Thursday, June 2, 2011

You did ask....

Since I've blabbed/whined about the home improvement projects going on around here in recent months weeks and since those projects are finally finished I thought I'd share a few pictures.

I use the term 'finished' loosely.
Ahem.


We had a deck on our house which was ok but a little on the small side given the size of our outdoor furniture. Plus it was oddly situated so you felt like you were stuck back in a corner and were maybe missing something exciting happening on the other side of the yard.


The grassy portion of our back yard is wide but not deep. Our property itself is super duper deep but includes a steep hill and then woods beyond that which obviously don't need to be landscaped, in spite of what Mr. Neatnik, aka the hubs, thinks. He likes things tidy which is an admirable quality in a husband but I draw the line at neatening up the forest.

The hillside is natural and a little wild but we love it. It's kinda like having The Nature Channel in our very own backyard. There are deer and fox and chipmunks and squirrels and birds of every size, shape, and color including a red tailed hawk I'm partial to, and then of course there are your friendly neighborhood black bears. There are also bobcat and coyote but I've never actually seen one of those unless you count dead on the side of the road. I have seen the remnants of a bobcat's supper and let me just state for the record I could have done without. Ick.

Anyway, we had the deck removed and added a patio-




a sidewalk around to the driveway...



and a fire pit...



along with a bit of landscaping so we could better enjoy our outdoor space.



In addition, we had a little add on to the original project because isn't that always the case with home improvement?



When they removed the deck it suddenly dawned on us that there was no siding behind.

Oops.

To remedy this we decided to add stone around the foundation and of course it had to go all the way round, not just in the space where the deck had been because that would look awkward. And not cost as much.
I do however love the mostly finished product-


Now all that's left is to enjoy.


Well, that and wait for the gutter guys to come reattach the gutters-


and then buy a container to contain the hose and add a few more colorful flowerpots here and there and dump some topsoil so we can re-seed the lawn and then get some nice chairs for in front of the fire pit and what else???
Surely there is more.
There is always more when it comes to lawn and garden care.


In the meantime our camp chairs are working just fine and everybody's pretty happy.


And I do mean everybody.

22 comments:

  1. I love this! It looks so relaxing and is beautiful. I know you will enjoy this!

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  2. How beautiful! You have a beautiful yard to enjoy. Isn't it nice to relax and watch the nature around you? Enjoy many nights by the fire. Glad your dog is happy. I bet she thinks you did all that for her, I would not tell her.

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  3. Your dog seems to enjoy the new patio the best. :)) Looks beautiful, Joyce!

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  4. I love it....so inviting! Looks very natural. I hope you get years of enjoyment out of it. Where did you get the big outdoor heaters? Enjoy!

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  5. It's so beautiful ... I'd have to say it was worth the wait (of course, I wasn't the one waiting! ha!). I imagine you're going to have a lot of nights, relaxing in front of that fire pit! Enjoy!

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  6. It´s looks really really good Joyce! I love it. Especially the fire pit. I guess in the end "it" was all worthwhile, right?

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  7. LOVE that patio and curved walkway and fire pit! What great home improvements. So much nicer than a deck, huh! And the puppy loves soaking up the warmth of that patio. Ahhhh. (I agree with you about the wooded hillside.)

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  8. LOVE IT!! I cannot wait to come up for a visit and roast hot dogs and marshmallows with you guys!! Plus the landscaping looks great. Once again we have the most enviable yard in the neighborhood. (Hehe, neatening up the forest...oh dad...)

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  9. Joyce, it looks absolutely beautiful! I need to do some landscaping at my house but it's officially too hot here now, as I hate to sweat.

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  10. It is sooooo pretty ,Joyce .Love the gentle curve, the colors, the way it seems "at one with the landscape" (can you tell I watch too much HGTV?). Looks like it'll provide years and years of great outdoor enjoyment.

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  11. Beautiful results! What a great place to relax and unwind together!

    And, as you know, home improvement never ever (EVER) ends -- so, what's next????

    Hugs,
    Cath

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  12. see, I knew this would be a GREAT post...
    Your back is so inviting and the addition of the rock on the foundation of the house blends in so nicely. I'd be out there every night if i had it...GAW-JUS as we say here in Atlanta.
    :)

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  13. It turned out wonderful! I think you may have given me an idea for a new project for Hubs...which is really silly since he never actually acts on my suggestions. LOL

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  14. Amazing! Want to come do mine now? ;-)

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  15. Beautiful! I love your idea of covering up the foundation with the rock - it looks great. Seriously, every bit is gorgeous!

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  16. They did a great job and what a change from the deck. I love it!

    The fire pit has me; I covet that!!

    Seriously, it was a big project and it came out great!

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  17. Love this, thanks for sharing! I've decided that projects never end when you own a house. We seem to always be thinking of something else to add, remodel or tear out and we've been here 30 years. Hummmmm! Enjoy your new deck and patio!

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  18. I love your new finished projects! Seeing the photos makes me want to pull up a chair and join you by the fire pit :) Enjoy, and have a great weekend!

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  19. Wow! That looks beautiful. I'm jealous.

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  20. Oh good...I'm glad you remembered to share it all with us. It looks lovely! I especially LOVE the fire pit...spike a marshmallow for me, okay?

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