All lit up

I couldn’t leave well enough alone.

Soon after I posted about the budget makeover on our patio area, I bit the bullet and invested in some patio lights.

(Ryan disagrees with the term “invested.” He believes that should be reserved for financial things like stocks. I believe that sometimes, lights are an investment worth making.)

We’ll just have to agree to disagree.

They are an investment because these lights are not cheap. They are more expensive than just about any patio lights you’ll find at the big box store. But I’ve had those patio lights and they simply don’t hold up over time. And I knew that with the extreme winds and weather we have in the country, the inexpensive lights wouldn’t fair well.

So, I took the advice of one of my very favorite bloggers (Thrifty Decor Chick) when she recommended the Feit brand string lights. She can do no wrong in my book, so while I don’t have a Costco nearby, I turned to Amazon and ordered two boxes. (That’s an affiliate link, which means if you also want to invest in the lights, I get a few pennies to rub together.)

The price fluctuates (I paid a little less than they are listed for right now). But while they appear to be pricy, each strand is 48 feet – much longer than the 10- or 20-foot strands I see at the big box stores. And the lights themselves are great quality. I love that they are on a heavy duty cord and even would allow you to hang the lights individually or use a wire to keep them secure. Plus, the bulbs are removable and replaceable.

I took some photos before it got dark so you could see how they look.

And then I tested my sanity to try to take photos of the patio at night. You get the idea, right?

It’s truly magical. You’ll just have to trust me or come visit.

On the nights that bugs leave me alone, you can find me right in the middle chair. It’s pretty rad – nothing but toads and birds and lightning bugs. And me, reading “Girl on a Train.” And, of course, wine. Never forget the wine.