Do you have weekend projects? Those things around the house that you know need to be done and can only be accomplished on Saturday and Sunday?
We have enough weekend projects throughout the house to last us a couple of years!
After reading this BRILLIANT article over at Centsational Girl, I grabbed my camera* and made a visual list of all the things that need doing outside our house. I might have to turn these into weekday projects with our summer weekends filled with rugby for Claire; football and hockey tournaments for Cole; singing for Chloe and 3on3 hockey for Caden. That and upcoming brunches and parties already in the works! Oh, and my step-sister Andrea and her family are moving into town, that will be a wonderful distraction. I figure if I can get myself to bed by 9PM and up by 5AM I can manage my work, socializing and then the projects. Who knows, I may just get everything completed by like ... October?
In no particular order:
Our front door is spectacular. It is solid wood ... I don't know what kind, but it's heavy and thick. I'm going to sand it all down since it is beyond "distressed", sand it down and stain it with a rich mahogany weather guard.
See that ugly metal box with the wires? Well, it's hard to miss! When we moved into the house we thought the doorbell just had to be fixed - it turns out, the wires weren't attached to anything. We installed a new doorbell, but wer're stuck with this ugly box. I really want to find something to cover it. Ugly, eh? Link me to something pretty! Please?
The pots are still empty, so is the built-in planter with the holly. I'm thinking white impatiens or begonias with some nice trailing ivy. I've never planted before the May long weekend, but maybe I can this year?
I think our pine tree is dying. It is three storeys high and the top 8'-10' is bare. Must call someone who knows better than I!
In the winter we have small little bobcat type machines that clear the snow. Not that we had much this year! But each season on the curve it takes out half the stones. We are leaving them loose, since that way it's easier - and less expensive to fix each Spring. This has been the third year and I don't think the machine operators are improving!
Oops, got a little distracted by the sunrise!
When we had the 25' of forsythias removed last year (we still have at least 10' worth, which is still 8' too much!) it revealed two maple saplings and a gaping hole into Ben's back yard. I think I'm going to run out and get some cedars so he doesn't have to see our purple lawn :)
And, the super huge, must-be-done project:
We've got the materials and chosen the new stain. We just have to strip and re-stain. Just. I'm thinking I need to buy some more scrapers and applicators, buy a couple of cases of beer and get some help over here! Or, bribe my boys and girls with root beer?
More pots! These are just out the kitchen door, so they'll be filled with basil, chives and parsley.
There is, of course, a bagillion other things on the go inside. I didn't show any of the Outside Louis Projects since it's my job to "prettify" and his is not. Really not. I don't know what it is he's doing, but his area of the outside is the garage zone and I don't actually fix it, though I do nag. A lot.
Wish me luck! What do you have on the go?
*All photos taken on Thursday morning. Good thing because it is POURING today. Yet another thing that will put off project completion!
