Garden

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Veggie Garden- Phase 1

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What's a better use to a beautiful long weekend than planting (or starting) a veggie garden?! This has been a long time coming, starting with pulling some bushes out in the beginning of April when we still needed gloves outside.   The previous owners of the house had a small vegetable garden in the side yard, but we had bigger ideas.  With the magnitude (time and cost) of our plans, we're working on it in phases.

Phase 1 is finally complete and included pulling up a few sad bushes, digging up and leveling the area a bit, adding 1 raised planting bed and planting tomatoes and a few other plants we had received as gifts.

Phase 2 will probably be in a few weeks and include another planting bed, more plants, and maybe a compost bin.

Phase 3 will be bigger (and probably not this summer) and will include pulling out the remaining bushes and adding 1-2 more planting beds, giving us a total of 3 or 4 planting beds along the entire span of the house.

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So, back to Phase 1.

I neglected to take a "Before" picture before we tore last year's dead morning glories off the fence.  Mom was a little eager to get her hands on those eyesores.  Here's the "Before" sans dead vines.

Cheery, right?  No? oh.

After we attacked the offending bushes and raked up winter's aftermath, it looked a little better.  Instead of looking dead and depressing, it looked sparse and a little less depressing:

Now that its warm (although being in New England, I'm still not convinced that next week won't be freezing), we decided it was time to move to the next part of our plan.  Veggies!

You like Hubby's cheesy digging pose?

Drum roll please.....................

Here's the after:

I know, one small 4x4 planter is a little small for the space, but baby steps here!  It won't be lonely for long.  The ultimate plan will also include a stone path around the 3 or 4 planters and mulching the remaining side yard.

Before you yell at me for not taking care of all the weeds by the fence, most are the beginning of this year's morning glories (I hope), so I'm seeing what happens there.

I also found a few non-biodegradable vintage 'treasures.'

I think I'm going to put them in a box with my gorgeous old electrical box.  I can't bring myself to get rid of this stuff even if it is junk.  It somehow ties to the history of our house and I'm crazy fascinated.

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Idea Storm

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Is it possible to have too many ideas swirling around in your head?  At this point, I would say emphatically YES!!  I have so many ideas- for the house- for the yard- for future business ventures- for a friends wedding...  and zero time to actually execute any of these ideas or to come up with the solutions for the unanswered ones.  They keep multiplying and pretty soon there will be an idea avalanche of epic proportions.  Be warned! Lets see if I can unload a few random thoughts/ideas/dilemmas here to start with.

#1. I heart estate sales.

I may have a new addiction.

Pretty bottle + amazing chair to refinish = $5 & 1 giddy buyer (a.k.a. ME)

The bottle is destined to have some jewelry draped on it (for now at least).  The chair's future is somewhat uncertain.  Definitely getting painted and getting a new upholstered seat.  Potentially upholstering the back caned area- that might be a game time decision depending on how the paint comes out.  I'm thinking it would look spectacular in glossy white (don't tell Hubby, he thinks he hates white furniture) with a punchy fabric.  I'm even thinking it might compliment our future Hollywood regency bedroom nicely.  We shall see.  Its currently sitting in the yard waiting to get hosed off.  Once it's cobweb free, it's going to go on an adventure through the house, being carried from room to room to see if it'll live with us or be sold after refinishing (I'm rooting for living with us, its so sexy!).  This project might get done sooner rather than later.  I just need to get a jigsaw (to cut a seat), stapler for upholstery, some spraypaint, some zazzy fabric, and padding for the new seat.

#2. Yard work.

The fantabulous (you heard me) parents are coming up from CT this weekend to celebrate their 34th wedding anniversary and help with the yard.  Their idea, I SWEAR!  If the weather allows, we'll be putting some bushes out of their misery to make way for an epic veggie garden in the side yard and better curb appeal in the front.  I know the oversized bland bushes in the front need to go... I just have no idea what to replace them with.  Any ideas?  I want color or texture- something different that will still look decent in the 9 months of winter we seem to get in Massachusetts lately.

#3. Curtains- living room and bedroom.  This is the biggest 'question mark' in my mind right now.

Hi, my name is Karen, and I am severely indecisive.  Here's where I have too many ideas on one topic and I can't make a decision if my life depended on it.

Living room.  I know I want white sheer-ish curtains with a subtle texture which I then plan to add a ribbon of vertical color to.  Great, I have this decided! right?  Close, but not quite.  What white sheer-ish textured curtains do I get?  White crinkle?  Satin stripes? Linen-y stripes? Burn-out circles? I'm forcing myself to answer this week so I can move past this and nix the heavy looking brown curtains living there currently.

Bedroom.  As I mentioned a few times before, its going to be delightfully Hollywood regency (eventually) and I want curtains to reflect that.  I've decided on an accessory color scheme and that I want a simple white comforter with black trim (which will be punched with various patterned pillows).  I can't decided if I want a dark silver luxurious window treatments to compliment the light gray walls, or if I want a bold black and white stripe (or gray and white) that will be complimented by colored accessories, or if I want a lattice-type pattern in a color (particularly yellow).

#4. House guest preparation.

Brian's sister is coming in from NYC this Sunday for a few days- making her our first official house guest!  I only have a few items on my house list before we pick her up from the bus depot.  Also, in addition to my parents semi-frequent visits, Hubby and I have offered to to make Easter dinner- just for my parents & siblings basically, but still our first holiday!  Hubby will take care of the meal and making the plates look Iron Chef-worthy.  I'll make some dessert and make sure the house and table looks as pretty as the plates.  In planning additional house projects, I decided that I needed to pick a date for a housewarming so I would have a date to work toward.  End of May.  Now I have to pick and choose what projects I do first!  One step at a time.  I have to keep reminding myself of that.

#5. Chevron rocks my world.

I need to find a way to incorporate it into the house.  Maybe on the cool new chair above.  Maybe on a throw blanket, or curtains...

As you can see, my mind is pretty blank lately ;-).  Other topics racing through my head include: chandeliers, dining chairs, cat doors, and event planning (just to name a few).  Hopefully I can share all these topics/projects with you as I tackle them.  Are you as excited as I am??

*images via Tonic Living & Apartment Therapy