outside projects

now that it's summer (i know...it's been summer for a while, but i was busy growing and birthing a human), we have a ton of outdoor projects we want to tackle. we haven't really done much to the outside since we moved in, so our house is totally the trashy one on the block.  we bought some flowers for the steps and got awesome deck furniture from my aunt dee dee, but we will be the first to admit...this place looks rough.

the first order of business was to remove the huge rhododendron. it was absolutely beautiful when it was in bloom, but the inspector said it was compromising the foundation of the porch...it had to go.

we are also in the process of removing the shrubs/bushes/weeds (?) from the side of the house. new landscaping will hopefully start soon, at least to the front.  however, this big bush overtaking the side of the porch is staying for a while.  it's a BLACKBERRY bush and is LOADED. i think it might have to stay indefinitely!

check out our awesome downspout drainage pipes (see what i mean? our neighbors must cringe every time they drive by).  my dad whipped these up when we first moved in just to get the water away from the foundation...a quick fix.  we have major water problems we need to deal with. the downspouts were just cut off at the bottom which created HUGE holes right next to the foundation.... as in, holes that i could get my whole leg down in.  yikes!

brian spent a whole day removing the rhododendron and a bush on the side of the house.  one broken mattock later, the front of the house is noticeably more bare...

and surprise!...the bush was hiding a nice crack in the brick. we need to fill in the mortar in that crack and all of the cracks in the column going up the steps....ivy was the culprit there.

so...we have a LOT of work to do.....our to-do list...

wash the porch
rip out rhododendron
rip out plants and ivy on side of house (or prune?)
fix mortar in cracks
till front yard to even-out crappy work by the city and replant grass
till sides of house and regrade
landscape front of house
fill cracks in porch steps
paint porch steps so they don't look like poop
paint porch railing
paint ugly board above door (or better yet, replace with a door that FITS!!!)
paint the house...bye bye red!
flash chimney
relocate family of squirrels living in our soffit  :-)



did i make it through a whole post without a picture of my boy!!!???