Meanwhile Back At The Ranch (House)

Well, I took a break from

posting about Tom & Ruth's house

for a few days.

However, that does not mean that the work

came to a standstill.

My oldest son, God bless him,

had some time between jobs and 

worked tirelessly for 2 days on the back yard.

Here is a quick AFTER:

 My friends were gone about 8 months out of the year for the last 3 or 4 years.

The yard kind of took on a life of its own.

Here is the before of this area.

Much better, huh?

Here's another BEFORE shot:

That pile of brush in the center is a koi pond

that has been abandoned and filled with brush.

My son cleared it and then 

we covered it with plywood

and some indoor/outdoor carpet with signs

telling people what it is and warning them to

 STAY OFF THE GRASS!;>)

Here's the other side of the back:

Before:

Another Before:

After the MAGIC SCISSORS  treatment:

MUCH BETTER.

Not perfect- but oh-so-much better!

Tomorrow, if I can stay awake long enough to type

I will show you the final staging on the

inside of the house.

It's looking GOOD girls, REALLY good.

I think I have EARNED a treat, don't you?

Hmmmmmm

I don't drink so I guess I will have to do 

the next best thing:

Care to join me?

Anyone?

Anyone?

Anyone?

Backyard Makeover You Won't Believe

I spent two days sorting

through old pictures.

Take a seat and a cuppa

coffee cuz this is a 

LONG post!

I think most of  you know

that we have moved

14-or is it 15 times?

We have NEVER bought

a house that 

DID NOT need work.

This house was no

exception.

The inside was a 

big makeover that I will

share later.

Today I want to show you

what can be done with

a neighbor's garage that

 looks like crap

has some serious issues.

First I want to show you 

the fountain in its very

first setting.

He has been moved a total of

8 times.

I still love him even though he is

showing a bit of age...

but -hey-so am I.

Too bad I can't use 

PATCH CRETE

on myself.

Anyway,

This was in an old historical 

neighborhood where the yards

are not large but the houses are.

This was looking out the back

kitchen window at the 

crazy drinking lady that was certifiable

neighbor's garage.

Yeah- How would you like to 

look at THAT every morning?

FENCE to the rescue!

Ah....so much better

Now as you go back along that fence

which we put RIGHT ON the 

property line-CRAZY LADY'S

the neighbor's garage is built

ON the property line.

LOOK AT IT!

Uh- Not so great, huh?

So, I take cookies over and

ask, ever so sweetly,

"Can I paint the side of your garage

that is on the property line?"

What color-she wants to know.

Well, I thought we would just 

match your peeling, nasty paint

that is already on there.

Sure-she says-just don't

paint it white.
Lord forbid we cover that
beauty with white paint...
it would just look so so
sooooo awful!

Okay...and, oh- by the by-

Can I hang a few things on

that side of the garge?

Sure!

NO PROBLEM.

Thanks!  Here's a gin and tonic

and you have a good day now.

Mama'sBoy scrapes and paints

the garage and we add a

shorter picket fence 

with an arbor that 

spans the back of the yard

dividing it in two "rooms"

Now-THIS IS WHERE

it gets interesting.

WHAT did I HANG

on the side of the repainted garage?

I took two old windows,

spray painted the backs black,

an old door-spray painted the

back black and I

HUNG THEM ON THE

side of the garage.
After these pictures were
taken I painted the
shutters white.

I put another arbor over the

FAKE DOOR

and the year after this there was a

New Dawn Rose that scrambled

right up over the side of the

garage.

Pretty danged cute, huh?

I'll tell you something really funny.

Sometimes I would hear something

in the garage and kind of 

peer THROUGH the windows

(which were spray painted black

and just screwed on, mind you)

to SEE what was going on

inside.

DUH!

Yeah...and 

WHO was the crazy one in the

neighborhood?

Not Me! I'm just blond! 

So...do y'all want to see

more projects like this in the 

future cuz I found a 
ton of my DIY projects?