Backyard Renovations

In between some feverish master bedroom work AJ found time to brainstorm our new patio. When we moved into the house the backyard was just grass. And a giant Rubbermaid container left behind by the previous owners.

After we had been in the house for a little bit AJ started working his gardening magic. He created a mini stonewall and planted dozens of flowers everywhere. This photo was taken last June when everything was in full bloom. He even bought a few of the stones under the patio set whenever we had some extra money from his summer painting jobs. But we never finished the patio with those stones.

Enter in this weekend of gorgeous 70 degree days when AJ decided to make use of the dead space to the left of our back stairs. He created a bed to surround a 20 x 20 area with bricks that our neighbor was getting rid of and transplanted everything that was gorgeously flowering in the previous picture. The stones are going to be moved out to the front to create a stone walkway and we are either going to keep this how it is or lay bricks over the top... We haven't decided yet.

I'll make sure to post photos when everything starts blooming like it was last June.

AJ did about 95% of the work on the patio but I wanted to surprise him while he was at school yesterday and pick up a load of the pea gravel in the truck so he could finish his patio once he got home. Well, actually, I had grand plans of finishing it for him but of course, when you have a 14 month old things never happen how you envision. Drew and I only got to the part of ordering, picking up and unloading the gravel and then digging up some of the grass before AJ got home. For the boy who loves rocks taking the time to unload them all was a hit! :)

Counting down the minutes till the grass turns green and the plants start blooming!

And counting down the minutes till my body stops feeling like a truck ran over it from unloading tons of rocks yesterday...

West Elm Inspired Bed Frame

Hope you all had a great weekend! We spent today outside enjoying the 70 DEGREE WEATHER (yes, and it's only March in Massachusetts). We walked to Captain Dusty's for the first day this season... I anticipate many more times of spending $9 for two ice-cream cones. Oh wait, mmmm... I could buy three half gallons of my favorite Turkey Hill Chocolate PB Cup for that, whatever, it's the experience of eating ice-cream at the harbor playground. Or should I say, trying to eat it while Drew is grabbing it out of my hand and letting me have the occasional bite.

Saturday night we had a wild night. We finished our bed! I told you we were working on a project, didn't I?

Here was our inspiration from West Elm:

Armed with the knowledge that we could do it far cheaper than the $349 price tag we set out to Home Depot for supplies. After spending $52 for wood we went home and the next day AJ cut apart a desk that had literally fallen apart on us (picture one side of the desk at an angle and the drawers falling out the back). The salvaged desk legs became our bed frame legs. Don't they look similar to the West Elm bed?

Here is the handsome guy working magic with his table saw.

Then his helper joined him for the all important task of screwing the pieces together.

Drew loves the drill. Actually, he is obsessed with all tools and likes to walk around with a hammer and a screwdriver... but then I have panic attacks thinking of him falling on them and I take them away (much to his dismay).

After laying some supporting beams for the boxspring to sit on AJ and I laid on the bed to test it out.

As you can see: NOT SO SUCCESSFUL (do you see how the mattress has fallen?).

CRACK went the bed and we couldn't stop laughing.

AJ went back to the drawing board with 3 1"x5" boards and they have supported us for a week now. :)

These are the desk legs cut down to size and inserted into the corners of the bed frame.

Here are the new, and stronger, boards.

Notice how our boxspring is not exactly flat. We had to cut it to get it through our stairway when we moved in. Love those seven foot ceilings. AJ ended up screwing the boxspring to the bedframe to keep it flat.

Here's the view pre-upholstering, and how we lived with it for the past week.

We wanted our fabric to match the headboard I made so I went back to Joann Fabric armed with my 50% off coupon. I got 2.5 yards for $15. I knew I needed at least 80 inches for each of the long sides of the bed. I laid out my fabric and cut 3 14 inches x 2.5 yard pieces. I didn't need fabric for the back of the bed since it would be hidden.

The most tricky part was making sure when I sewed the two long pieces to the shorter piece at the foot of the bed that the seams would perfectly line up with the corners of the bed, I needed the piece at the footer to be exactly 64 inches from seam to seam.

The first seam was perfecto. The second seam was almost the same way but ever so slightly off, it doesn't look bad so I chose not to worry about it.

Then came the complicated part of making the fabric wrap around those legs. AJ did a great job of working the fabric around that. I wish we didn't see the staples at the top but the bedspread covers it. Any ideas how to prevent that?

I then covered our boxspring with a white fitted sheet since it it popped up over the bedframe.

Now for the final reveal (except we haven't figured out what color to paint the legs yet)!

What were you up to this weekend? Any big projects or ice-cream runs?

Linking up to:

Between Naps on the Porch

Depression Glass Tablesetting

I'm on a spring decorating kick lately and cannot wait for Easter. I was playing around with some depression glass my Mom's stepmother, Pam, gave me yesterday and with the flowers AJ gave me for "putting up with him" (his exact words).

I found these eggs at Joann Fabrics for 40% off so a set of six of them ended up being around $3.

I love this pink glass!

It's different from what I normally do but I figure changing it up isn't always a bad thing.

What are you up to this weekend? We are going to work on a big project for the master, hopefully I'll be showing it to you on Monday.

Drew at 14 months

This was taken on one of those incredibly warm days late last week. I could stand dressing in shorts all winter...

We went for a run yesterday to this little beach, the cloudy morning was just perfect for photos.

Only Drew moved too fast for me to get any of him looking at the camera.

No, he doesn't need a diaper change in this next picture... he just fell on his bum.

He's just so sweet in the tub. He could stay in there forever...

Last but not least, our wrap up for FOURTEEN MONTHS...

I can't believe time has passed this quickly...

Stripped Curtains... they make the room

Remember when I showed this photo last week... and I was all excited by the progress in the master bedroom?

Well, big changes are in store for you this week after AJ and I worked our little tushes off on Sunday. Today you'll see stage one.

Basically I'm so excited for three reasons:

1. The curtains hide the outside of the grody windows.

2. Now we aren't showing off for the neighbors when we get out of the shower.

3. Design mags have fun big curtains like this and I've been in love.

Here's how I did it!

First, I bought two shower curtains at West Elm.

Then, I laid each of them out on our island and perfectly lined up the sides.

Then I used pinking shears (to prevent fraying) to cut down the fold.

Then I took about 45 minutes to sew simply sew a straight hem. It would have taken me about 15 minutes if I could have figured out how to thread the stupid lower bobbin. I worked about 20 minutes trying to figure it out and then somehow TWO TIMES AJ saved the day and figured it out. Darn you, AJ, for being good at nearly everything.

See how easy that was? Then came the hanging part. I bought two curtain rods that would extend to at least 60 inches at Christmas Tree Shop. I intend to spray paint the rods silver.

AJ had the very fun task of hanging them.

Then, after talking to Kim, my fabulous sister, I decided to use curtain clips, instead of shower curtain rings. Kim thought it would make them look more like curtains instead of shower curtains.

Just one more shot for good measure... :)

What do you think? I'm already in love.

We still have a million things left to do in here but we are making great progress!