a very productive weekend thanks to andy and his dad! the mailbox got replaced and had a new post and reflective numbers installed. the ceiling fixture in our bedroom was replaced with a fan - absolute heaven. we also are the proud owners of a dehumidifer that is definitely helping out in the basement.

okay, so the abode beautification project blog was down for awhile... should be back and up running now. no more excuses!

so long without an update - oops!

a super productive weekend - something we haven't had in so long! my family came down and we definitely got some landscaping projects completed!

the eaves that used to empty into the front yard now empty into tubing below ground and empty near the bottom of the yard - what a difference that makes! it's rained most of this week - so we have no doubts that they're working correctly. we did noticed that the gutter on one side must be clogged so that's something to take care of this weekend. as andy has broken his finger, that might be a job for my myself if i'm looking for a good time.

the "garden" that's been in the backyard since we bought the house is now officially gone! if that's not a cause for a celebration i don't know what is! we tilled the entire thing and removed all of the remaining random pieces of wood. the edging was put in for the new flower bed and the rest was seeded for the new grass that will hopefully be sprouting soon and straw was put over it to protect it from the millions of birds that seem to be in our backyard every afternoon.

we also tilled the front flower bed that held the tulips after i had removed all of the bulbs as well as added more length to that bed. we planted bushes in the front and replanted the tulips. i also added pansies and violas as well as some snapdragons to the front bed. hopefully they'll take off and really look nice soon. the only thing that still really needs attention is the small bed next the entry of the house. i think i've decided it's going to get roses. that means the mum that andy's mom gave me a couple of years ago will need to be moved. maybe this weekend?

another productive weekend - and week! - at the abode. so many things were taken care of!

the kitchen cabinets now have doors! what an improvement! it's taking me some time to get used to having to open a door when i want to get something out of the cabinet. a little less convenient but the kitchen looks amazing now. andy and his dad did such great work!

other things that have taken place recently include: the deck was washed and sealed and looks absolutely wonderful!, still need to get covers for the furniture out there, but will do that soon; the "garden" in the backyard is slowly diminishing thanks to andy's hard work, it's about 1/3 cleaned out; andy went a little chainsaw happy on some trees and took two loads of branches to the mulch site - he says the trees are much happier!; i also planted bulbs that i had ordered earlier this summer - 25 iris bulbs to continue the plantings near the ditch and make the front yard not so much of an incline as well as 7 tulip bulbs to add to the ones i planted last year.

more work continues....

finally - an update!

this weekend, the abode received a new bonafide front door! i know feel safe and sound knowing that if someone were to try to get into the house, they'd pretty much have to tear down the wall as that door isn't going anywhere. :) the door that had been there when we bought the house was actually an interior door that thomas probably could've kicked in if he would've wanted to - only a slight exaggeration. andy and his dad installed the new door and it just needs the trim reinstalled and we'll be set to go!

after working on the door, branches were also trimmed from the towering trees we have in the back yard. it's hard to believe how fast those things grow! andy is going to take care of some more trimming today and then everyone should be in shape for the winter season.

more work is scheduled for this week as andy is off from school, including the random "garden" area in the backyard. good riddance!

many things are going on at the abode now that andy has completed his first year of school and i'm not working at the scrapbook store on the weekends.

over memorial day weekend, we finally put the deck on the house. we're actually able to walk outside of the french doors we installed last june, crazy concept i know! andy has also finished framing out the french doors so it looks finished, and installed the screens. thomas loves it when the door is open to the patio as it's like a huge hole in the wall and he can lay there and watch for the birds that he despises to enter his space. oreo, the next door cat, also will come and sit on the patio and look at him through the screen. sometimes this doesn't bother him and other times he is on full alert that someone is invading his space!

the dining room table is beautiful - although we don't use it very often as we're both busy, especially with me teaching scrapbook classes. i found a beautiful runner for it at pier 1 and with that it makes it look really nice. thomas still trys to claw on the upholstered seats, but is getting better. we now know that if we can't find him, he's sleeping on one of the chairs. i think he likes it as it's by the french doors.

i've also completed the bathroom - hooray! i bought the last framed print for it last weekend and andy installed it and the toilet paper dispenser i had bought. i had etched a mirror for it that we hung up the beginning of may, so i don't plan on doing more work to it. it's the most pulled together room of the house.

i've also planted more flowers and andy's mulched all of the flower beds so the outside of the house is looking nice as well. plans are in the works to get a new front door and screen door for it as well - cross your fingers!

since i've begun my new side projects with the local scrapbook store, and andy is nearing the end of his fourth block, work at the abode as slowed to almost a complete stop. eek!

our new table arrived on saturday and it is now in our dining room. it is beautiful! we were worried that thomas would think he needed to jump up there all the time as he did with the last table since he can see everything from that vantage point, but it hasnt' been a problem. he really enjoys sleeping on the upholstered seat of the chairs and hiding out underneath the table where he thinks andy can't find him when they're playing. yeah right!

my tulips are up and blooming and look great! my hostas and pansies are up as well. i'm hoping my hollyhocks and rose of sharon bushes are going to start soon. i noticed as we pulled out of the driveway this morning that the random irises by the mailbox were about to bloom as well. spring has definitely arrived on clearview drive!