Major Backyard Update - Part 2

Matt and I have had a super busy summer.  I had two very time consuming classes, and Matt was working a lot of nights and weekends.  But in between all of that we were still able to put some work into the backyard, mostly during this past week.  We took off of work and spent most of the time trying to get our backyard in order.  We were able to get a lot done, and we're much closer to our new and improved patio.  Here's what we've done so far:

I'm really happy with how much we've gotten done.  We've definitely been able to cross a lot off of our list.  

Backyard Project List:
-Move a/c unit (this is the one thing we hired out - don't want to mess with Freon!)
-clean, sand, and stain deck
-paint under deck
-replace deck railings
-replace deck stairs
-grind patio
-fill cracks in patio
-resurface patio
-build retaining wall around patio
-remove concrete walkway
-install patio addition
-complete landscaping
-replace back lights

We are planning on finishing the deck stair railings and the patio before winter.  Then next summer we'll tackle resurfacing the patio and the landscaping in the spring.  It's so nice to have a larger area to hang out!  I'm looking forward to next summer when we can enjoy the patio without having to work on it!

Major Backyard Renovation - Part 1

So for most of this year it's been radio-blog-silence from me, but that doesn't mean I haven't been busy.  Actually, it means I've been so busy I haven't had much time for hobbies.  Work and grad school have been getting in the way of me having a life recently. 

However, Matt and I are determined to complete our backyard project(s) this summer.  We want to actually enjoy our backyard, and we've been working hard for the past month.  There is a long list of projects that we have lined up, but we're well on our way to getting there.  As usual, we're doing 90% of the work ourselves, so it's taking a while.  Here are the "before" photos.

 

Backyard Project List:
-Move a/c unit (this is the one thing we hired out - don't want to mess with Freon!)
-clean, sand, and stain deck
-paint under deck
-replace deck railings
-replace deck stairs
-grind patio
-fill cracks in patio
-resurface patio
-build retaining wall around patio
-remove concrete walkway (we may hire this out as well)
-install patio addition
-complete landscaping

Whew!  Consulting the list it doesn't seem like we've done too much, but we've done preliminary work for the stairs, and I'm very close to finishing the deck railings.  Once I remove the old stairs I can use the new paint sprayer that Matt got me for my birthday and paint the bottom lattice.  I started to paint with a brush and then realized how ridiculous I was.  The paint sprayer should be much more efficient. 

So anyway, here's what we've done:

Deck stripped with the railing removed.

 

Kiwi helped to get the railings ready!  Holes were drilled into the wood at 4.5" intervals, which keeps the railings to code.  The aluminum posts are .75" wide, so there is 3.75" between each baluster. 

I gave up painting the bottom by hand, but I should finish it soon with the paint sprayer.

 

Stained deck ready for railing!

I started by attaching all of the bottom wood rails to the posts. 

Next I put all of the aluminum balusters in the bottom rail, and lined up the balusters with the top rail.  Then I attached the top rail to the post. I will be putting a 2x6 across the tops of the rails, which will finish it.

The pressure treated wood I used for the new railings (and will use for the new stairs) takes 6-8 weeks to dry out, so I'll be staining those parts to match the rest of the deck towards the end of the summer.  If you stain the wood before it's dry the stain might peel or bubble. 

We ground down the patio and filled in the huge, and not so huge, cracks.  We will be adding a flo coat to entire patio to even it out and add a nice finish. 

So there you have it!  We are working hard, and hopefully I'll have more updates soon!

I'm Still Alive!

I know it's been a ridiculously long time since I've updated, but we're alive and well, and still working on the house. 

The main reason I haven't updated is because we adopted 2 dogs!  I know I said we were going to wait until the upstairs is finished before getting dogs, but I saw them on petfinder.com and they were too adorable to pass up.  They grew up together, and would only be adopted together, which is perfect because we wanted 2 dogs!  Here they are:

Kiwi is a Chihuahua mix.

Jules is a Lab/Vizsla mix.

I love watching them play together.  So cute!

We've also taken a few trips since I've last updated.  In February Matt and I went to Tampa to visit his grandparents.

Matt and I at John's Pass in Florida.

Then in April I went on a trip with a few of my college friends to Napa Valley.  We were only there for a few days, but it was a blast! 

We went to wineries.

Calistoga Geyser.

Petrified forest

Vineyards

I had the best veggie burger of my life here.  I think I'd come back to California just for that.

I also had to go to a seminar for work in San Marcos, TX.   Matt came down to San Antonio the weekend after for a quick trip.

Me in San Antonio.

Matt at the Alamo.

The riverwalk was so nice, and we had gorgeous weather!

In addition to dogs and traveling, I've also been training to run my first race!  I'm running a 10k on May 5th, to raise money for the MS Society.  If you want to donate, you can do so here:  http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR/Walk/PAEWalkEvents?px=10463753&pg=personal&fr_id=18482

We've also been slowly finishing the upstairs.  It's so hard to get focused when you have 2 adorable dogs pandering for attention.  Here are some recent updates of what we've been working on.

Living Room:

There are only a few minor changes in the living room (including the dog!).

We moved the 2 mercury glass votive candle holders to the bookcase. We also put a oyster shell tea light holder and another pretty candle there (both gifts from my grandparents).  We still have the paintings there.  One is a covered bridge, and the other is Old Main on the Penn State campus.  Both are watercolors done by my mom.

 

We also added a basket for all the dog toys we have now. The basket is from Ikea.

Dining Room:

There's nothing really new with the dining room, but we just ordered a buffet, so hopefully we'll have an updated photo soon!

Kitchen:

Not much has changed in the kitchen.

We added some puk lights under the cabinets.

I also bought these canisters at Ikea.

I made a Roman shade for the kitchen window.  I started with a blind and some fabric.  I hemmed the fabric around the edges.  Then I used hot glue to attach the fabric to the blinds.  I think it came out pretty good, but it was really annoying to make, so don't be surprised if I don't make another!

Master Bathroom:

I finally finished the floor!

We haven't installed the vanity or toilet yet, but if all goes well tomorrow we should have a finished bathroom by Monday.

More tile floor.

And the tile wall, with the wall light and medicine cabinet.

Master Bedroom:

We had decided ages ago that we were going to use Valspar "Courtyard Shadow" for the master bedroom.

I love how it came out.  It's a greyish blue, but it looks almost purple when the sun hits it in the evening.

I also replaced the ceiling light fixture in the bedroom.  Here is the old "boob light".  It was actually a longer process than I thought to change out the light.  You can kind of tell from this photo that the fixture is not flush with the ceiling.  That's because the junction box was not actually attached to anything except ceiling drywall.  I ended up having to buy a new junction box and install it so it was actually attached to a stud in the ceiling before installing the new fixture.

Here's the new drum fixture.  I like that it has an uplight component.  We got it at Ikea.

Thanks for stopping by!  Hopefully we'll have completed photos from the upstairs soon!