Thriifty Decor Chick

Board and batten kitchen island

<a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-PYwu8hvzjww/T589EVhL2iI/AAAAAAAAUek/UumN_EJ8Rp0/s1600-h/IMG_1121%25255B12%25255D.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="550" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-jL-JCG2O7qs/T589EtiRCCI/AAAAAAAAUes/-U9ukieOJTQ/IMG_1121_thumb%25255B10%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-right-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" title="" width="360" /></a> Well peeps, it had been FOREVA since I had done a DIY project and man, I missed it. :) While working on this one I was in my zone, and it felt good! I have been planning this project for the longest time, but was just trying to figure out one little detail before I got started. This one is in the kitchen and involves…can you guess?? I’m sure you’ll be shocked. The <a href="http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/2010/09/beautiful-kitchen-island-finally.html">kitchen island</a>: <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-PX65W9Y1DsY/T589FJejltI/AAAAAAAAUe0/k0ZI6rW1B8E/s1600-h/image%25255B6%25255D.png"><img alt="black beadboard island" border="0" height="480" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-ypxUMRMgaWA/T589Fs6Cf7I/AAAAAAAAUe8/3YCvrvZ-Kz8/image_thumb%25255B2%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-right-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" title="black beadboard island" width="320" /></a> This was how the island looked up until last week. I think I will go down in a world record book for most changes to a kitchen island, for real. FOR REAL. It was that time again though. For the six months or so, I’ve wanted to do a little change up. I kept seeing islands in pictures that were covered in beadboard, like mine, but also with a little board and batten trim as well. I had been leisurely looking for just the right material to use for a while now, but couldn't’ find anything thin enough. I didn’t want it too thick because our butcher block island top doesn’t hang over a ton. I wanted something with a low profile. So on a Home Depot trip the other day, I found just what I had been looking for. It was a really thin two by four foot piece of mdf. And at only $6 a piece, it was a smokin’ deal. I only needed two, so I had them cut down at HD to 3 1/2 inch strips – plenty for what I needed. I started the redo by taking the trim off the island: <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-jydVPNWD2Zo/T589F5NdJVI/AAAAAAAAUfE/etldK80nwII/s1600-h/IMG_0855%25255B1%25255D.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="267" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-ZGCeMkkRVT4/T589GSJp6oI/AAAAAAAAUfM/iWh-Wb5JXfk/IMG_0855_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="" width="400" /></a> <a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-KDF-_xPMy4g/T589GhAPkyI/AAAAAAAAUfQ/Ez_mikRo7QA/s1600-h/IMG_0859%25255B1%25255D.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="267" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-Di-WQf-9Txw/T589Gw45jBI/AAAAAAAAUfc/4Pbsn4Ivo98/IMG_0859_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="" width="400" /></a>   You could keep the baseboards on, but I wanted a very simple look so I went without. Then I just cut my 3 1/2 inch boards down to the lengths I needed and nailed them in with my nail gun: <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-hnL6E4rJfRw/T589HWwXNUI/AAAAAAAAUfk/UjyDPs3Aoac/s1600-h/IMG_0867%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="404" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-pr_C2T03bUE/T589Kl0TFGI/AAAAAAAAUfs/Z9fLsJu5qgQ/IMG_0867_thumb%25255B8%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="" width="290" /></a> <a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-LbdfFp_rcuk/T589LFMBkgI/AAAAAAAAUf0/OajkAjP_NIQ/s1600-h/IMG_0870%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img alt="installing trim on kitchen island" border="0" height="420" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-9BBL6NfjrMU/T589LCiIORI/AAAAAAAAUf8/1Rf_iuXoS7M/IMG_0870_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="installing trim on kitchen island" width="280" /></a> There was one spot in particular I needed to figure out – that toe kick on the cabinet side: <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-gsCIijwO_8c/T589Ldh1ZhI/AAAAAAAAUgE/sGdPY-bBjJY/s1600-h/IMG_0864%25255B1%25255D.jpg"><img alt="island toe kick" border="0" height="267" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-1qNNDctl2Lo/T589LxPWGoI/AAAAAAAAUgM/d8eGKMS4vhM/IMG_0864_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-right-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" title="island toe kick" width="400" /></a> It wasn’t going to work with my simple squares, so I came up with a way to make it work. I took the board all the way to the floor: <a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-JAK3lZGFzGk/T589NbJgcwI/AAAAAAAAUgU/9WCRwwgOPbc/s1600-h/IMG_0869%25255B1%25255D.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="267" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-Wo69vLiOXN4/T589N7XA3BI/AAAAAAAAUgc/kod1DqHZ1pI/IMG_0869_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-right-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" title="" width="400" /></a> And along the front part (under the cabinet doors), I filled in the empty space with scrap wood: <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-_hKojGPN4XM/T589N6SdPzI/AAAAAAAAUgk/zTzbWYfVQ0E/s1600-h/IMG_0874%25255B1%25255D.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="267" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-I260fz2yU60/T589OSkY9II/AAAAAAAAUgs/IadmZ2OYxOs/IMG_0874_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-right-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" title="" width="400" /></a> I glued them in there so they won’t shift, then just nailed the mdf board along the bottom in front of them. Confused? Show you in a minute. :) Then it was time to paint – this time I decided to try something different. When we had our kitchen put back together last fall, the guys used Sherwin Williams paint and I couldn’t believe how well it covered the bare beadboard wood. In my <strike>cheapness</strike> thriftiness, I’ve never spent the extra on “fancy” paint. But I wanted to try it out. I got my own, and it happened to be on sale – even cheaper than Home Depot or Lowe’s! BOOyah. I wanted something lighter that would work with the colors in the rugs and window treatments in the kitchen. It’s called Jubilee and it’s a beautiful gray blue color: <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-2NGgzCA4TSA/T589Oq359ZI/AAAAAAAAUg0/W0-9WdC7Uhw/s1600-h/IMG_1135%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img alt="sherwin williams jubilee" border="0" height="419" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-lxxJc_IoazE/T589O24gZDI/AAAAAAAAUg8/F6U0-cb4Ydk/IMG_1135_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-right-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" title="sherwin williams jubilee" width="301" /></a> <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-Vy3cne3tdGQ/T589PHYThKI/AAAAAAAAUhE/EzWwm_VCJHQ/s1600-h/IMG_1134%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img alt="sherwin williams jubilee" border="0" height="110" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-2jPKu6lgaxU/T589QGroF5I/AAAAAAAAUhM/muOYtKO-yyc/IMG_1134_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-right-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" title="sherwin williams jubilee" width="300" /></a> I LOVE the color and oh my gah, I LOVED this paint! It went on like butter. I used a paint brush for the whole thing – not one roller. I’ve never ever done that to paint, well, pretty much anything. I am hooked, fo sho. Here’s the little toe kick area at the bottom now: <a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-Z-NLKbG9mbs/T589QUnUaXI/AAAAAAAAUhU/-uJW1c0XXvc/s1600-h/IMG_1083%25255B1%25255D.