Inspiration and products for the home and garden. Projects and DIY around the house.
So close!! The contractor is wrapping up at the house and we’ve scheduled the movers for the 15th! Yes, there were some construction delays and the movers aren’t able to be scheduled as soon as I would like (NOW!) but, I can now see the light of this very long tunnel!
I plan on doing a full reveal on the changes we’ve made once we get settled, I promise. But, here’s a couple more in progress peeks for you until then.
I thought I’d share some construction photos from the house. Tons of work going on, way more than these few shots imply. You’d be surprised how difficult it is to photograph everything. Depth perception, light, and angles are hard to discern when there are no walls, holes in the ceiling, etc.
The plumbing, electric, and drywall are done. We are now working on getting the tile and cabinetry installed. Then, things should go pretty fast!
I thought I’d share a few of the “before” photos of the interior of the house. These are pulled from the original realtor photos, so they are a bit more polished than how it looked in real life. (Notice the photoshopped fire in the fireplace.)
Demo has occurred and framing and utility work is almost complete. I’ll share some “action shots” soon. But let’s just take a moment and rejoice that the kitchen has been put out of its misery and can join the rest of 1981 in the history books.
Welcome to Colley Manor, new Team Colley world headquarters! No, it is not as stately as the name suggests, but I’m excited to call it our home. We closed on the house last Friday. We’ll be doing some renovations, namely the kitchen and bathrooms, since everything is original to the house. As much as I love the ’80s, a circa 1981 kitchen is not something I’d like to cook in . . . and don’t even get me started on the bathing situation.
All this work means that we will be staying with my parents for a couple more months so I don’t have to raise a toddler in a construction zone. God bless them for being so patient and allowing us to shatter their quiet retirement lifestyle with 6am wake up calls of “THOMAAAAS and PERCYYYYY” every morning and negotiating an ever-changing minefield of books, train tracks, cars, puzzle pieces and other detritus of toddlerhood while enjoying the aromatic smells of melted plastic sippy-cup lids from the dishwasher.
I’ll be sure to share some details of the house and remodel soon. But for now, I’m excited to say I have a mortgage again!
I had grand plans of putting in a garden this year, but taking care of a newborn squashed that idea flat. I was able to get a couple of containers filled with some grape tomatoes and here’s my first harvest. I think I’ll throw a few in a salad and the rest I’ll just eat like, well, grapes.
Over the weekend, I finally got some gardening done. I usually do this in May, but it was such a whirlwind of a month that things got postponed until now. Better late than never, right? I had grand plans of putting in a garden this summer, but I have come to terms that its not going to happen this year. I am just so busy with Joseph that I know I won’t be able to keep up with all that it would entail. I am having to settle with my usual herbs and flower pots. Although, I did add some grape tomato plants to the list. I had bad luck with my cherry tomato plant last year, so we’ll see what happens. I think that this little bit will give me joy of tending plants while still being manageable. How’s does your garden grow this year? 
This spring we put in new steps to the side entrance of the house as well as a walkway to connect the driveway and the back patio. I cannot tell you how much this was needed. The side entrance to the laundry room was pretty much unusable. It has a minuscule wooden porch/landing that was very narrow and was cramped and over grown with bushes so that you had to squeeze in sideways to get in the door. Not very practical. We also had the problem of no walk connecting the back patio to the side of the house/driveway. This was a real pain, since you had to tramp through wet grass, snow, etc. It was also a favorite spot for Walter to do his business, so there were “land mines” to watch out for. Yuck.
So, we tore out the bushes and got rid of the tiny little entrance and had stone steps put in along with the bluestone walkway. I can’t tell you how much more inviting and open this has made the side of the house feel. Not to mention that we use that side entrance 100% more than before. Stupid me forgot to take some “before” photos for you to see. I wish I had because it really is a dramatic difference. (Pardon the less than stellar “after” photos. I had to snap some quick ones during nap time.) It is still is a little barren and sterile looking right now, but I’ll be getting some pots for around the side entrance to adds some color with some annuals. I am thinking some cheerful geraniums or other sun-loving plants. I’d love to do a flower box on the window (powder room) and maybe paint the door. We’ll see what I can talk Shawn into.
Widdershins 