The Stinky Rose

I planted garlic today! And the rosemary I transplanted about a week ago is so far doing really nicely in its new spot.

Planting by the book

Here it is, the middle of a dreary Southern California winter rainy spell, and here I am, dreaming of greener pastures. Or vegetable gardens, as the case may be. While I hope to some day install raised veggie beds in my front yard, I don't think I'll get it together to do it for the next growing season. I do plan to get a little kitchen herb garden in by the back door and several hanging plants going, too. And I've found the perfect tool to help me! An online Vegetable Planting Calendar to guide me about when to start seeds and when to transplant (you can find a calendar for your own planting zone on the site, too).

The Short List revisited

Paint trim for the boys' room
Paint stripes in the boys' room
Paint chalkboard wainscot in the boys' room
Clean and turn on the heater
Buy area rug for living room
Strip and paint trim in master closet
Strip doors
Hang succulent baskets on front porch
Build compost bin
Paint dining room walls
Begin door repairs
Strip door frames

I managed to complete a fair amount of stuff on my short list before my parents arrived. It is raining in Los Angeles now, and might be for most of the week, so we might not get too much done on this visit, but it is the holidays, so I'm happy to have some relaxed family time!

Four months: Video update

Here is what we have accomplished in four months of home ownership. I feel like it doesn't look like much has been done since the last update, but I feel like I've been working like crazy!

Lovely winter surprises

So it turns out that I have growing at my new digs a couple of amazing things:

1) a rose that is the color of a New Mexico sunset and actually smells the way a rose should.
2) paperwhites... in my driveway. And, of course, blooming in December because this is Southern California.

It's nice to get a couple of pleasant surprises!

The List: Backyard

So, my original List was woefully inadequate. Thus, I'm making a new one! One section of the house at a time, starting with the backyard because a couple of things back there are currently priority #1. The List is somewhat prioritized... although once I get past the first few things it is hard to know what will feel most important.

Finish assembling playset and put in wood chips Make composter Finish clearing out dead vines, runaway trees Make raised garden bed
Plant ornamental landscaping, including privacy screen vines
Fill in holes, backfill along play perimeter
Reseed grass
Build shed
Paint clothesline poles
Install pavers under clothesline area
Prune fig tree
Create seating areas
Create hanging planters

We actually have a friendly little squirrel who hangs around. Maybe we can get him to pitch in?

The List

We're plugging along, but the multi-tasking is getting a little overwhelming.

I'm going to have to get a little organized... (this is the short list)

In the boys' room:
Strip and paint window and door frames
Paint stripes on the accent wall
Chalkboard paint the wainscoting on the accent wall
Strip and paint the baseboards
Install roller shades
Make and install curtains
Purchase and install ceiling fans
Paint and install crown molding and chair rail

In the grown-up room:
Strip and paint baseboard in closet
Install closet organizer
Paint and stencil ceiling
Strip window trim
Paint walls
Paint and install crown molding
Strip and paint baseboard
Select, purchase, install ceiling fan/light fixture

In the dining room:
Paint ceiling, walls, trim
Strip and paint window trim and baseboards
Paint and install crown molding
Purchase secretary
(Buy a piano?)

In the living room:
Select paint
Paint ceiling, walls, trim
Strip and paint window trim and baseboards
Make hall tree from old door
Purchase flat panel TV stand and additional DVD storage
Rug

In the entryway:
Select paint
Paint ceiling, walls and trim
Stencil frost and hang mirrors
Rug

In the front yard:
Break up the ground
Plant wildflowers
Hang plant baskets
Make porch swing

In the back yard:
Finish assembling playset and put in wood chips
Make composter
Finish clearing out dead vines
Make raised garden bed

That should keep me busy until my kids graduate from college.

Nearly one month after closing

I have been working mostly single-handedly on the house for the last couple weeks. Luckily for all of us, my mom and dad are back in town now and we've been getting so much done since this video was shot. I'll be posting another one soon when we're all moved out of the apartment!

Hanging Gardens

I first remember hearing about Hanging Gardens when studying world history. The Babylonians built them waaaaaay back in the day, and the idea really struck me as one ahead of its time, and one that we could benefit greatly from in today's urban areas. Then, the Topsy Turvy hit the market, opening the world of gardening to anyone with the ability to hang a plant in a sunny space. I came across an informative NY Times article all about upside down, DIY gardening, and I am getting pretty excited about the idea! This summer my "garden" consists of a potted basil, some potted arugula, a potted tomato, a potted nasturtium, and some potted chard. They're actually doing fairly well, but they would look a lot cooler hanging upside down!

The Dish

Ever since stumbling on the image of the satellite dish gazebo for my post about offer #8, I have become absorbed with the idea of making one of my own. It is enough to get me excited about the idea of having one of those tech-dinosaurs in my new front yard!

I love the fantasy-land vibe of this one

I like the solid structural look of this one

And this one comes complete with the how-to nitty-gritty.

Offer #8

I don't really want to get into the nitty-gritty, but it looks like our long-held offer #7 is falling through. Let's just say I am sick of banks. So we're back to making offers and we submitted #8 today.... for your consideration:

Bungalow with swing-worthy front porch
Built in 1907
Two stories
large lot
large dining room
large kitchen
two bathrooms
bonus room
FIVE bedrooms.

And it has one of these in the front yard:

which I think would be really awesome used for something like this:

There's gold in them thar trash cans...

...Yukon Golds, that is! I happen to know this incredible woman who owns a business called Hope Gardens here in the LA area. And she's got these awesome bins that you can grow your own organic potatoes in!