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="267" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-BupjFgBYJSs/T589Qp2Wr-I/AAAAAAAAUhc/RsYq4PJkAdQ/IMG_1083_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-right-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" title="" width="400" /></a> You can see the line where the mdf board doesn’t meet up perfectly on this side, but you’re standing you don’t see it at all: <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-ITernXqfPUc/T589Q9N7LzI/AAAAAAAAUhk/TuS6SgrhOd8/s1600-h/IMG_1084%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img alt="quarter round kitchen island" border="0" height="429" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-1kksEfxCjcc/T589R3eJ8ZI/AAAAAAAAUhs/mgtcc8Jshz0/IMG_1084_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-right-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" title="quarter round kitchen island" width="320" /></a> Which is fine with me because really, who will look at it from the floor? NO ONE. I absolutely love how it turned out: <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-IlUfjUk6-Ck/T589ScaNVEI/AAAAAAAAUh0/ELJ4ycwcfmI/s1600-h/IMG_1043%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img alt="beadboard board and batten kitchen island" border="0" height="768" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-tELqNpdoDoc/T589SuJ3SVI/AAAAAAAAUiA/0-X-3585lmQ/IMG_1043_thumb%25255B11%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-right-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" title="beadboard board and batten kitchen island" width="533" /></a> I had planned on changing out the chairs eventually, but when I put them back I was pleasantly surprised at how the green and the blue gray looked together. They are the exact colors in the window drapes: <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-3dwcjpkT9OU/T589TIGqs9I/AAAAAAAAUiI/RnB9AU40KOs/s1600-h/IMG_1053%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img alt="dark cabinets light island" border="0" height="540" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-QfnRozYtBCY/T589WAwiCYI/AAAAAAAAUiQ/d67NRGsm1UY/IMG_1053_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-right-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" title="dark cabinets light island" width="360" /></a> And I adore the contrast between the butcher block and the island color: <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-Lk17NwUFW4s/T589Wg2G7JI/AAAAAAAAUiY/Xui6NKMBzSs/s1600-h/IMG_1071%25255B1%25255D.jpg"><img alt="white chairs gray kitchen island" border="0" height="267" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-fZ9fLwNuLxg/T589W96a1JI/AAAAAAAAUig/omaL9ETnbpE/IMG_1071_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-right-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" title="white chairs gray kitchen island" width="400" /></a> You can actually see the detail of the island now – the beadboard and the board and batten. When it was black, the beadboard definitely got lost in the darkness. <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-vDPiuJ6fcHU/T589XNmYCVI/AAAAAAAAUio/-uV7_68eX5Q/s1600-h/IMG_1050%25255B1%25255D.jpg"><img alt="dark cabinets light island" border="0" height="480" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-jgRMa0QSNgY/T589Xdt6S3I/AAAAAAAAUiw/ptjg_JEGiJ4/IMG_1050_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-right-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" title="dark cabinets light island" width="320" /></a> I especially loved how smooth the paint was on the cabinets – this was easiest paint job ever: <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-VI6m-zg30Dk/T589XoQ1qUI/AAAAAAAAUi4/XpmJNd3teGA/s1600-h/IMG_1079%25255B31%25255D.jpg"><img alt="gray kitchen island" border="0" height="435" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-h1KGQYTXYYI/T589X25MB_I/AAAAAAAAUjA/5FOcgMV8i4k/IMG_1079_thumb%25255B31%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="gray kitchen island" width="290" /></a>  <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-7aG1SMDtTbY/T589YArK_0I/AAAAAAAAUjI/awIMGeh03nE/s1600-h/IMG_1091%25255B24%25255D.jpg"><img alt="martha stewart home depot hardware" border="0" height="435" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-DUdpLA7wHeY/T589YWWSOLI/AAAAAAAAUjQ/gt8l8t2zA0c/IMG_1091_thumb%25255B24%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="martha stewart home depot hardware" width="290" /></a> And I love the new hardware! It’s Martha Stewart from Home Depot. No, it doesn’t match the other cabinet hardware. No, I don’t care. :) I went ahead and knocked one off <a href="http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/2012/04/my-to-do-list.html">my list</a> – sanded down the counter and put two more coats of Tung oil on it:  <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-lDTfhhrhiGo/T589Y6kb-TI/AAAAAAAAUjY/fCZo16hPi6E/s1600-h/IMG_1105%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img alt="ikea butcher block countertop" border="0" height="435" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-edbt9KUKkh0/T589ZJDrmDI/AAAAAAAAUjg/-zXYRiNrr18/IMG_1105_thumb%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="ikea butcher block countertop" width="290" /></a> <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-51D-q6xkLbA/T589ZTlZKgI/AAAAAAAAUjo/iNF6Dt4yXKY/s1600-h/IMG_1100%25255B1%25255D.jpg"><img alt="ikea butcher block counter" border="0" height="435" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-xDdWfXHIec4/T589ZqsJVuI/AAAAAAAAUjw/LwcHUykBcy0/IMG_1100_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="ikea butcher block counter" width="290" /></a> The board and batten was pretty simple, just big boxes all around: <a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-sDhGXTrlGsk/T589aN-REyI/AAAAAAAAUj4/vz419QAkby4/s1600-h/IMG_1094%25255B1%25255D.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="268" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-GA1Bwtsmvcg/T589abqIqfI/AAAAAAAAUkA/te9f6qLZdu4/IMG_1094_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-right-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" title="" width="400" /></a> And as always, caulk was my BFF. :) There are many DIY sins you can hide with that goodness. And I actually decided to not reinstall the corbels I had on there before. I like the simpler look: <a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-JMkajIfWNDs/T589aoJXekI/AAAAAAAAUkI/Cys-ehZ3sHs/s1600-h/IMG_1115%25255B1%25255D.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="480" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-_MiXsO-PAjE/T589a0q4j4I/AAAAAAAAUkM/BgAmK0NalXs/IMG_1115_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-right-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" title="" width="320" /></a> Did I mention I love it?? It was a quick and easy install, but the whole project took me a week. Surprised? No? :) First I did the board and batten, then the toe kick spots, the quarter round, painting one coat, another and then installing the hardware. I may put a poly or wax over it to protect it, but I’ll just wait to see how it holds up. I love looking back to see how areas in our house have changed over the years! I’ll spare you all of the kitchen island transformations, but here’s how it looked for years: <a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-xpktXRxz9mo/T589bB_BBWI/AAAAAAAAUkU/UhhK0N2KKXg/s1600-h/image%25255B8%25255D.png"><img alt="kitchen island before" border="0" height="262" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-yC9dltricwM/T589biAsq6I/AAAAAAAAUkc/ScKbTCftGNY/image_thumb%25255B4%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-right-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" title="kitchen island before" width="350" /></a> And how it looks now: <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-yoA_L9gPQXs/T589b74VgbI/AAAAAAAAUkk/hQ6aGvV26zo/s1600-h/IMG_1061%25255B11%25255D.jpg"><img alt="board and batten beadboard island" border="0" height="768" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-kuHT3_04sso/T589caRnIlI/AAAAAAAAUks/1yfgPYIs3ps/IMG_1061_thumb%25255B11%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-right-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" title="board and batten beadboard island" width="512" /></a> I swear this is the last you’ll see it change…at least for a year or so. ;) Obviously the island is my go-to for an easy change up in the kitchen. This latest change has really transformed the room – it is SO bright and has more of a presence for sure. I’m trying to add more COLOR to this space and this was one step in the right direction!

