Curb Appeal
A Second Attempt At Curb Appeal
July 12, 2013
If you’ve been following this blog since the fall, you may remember an enthusiastic post about curb appeal. You can read about it here, but I’ll give you the Cliffs Notes if you’re in a time crunch. Back in October, I planted over 150 (Yes, you read that right - I’m crazy.) bulbs around the yard in anticipation for beautiful spring flowers. Many came up, but many did not. Specifically, I planted a bunch of bulbs around the mailbox to give the curb some color.
Curb Appeal...Literally!
October 3, 2012
If you ask me, curb appeal is one of the most important aspects of a home and should never be overlooked. If you don’t watch insane amounts of HGTV like we do, you may not know exactly what I mean by “curb appeal.” Curb appeal refers to the attractiveness of a home’s exterior. It can refer to landscaping, hardscaping, (stonework, driveways) porches, window boxes, shutters, seasonal decor, mailboxes, etc. Having this little ol’ school house look good from the street matters a lot to me, and we have taken great strides each season to make it a bit better.
Friday Night Bush Slaying
October 7, 2014
Matt and I have been rocking our Friday nights of late. A few weeks ago, we spent our entire Friday evening organizing the garage and sweeping it out from corner to corner. It was pretty amazing. What? You don’t think that sounds “amazing?” We had our tunes and we had our beers and we had each other, so we were good. The following Friday evening, we got Harrison to sleep and set our sights on the side of the garage that is not visible from the street.
Front Steppin'
June 3, 2013
We replaced our front steps. It was necessary. 3 reasons you know it’s necessary to replace your front steps: They bend severely when a 30 lb. toddler lays foot on them. You don’t order anything online for fear that UPS will sue you because of a courier injury. You spend 3 weeks stepping over the reeeaaallly droopy step in the middle for fear of it breaking. This makes hauling groceries especially frightening.
Grass Stories
October 17, 2013
A couple of years ago, Matt and I had a backyard bonfire at our house and our friend Stacey asked what plans we had for the space. I told her that along the stream, I envisioned tall grasses that would provide privacy for the backyard, as well as look pretty as they swayed with the wind. Something like this came to mind… Well. Stacey (yes, this is the same Stacey as Wine Stacey and Shakespeare Stacey) mentioned her parents were actually looking to split some of their tall grasses and that they’d (probably) be happy to give some up.
How To Rip Out Vines (While Keeping Your Sanity Intact)
April 23, 2015
I haven’t posted in nearly a month and it’s driving me crazy. Have you missed me? I have so much to say and so much to share. I haven’t been sitting on my bottom around here, I assure you of that. After moving on from the non-alcohol related hangover of Harrison’s birthday week, Matt and I started to really enjoy some of the gorgeous weather Connecticut has been afforded of late.
I Got 99 Problems But A Front Door Ain't One
January 26, 2016
Hit me! I haven’t posted to this blog in 3 months and I owe it (and you) 3 definitive posts. I’m behind on our board & batten post (pre-Thanksgiving), our new front door post (pre-Hanukkah) and Harrison’s 21-month letter (pre-Christmas). Oops. Here’s an update on our front door while I get the other two posts together. Oh, and Happy Thanksgiving, Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas and Happy 2016. There. All caught up.
State of the Garden (Late June 2013)
June 25, 2013
Nearly three weeks ago, I posted a series of (very amateur) photographic shots of some plants around the yard. We had so much rain in May that I titled the post, “May Showers Bring June Flowers,” because “April Showers Bring May Flowers” didn’t really fit. That was three weeks ago, so here we are now, with some new blooms that have popped up around the ol’ school house. Three weeks ago, I had one calla lily bloom.
Steppin' Back
June 12, 2013
It might seem like I’m jumping back and forth between the front porch overhaul and the kitchen. Oh, wait. That’s because I am jumping back and forth between these two spaces. Bear with me as I tackle whatever project strikes me. If I can get the porch and the kitchen done before the first leaf turns this fall, I’ll be a happy homeowner. Last week, I shared the first part of our front porch overhaul.
Suns Out, (Powerwashing) Guns Out
September 26, 2013
Even though painting over your head is the worst painting possible, I decided the porch ceiling was way overdue for some new paint. I even threw it on my 2013 House Goals. I’ll try to revist those next week to check on the progress because we are nearly 75% done with 2013. The porch ceiling was in really rough shape. The paint was chipping, there were mud dauber nests everywhere and an outdated, neglected light fixture was the cherry on top.
The Garage Just Got Prettier
November 20, 2014
Apparently it’s been three weeks since my last post (not counting the baby letter). Oops. We’ve been quite busy around here and I have about six posts in limbo, so as I warned, there should be a flurry of posts coming your way soon. This is the first. When we bought the house five years ago, my aunt and uncle gave us a gift card to Home Depot as a housewarming present.
This Is How I Stroll (State of the Garden, Late April 2014)
April 22, 2014
In the Spring, one of my favorite things to do is stroll around my yard. I stroll in the early morning and I stroll at dusk. I stroll with the baby in tow and I stroll by myself. I stroll in quiet peace and I stroll while on the phone, catching up with family and friends. No matter how I stroll, the simple act of wandering my yard brings me a lot of joy and contentment.
Whatever Makes You Happy, Baby
January 25, 2013
If you follow me on Twitter, (find me @shouserehab) you might have read my teaser about updating some outdoor curb appeal in our sub-10 degree weather. Well, it was just that. A teaser. If you think I’m spending more than 42 seconds outside with that wind whipping at below zero, you’re craaazy. I’m not that hardcore. My skin is delicate, y’all. However, I was aware of the cold front approaching, and I sneaked* out to Home Depot to grab these to have Matt put them on the garage before the teeth chattering cold made it’s way to CT.