Thursday, January 24, 2008

The Before and After Post

The end of 2007 was a mad dash of home improvements, and being someone who loves the 'before and after' of any makeover show - I took pictures.
FRONT - BEFORE

(Ignore, if you can, the leaf pile) It was the g-d holly bushes. They were pretty for about 2 weeks out of every year, when the berries came out all pretty and bright red. The rest of the year I spent trying to trim them into some kind of symmetric submission, or picking the pointy-ass leaves out of my socks and/or feet.
FRONT - AFTER


Ta-DA! What isn't captured in this picture, is the repainted the shutters, porch swing and the new pretty front door with a oval shaped window in it. Also, no little task was replacing all the concrete edging around the now- empty beds. Of note, I didn't do this very hard work, I paid someone fantastic to do it for me. As my across-the-street-neighbor said to me as we watched Mr. fantastic drag dismembered holly bush pieces to the street "It sure is nice to watch someone else work". Heh.

BACK - BEFORE

This was my ugly deck. It was teeny and while there was room for a grill, a grill and say, a table and chairs was just too much. So....

BACK - AFTER


TA-DA! It still needs to be stained, but ugly deck is gone! I am in lurve with this new deck. I am often wasting time searching for the patio furniture that will soon live here. My boss and co-workers have already started spouting suggestions for low-bush-shrub-flower-things to plant around the edge of the curvy part there, and I am open to suggestions, remember, low-maintenance, hardy, and not holly bushes.

Now, if North Carolina will just get warm enough to enjoy the outside of my house I'll be all set.

You're invited by the way, if you happen to find yourself out this way.


13 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love it! And I think miniature Azaleas and/or Indian Hawthorne would look great up front! Both are low maintenance and have gaw-geous blooms!

Anonymous said...

Holy Shite!
Day and night I'd say. The after pics are GREAT and I lurve the new deck too!
The best thing you did was to murder those holly bushes, those evil evil holly bushes.
Cool beans! and good for you!

Her Roo-ness said...

JENNY!!!!!
That is so nice.
Does mr wonderful work in *cof* ohio?
my house which is remarkably like your house...has the ghetto deck.
i'm not so motivated.
it also has stoopid frickin holly in the front (what the frick?). im chicken to pull it out.
something is moving in there...

rennratt said...

Yay!

Your house looks great.

Let me know when, and what to bring!

kenju said...

Looks great and also let me know when and what to bring!! That is a very nice deck!

Anonymous said...

House party at Cravey's? I'll be there! I'll bring WN's amazing onion souffle dip, a sloshing quantity of something to drink, and a few other odds & ends. Now if it would only warm up a bit...

tiff said...

Dude - I'll help you stain it.

Scottsdale Girl said...

Imma gonna spell it wrong but Bouganvilla is beautiful, will take OVER your patio and also has some might nasty thorns BUT easy to grow, hard to kill, needs no watering.

Roy said...

Really nice house.

We just plant Japanese Yew everywhere--not that imaginative. I yield to the superior horticultural knowledge of . . . everybody else. In fact, let us know what you decide to do.

Tracy Lynn said...

This almost makes me wish on the East Coast. It is that AWESOME, that deck.

utenzi said...

I love your new deck, Cravey, but you need to get some new bushes soon. I don't like holly either. I have azaleas in front of my place and I've been planning on replacing them for years--and yet they're still there. Maybe you could put in butterfly bushes...

Anonymous said...

Aw Geez! C'mon girlfrien!
How about a new post 'eh?
Your life can't be as boring as mine.
:)

JustRun said...

WOW. I am impressed! Really, that's all I can say: WOW.