Board and batten kitchen island

Well peeps, it had been FOREVA since I had done a DIY project and man, I missed it. :) While working on this one I was in my zone , and it...

6:33 PM

Choose a modular floor plan

One of the most important decisions you will make in building your dream home is the floor plan. They say that it takes a potential buyer just 6 seconds upon entering a home to decide if they like a house.  Similarly, when you enter a modular show home, you will know almost immediately if you like the floor plan of that home. Over many weekend drives my husband and I looked at a lot of modular homes.  I assure you we could walk in the front door of a modular show home and instantly say to one another, with a hopeful look, “YES”,  or conversely, “nah” with a disappointed face, and maybe a slightly curled lip. Either way, you should walk through the models, even if you don’t immediately get that warm and fuzzy feeling.  I fell in love with a counter top that I now have, in a show home that couldn’t have been further from our ideal. To that end, carry a notepad and  a measuring tape with you if you’re in the market to build a modular home!  This is a good and essential reminder - how many times have you wished you had either but forgot? Of course when you are in the market for a pre-fabricated or modular home, you want to choose a show home that has a floor plan closest to what you envision as your dream home.  Down the road, you can certainly modify the original floor plan to better suit your needs.  It will help you immensely to compile a list of “musts”, and a list of “wants”.  First ,consider  what you absolutely must have to accommodate your family and your lifestyle.  Then consider the floor plan details you want that would make your life easier. Musts: - location of main entry In my opinion, when the front door opens to a dark stairway or a long hallway, I don’t consider this inviting.  I look for an entryway that leads to the heart of the home, so that when you enter you immediately get a feel for the home and the owners personality. - how many bedrooms We have 5 children, 2 are in college.  We needed a minimum of 4 bedrooms, and at least one spare room, for the returning students and any overnight guests. - how many bathrooms Whenever possible it is preferable to have more than one bathroom.  We have a master bath, two bathrooms for the other bedrooms, and a half-bath right off the side door (handy for kids who have to run inside to use the facilities with muddy shoes). - size of kitchen As we have a large immediate family, a large kitchen was a must. - size of living room Our living room had to accommodate two sofas, and plenty of play room. - master bedroom upstairs or downstairs Although we’re not quite stepping on the proverbial banana peel yet, we chose a master bedroom that was downstairs, so that down the road, stairs will not be an issue for us. - attached or separate garage My husband is a firefighter and 911 dispatcher (yes and a licensed electrician and plumber).  He was and is adamant that a garage should be separate from the house.  Many house fires begin in the garage and this was something he insisted upon. -  open floor plan or more separate I have a small family, but my husbands family is HUGE (not by weight, but in sheer numbers!).  We chose a floor plan that was open.  The dining room, kitchen and living room are open to one another so that we can have 40 people for a birthday party, and we can all sit and eat, and still see one another. - windows and views Remember what you want to be looking at.  Do you want a bay window so that you can see the backyard, or the next door neighbors garage?  Just something to keep in mind!  That reminds me, I once had a house where if I was doing dishes I could look across the driveway at my neighbor doing dishes.  It wasn’t as awkward as it could have been, but it was still kinda weird!  Wants: - storage Well, as you can imagine, with five kids, we need storage! - tv room We don’t have a TV room, but we did choose a large open living room, so that there’s room for us all to sit and hang out and watch TV (I mean play scrabble and hold debates). - a walk in pantry Did I mention we needed storage?  If you can afford a pantry, you can load up on all of those deals in bulk!  We were never able to shop at BJ’s because we just didn’t have the room for the bulk goods.  Now we have a pantry, and we can shop!  (You can imagine my darling husband is thrilled with the new pantry, thus enabling me to shop more often!!!) - washer/dryer on the first or second floor We have our washer and dryer right off the kitchen.  I looove being able to do laundry and not have to haul it up or down stairs! (okay, that’s a lie. I don’t “looove being able to do laundry... it’s just more tolerable without stairs.) - size of eating area We chose a kitchen with an eat-at island, a breakfast area, and a breakfast bar.  All of us can eat together in the kitchen when we don’t feel like eating in the dining room. Plus there’s plenty of room for me to cook, while kids tackle homework. Now that you have an idea of your musts and wants, there are a couple of things you might also like to think about... I was daydreaming, I mean paying full attention, when my very smart husband suggested that the pitch of the roof would be something important to consider when choosing the floor plan.  If you are considering a ranch for example, just changing the pitch of the roof could give you some extra space, such as an office area, or for much more, much needed storage.  The pitch of the roof may also be important to consider with regard to your geographic region.  A pitch steep enough will allow snow to melt and run off, and prevent excess weight on your roof!  This will cost a little extra, but it is worth asking your modular home dealer for details. Also beware of rooms with odd dimensions or shapes.  You’re going to have a hard time arranging furniture if the rooms are irregularly shaped.  Furthermore, you will need to consider the traffic flow for that room. When looking at modular homes we discovered a way to arrange our floor plan to accommodate our children that made life much easier for us.  Our older children are 22, 17, 14 and 11, so we put their bedrooms upstairs, with a bathroom and “game” area.  This way the teenagers have their own space, and an area for their friends to hang out (while, more importantly, Dad and Mom have the living room TV and sofa to themselves in the evening). We put our master bedroom downstairs, as well as our 3 year olds room down the hall from us.  This way he has a more quiet space for sleeping and isn’t disturbed by the older kids for naps.  And at night, we can listen out for him. Consider too your closets (I know, yawn)... just an FYI, make sure closets on interior walls where they can provide a noise barrier. And one last thought, if you are like us, and can’t find a cure for the common birthday, you may want to think about wider hallways and wider doors.  Someday they might come in handy, for wheelchairs, walkers, middle-age spread... all that fun stuff!  Or, perhaps you’re a chronic room re-arranger, like me?  Wider halls and doors makes moving furniture much easier!  And, as an added bonus, you can rearrange the furniture at night, while the hubby is at work.  Imagine his surprise when he comes home, in the dark, to newly arranged furniture!  But I digress... Okay, well for now I hope this helps with contemplating the floor plan for your new modular home!  And please feel free to share any other floor plan ideas with me!

Choose a modular floor plan

One of the most important decisions you will make in building your dream home is the floor plan. They say that it takes a potential buyer ju...

12:16 PM

So many questions...

<h1 id="internal-source-marker_0.12699794639675133" dir="ltr">Be an Educated Buyer when Choosing a Modular Home Dealer!  Ask questions!</h1> <ul> 	<li>What does the modular home builder include in their base price?  We had a lengthy list of inclusions based on the floor plan we had chosen.</li> 	<li>Are there any additional fees for modifying or drawing your own modular home floor plan? There were some charges for changes we made to our floor plan.  For instance there was a charge for us to "mirror" the floor plan.  And, I can’t tell you how many times we changed our “inclusions”, and had to have the price adjusted.  Sometimes we saved money, and sometimes we did not!  I had to have a certain kitchen island that was not included in our original price, and my husband had to have a certain layout to the bathroom that was not included. We spent more money on these particular options, but we saved some cash by choosing carpet instead of Pergo in our living room, and by .. uh, well, I guess we didn't save much money!</li> 	<li>Does the modular home builder offer a "Turn Key" construction package? If so, what does it include, or do you have to find your own sub-contractors?  We did not want to deal with sub-contracting!  When we moved into our house, everything was done, all we had to do was “turn the key” to move in.  The carpets were down, the mirrors were up, the walls were primed.  One of the reasons we chose our dealer was because of the turn key service.</li> 	<li>How much upfront or down payment cash is needed to receive blue-prints or to order the modular home? Is any part of the down payment refundable?</li> 	<li>When looking at a modular home model, is the quoted cost "as shown" or is it the base price without options included?  The show homes we saw were quoted as shown.  However, because we had so many changes, the dealer ended up giving us a base price and provided us with a list of all the inclusions with prices.</li> 	<li>How long have sub-contractors been with the builder?</li> 	<li>Does the modular home builder have a field supervisor?  The field supervisor we met oversaw the house being set on the foundation, and he made sure the house was as we expected before we moved in.  In fact, I realized (much to my horror!) our kitchen island was made of the wrong wood when we had our walk through, and the supervisor had it delivered and changed that week.  Total freak-out averted!</li> 	<li>Is the building site inspected for potential additional costs prior to signing a purchase agreement? Our site was inspected and we were warned about several additional costs, such as trees that needed to come down, which although it was more money, it was much better to have the warning than to be surprised!</li> 	<li>Is the modular home builder quoting you allowances or actual costs? (example: lighting, cabinets, flooring - we chose all of this and were aware of the actual costs.)</li> 	<li>Is a sump pump included in the package? (Our package did, but we chose not to have one, more on that later!)</li> 	<li>Is there an additional delivery charge for the modular home, or extra cost for blueprints for basement or house?</li> 	<li>Is there an additional charge for the crane used to place the modular home on the foundation?</li> 	<li>Is trash removal included in the cost?  Is the modular home cleaned when construction is finished?  When we had our walk through of our newly set home, the house was very dusty, and there was a fair amount of trash, such as carpet remnants, inside. However, our house was spotless when we moved in.</li> 	<li>How is the service and warranty work handled (by the company or sub- contractors?).  In our case, the warranty is all handled by our builder.</li> 	<li>Is repairing drywall cracks included as part of the service warranty? After one year of living in our home, the builder returns to repair any drywall cracks.</li> </ul> My hubby had A LOT of other questions, some regarding the plumbing and electrical work, which I will have to interrogate him about at a later date (because all I heard at the time was "blah, blah, blah, blah?  nah, nah, nah?" !  However, this list of questions should be a good starting point for now! Our dealer, Key Homes, <a href="http://www.keymodularhomes.com">www.keymodularhomes.com</a> , has a lot of information on their website, including this list of questions.  Feel free to check them out!

