the backing of the frame.

If you look closely you can tell it’s just the cardboard, but I liked the color of it, so I kept it.Also I took the glass out, clearly.. Get it clearly?