Happy early birthday to me!

My parents wanted to get me some patio furniture for my birthday in October (read between the lines: they're tired of standing around on the deck!). But since patio furniture isn't that available in October, we picked it out early. I got this set from the Home Depot online when they were running a special. The cushions and pillows came with it, and hello! Free delivery! So the nice delivery men brought it to my backyard when I got home one Friday (i left a nice note asking them to take it around back and they were so sweet to do it!). Can't wait for it to cool down a bit so I can enjoy it more!

They're giving the Crape Myrtles away!

I got some awesome deals this weekend at the local nursery and Lowe's. I guess they're trying to get rid of most plants so I got a Crape Myrtle tree for $35 and $16! A Crape Myrtle bush was $5...um can I get more?! Overall some really great deals out there right now and SCORE! my parents were in town to help me haul all this stuff home and into the ground! Looks great so far, and those trees grow fast so more backyard privacy is on the way!

And Addie had a friend to play with as well!

Heat, heat, and more heat!

It's getting mighty hot up here..buuut we have been getting some showers from hurricane Alex so that helps. I have done a few things to the house, mostly small but HUGE impact! I switched out the heavy green drapes from the winter with some cool, white, Ikea panels that make a big difference. I also added house plants to the kitchen and rearranged the chairs in the dining room to accomodate 4 instead of 6. Really, when are 6 people over at a time. So I stored the extra chairs in the office closet and it really eases up the clutter in the dining area. Take a look!

Addie's playground

Addie has taken a liking to my yard, rolling around and resting. I'm so thankful for her, she's made my life so fun and I laugh at her all the time..or maybe with her, but more at her :) Here are some pictures

!

I have the BEST yard on the block!

Happy Easter! My amazing parents came into town and for once I didn't have any projects for them to do around my house. But they came with projects, in the form of a big Lowe's trip to get soil, mulch, and flowers. What a difference these few things made! We were in the yard all day Saturday pulling weeds and planting flowers. I had no idea it would turn out so well. On Friday we went and I bought a mower and trimmer..Craftsman of course :) Hey, all my power tools need to match! We were definitely sunburned and tired at the end but I am slowly turning my yard into a mini jungle..like mother like daughter :)

Kitchen. Done!!

Finally done with the kitchen cabinets! Lessons learned: Fill holes and sand AFTER you strip the paint. And also, make SURE you know where the hardware is supposed to go. I can't count how many times I drilled holes only to find out that they were in the wrong corner! Doh..but so happy with how it turned out! Make sure, also, that all surfaces are at least sanded so new paint will adhere to the surface. Or apply primer maybe? But I didn't have the time or energy for that. All in all, this makeover cost about $75-$100. Money well spent!

New baby in the house!

They tell me my life is about to change..and it already has, in the form of less sleep and stepping on toes. I adopted Addie, a 1 year-old Weimaraner last weekend. So the first full week has come and gone. She has heartworms, and technically, until she's cleared by the vet I am fostering her. Therefore, I am supposed to keep her calm and quiet, no runs or even walking. Boo. I got a dog to take running! But once she's healthy she'll love it! Here are some pictures. She's quite the character already!!