So many questions...

Be an Educated Buyer when Choosing a Modular Home Dealer! Ask questions! What does the modular home builder include in their base price? ...

12:07 PM

Check out the local modular home dealers!

Modular home manufacturers supply the home modules to your local builder, who then set your home on your chosen permanent foundation.  You will want to find a modular home builder or dealer in your area.  As I mentioned before, we found several modular home dealers by driving around our area and dropping into the various show home sites.  However, if you haven’t noticed any local modular home dealers in your area, go to the following websites to click on a map to find a list of dealers or builders for you to call. <a href="http://www.nahb.org/">www.nahb.org</a> Use this website to find modular home builders in your state. <a href="http://www.modularhousing.com">www.modularhousing.com</a> Use this website to find modular home builders in your area. In our area, I’ve noticed many modular homes being set, and the builder will have a sign posted on the building site.  If your timing is right, you may be able to see someones house being set.  Alternatively, call your local builders and they should be happy to give you a list of people in your area who have built modular homes for you to drive by.  When we were building our home, many people stopped by our property to ask questions about our modular home building process and which dealer we used. Just like I mentioned earlier, most importantly, choose a dealer you feel comfortable with.  This is one of the biggest events of your life and you don't want to be giving possibly hundreds of thousands of dollars to someone who makes you uncomfortable!

Check out the local modular home dealers!

Modular home manufacturers supply the home modules to your local builder, who then set your home on your chosen permanent foundation. You w...

11:19 AM

What IS a Modular Home?

Modular homes should not be confused with manufactured homes (which are mobile homes or trailers). You cannot tell the difference between an off-site built (modular) home and a stick built (on-site) home, because they are exactly the same thing, just built in two different places! A modular home is constructed of pre-made parts and unit modules. They are built in sections, in a factory where, most importantly, they are never subjected to weather. (Imagine! No delays or damage because of good old Mother Nature!)  Each module is built on a track that moves it through the factory, where quality control inspectors check them every step of the way. Wall units, trusses and other pre-fabricated parts of the house are then wrapped and transported to your building site on a flatbed truck. When they arrive at the site, the modules are lifted by crane onto the load bearing, permanent foundation where they are then anchored.  Your modular home is set with bathrooms, cabinets and siding already in place.  Once on the foundation, the builders put the finishing touches on the home, such as installing carpets, and putting in screens.  When you move in, even the primer is on the walls, so for the most part, all you have to do is paint! Modular homes must conform to local building codes, and more than often exceed those standards.  They are built to the same state building codes as conventional site builders.  In fact, it is believed that modular homes are stronger than traditional homes because, for example, in modular homes, nails are replaced with screws and glue is added to joints. Furthermore, modular homes are built with 10 to 20% more lumber than traditional stick-built homes. Just like any traditionally built home, a buyer is able to customize their home: the floor plan, the amount of stories, bedrooms, ceiling height, add extra insulation, etc. Additionally, modular homes are financed in exactly the same way as conventional built sites, and they appreciate at the same value as a conventional site-built home. Back to that weather thing!  Recently I saw the following written about modular homes and thought it was fair to include it here:  Consider buying a new car.  You wouldn’t want a pile of parts delivered to your driveway and then put together outside!  So, why are we still building our homes outside, with rain, heat, cold, snow, ice, and mud compromising the construction materials and creating tons of work delays? We should be building our homes the way we build our cars – in highly controlled factory conditions with a strict quality assurance program and dozens of inspections (in addition to the mere handful of inspections required by the city) throughout the construction process. And, that, is that!  In my humble opinion, modular homes are the same as traditionally built homes, only BETTER!

What IS a Modular Home?

Modular homes should not be confused with manufactured homes (which are mobile homes or trailers). You cannot tell the difference between an...

11:04 AM

Got land?

You’re gonna need some land! Having a real estate agent to help you find a suitable plot of land is vital. The most important thing to consider when choosing a plot is making sure the land is zoned for this type of home. A real estate agent can look into if the land is flood zoned, if the land has any bylaws or zoning ordinances prohibiting the erection of modular homes, and whether the land is suitable for a modular home at all. There are a number of costs, that vary significantly from lot to lot. For example, the costs to excavate the foundation and bring water and sewage capability to a home can vary significantly from one lot to another. Will you have to drill a well?  How big of a septic system will you need? Is utility hook up available?  These questions will have to be considered when buying your land as well, and will be covered individually and more in depth in the near future. As I mentioned we had a piece of land prior to choosing a modular home. Although we are located in “the country”, we were able to utilize city water and did not have to dig a well (phew!).  However, we did not anticipate that we had to pay the city to run a water line under the main road to our property (dang!).  This was an additional cost that we didn’t necessarily prepare for!  As you can imagine, thes variable costs can add up to some jaw-dropping numbers. They will only be surprising, however, if you are unaware of what is involved in developing land into a building lot. Again, a good real estate agent, and your modular home dealer/builder should be able to help you in this process. However, one thing your real estate agent may not think to warn you is that you want to consider the delivery route to your property, as well as its size and shape, as this can occasionally pose delivery difficulties. And it goes without saying that for those on a budget, the price of the building lot will affect how much money is left over to build a house!

Got land?

You’re gonna need some land! Having a real estate agent to help you find a suitable plot of land is vital . The most important thing to con...

10:52 AM

Modular Homes?

