The rest of the 2012 to-do list...

I admit it.  I am a hard-core list maker.  I love to check things off! Also, I find the act of making a list helps me focus on what I really need versus want. And being an avid DIYer, I have to keep in mind what's realistic. I don't usually share my lists with others, but I'm putting this one out there hoping that will motivate me (and the bf!) to finish some things.  The following is what I hope to accomplish this year.  It is by no means a complete list of what I'd like to do around this little cottage! All in good time...

• Re-do the front yard. I've got lots of ideas I'd like to try. One side of the front yard has a massive 80 year old Oak.  Although there is some Vinca (minor) and Liriope growing at the base of the tree, not much else survives the heavy shade.  Have to think about what to do there.  Any suggestions?  On the other side, while shady in the early morning, gets full sun in the afternoon. But not enough sun for roses (I know, because I tried.) So my idea for that side could include something like this, below.  It's a big job - turned out to be too big of a job for last summer - but one can hope, right?

I'm thinking a little less "patio".  Maybe something in the middle - a bird bath with lavender all the way around the base?

For the walk up to the front door I'd love to do these large pavers with gravel instead of the rocks they have here.

(These photos from Pinterest.)

• Finish the damn Murphy Bed that the bf has been working on - off and on, mostly off - for months now.  I am so looking forward to the bed in the guest room being out of the way so that I can use the room for other things (YOGA!!) when we don't have guests - which is much of the time.
• Paint both bedrooms.  They are the last two rooms that are the same as they were when I bought the house.  I don't mind their present colors, they're both just a little dark.  I'm thinking an "almost" white in the guest room, probably the same color as the living room.  It's a dark room (that massive Oak tree in the front yard is right outside the room, so it doesn't get very much natural light), so it could stand a little lightening up.  The master bedroom will also be lightened up, but I haven't decided just yet exactly which color.  I am thinking it won't be white, though.  Again...any suggestions?

I guess now I will have to keep you up to date on my progress, won't I?

The to-do list

As I mentioned in my last post, we recently finished one of the many, many items on my very, very long to-do list!

And here it is:

Some of you may not remember (who am I kidding - none of you remember, I'm sure!) what the hall floor looked like BEFORE:

That gaping hole is an air intake for the heating/AC Unit.  Terrible place for it, I know.  The dogs are scared to death of it, even when we put the metal cover back over it. Just something we deal with in an old house.



 I tried to cover it with a rug, and many of my friends have mentioned that they never noticed the floor in the hallway before, and didn't notice when we changed it.  But I noticed.  I hated that ugly white(ish) tile with the gray mottling that always looked dirty.  Well, it is dirty no more! It is now a warm and lovely cork flooring, same as what we have in the kitchen.  I had hoped that there would be salvagable oak flooring under the tile (fat chance, right?), and there was some, but most of the floor was tile backer board over plywood.  It would have been a lot more money and a MUCH longer time frame to install a new wood floor, so I went with the cork, and I really do love it.

So, what's next?  Hmmmmm...



On the (never-ending) to-do list....

This weeks project:

It doesn't look bad in this photo, but the finish was becoming faded and several places were worn thru entirely.  I've had this table for 20+ years - my children grew up eating at this table.

We refinished my old table.  I thought about painting it - and I might still do that one day - but once I sanded it down a little it was easy to see how nice it would look with just a coat of stain and a couple of coats of a Polyurethane finish.  We're on the fourth application of Poly, and I think that's gonna do it.  A couple days for it to dry and set up completely, and we can go back to eating on it.  Someday I hope the bf will make me a long, gorgeous farm table, but til then this table has lots of memories behind it.


Another item on the January "to-do" list:

Salvia, Sea Holly, Coneflower and Monarda seedlings-to-be!

Last fall I gathered up and saved seeds from some of my favorite plants I already have in the garden, with intentions of quadrupling my flowers without having to spend any money.  Wish me luck!

And here is what we did tonight:

An after-work glass of wine outside on the patio...

I am so loving this weather!  It was almost 70 degrees when I got home from work tonight!  Last year about this time we were shoveling snow.  This year I think we've had 2 or 3 days of less than 65 degree days.  So nice.  Thank you Mother Nature!  Come on Spring!

I'll be back in a day or two with the afters of the table and another item we crossed off the list last weekend.

Til then...peace, y'all.