yard time!

so we spent this past weekend working our tails off in the yard... moving mulch, moving rocks, finding snakes (4 of them!), making new beds, planting new plants, seeding and fertilizing... i could keep going. it was very rewarding to start to see it all come together. there is still more to do (and a vegetable garden to plant- fingers crossed) but we feel like we've made some real progress. 

i'll start with some shock and awe... the yard one year ago (horrifying as it was):

and the yard as of this past sunday:

obviously some of the improvement comes from our neighbor building a big fence (i guess she didn't like the view... i can't blame her until recently). but we've worked hard to get all those gross weeds out and to start planting things that will grow and look great in the years to come. 

now we'll go backwards... 

final deck photos. robby has officially decided our deck has a very "zen" feel to it. i think it's because the deck, the house, and the oak tree have a lovely little conversation occurring. they all work together to create this awesome outdoor room without there being any walls. so i tried to capture more of this feeling, but i have to say - you just have to come experience it in person. (that is an open invitation)

now we move to the front of the house. robby took out the old nasty ceiling fan and put in a new light from (you guessed it) IKEA. $30 goes a long way there. (personal disclaimer: this light isn't made for outdoor use, but our porch is covered, so we'll be fine). he also finished removing the old railing and plastic column covers to reveal the aluminum underneath. we've gotten some positive feedback on those, so they're here to stay for a while. 

here is a random shot inside from the front door looking back. i had a wide angle lens and i think my sister asked for this shot last july (sorry for the delay), and i had just cleaned so things were relatively tidy... still no paint on the walls. still no personal photos or items out. and still no built-ins in the living room. all in due time. 

okay, and here is the finale for the back yard. i'll have to post front yard photos once i take some. so along the fence we planted forsythia and lilac. we finally got our fig tree in the ground. and i divided some of my hostas from the front yard and brought them to fill in around the hydrangea. i also bought pink hypoestes to fill in, too. sadly those are just annuals, though. 

here are my peonies that i am SO excited about (if i can keep boone from killing them). 6 buds total, so i'm hoping to get at least one nice flower arrangement from them. 

more shrubs we bought for around other parts of the house. soft touch hollies and golden leaf cyprus. both will add year round color to some parts of the house that just need to be covered up. 

robby throwing down wheat straw on the grass seed... fingers crossed we get some grass!

and my very special lily-of-the-valley. this came from my mom, which came from my grandmother's, which i believe came from my great-grandmother's garden. i have 5 blooms and lots of healthy leaves so it's life here in well rooted, i hope. 

and a shot i stole of robby all dirty and sweaty on saturday. i bet anyone out there who did yard work this weekend knows the look on his face. 

april demolition brings...

...new may bathrooms? well, something like that. either way, my brother-in-law shaun came up for the day saturday to help robby knock out the original bathroom demo and install the new window. i was gone all day and missed all the fun (ha!) but i was giddy with the progress they made (with the help of andrew, too) and the results of the new window... for once i actually really like something i designed without any real hesitation. now i just can't wait for it all to get finished. 

i am using slightly more "retro" finishes for this bathroom since it is part of the existing house and the cool cast iron tub will remain. i ordered the tile today... white subway tile for the tub walls and 2" black hexagonal tile for the floor. i can't find a good image online of black hexagonal tile, but trust me- it will be cool. it better be... it is the most expensive tile we've used to date. but i've known since we bought this house that was what i wanted in there. it's also a tiny floor (only 30 sf) so i can justify it. here's the light fixture i've ordered for this bath. and the sink + cabinet (in white) from IKEA that we're getting this weekend in charlotte. it should hopefully all come together nicely. 

but for now, here are the photos from before and demo. enjoy!

BEFORE:

they wish this were for real... the chainsaw was for another project you'll see coming up. 

the chainsaw takes the stage: the old dying dogwood in the backyard came down. it was in a terribly awkward location and not in good shape. the backyard already looks much better with it gone. we have plenty of shade trees so this will actually open up a good sunny spot in the yard. 

boone assisting as usual... 

and here's the bathroom all demolished and with the new spiffy window! no more window in the shower!

the window has glass called "obscure" so no blinds are needed... it looks good on the inside and out. 

pic of the finished step on the deck... it looks great! robby also spread some mulch on the side yard. eventually that will be a patio. 

i am a happy gardener this spring.... my peonies are coming up! i just hope they bloom!

remember these? they've grown and have been moved, but they're looking great this spring. getting the yard to look good takes more patience than i really have, but i'm trying so hard.