Modular Homes?  Isn’t “modular home” just a fancier way of saying “trailer” or “double wide”?  Well, as it turns out, no.  I was completely misguided and fell prey to a fairly common misconception.  Modular homes are exactly the same as a traditionally built homes, except they are built in a factory (off-site)  and then assembled on your property on a permanent foundation. First let me say this: I don’t work for or represent any modular home builder or dealer.   But, here’s why I’m going to write about them:  They say that moving (read: building a house) is one of the top stresses in life, right up there with losing your job, or the death of a family member.  But I’m here to tell you, it doesn't have to be, and it shouldn't be!  This blog is intended not only to tell you about our experience building a modular home, but also to inform you about the advantages, the disadvantages, and the whole process involved with building a modular home. When my husband and I first started googling for information about modulars I wished there had been an informative blog about the process, but I couldn’t find one.  Having been through the experience and having spent several years researching modulars, I simply hope this blog will help others with their projects. Ten years ago my husband purchased four acres of land, two miles from the nearest town with no neighbors in sight, and only the sound of a creek nearby.  The property was largely brush and undergrowth, but somehow, he saw through all the mess, and pictured a beautiful sweep of land, dappled with sunlight peeking through the trees.  It took him several years, two tractors, a brush hog, and three bouts with poison ivy to clear it fully.  But when it was cleared, it was obvious that we had a beautiful place to build a home! My husband had looked at modular homes in the past, and wanted me to give it some thought.  I was less than enthusiastic about the idea, but I did a little research.  It wasn’t long before I was very interested in the idea of modular homes.  Not only were the modulars more affordable, but they looked every bit as beautiful as anything we’d ever seen stick-built. There were several modular dealers in our area so we began to have a look around.  We made it our ritual on weekends to hit a diner for a big breakfast and then drive to the various dealers.  We’d browse through the different show homes, and collect their literature.  We had  a house to sell, so we had plenty of time to do our homework. In fact we spent two years "shopping"!  (That's A LOT of breakfasts my friends!) Several of the local dealers were eliminated from the running almost immediately. Not only was obvious that some of the homes were better looking and had better floor plans than others, but some dealers turned us off immediately with their “used car salesman” demeanor.  However, just like looking for a car, you know when you feel comfortable with a dealer.  Finally we found a modular home dealer (Key Homes) that we felt really comfortable with.  The salesman we met was very knowledgeable about his product, and my husband was impressed that he could answer anything about construction or plumbing or electricity, and he was honest and helpful.  (My hubby is a licensed electrician and plumber). And, to our relief, this modular home salesman did not trying to hard sell us!    *Take note here salespeople... we all HATE the hard sell! We had been through one particular show home of Key Homes that we loved, but we had a LOT of changes we wanted to make.  We were assured that we could take our time and make all the changes we wanted. It took us over a year to finalize what we envisioned as our dream home, and our dealer happily accommodated all of our changes, providing CAD drawings along the way until we were happy.   Once we were completely finished with the floor plan - blueprints!  Of course, we then had many weekends picking out flooring, paint, hardware etc.  Once we finished with all of our changes, additions and deletions, it only took a matter of months - from putting down the initial deposit, to the foundation being dug, to the house being built and set!  Because of Key Homes, the whole building process was stress-free and even FUN! With this blog will I hope to help you with your project and that you will find the experience as happy as we did! Future posts will cover everything from getting a mortgage to  picking out paint colors!  Please feel free to comment and let me know about your experiences with building a home.

Modular Homes?

Modular Homes? Isn’t “modular home” just a fancier way of saying “trailer” or “double wide”? Well, as it turns out, no. I was completely ...

10:30 AM

Wall Decor Giveaway

*This giveaway is now closed. Congrats to winner Tina Matteson -- singin(at)compuserve(dot)com. (Tina, email me at <a href="mailto:thriftydecorchick@gmail.com">thriftydecorchick(at)gmail(dot)com</a> to get your gift card!) Well hey! Hope you have some super fun stuff planned for the weekend! Like watching movies, laying around, painting your toenails – you know, the fun stuff. ;) I’m back with another AWESOME giveaway this weekend – <a href="http://www.evgie.com/">EvgieNev</a> has been a long time advertiser of mine and I was thrilled when they wanted to another giveaway! Their stuff is TOO stinking CUTE. <a href="http://www.evgie.com/"><img alt="image" border="0" height="240" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-xtDH0RkV5Eg/T5tPDZdJDiI/AAAAAAAAUbk/RaY2PH5670Y/image%25255B7%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-right-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" title="image" width="240" /></a> EvgieNev is a shop that carries some of the (seriously) cutest wall decal art for any space in your home. Their designs are so bright, so colorful, so unique, I know you’ll be just as smitten with them as I am. First, I’ll share some of my favorites! (You can click on the pics to get to each item.) This forest nursery design is just adorable: <a href="http://www.evgie.com/products-page/baby-kids-wall-decals/bambi-wall-decal/"><img alt="forest wall decal" border="0" height="400" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-nDkHe2vqZtw/T5tPDyKCiwI/AAAAAAAAUbs/KTnbd_r-xdg/il_570xN.328483555%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-right-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" title="forest wall decal" width="400" /></a> See the little bear? The fawn? See. ADORABLE. (Ack. And the sweet little mushroom?) I’ve talked about this one before, because I am in LOVE with the bright colors and sweet fairy design: <a href="http://www.evgie.com/products-page/baby-kids-wall-decals/children-wall-decals-fairy-tree-with-flowers-and-stars/"><img alt="fairy tree wall art decal" border="0" height="400" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-jxaHdWIq-64/T5tPEIfCUQI/AAAAAAAAUb0/VxdDANmShT0/il_570xN.263271507%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-right-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" title="fairy tree wall art decal" width="400" /></a> It looks absolutely fantastic against a dark wall color, doesn't it? I was so excited when I saw this one because I feel like it’s so hard to find really well done boy designs: <a href="http://www.evgie.com/products-page/baby-kids-wall-decals/outer-space-wall-decals/"><img alt="outer space wall art vinyl" border="0" height="400" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-CUP1NtzWZYM/T5tPEZx91tI/AAAAAAAAUb8/Ciqbm5GittI/il_570xN.282600229%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-right-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" title="outer space wall art vinyl" width="400" /></a> The attention to detail is amazing. The little alien dude on the planet is killing me. :) I love this “under the sea” design that could work for either a boy or a girl, and would be super cute in a bathroom: <a href="http://www.evgie.com/products-page/baby-kids-wall-decals/underwater-wall-decal/"><img alt="under the sea wall art" border="0" height="400" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-VYqySdUYruI/T5tPEhXYUlI/AAAAAAAAUcE/XmYAD8fds2U/il_570xN.286309258%25255B7%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-right-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" title="under the sea wall art" width="400" /></a> The birdhouse growth chart could be placed on a piece of wood so you can take it with you: <a href="http://www.evgie.com/products-page/modern-abstract/growth-chart-wall-decal/"><img alt="kids growth chart vinyl" border="0" height="400" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-3onR4zIU1O8/T5tPEzbBY1I/AAAAAAAAUcM/wyeMa2pcod8/il_570xN.244784987%25255B7%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-right-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" title="kids growth chart vinyl" width="400" /></a> And they didn’t forget about the adults – they have a great selection of contemporary designs that would fit in to just about any home. (Although I’m kind of tempted to put that fairy tree in my bedroom. Hubs probably wouldn’t be nuts about that.) I love the dandelions blowing in the wind: <a href="http://www.evgie.com/products-page/dandelion/flying-dandelion-vinyl-wall-decal/"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-9Y4KzWpUSO4/T5tPFNE8-tI/AAAAAAAAUcU/T6b1KmSg4OA/il_570xN.235921292%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-right-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" title="" width="400" /></a> And trees are all the rage and I don’t think they’re going away any time soon: <a href="http://www.evgie.com/products-page/modern-abstract/birch-trees-wall-decal/"><img alt="tree wall decal" border="0" height="400" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-uLLYhrrWuMc/T5tPFa2TEGI/AAAAAAAAUcc/iTz2COvA6hI/il_570xN.297201642%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-right-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" title="tree wall decal" width="400" /></a> You could skip the birds for a simpler design! But I think they are cauuute. See? Adorable people! Don’t they make you want to paint your walls a deep, rich color? Did I say cute and adorable enough? ;) The folks at EvgieNev have an awesome gift for one of you -- $100 to spend as you wish at their site! I love it!! (If you’d like to go ahead and purchase something, don’t forget you can get 10 percent off your order with the code “thriftydecorchick.”) Here’s how to enter to win $100 towards your own decal at EvgieNev: 1. Leave a comment here. What are you up to this weekend? It’s going to be chilly around here. 2. Visit the EvgieNev site <a href="http://www.evgie.com/">here</a>. Check out their beautiful decals and find one you love. Come back here to let us know which one it is. 3. Visit their Facebook page and “like” it <a href="https://www.facebook.com/evgie">here</a>. Come back and let us know you did in another comment. * You can enter one, two or three times – it’s up to you! All three options are not mandatory to win. * Remember if you comment anonymously or you have a private blog, please include your email address in each entry, and spell it out with “at” and “dot” to avoid any spammy emails coming your way. This giveaway is open to ALL! A Canadian or US winner will get their items shipped for free, other locals will have to pay for shipping if they win. It will be open till this Monday, April 30 at noon EST.

