FlashBack: Deck 2013

         I don't know why I didn't post these pictures back when I took them, but I found them today  and wanted to share a few flash backs. I'll be posting an updated blog post with pictures of our back yard and deck in a few days. I'm waiting for our Crepe Myrtles to bloom :-)

When we first bought our house the back yard was a bit over grown, so we had it cleared out

Close up of our deck before we gave it a little face lift. 

Winston is on a leash because we had not fixed out fence yet 

 

 Winston always trying to be the center of everything lol

Father and son time. Deep talks about life. 

Winston! 

FlashBack: Fence

        Flash back to a few years ago when my dad helped us stabilize our fence, basically replacing our side. If we didn't have dogs we may not have bothered with it. I'm so thankful for the love and support of my parents and all the memories we collect together. My dad is really handy and can do many things Slowly hubby was learning to use my dad's collection of power tools and such.

 My mom decided she wanted to try out some of the power tools LOL

 I'm glad I caught this on camera!

 Our backyard before we fixed the deck 

No plants yet and grass is dead!

 

My dad did great! The fence is still standing today!

Tree trimming

       Nothing new lately. We haven't bought anything new for the house or started any new projects. It's been a bit slow. Hubby was laid off at the end of April, and found a job in June. I want to paint the outside of our back door and french doors in the dinning room. We also have the fireplace to tile. But we aren't in a rush.

       Today my dad came over and helped us trim our trees. He helped us cut some of the branches off our roof, and then helped us cut some branches in the back yard to make space for our growing Crepe Myrtle. 

      It's been extremely hot. Car temp read 105 degrees today. It's taken commitment to keep the grass alive. I'm out at least every other day setting up the sprinklers for an hour in each section. You'd think with all this watering our grass would be thriving and green, but it looks like it's one day from death, as you can see in the pictures. It's yellow, patchy and crunchy. I hope we get that heavy rain the forecast promised for tomorrow. July-August are always the hardest months on our plants. 

New table

       I love our new table from Kirklands. It fits nicely behind our living room sofa. My hubby and I love displaying pictures of our friends and family (memory lane) and this table provides a perfect space to do this and fills an awkward area in our living room.

Hello, Spring!

 We did a little shopping at the Garden Center today. I was in heaven! Roses everywhere!

 

Our purchases! The plum and baby pink colored roses smell divine.

I couldn't resist! Aren't they cute? Now let's hope I can keep them alive. 

 

Our original orange cushions were past their expiration date. They were stained with dirt and ripped from the dogs sun bathing on them. We had been meaning to get new cushions for a long time. We got these from Garden Ridge...I mean, At Home.

Kirkland's Easter decorations

 

Kirklands had a major sale on Easter decorations this week so we  grabbed a few things. I'm excited to use them next year! :-) The wreathe was originally $29, but we got everything, including a few other things not pictured for $25. After Holiday sales are worth it! :-D We don't decorate the entire house for anything other than Christmas, but we enjoy a few festive touches here and there <3

Psalm 24

Entryway table

 

Entryway table from Kirklands. 

Honestly, everything in this picture is from Kirklands except for the Bible.

I knew I wanted this table the moment I saw it! I love the rustic edges.

      I think the knobs and the white/burlap drawers are really sweet and feminine. Love! Our previous entryway table went behind the sofa in the living room where we displayed more pictures of family and friends. We love "memory lane" (pictures).

    

   In front of the table/behind front door. One of my hubby's church friends many years ago made the framed art that says, "Lord bless this home" along with a Bible verse. As for the wreath, I have a blog about it HERE

Dining room updates

 
     Our dining room as been a slow project. We went several years with it being an empty space, then we had only a table; no chairs. Finally, we bought a new light fixture and rug. I'm proud to say our dining room is complete. The only remaining large projects are installing arch molding and replacing our french doors, but that's on the end of our long list of house projects.

I really love the picture frame I purchased from Target.

I haven't filled the three frames yet.

We get lots of sun during the day. This is why we chose black out curtains. They aren't the prettiest curtains but they keep the summer heat out in the afternoon. I usually open them after 3pm when we get lots of shade. <3

   

Our new light fixture from Lowe's and our new rug from Kirklands. 

 

     This is the view from our Kitchen doors. For me, this picture captures the truest colors of our dining room.

My dad teaching hubby how to install the lights and do the wiring.  

     I wonder how long it will take before one of our three dogs has an accident on our new rug lol. I've  mentally prepared myself  and will not freak out. Our main perpetrator has gotten better, or shall I say, mommy has gotten better at letting her out when she notifies me lol. 

 

View of Our dining room in the evenings through our arch way.

Older Dining Room blog post

Before Dining Room PICTURES

New Euro Shams

      I found these beautiful Euro Shams on sale at Macy's last week. It just goes to show sets aren't everything. I love mixing a matching whenever possible. They were $79 on sale for $30 something. The color goes perfectly with our bedspread, and accent pillows. I believe the three non-set accent pillows are from Kirlands, T.J.Maxx and Target. The gold detailed pillow is from Kirklands and hasn't been pictured before.

Before the Euro pillows and new Kirklands accent pillow:

 After the Euro shams/pillows and accent pillow:   

     

Euro shame fabric and patter up close

The edges of the Euro Sham are white with a rope look. 

        Eventually I want to get bigger pillows for the large horizontal flower pillow cases because they look a little droopy and sad. For now, I'm happy with the visual improvement.

Christmas Cards

     This year I put our Christmas cards in the garland on our mantle. I really love this!