Becoming a Pro at Projects

I’ve been in go mode for the last month, doing projects that I’ve put off for way too long. It all began with our decision to replant grass in an area that was once used as a garden. Thankfully the weather last month was wonderful and made being outside a treat.

Project 1 : Plant flowers in back corner

Preparing the area, pulling weeds and raking the dirt — Preparing the whole area, pulling weeds and raking the dirt.

Our little bamboo and perennial garden area. I bought too many plants at Bi-mart when they were only 50 cents each and had to make them a home

This is how it looks now, next year they’ll really take off

Project 2: Plant Grass seed and continue to water

Pops being such a great help, and Charlie keeping him company

After a months time and the first mow — A month after planting seeds it was still patchy, so I put down more grass seed

This is how it looks now after the second seeding of grass. I will put down more seed again and hope that it fills in. I am guessing that I spray it too hard with the water and its moving the seeds, and maybe I didn’t rake it in good enough. Not sure, but I’ll keep trying

Check out the sunflowers growing next to pops place, soon the bright yellow of the sunflowers will completely distract from the bare spots in our new grass.

Project 3: Put up fence around sheds

flowers blooming and the hubby doing the hard work. Life is such a gift.

Mitch and I moved chain link fence around the yard a couple times trying to figure out what would work best.

The finished product, Mitch always makes putting them up seem so easy!

We decided that blocking off the sheds not only keeps the dogs from getting out when we park in the back, but no longer can they go into the one place of the yard that gets them super dirty and bring it into the house.

Project 4: Stop and smell the flowers

Flowers in the flower bed are growing great

can you spot pops in the pic, it’s like where’s Waldo.

Project 5: Chandelier Planter

The chandelier just waiting to be put to use, also please note the old tool box in the lower left of pic and the dirt area next to the wood fence.

My friend Karen gave me the chandelier last year, and it sat in the yard all year, empty, unused and lonely. Finally with the help of Mitch, pops and the dollar store we were in business to accomplish the mission.

Mitch removed the electrical wires that stuck up for the light bulbs so we could put in little pots

Pops spray painted the little pots I got from the dollar store (they were brown)

Tada... ok, so it's still a little sad, but i do have little battery operated dragonfly LED lights on it that spark at night. — Ta-da… ok, so it’s still a little sad, but i do have battery operated dragonfly LED lights on it that sparkles at night (yes, from the dollar store). Maybe next year I’ll use a different type of flower.

Project 6: Flowers in old tool box / flower box below

Mitch helped me screw the tool box onto the fence and hauled over the railroad ties from our friends place

Soon all the things we planted will take root and blossom!

Project 7: Take a break

Pops resting after watering all our thirty flowers

Project 8: Put up shelves in laundry room

This was our laundry room, so much wasted space on the walls, and jammed with stuff on the sides. It was making me completely insane ( quote from the movie French Kiss). Mitch and I had a talk about putting up shelves, maybe even cabinets, but he requested that we put it off until this winter. His reasoning made sense, we had so many other things outside to do, why not put this off till things slowed down. I reluctantly agreed that evening, understanding that he works so hard every day and I shouldn’t add everything to his plate at once. The next morning, it was a new beginning, and a new way of thinking. Why couldn’t I do it by myself and surprise him! We already had some of those white shelves in the shed, all I needed were the brackets and the standards (long vertical slotted strips that fasten to the wall). I was ready to make it happen…now where is our stud finder? I searched for a while before calling the hubby to find out where it might be and of course giving away my secret plans. He laughed at my overly excited attitude and how impatient I was, and then wished me luck. The stud finder was no where to be found, he thought he’d taken it to work, or it broke, either way, I was out of luck. I make my way to our local hardware store and buy everything i need, including a stud finder. As I’m reading the instructions it pops into my head, Mitch had mentioned using a magnet to find the stud, because it will stick to the nails in the studs! Wahoo I just saved us $12.oo by not opening the plastic wrapping on the device and remembering that wonderful bit of information.

slide it along the wall until... — slide it along the wall until…

Next step, screw into stud and tada, shelve (I put this one up after the laundry room) — Next step, screw into stud and put up stuff. (I put this one up after the laundry room, got it from Kohls, wahoo Kohls ) See the magnet hanging out all by itself below the shelf.

I decided to draw out my idea to share with pops.

My super detailed blue print of the shelves around the washer and dryer

The standards in the back are almost in the corner, as I wanted them as far back as possible. sure not ideal, but I am beyond happy with it — The standards in the back are almost in the corners, as I wanted them as far back as possible. sure not ideal, but I’m happy with how it turned out

Pops and I got the whole thing finished in a day! It was a great father-daughter project, I felt so blessed to have him with me and made sure to really be in the moment. I just pray that there are many more to come and to never take any for granted. I hope that all of you are creating special memories with your loved ones too, no matter what it is that you do.

2 thoughts on “Becoming a Pro at Projects”

Stacey Roper says:

July 9, 2015 at 3:04 am

Wow! Everything looks so great! You are quite the DYIer nodays. 🙂

1. happy travelers says:
  
  July 9, 2015 at 4:18 am
  
  Thanks Stacey! Appreciate the compliment 😊