Wall Decor Giveaway

*This giveaway is now closed. Congrats to winner Tina Matteson -- singin(at)compuserve(dot)com. (Tina, email me at thriftydecorchick(at)gm...

6:59 PM

My to do list

Oh me oh my. I worked long and hard painting a DIY project today and had hoped to show you, but my right shoulder <strike>screamed</strike> <strike>begged</strike> cried uncle. I try to paint with my left hand and it just doesn't go as well. :) So I’m going to baby the shoulder tonight and I hope to finish up the project tomorrow. (I am really excited because it’s a big color change and I LOVE how it turned out!) So anyhoo, today I’m sharing a list I’ve been meaning to share for a few weeks now. It’s my own personal to do list for the house and it needs to get done pronto. It’s not a list of decor projects, cause really, you and I both know that list is in the hundreds and one project goes on for infinity so that list will just plain never get done. This one is more of an easy, handywoman-type list. With yours truly as the handywoman of course. ;) We are hoping to entertain quite a bit this summer – and it’s about time. We didn’t do much party-wise last summer because of all the work we had done outside. Then at the end of the summer we had the water issues in the kitchen, and the house wasn’t put back together till late October. But now, we’re ready!! Kinda. Every time I’ve walked around the house over the last few weeks I start getting a little hive-y about the number of projects I need to address. Now I’m not a fussy one when it comes to entertaining – I had all my girlfriends over last fall with a torn up kitchen floor and powder room and lived to tell the tale. But I want this list of stuff DONE. This year. Soon. I want it out of my head, and our summer of entertaining is a good deadline. So I’m sharing it here to keep me accountable. I want everything done by the end of May. The good thing is most of them won’t cost my anything. And those that do cost money won’t be crazy expensive. It’s mostly just time. Now some of these won’t make sense to you (I’ll try to explain), but here we go and give it a cost rating. Cause that’s just fun. (Free, $ little money, $$ some money, $$$ lots of money.) 1. Candelabra in <a href="http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/2009/08/i-can-tile.html">master bath</a> ($ for ladder rental) <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-aydmMEb2jmQ/T5irJP1tbpI/AAAAAAAAUWM/3rIam0IGlng/s1600-h/DSC01344%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img alt="beadboard around tub" border="0" height="427" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-4R4RtgZ1t7o/T5irJvghwJI/AAAAAAAAUWU/6NzPlKHB4nI/DSC01344_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="beadboard around tub" width="320" /></a> The little one I used to have up was just that – too little. I took it down a while back and replaced it, but now the new candelabra and the chain don’t match. (Like, big time.) So I either want to take it down completely or paint everything out the same color. Both options require renting a 12 foot ladder (again) and getting up there. Fun times! 2. Drapery hardware in master bath (FREE) That drape has been down for probably two years now. The drapery hardware has not. ;) 3. Paint second <a href="http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/2010/10/falling-up-stairs.html">handrail on stairway</a> (FREE) Remember when I painted the handrail on the stairway a dark brown? <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-FbP6PcGLvQY/T5irKMemQTI/AAAAAAAAUWc/HCOBzjo_y9M/s1600-h/image%25255B58%25255D.png"><img alt="" border="0" height="420" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-x7F9XlsR8as/T5irKvADElI/AAAAAAAAUWk/yyIjKqYUKGQ/image_thumb%25255B28%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="" width="280" /></a> <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-QD6YdtWKs1s/T5irLKJaAmI/AAAAAAAAUWs/RxP-p_JKJcw/s1600-h/image%25255B55%25255D.png"><img alt="" border="0" height="427" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-uc4u6Wfcbkg/T5irLinMGRI/AAAAAAAAUW0/rIHQz_ZQHLY/image_thumb%25255B25%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="" width="290" /></a> Well I never did it on the second set of steps going upstairs. This was 18 months ago. I am ON IT. 4. Paint baseboard by fireplace (FREE) 5. Install small quarter round by <a href="http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/2011/11/fireplace-redo.html">fireplace in family room</a> (FREE) <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-cXHGgPjnViE/T5irMN_BlTI/AAAAAAAAUW8/fw-1AfrFw7A/s1600-h/image%25255B17%25255D.png"><img alt="" border="0" height="540" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-tVfXgW4JRr0/T5irMmPBpII/AAAAAAAAUXE/hY7d0zZfInA/image_thumb%25255B7%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="" width="360" /></a> You can’t really tell in pics, but the baseboard to the left of the fireplace was never painted for some reason. It bugs me. So it shall be painted. I have two small pieces of quarter round I still have to nail in around the base too. 6. Fill holes in quarter round on stairs (FREE) <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-Rafm4TLe_Xc/T5irNOOyNlI/AAAAAAAAUaQ/y56LTa5hqno/s1600-h/image%25255B66%25255D.png"><img alt="" border="0" height="427" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-FjHdsOfn23A/T5irNkFFl1I/AAAAAAAAUaU/thV66_EI--U/image_thumb%25255B34%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="" width="320" /></a> Another one that I’ve looked at every day for two years. And think, I need to do that. And yes, I’m skipping around. Bare with me – I wrote these down as I walked around and thought of them and I didn’t feel like rearranging. :) 7. Clean up around outside of house – wood, flower containers (FREE) Pretty explanatory. We have a few (looong) pieces of the deck laying by the house from the work last year. We need to saw it down and get rid of it. And find the little plastic containers from flowers all over the place. I think they blow away or I just forget about them? I have no idea. Anyway, they aren’t the classiest decor, so they all need to go. 8. Paint beadboard by fridge in kitchen (FREE) <a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-6jJrPc6kEW0/T5irOA1MWwI/AAAAAAAAUXc/phOxMbZ6Vnw/s1600-h/image%25255B54%25255D.png"><img alt="" border="0" height="427" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-6Ow-ySjUqjw/T5irOoVAPvI/AAAAAAAAUXk/i9npnv0FaWQ/image_thumb%25255B24%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="" width="320" /></a> You can see in this old photo how I continued the beadboard around to the wall to the right of the fridge. This was a long time ago. I still haven’t painted it. Whoops. 9. Paint trim around chalkboard in kitchen (FREE)<a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-39LqDWuLEmI/T5irPVF9BdI/AAAAAAAAUXs/JFIu3OuO2wo/s1600-h/image%25255B59%25255D.png"><img alt="kenmore elite fridge" border="0" height="499" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-CvtxvM0ilAc/T5irP43IoNI/AAAAAAAAUX0/VVyZbBwRA58/image_thumb%25255B29%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="kenmore elite fridge" width="320" /></a> First of all, this is our new fridge, (this is prior to our hardwoods). I heart it. You can see more about it <a href="http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/2011/09/i-want-to-hug-my-fridge.html">here</a>. And you can’t really tell in the pic, but the trim around the chalkboard needs painted too. Never did that either. Whoops (again.) 10. Prime <a href="http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/2012/04/dining-room-transformation-part-2.html">dining room</a> (FREE) Cause it still looks like this: <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-UW1W0z8Q4ds/T5irQWwoewI/AAAAAAAAUX8/BNFrNh_Fh-A/s1600-h/image%25255B52%25255D.png"><img alt="" border="0" height="480" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-ivtM-PCgbU8/T5irRZy4ltI/AAAAAAAAUYE/8hGdFBvnWDQ/image_thumb%25255B22%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="" width="320" /></a> Well, even worse than that. The drywall guys did their touch ups so it looks waaaay worse now. It at the very least needs to be primed. 