Sweat Equity Exterior COMPLETED!

 5 months in the making. I'm not sure I have much else to say, other than: "We are not doing this again for a long, long time to come." And, "Worth the work!"

Our finished abode!

BEFORE

Front Exterior

AFTER

                            BEFORE   

                             AFTER










 
BEFORE

Back Side of House

Back Patio, Grill Area, and Fire pit

I spy with my little eye, two bulldogs sitting pretty....

I'm loving that my garden is in full bloom, and LOVING this new camera!!!

I heart my Salvia, it blooms a frosty gray and turns to lilac

Even my shadow is enjoying this project being complete.

 

One of my favorite pieces in my garden: French Lavender and Spanish Lavender in an old wheel barrel

Oh, and I forgot to mention, that potting bench I finished? BEST THING EVER! We moved it directly next to the grill and it has become such a life saver. No more running in and out of the kitchen to find items, no more lugging plates up and down the stairs. Most importantly, no more distraction from my relaxation time in the backyard with pesky things like "dishes" or "cooking". Isn't that why we got the grill? So I could relax with a glass of wine by the fire? That was my understanding...Plus, the color is perfect, and I found a bench to match it. That's right, my life is now complete :)

C'est Fini!!

After a few weeks of being tres productive, our house is finally FINISHED! In addition to the house, the gutters, the trim, and the potting bench side-project, we have also finished our sprinkler system-- and shockingly our lawn is coming back!
Sadly, my old canon camera has lost it's life.. or found new life in someone else's thieving arms.. needless to say, this was a perfect excuse to get a new Nikon P500. While I build my love affair with my new toy, I have had to learn to use this newfangled contraption, which has taken some time. Jace and I have not posted the updated pictures yet, as we have been rather preoccupied reminiscing in the war stories, bruises, total melt-downs, countless trips to the hardware store (more often than not, in the same day), and near death experiences we faced while renovating the exterior of our home. Jace is happy he no longer needs to scale the death-defying "widow maker" aka: the two story ladder- I am happy I no longer have to pick paint out of my hair and eyelashes. Our war wounds were well worth it though...

There's times that I feel I don't deserve this rather perfect little life, and sitting back on our lawn, gazing up on our hardwork with the love of my life by my side, really makes me appreciate just how lucky I am.

Pictures and the final reveal will come tomorrow!