Mulching Around

One of the most challenging things in the home ownership process for me has been working on my yard. It seems like this year all of the exterior issues I've been putting off or babying along have finally started to break and die. Dang it.

 For example all the grass that I planted totally fried in the yard as you can see in the next two pictures:

And it even died over in the side yard. Totally stinks. Starting over again this year is what has to be done but it's not really all that much fun.

One area that actually did get some improvement was in the "backyard!" It is actually starting to look way better! Here's a picture of it before:

{Ignore the weeds... every time I try to get out there with RoundUp it randomly starts raining. Weed killing is this weekend.} Here's the random not cement section. I used to wonder if maybe this was a dog run in it's former life? Who knows.

Sebastian likes to run around in this section so instead of buying rock that would only attract heat (it gets NO shade in the summer) and burn his little baby puppy paws I scored a great deal on mulch at my second job. 3 large bags for only $10.00 plus my discount. Not bad! I would say if you're doing a large area it wouldn't be a good deal to buy bags but I was only covering some smaller spaces.

Here's the new view from farther back. I think it looks way better! Especially once I get the weeds totally taken care of. Try not to look at the neighbor's yard. Two years ago they covered the whole thing in brand new sod and then let it die. Seems like a waste. It looks awful now.

I also added mulch around this beautiful old tree in my yard. I love the view of the park. However I am jealous of the grass at the park... #yardenvy.

I still have some other major projects to get worked out in terms of the exterior of the house. Porches still need repair plus I found out I have to totally replace my entire skylight because it is leaking. Joy. 

How are your yard projects coming along?

Baby Sister Room Re-Do Reveal-ish

Well I have finally gotten my sister all moved in to the house. She did the long drive from South Dakota to Colorado all in one day. Crazy kid. She got in at about 5am. I feel like I am way to old for all that sort of stuff but she was glad to be home I think. However all the things on her bedroom to do list didn't quite get done but I think it still ended up looking pretty good.

Here's the mood board that we first started a few weeks ago when I announced that Ally would be moving in:

Sister's Room by megmcd on Polyvore

The original to-do list consisted of and what managed to get marked off:

• paint over grey and carry over into closet
• paint desk from Habitat coral
• buy cheap dresser (also paint, coral drawers, white outer)
• move full sized bed from striped room to Ally's room
• make/find headboard
• move side tables from my room to Ally's room
• put IKEA rug in room
• hang floating shelves on funky wall for storage
• hang hook rack
• full length mirror behind door
• accessorize!

I definitely ran out of time to get that much painting done. Working 70 hours a week puts a damper on painting time. I do still plan on fixing the trim and the closet but it won't be until later this summer, you know. When I have an entire day off from work.

Here's a few pictures of what I managed to get done in her room before she got here though! The only thing I bought was the dresser:

 

 

Looks so awesome in the space! The rest is fairly neutral but this adds a fun shock of color, which is a direct reflection of my sister's vibrant personality.

 

 

 

 

So far it has been pretty destroyed with all of her boxes and bags and such being brought in. We're working on getting it organized and functional for her soon. I am very glad to have her back! My parents are also back from New Mexico this week to help with the swamp cooler set up (it's starting to hit in the 80s around here).

Happy Monday!

 

HomeOwnIversary

This is the official anniversary of owning my home. It has been just about five years since we stumbled upon this beauty back in 2008. It certainly wasn't much to look at back then. It was the height of the market, I was young, we were eager. But I think owning a home has been one of the greatest learning experiences of my life.

5 Tips for Single Lady Homeowner's

1. You can do it. Don't be afraid to get dirty.
2. Experiment with style, you never know what you will like.
3. Paint makes everything prettier.
4. Always know someone with a truck.
5. Make a blog!

Here's just a glimpse of where this place started I have so many plans for where else it can go!

.Before we did all of our renovations the house was pretty nasty. I must say that I am very proud of how far the place has come and the fact that I was able to do it with the help of my wonderful friends and family. I look forward to being able to make the exterior even more wonderful and am excited to reveal to everyone the big changes from the living room remodel. It is almost done!

10 Things I've Learned Owning a House

1. Water doesn't magically appear out of a faucet, you have to pay for that.
2. If you put a tractor tire on your porch it is highly likely it will collapse and your Dad won't like that.
3. It is worthwhile to invest in doing maintenance work, such as painting, cleaning, watering, etc. It feels good when people walk into your home and are impressed.
4. Just because it's a manufactured home doesn't mean it's trash, just means it requires more creativity.
5. Caulk is always going to be a funny word.
6. DIY is a ton of fun but it's better to get a job done right. Leave the hard stuff to the pros (like roofs, major plumbing, etc.)
7. Don't over spend on your house. For example as much as I love my house, it's still a manufactered home. Meaning that it's value will only ever be so much. Knowing where to make smart budget choices is key. You wouldn't buy granite for a trailer because it's probably too heavy and you'd never see any return.
8. Thrift stores are your friend for furniture. Don't go into debt for a table, refabulous it.
9. Know your own limits and when to ask for help.
10. Your homeowner's insurance agent should be your friend. :)

My house isn't perfect, but I'm proud of it. I will continue to try and take my house from trailer trash to fabulous still . At this point I will probably be here for another year at least. My next place will be even more amazing and creative because I have learned so much from this experience in my life, all before the age of 25. I think that's pretty great.