11. Get carpets cleaned upstairs ($$$) I’m not doing this – happy to pay. ;) 12. Sand and oil butcher block on island (FREE) I realized today that a paint can I had on their for two days left a ring. And another blasted vase is leaking. Curses!!!! Why do vases hate me so? So it needs to be sanded down a bit and oiled (it’s time to do that again anyway.) This is only the second time I’ve had to mess with the butcher block, so I’m OK with it. <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-0SeB5zycrHg/T5irRwWAAkI/AAAAAAAAUYM/fGdioUjBIlM/s1600-h/image%25255B63%25255D.png"><img alt="butcher block counter" border="0" height="480" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-DNtRws7rxkI/T5irSQoyNkI/AAAAAAAAUYU/j4RS5JMWCyk/image_thumb%25255B31%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="butcher block counter" width="320" /></a> 13. Repaint corbel in kitchen (FREE) Long story. I was trying out a horrible idea and then did a quick coat of white on it after I realized what a horrible idea it was. It needs another coat. 14. Hem (and line?) <a href="http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/2011/10/let-there-be-light.html">family room drapes</a> ($$ for lining) <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-E8ifS_X-lwY/T5irS8kjTvI/AAAAAAAAUYc/cqzzgYxBauw/s1600-h/image%25255B53%25255D.png"><img alt="" border="0" height="600" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-7GISMgAww48/T5irTtKvG6I/AAAAAAAAUYk/X6l5wbae91w/image_thumb%25255B23%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="" width="400" /></a> Another one that’s been on my to do list forever. I can only live with the ragged edges for so long. (Like…years?) 15. Fill holes and paint spot on <a href="http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/2011/04/accidental-redo.html">loft wall</a> (FREE) <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-eYeWGqwhEck/T5irUDiONnI/AAAAAAAAUYs/kHJKvtoblGY/s1600-h/image%25255B51%25255D.png"><img alt="" border="0" height="540" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-COqwn1ZD1zM/T5irUuVN1RI/AAAAAAAAUY0/0A6xmbLlSNg/image_thumb%25255B21%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="" width="360" /></a> See where that TV is? Well, we moved it elsewhere cause we NEVER used it in here. But when I put it up I had to leave some of the boards for the board and batten off so I’d have room for the TV mount. And when I took the mount down that was pretty obvious. ;) The mount also left some honkin’ holes in the wall. FUN TIMES. 16. Rehang Bub photo in office (FREE) One fell out of the frame. And it’s cute, so I want it back. It should take one minute. And yet I need to put it on a list to make it happen. 17. Replace doors in <a href="http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/2008/10/spray-paint-finger.html">laundry room</a> ($$$) <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-l1teZNlJAXg/T5irVYJ8PoI/AAAAAAAAUY8/IgsZIzRQW0o/s1600-h/image%25255B50%25255D.png"><img alt="peel and stick tile" border="0" height="480" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-OkNm5AROicI/T5irVwjnpZI/AAAAAAAAUZE/dUsgDO_U6Ng/image_thumb%25255B20%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="peel and stick tile" width="320" /></a> This one will cost a little but should be an easy fix. It’s those metal, cheapy doors to the upper left in pic up there. (Sorry, best I could find.) I LOATHE them. I’ve been stalking new doors for a year or so now. Just need to bite the bullet and do it. 18. Change out last brass doorknob and hinges upstairs (FREE) Remember when I showed you <a href="http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/2011/03/how-to-install-new-knobs.html">how to install new knobs</a>?: <a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-5vObSVkzM1Q/T5irWWTT1oI/AAAAAAAAUZM/WeUuiNVgMPo/s1600-h/image%25255B64%25255D.png"><img alt="replacing door knobs" border="0" height="540" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-AT4bi1kXBjk/T5irW9c9JCI/AAAAAAAAUZU/zUxn-4EMXMc/image_thumb%25255B32%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="replacing door knobs" width="360" /></a> Well, I thought I was done, but I missed a door. I have the hardware, I just need to do it. Story of my life. 19. Paint trim/fix drywall by back door (FREE) Remember that one time, when <a href="http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/2011/08/our-visitor-murphy.html">this happened</a>?: <a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-wtYY_-x1Igo/T5irXfkPuRI/AAAAAAAAUZc/WXku1M3i0lU/s1600-h/image%25255B65%25255D.png"><img alt="" border="0" height="427" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-tAAnj31Z2uQ/T5irXziDHLI/AAAAAAAAUZk/W-tle8gP3X0/image_thumb%25255B33%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="" width="320" /></a> The fridge died all over the kitchen floor. And then a few weeks later we had an water issue with the back door and the handy guy had to take the trim off around it. He put it back on, but the drywall around the frame is messed up and the trim has nail holes and needs to be painted. Another one I look at daily. ;) 20. Figure out how to make powder room presentable. ($$$) This is a long torturous story I will tell you someday soon. You lucky duck. 21. Hang roman shade in guest room (FREE) Pretty easy. I have the shade. Got the window. Check, check. 22. Go through shoes in laundry room (FREE) Well this picture will explain that: <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-W0pz2XzsqPE/T5irYmH0VvI/AAAAAAAAUZs/BM-GiE2bVb4/s1600-h/image%25255B49%25255D.png"><img alt="" border="0" height="480" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-DL_XL_Qj5AI/T5irZ4zegSI/AAAAAAAAUZ0/TBjbgbSJyAY/image_thumb%25255B19%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="" width="320" /></a> Yeeah. 23. Fix trim under back door (FREE) Another back door issue. I just ripped the trim out from the door way tonight because I was afraid water was leaking in. It wasn’t. I am awesome. 24. Trim burning bushes (FREE) They are beautiful but a little out of control. One gets ya when you walk up the front steps. 25. Fill holes and seams in crown in family/kitchen (FREE) I put up the crown last year and when it came to filing holes I said forget this and decided to wait <strike>a week</strike> <strike>a few months</strike> a year. 26. Fix chair in kitchen (FREE) It wobbles. Easy fix. 27. Add trim around basement door casing ($ for trim) 28. Paint trim around laundry door casing (FREE) Just like I did <a href="http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/2012/02/gaining-some-space.html">here</a>: <a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-CAKt8ywWo0Q/T5iraRifMNI/AAAAAAAAUZ8/b8dh-L7M8zI/s1600-h/image%25255B48%25255D.png"><img alt="board and batten walls" border="0" height="480" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-4tK8-mnF0yE/T5ira41yFmI/AAAAAAAAUaE/y80XGUDLd34/image_thumb%25255B18%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="board and batten walls" width="320" /></a> Speaking of, see that empty frame? See #16. :) 29. Paint cabinets in dining room (FREE) I have the primer and paint and just need to do. it. I decided to use my paint sprayer for the doors, so that’s most of the work right there. Easy, right? Riiiiiight. 30. CLEAN LIKE I’VE NEVER CLEANED BEFORE I’m not doing this till the carpet is installed in the basement so there will be no chance of anymore drywall dust or dust in general being tracked upstairs. Anyone want to come help clean? No? Want to come help with my list? NO? Think I can do it? I think I can. I’ve put it out there onto the Internet so now I HAVE to. :) And I realize no one notices (most of) this stuff when they visit by the way. The majority of these projects aren’t big, they’re just little things that have been driving me a little batty for a long while now. Whew. OK, time to get started. Tomorrow. :)

My to do list

Oh me oh my. I worked long and hard painting a DIY project today and had hoped to show you, but my right shoulder screamed begged cried un...

