Tag: Outside

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Progress and Pavers

Christine

I think I’ll have a good picture of what the whole house will look like soon. The guys are rocking right along with the soffit and they’ve almost finished the new shingles on the front. Tomorrow should be the siding on the front of the first floor. I can’t wait!

new shingles almost done on the front!

project supervisor kept safely inside

After the front is finished, they are going to skip around to the back. Bill is going to get the footers poured for my new back porch. Yes, that’s porch, not deck. The aim is to make it look as if it was always part of the house and not something that was tacked on recently.

Anyway, that’s up next so that our hardscaping can get started. I’m really looking forward to my new retaining wall that will corral the mess on the factory side of the house. For that project we are planning to use Techo-Bloc. This is my current favourite color combination.



techo bloc, mini creta, victorien and mista in champlaign grey and onyx black
Everybody else seems to think I should go with brown, but I see greys. With the silver roof and all the raw concrete that was used in 1930, it is honest and original. I was even leaning toward re-using these super simple concrete pavers we dug up from the cabin. But everyone is afraid they will break. So far they haven’t, I have loads more, and you can still buy them new, so I actually don’t see the problem. But I can’t get anyone else on board, so, new techo bloc it is!
All browns just make me think of the bland brown neighborhoods that have cropped up the last couple of years. Blech! Again, I don’t want something dated 2012.
So for today, I’m leaning toward the mix of medium greys with a touch of brown, and an accent of charcoal grey. The main field colors would be the wall and the floor. For the walls, they do come in the charcoal grey as well, so I’m thinking maybe a 10% mix of dark grey with the 90% medium tones. The edging around the floors and the stairs in charcoal grey will be a snazzy contrast, and help define edges to prevent falls and mis-steps. And of course then we need to make the caps dark to tie it all together.
Please, I welcome comments or suggestions regarding my color choices. I have to stop changing my mind very soon so they can be ordered!
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Expect the Unexpected

Christine
digging up the yard in preparation for retaining walls and new porch

gee, I hope it doesn’t rain!

a surprise find, and no, it isn’t buried treasure

what’s under the hatch???

down the hole: rocks, water, and… is that Oliver hair?

now we just wait to see what we can do about it…
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On a Happier Note

Christine
a sun-dappled Oli-dog
lilac sprouting on both sides this year!

daffodils and tulips and hyacinth, oh my!
forsythia and purple leaf plum in full bloom – at the same time!
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Winter Recap

Christine
Oh, no. Seriously? No, no, no. This can’t be. Really? I haven’t posted since November? Bad blogger!
Let’s get caught up.
As you may know, we got the back bedroom done and now we are just down to accessorizing. And we need a headboard. And maybe nightstands. They can all wait until the perfect things come along.
King size bed!
It is a good thing we got this room ready because we had house guests for three weeks over the holidays.
Oli loves to leap on and off the new bed
Oli really loves the view!
We got digital in December, too! We now have a home wireless set up thingie. We upgraded to a blu-ray player, and I reworked our Verizon home services. By changing our outdated home phone plan, we were able add Dish TV and increase our Internet speed and it is now only about $10 more per month.
And we all got sick. So we got to make good use of the new tv service. (Remember, I haven’t had broadcast tv in over two years, so I’m like a kid in a candy store.) I fought off multiple infections, including strep throat, double ear infections, fluid in the right ear that didn’t want to go away on its own until threatened with tubes (yes tubes! at my age!), an upper respiratory infection that kicked my behind, and a bunch of stuff I’m probably forgetting. I missed a lot of work, but there were days I could hardly move for lack of energy. Mom and Lewis took good care of me. So now, almost three months, three rounds of strong antibiotics and a round of predinsone later, I’m finally feeling like myself again.

On top of all that, I’m playing wedding planner for my cousin’s June wedding, advising mom on her new counter top selections, and still helping my aunt find things for her house. Everything is finally rebuilt from the fire and they were able to move back in just a few weeks ago.

Plus, get ready for this, Oliver’s Bungalow is gearing up for a major face lift. I’ll get into the details later, but here’s the short list, slated to begin any day now:

new siding
4 new windows (side and back bedrooms)
insulation
roof painted
mini split system installed
re-grading the yard
long term yardscaping plan
fence for Oliver

It is just one of those projects where one thing overlaps another and suddenly you find yourself in the middle of another massive project and a major investment.

Some of the old trees have already been taken down. I’ll have to get a couple of good pictures together, but in the meantime, Oliver has been having a blast tearing up root balls and sticks.
tear ’em up!
Oli, is that dirt on your nose?

and your tongue too? silly, happy doggie