More Landscaping, really?!

Yes people, I have a problem (Step 1, check). I must always have dirty hands doing something around the house, most times I just make up things to do, but if I didn't then I would have nothing to write about. But this project was actually a necessity. When Erik and I moved into our townhouse our property line on the unattached side was marked with a DISGUSTING retaining wall. It was raw cinder block, 2 rows too short and just plain u-g-l-y. Of course our builder said he would complete it with stucco to match the foundation but I, thank goodness, didn't hold my breath because as he ran from finishing our development, our retaining wall hopes ran with him. Needless to say, we had to pick up his pieces and finish it on our own.

Here's what we had to start with:

{ Yikes, I know...}

First we tried masonry. Erik got more blocks and added the 2 rows we needed to make the wall level with the yard. 

{ So far, so good }

Then we found a beautiful Pennsylvania slate to top the wall with. However that didn't work so well. The mix of mortar must not have been correct and the stone fell off. Next we looked on Craigslist for an expert to stucco the wall for us. $600 dollars!!! No way my friend. Once again we were left with no affordable ideas.

Erik and his cute head came up with an idea. Paint the wall and put a BIG planter box on top to cover the top and add a place for some annual color. Genius, my man is. So I got an olive green paint to complement the house and painted the wall. Plus 3 BIG pieces of wood and lots of muscle = a long, long, BIG planter box. 

Which I stained the same color as the porch...

And added some amazing begonias to finish off the whole thing.

Here's the price breakdown:

Cinder blocks- free, found them :)

Mortar mix- $5

Paint- $15 (Wal-Mart baby)

Wood- $30

Potting Mix- $16

5 Begonias- $25

TOTAL: $91!!! Must better than the $600 Mr. Expert Stucco was going to charge.

It was definitely a labor of love, but worth it. Now I just need to add some plants to the bed in front of the wall and we are in business!

Hostas Galore!

2 things thrive in my yard: hostas and lamb's ear. I have lamb's eye growing out of every stitch of dirt imaginable, and hostas have popped up all over the yard as well. I was happy to receive several of these little sprouts of hostas from my mother-in-law in early spring this year and last so the collection is quickly growing. But so far this summer they are growing uneven, and due to my OCD, I must have symmetry. So last week I remedied the situation by transplanting ALL of my hostas.

It went something like this...

{ Dig up all hostas }

    { Separate plantings by size }

{ Layout new plantings }

     

{ All evenly spaced ! }

Finishing Touches

As the rains comes in and out, I am itching to get out and enjoy our new pergola. We have a little more wood working to do (Erik's dept.) but we also have some decorating to do (my dept.). We want a space where we can sit, relax, eat, and hang out with visitors- away from the mosquitos that swamp our shady front porch. This is the plan:

My white outdoor fabric that I scored a great deal on from here, for curtains, is set to arrive any day now. I'm going to use grommets to hang the curtains from a galvanized steel rod- when doing anything outdoors make sure that you use galvanized steel as it will not rust! These will give us even more privacy from our many neighboring back porches. For mood lighting I purchased a string of 5 Red paper lanterns from Target to create a nice glow. As for seating, Erik is going to build a couple benches that can be used for behinds and drinks. They will have removable cushions made from the beautiful Waverly Sun and Shade fabric in Citrine and some accent pillows made from the scraps from the curtains.

I can't wait for it to all be done! June has been and will continue to be Home Project month at the Grubbs' house, so I have even more reno and revamps to go!

When the Cat's Away...

 
So... long time no posts. I know, bad blogger, but I really needed some 'me time' as my sister would say. With the school year coming to an end and all that entails, -until you teach you will never appreciate summer vacation as much as I do- I was in serious need of some R & R. But alas I return with lots to share!!

As promised way back when, the hus and I have finally started, and almost finished our lovely back deck pergola. Here is the sketch for the project, courtesy of yours truly (Art teacher, remember...):

This is what our deck looked like before on any given blazin' hot Georgia day:

 

{ Don't you just love how many of our neighbor's homes you can see...}

Not only was it murder on your sweat glands, but our bedroom that looks out onto the deck is a good 10 degrees warmer than the rest of the house because of the sunlight coming in. A pergola would not only give us a nice chill spot but also a cool nest to sleep in.

Our Pergola How-To

1. Take off railings in order to replace yucky posts with more support and height.

2. Add 8ft. 4x4' posts and reattach railings.

3. Screw backer boards to house, cut decorative ends to beams and attach to posts.

4. Fill in the rest of the beams. Add louvered beams for added privacy and more shade.

Here is what we have at the moment. We are still going to add smaller cross beams to the top and I have 12 yds. of outdoor fabric to create even more privacy. More pictures to come...