6:57 PM

Dressing up the patio

<a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-I-6zkeH8Ghs/T5Yau3fYolI/AAAAAAAAUTI/3U18J4vfvII/s1600-h/IMG_0941%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="480" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-vDSJwisdpAs/T5YavMLh0PI/AAAAAAAAUTQ/RtEUMRSKa2w/IMG_0941_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="" width="320" /></a> Hey there! How was your weekend? We had lots of baseball activities and I did get my DIY project half done. Now onto painting…my favorite part. Yay. Whoo. Hold me back. You wouldn’t know it from the past few days, but the weather around here has been just unbelievably beautiful. I held off of buying most of our outdoor flowers though, because…well. They are just SO DANG EXPENSIVE. Seriously, every year I’m totally taken aback at how much it all costs. For. real. You think I’d be used to it by now, but no. Now that we have our patio, we have a few more places to add flowers (I took a couple of my regular spots away on the deck). So last week I finally started gathering some flowers for the back: <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-iOaM34PNTXE/T5YavUvA1AI/AAAAAAAAUTY/ATYx9X6ayaU/s1600-h/IMG_0743%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="300" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-zIXT714R29g/T5Yav75uO6I/AAAAAAAAUTg/D2y_VSwCdrg/IMG_0743_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="" width="450" /></a> On a quick side note – I am thoroughly enjoying having a potting bench!! It has been a joy and it’s SO nice to have a dedicated space to spread everything out. If you remember, my Dad and <a href="http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/2011/08/diy-potting-bench-with-dad.html">I built it last year</a>, and I asked your advice on if I should paint or stain it. I ultimately decided to do neither, and let it patina naturally: <img alt="" border="0" height="435" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-xqEcP_llqlA/T5YawOtRDmI/AAAAAAAAUTo/Wikbr-Esl1c/IMG_0892_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="" width="290" /><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-P3vbJ33n-rI/T5YawtAQLjI/AAAAAAAAUTw/CDjqXrQn2n4/s1600-h/IMG_0895%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="435" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-rvTH4GlBrc8/T5Yaw7WLYpI/AAAAAAAAUT4/HL4-iqJYJDY/IMG_0895_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="" width="290" /></a> Now it’s a beautiful grey color and I really love it. (That black bucket is supposed to be for fire ashes, but I use it for my potting soil. Tricky.) So anyway, we have two big urns on each side of the outdoor fireplace that I got at Garden Ridge last year. They were $20 each and I got them buy one get one half off. They are plastic but have held up really well, and (I think) they look like stone from far away. Anyway, I wanted something dramatic to flank the fireplace. It’s an awesome spot and I just couldn’t find anything BIG enough that I liked. I tried flowers, they were too wimpy. I was going to try a variety of plants and flowers, but couldn’t find a combo I liked that worked with the sun back there. Then the idea hit me…I would do something evergreen. This solved a couple problems – one being the cost factor. It would be an investment up front, but from what I read online, they can live two to three years (or more?) in planters, and then you can just plant them elsewhere. AND they stay alive all year round. I kept mums in these planters since last fall, but they were brown and crispy. ;) These will stay green. I hope. And they definitely gave me the drama I was looking for. At first I was looking into regular boxwood plants, but I wanted the option to add seasonal flowers around the base. Then I saw the PERFECT one – similar to this: <a href="http://www.gardeningwell.ie/specimen-unusual-c-9/ligustrum-yunnanense-spiral-p-354"><img alt="image" border="0" height="333" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-CU9pmcUR25E/T5Yaxat4BII/AAAAAAAAUUA/wzP4ZcqfHlo/image%25255B5%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="image" width="250" /></a> How FUN! Ack. I loved them. I planted them and then added wave petunias around the base: <a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-jt9mVCcy2Ug/T5YaxixsP0I/AAAAAAAAUUI/8Jh7VQ5mAoE/s1600-h/IMG_0880%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="480" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-DS-dVNzzOUs/T5Yax8wwhyI/AAAAAAAAUUQ/-6Up_Hp0iZc/IMG_0880_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="" width="320" /></a> The wave version rock my world – pretty soon these will spill down the sides of the planter and be all lovely. Drama at the top, drama at the bottom. Me likey. Not to be confused with business up front, party in the back. Something entirely different. I love how they look on each side of the fireplace!: <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-_ibYQweq-to/T5YayUKg-fI/AAAAAAAAUUY/Ow9L_DTLHjQ/s1600-h/IMG_0918%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="333" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-dWkfOeIa-ZE/T5YazIE4JEI/AAAAAAAAUUg/f7s9ZYwQmpE/IMG_0918_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="" width="500" /></a> OK, when I went to take photos I realized these may be a bit anticlimactic. ;) With the green behind you can’t really see them well, but I promise you they are way cool in person. My goal is to go for an “English garden” type of feel in the backyard, around the patio. These are one step in the right direction!: <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-48duPdQCWJo/T5YazUL-LPI/AAAAAAAAUUo/wGkKSSKockc/s1600-h/IMG_0889%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="304" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-cW39Sp1EejI/T5Yaz6i9VRI/AAAAAAAAUUw/2pHWPaYyIUM/IMG_0889_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="" width="450" /></a> My PeeGee Hydrangea trees are directly behind them on both sides, so hopefully when they start blooming (crossing fingers), the spirals will show up even more. I like that you can see them from both the front and the back: <a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-p9ksNTzq-L0/T5Ya0CYeitI/AAAAAAAAUU4/syLVV-PQBXM/s1600-h/IMG_0900%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="480" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-ePERR2qufsc/T5Ya0XmkOFI/AAAAAAAAUVA/DN1z7QVWJik/IMG_0900_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="" width="296" /></a> On another side note, our landscaper friend (who did all the work out here last summer) didn’t think the tree rose I got on major clearance would come back, but look at her now! I don’t remember what variety it is, but I hope it gets just a bit taller. I cannot WAIT to see blooms! I will show you more of the landscaping we already have and more of the plans for around the patio soon. I’m so very excited about the possibilities for this space. So far we just have flowers on the table and the petunias in the planters. I would love to add more to the patio, but I’m trying to keep the cost factor under control: <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-6W42weY7Brk/T5Ya0n4-4fI/AAAAAAAAUVI/ScOUh-QKCAE/s1600-h/IMG_0947%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img alt="stone patio and outdoor fireplace" border="0" height="480" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-8-TzBt6g0gk/T5Ya0_0FHII/AAAAAAAAUVQ/E-7ToYhZBEI/IMG_0947_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="stone patio and outdoor fireplace" width="320" /></a> A few planter boxes along the wall here and there would be nice, wouldn’t they? My wallet doesn’t think so. ;) Are you planting flowers yet this year? When do you usually start? Wave petunias are my favorite go-to annual – what is yours? I hope to get our front window boxes planted this week, and that will be it for now. I hate the cost up front, but if I can keep them alive, their color and beauty make them SO worth it!

Dressing up the patio

Hey there! How was your weekend? We had lots of baseball activities and I did get my DIY project half done. Now onto painting…my favorite ...

8:15 PM