Backyard Art: A Light in the Night

We were blessed with unseasonably warm weather this past weekend.  My husband suggested we have family and friends over for an outdoor barbecue.  I was buried with work and hesitated to add “one more thing” (which is actually quite a few things) to my to-do list.  However, come Friday, I was so burnt out, I knew I needed something positive and quickly sent out an e-vite before I could change my mind.

Well, friends, there is nothing more motivating than making a public announcement.  People were coming over in 36 hours, and I needed to clean my house, plan a menu, and make it all happen.  When unmotivated, cleaning house can take an entire weekend.  But having set a public deadline, all of my household chores were completed by early Saturday afternoon.  How’s that for a strong beginning!?!  I was ready to enjoy the rest of the weekend…something I truly needed in order to fill up my near-empty “fun” tank.  That alone seriously ramped up my energy and excitement.

My husband caught the “let’s make this happen” bug also.  When we were at the supermarket, we saw some distressed metallic letters.  He immediately thought of a project he’s been wanting to do and decided to take it on before people came over…because everyone needs a new decorating project 24 hours before a party!  However, when it involves electronics (I’ll get to that part) Ryan is all over it.  (Can I get an “Amen!” from those of you that know him?)

He had seen a backlit picture in one of our favorite restaurants last month, and he has been dying to do something similar.  When he saw these rustic letters (and hey, they were on sale, so who could resist), he knew exactly what to do to liven up our backyard for the next day’s barbecue.

So here is how it worked.  We bought a few letters (our initials) and planned to hang them on the side of our garage.  They are red, so in the daytime they provide nice contrast to our gray garage.  But at night, that is when the magic happens.  Ryan bought LED strip lights (something he has been dying to find a reason to buy).  The strip is about 1 cm wide, comes with adhesive backing, and can be cut to almost any length.  So we cut some strips and adhered them inside the hollow backs of each letter, connected them to power, then mounted them on the wall.  Now, at dusk, we can turn them on with the remote (what guy doesn’t love the power of a remote), and the lights reflect off the garage making the letters “pop” off the wall even in the dark.  And did I mention the lights are multi-colored and programmable?  Let’s just say “hours of entertainment” for some folks.

 

Even though I might not be as excited by electronics as my husband, I must admit I like his new yard-art project and enjoy the colorful glow as we linger outside on these warm spring nights.  The project and the party both lifted my spirits and provided an extra boost of energy for the week ahead.  That, I believe, is how the weekend is meant to be used.

If you want to create your own Light in the Night, here is a link to the strip lights and supplies we used.

 

Do you enjoy hanging out in the yard?  What do you do to add your personal touch to your outdoor living space?  Share your ideas here, and maybe I will feature one for our next backyard party.