But tell me: How do you think the Husband did on his first big carpentry project??

I'm biased but I think it's pretty awesome.

Gone to ...

{via here}

Rest, relax, sleep, simmer down, unwind, decompress. Whatever you call it, I need it and have been trying to do it, so sorry for the pause in posting. I'll be back soon...

Personal Note: Give What's Needed

With finances the way they are, many people are foregoing their usual charitable contributions in order to keep more money in their own pocket. Of course you are your #1, but that doesn't mean there aren't other ways to help those who need it.

Start at the top- with your hair that is! As an elementary teacher I have watched several of my students, colleagues, and parents participate in the Locks of Love and Pantene's Beautiful Lengths campaigns. Every school year about 15 of these brave girls, women and even a boy, grow their hair out just to have it chopped off for a good cause. Both of these amazing organizations collect hair to make wigs for survivors of cancer. Locks works exclusively for children while Pantene works for adults and children. My school has donated over 1,000 inches of hair over the past couple years!

So as I looked in the mirror and groaned about how I needed a haircut because my long curls were becoming unmanageable, I thought of those survivors. I thought of them also because my colleague Marsha just lost all of her hair to Breast Cancer, and is now sporting her new cropped cut after months of wigs. That's it, I told myself, off  with the curls! They must go NOW! Friday after noon the lovely Aveda stylist took 2 7" ponytails from my mane- yes I have, had, a lot of hair. 

I was very traumatized at first. I hadn't had short hair-meaning above my shoulders- for a very long time. My neck was now exposed and ponytails are no longer my go to for bad hair days. But as the weekend has progressed so has my love for my new 'do. 

My curls are happy to lose the weight.

And when I straighten my locks I feel the presence of Twiggy.

If you are heading to the salon for a new shorter summer cut, get out your ruler and see if you have enough to give to someone who could use it. Visit Locks of Love here to find out their donation guidelines, and Pantene's Beautiful Lengths here.

DYI: Painting Bi-fold Doors

They are yucky, those folding doors, but most of the time they are a neccessity. There is either not enough room for a full door or not a full wall for a pocket door. But those bi-fold doors are soo ugly! Paint to the rescue! I have folding doors on my hallway laundry room. My walls are painted a beautiful bronze color and the white doors were way too white for the hallway.

Extra paint = chic, detailed doors!

Here's How:

1. I have to start with the fact that I HATE taping to paint, I happen to have a steady hand. So if you are like me, then no taping necessary, if you aren't then get the blue stuff and go!


2. Get to painting. Even for a small area, two coats are needed to ensure a smooth finish. Decide which areas to paint. You can do the raised square portion, or the recesses- I did the recesses for a frame look.


3. If you tape, I would pull it off ASAP. Interior paint is usually latex based and could peel off with the tape, so pull when it is still a little wet.


4. Finish the doors with some fancy hardware. I had cup pulls left over from our master bath switcheroo.


5. The result a not-so-ugly, classy bi-fold wonder!

Exterior Paint

{ via apartmenttherapy }

HOA's suck. Sorry, but they do (personal experience talking) because they limit your options when trying to make your house your home. We love our little 'hood but it is difficult having to abide by the covenants.  Yes I know you can avoid them by not moving to a neighborhood that has one, but we have a townhome so it is unavoidable. I say these things because I would LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to paint the exterior of my little craftsman black. It would be a pain in the behind, due to the fade potential, but what a statement! Maybe I should do it, just to ruffle some feathers! I've always wanted to be a rebel...

Danielle Mac Innes

So here's the dirt on her: Danielle Mac Innes from Fuse Interiors, awarded ‘Best Newcomer’ at Ireland’s premier interiors show, Interior Design 2008, she has been widely recognized by the media for her fresh and unique style.

Here is another project she did for Fuse. Her funky, casual interiors are to die for. They are hip without being pretentious. Her pops of color are crisp and refreshing. Of course, if need be I can be ready and packed in about 2 hours! If you know my husband at all, he is a lover of the Heinz, so the artwork above the fireplace is a must.

{ text and images via freshome }

THE lamps: Part 2

Apparently I am not the only one with the obsession. I was poking around FresHome when I found an adorable interior designer that made use of 3. Danielle Mac Innes of Fuse Interiors designed this apartment in Dublin that I would move into immediately. I mean really, how amazing is that coffee table?!

{ all images via freshome, fuse interiors }