weekend update.

do you remember our 'front porch'? well, it is no more. we spent some time saturday tearing it apart and i can't believe what a difference it makes to the house.

ahhh, one more eyesore gone. now the hard part is building a new one...

we also did some work in the attic, repaired some of the mortar around the base of the house and got estimates on replacing the four windows in the front. it was a productive weekend...

outdoor furniture.

our backyard is finally starting to look like somebody cares about it! plants, furniture, a grill and a little organization will do wonders... and i am so happy to see it coming together. unfortunately, our outdoor seating is very limited and patio sets can be expensive. most of you probably saw this on d*s this morning, but i just wanted to talk about it a little more. 

these outdoor tables from lab31 really caught my eye and got me thinking... could this be a possible diy project? i have seen countless end tables and coffee tables that have a very similar metal base, and have even seen the bases sold alone when the glass had been broken or scratched. what better way to reuse them by painting them a fantastically bright color and using them outside? and while i certainly wouldn't be able to create the same caning effect (made from perforated steel) as lab31, some radiator screening could be painted and stretched diagonally to create a similar effect. do i need another project to add on top of my ever-growing list? no, but... i certainly will think twice next time i see a metal base like that... 

outdoor spaces.

home of meredith kleinman, via d*s sneak peek

my favorite things on design sponge are the sneak peeks. not only do i get to glance into the homes of artists/designers that inspire me, but i am truly inspired by what others do with their spaces, whether it be inside or outside their homes. these are a few of the bright places i would love to call my own... they give me many ideas for our yard and give me hope that it is achievable for us to have something easy to maintain and beautiful to look at. 

one of the joys of home ownership is having a yard to manage and make beautiful. when i lived in an apartment, i yearned to have my own peaceful backyard to relax in. but now that i do have my own backyard, it has taken the back burner to other important things like schoolwork, family time, guestbooks and other important home projects. when we purchased our home last january, the backyard was a nightmare. we knew it would take some time and elbow grease to make it our own. the only thing we managed last year was to clean it up a bit, plant a few flowers and keep the lawn mowed. but it only took a few sunny weeks for our lawn to turn into a nightmare once again. before last weekend, our front and back yards were looking neglected and weed-ridden, something i was not very proud of. we didn't get as much done before fall as i had hoped and my dreams of lush grass, flowers, an abundance of vegetables and a beautiful spot to sit and relax (and maybe enjoy breakfast at on the weekends) seemed so far away.

this weekend was spent pulling up weeds (made much easier because of the recent rain and hail we received), tilling and moving dirt, mowing and edging the yard, moving rocks around, trimming bushes and trees, and lawn cleanup in general (we have lots of pine trees that shed needles and pinecones on a regular basis, yay). thank-you denise and dwayne, for taking so much time out of your weekend to help us take control of our yard. 

will post some before and after photos later on as we continue to work on our space. right now we still need to put some sod down, move some more rocks around and plant veggies and ground cover. and did i mention water like crazy? in the meantime, here are some beautiful outdoor spaces...

dutch door press, via d*s sneak peek

home of tess darrow, via d*s sneak peek