Chalk it up

I've blogged before about my favorite entryway, but it got even better this past fall. One of my favorite, easy, inexpensive DIY projects of the last few months got a quick mention in this blog, but the single picture I posted (below) doesn't do it justice.

Where there once we three empty squares on the laundry room door, there are now three magnetic chalkboards. Yes, MAGNETIC CHALKBOARDS.

For under $40 at Home Depot, you can get a small pint of magnetic paint and a small pint of chalkboard paint. If you want to simply do one or the other, that's certainly possible, but why not do both to maximize the function? While we chose a basic chalkboard color, you can have the paint tinted any color you'd like (!) making the possibilities simply endless.

Now that basic door is home to notes from school, my daughters' artwork, and even a few creative musings of my own. Love it!

Now you see it, now you don't.

Before we can even begin thinking of a new roof, we have to add something else to the house!

Tara's aged back deck has never been a favorite. It's too hot in the summer, with too many bugs swarming. It's far too cold in the winter to eat or sit outside (though our oldest loves making it a hockey rink of sorts when it snows). Until now, the back deck has functioned best as a hangout for neighborhood kids and a place to pile all the toys.

Not anymore!

When in doubt, tear it down :)

We found a load of treasures hidden under this fifty year-old porch. Fortunately there were nice concrete steps and the pavement under the deck had been *fairly* well preserved. There were also fifty years worth of hockey pucks and even a baseball (pictured below) which thrilled our kids (and our dog, who was able to retrieve several tennis balls). Finally, our contractor, Frank, noticed a complete possum skeleton (not pictured below- you're welcome).

Here's what the back of our house looks like today:

We're thinking of a screened-in porch. Wait, who am I kidding, we are officially adding a screened-in back porch! Picture it! Great ceiling fan, a little heater or fireplace, dinners outside nearly every night. Relaxing with the kiddos and reading in the summer...ahhhh. I'm so excited! We had a wonderful porch like this at our last house and it is the number one thing we miss the most. I'm ecstatic to bring it back.

Getting our wires (un)crossed

I don't think I've mentioned it before in this blog (just in case a reader happens to work for codes), but Tara came with a few...challenges...with her wiring. Nothing is wrong on the inside, I promise, but the wires that run from the meter to the electrical poles are a different story. I bet you've never thought of it, unless you're Rhett, but take a second to go outside and look at the wires that connect your electrical meter to the large poles on the side of your property.

Go ahead- I'll wait.

Ideally, you had to look up to see them, right? And they're so high you couldn't possibly touch them (zap!), right?

Not at Tara.

The pole you see is, shall we say, precariously tilted. In fact it's tilted so much that if you're standing in our backyard you can- if you want to get shocked- reach up and touch the wires. While it's been great fun for the neighborhood kids to toss footballs over the low-hanging wire, it's not quite safe.

While we're putting on a new roof (yep! we decided to move the meter box. Turns out, it's not that difficult. It takes about a day of work from your local electrician (sidenote: when he says "This won't be loud at all" he means it will be ear-splitting).

Voila!

New electrical and everything. Once an inspector comes by, we can hook this puppy up and there will be no more scary wires in front of your face when you're in the backyard!

Looks like I'll have to buy the kiddos a volleyball net.

Bringing the outside in

Before I start to fill you in on the exciting facelift Tara is getting (Heaven knows she needs it!) I wanted to share some pictures of some of our Christmas decor. Yes, it's past Valentine's Day, but this might inspire you for next holiday season (or simply remind me of things to do once Christmas 2012 approaches).

I struggle with bringing the outdoors inside in wintertime. It's easy to do in the summer with fresh flowers, but the colder temperatures and depressing lack of color in the wintertime make decorating with live plants difficult.

Fortunately, we have a holly tree! I love magnolia leaves too...but using those would have required black clothing and a flashlight as I would have had to scurry down the street in the dark and steal branches from an unsuspecting neighbor. Rhett and I don't condone stealing, so if you're not going to pay for it, at least ask someone before you approach their landscaping with scissors.

Our back deck served as a staging area:

And after a few clever snippings, holly brightened up our home!

Easy, simple, and done in 30 minutes. Now that's something to make merry about!

A new year brings new renovations- big ones!

Anxiously awaiting to see what's in for Tara in 2012? Wondering where on earth we've been or if we've given up the remodeling dream? Honey, please. We took a few months to catch our breath and now we are back- with some big projects under way!

Check back after this weekend to see what's new (and read a little about some of the fun things we did over Christmas!). I promise, the wait has been worth it!