Office and Landscape Updates

We have been very busy finishing up tasks and preparing for my parents visit next weekend.  Nothing gives you a deadline like a visit from your parents.

Nick's office has been getting some additions.  

We got a pillow for the pillowcase by sister made Nick for Xmas, and we got the custom mat for the SI cover.  We have another mat on order for another SI cover.  I made Nick the "Woo Pig Sooie" wood banner.  So the office is evolving nicely.  

While we were working on these things inside, we were working on the landscaping in front of the house.  When last you saw, we had a trench around the flower bed brick wall.  That has been removed, and the bricks below the stucco were painted to match the exterior color.  We have also installed an edging. 

So we are now ready for my parents to come visit.  I am planning on working on the front landscaping with them.  So the next pictures should have plants.  Yeah!

Demo Day 2: Exterior Edition

This weekend (and some of the week) Nick and I worked on the front landscaping again.  We dug the dirt around the old flower bed brick wall, and sledgehammered the wall out.  

We cleaned up the exposed brick below the stucco, to prep it for painting.  

We will be finishing up the landscaping, and cleaning up the house in preparation for my parents' visit. 

Demo Day: Exterior Edition

My parents are coming to visit the beginning of March, and I planned on working on landscaping while they are here.  There is some prep that needed to be done, so we started it this weekend. 

Here's what it looked like before:

 

We took out all of the plants, weeds and all.  There must have been a ton of bark chips in the area, which we removed as well. Next came the fencing.  As you know, we removed the front fencing as soon as we moved in, but waited until spring time to get rid of this little section.  

 

After we took out the fence and stepped back, Nick immediately said that it looked so much bigger without the fence.  I told him the front yard will look twice its size once we finish.  

If you look closely at the bottom picture, you can see a brick wall.  It goes a couple more feet down.   I think it might have been the original flower bed from the 50s.  Wonderful surprises when working on a house. 

Xmas Gifts

As you know, we were in Wisconsin for Xmas last week, and we took home quite a haul.  

We got all this, and we got cash (we're buying power tools) and gift cards to Target and Best Buy.  I can't wait to go on my Target shopping spree.

This is what we gave for Xmas.

I took all of  my family's recipes and made them, photographed them, and put them in a cookbook.  It took a couple years, but it's great.  We are thinking about doing one with recipes from Nick's family. 

While we were in Wisconsin, we went shopping and Nick found a cool metal sign for his office.

We had so much fun in Wisconsin, and can't wait to see my family again.

Castle Rock Carpentry

This weekend was Xmas with my family in Wisconsin.  Since I live so far away I only get to see my family a couple times a year.  But my parents have a big house, so I get to stay with them and see them the entire time I visit.

My father is a carpenter, and owns his own company, Castle Rock Carpentry.  He is very talented, and I am always impressed with what he can do.  My parents house is a perfect case in point.  I can only describe it as a log-less log cabin.  It has some custom woodwork in the den, up the stairway, and around the fireplace.  


My parents worked on the interior designing together, using earth tones, and medium and dark woods throughout the home.  It is filled with vintage and antique items, as well as items from nature.  Perfect for a north central Wisconsin home. 

Since most of the work was done by my dad, it's truly a showcase of his talents.  So if you're in the Wausau, WI area, and are looking to do a remodel or build, don't hesitate to call Castle Rock Carpentry at (715) 803-5313.

Easy Weekend

It seems as though we are always working on projects around the house.  This weekend was not really one of them.  We spent most of the weekend doing normal things, laundry, washing cars, and doing some window shopping at Home Depot.  Here are some things we found at Home Depot we are interested in.

This bar height outdoor table  

And a matching set of chairs for table

 This miter saw

This circular saw

 

This air compressor and nailer set

Now we need to win the lotto, so we can get all of these items.  Until we hit the jackpot, we will purchase as sales happen, and needs require it.

Belated Xmas gifts unveiled

Our presents are finally complete.  I know it's late, but we haven't had Christmas with my family yet, so it's not too late.  We bought each other items that needed to be framed, so I went to Michael's to get them custom done, due to their unusual sizes.  The frames finally came in this week.  I bought Nick a panoramic of Reynolds Razorback stadium, and Nick bought me a share in the Green Bay Packers.  

Here they are in the their respective rooms

They look wonderful.  And we can't wait to go to Wisconsin in a couple weeks for my family's Christmas.

Razorback fight song print on canvas

Nick's razorback collage wall hasn't really moved forward since early November.  So when he suggested a fight song version of some word art I saw on Pinterest, I figured I could make a print for the collage wall.  
Well, with a little time, I came up with my favorite option for a print.  But I wanted this on a canvas, so using this trick from Young House Love, I attached the print onto a small canvas.

TADA!

It's about 8x10, and will look nice on the collage wall, once I get a gloss coat on it.  

Edit: If you're interested in this print, you can print it here.  Please don't abuse this.

Happy New Year!

As I said yesterday, I was going to tell you our 2012 plans as they stand right now. 

Finances:
-Reduce our credit card debt
-Start a Roth IRA
-Increase savings (future home improvements)

 Relationships:
-Go on a vacation together (Razorback Game?)
-Spend time with friends and family (home and away)
-Spoil our future niece (due in May)

Home:
-Complete room-by-room project list
-Hang curtains
-Buy chairs for lounge
-Redo walk-in storage closet

The walk-in closet, which is in the office/lounge, was originally going to be completely removed to offer a second living room.  But after some consideration, we decided that having a large closet (essentially the only storage closet) to store common household needs; tools, games, guest bedding, cords, etc. was necessary. 

My plan is to remove the shelves that are currently in there, and add new shelves along the back, and add some lighting.  Eventually we will remove the bi-fold doors, and put in a standard door.   

What are your plans for 2012?

What a Year!

Boy, has it been a year for us.  It's been a life changing, busy year.

In March, Nick and I got married!

We spent most of the summer looking for a house, after a rejected offer, a lost short sale, and 2 bidding wars, we finally got a house.

We have been working on the house since we moved in, but we found some time to buy new vehicles for ourselves in December.

It has been quite a year, and we're excited about 2012.  You will hear about our plans for 2012 soon.  How was your 2011?