Pergola Update

NW Ohio had a LOT of rain in June. Like record setting amounts. It rained almost every day which made for a lot of flooding. It was impossible to do any outdoor work like mowing, gardening, etc. for several weeks. It has been on my agenda to stain the pergola. When we built it 2 years ago, we knew it would need to weather a few years and then be stained to preserve it. It was looking pretty weathered after 2 hard winters and it was time. However, getting enough dry days proved to take awhile. I bought the stain at the end of May and the first consecutive 3 days of sunshine didn't happen until last week. But, we did have some gorgeous sunny days and after letting it dry 2 days, I took the 3rd sunny day and stained it. It was quite time consuming to cover all those surfaces and I was thankful for DH's help halfway through. He saw I wasn't going to get done in one day unless he helped so he postponed some of his work to help me. I had a hard time deciding what color to stain it. I wanted white but DH vetoed that. I decided to go with a dark brown (Cabot Cordovan Brown) in a stock color. I think it looks nice with the white house but we are planning to re-side sometime in the near future and it will most likely be dark gray (which was why I wanted white). Not sure what the dark brown will look like with that but it's done and I sure won't be changing it any time soon. :) I snapped a few photos this afternoon before the next rains begin. They aren't anything fancy - I didn't bother to sweep the sidewalk - there are weeds (which are sprayed but haven't died) - a cute little photo bomber and his toys - flowers that had too much rain, etc. But it's real life here at the farmhouse. We have weeds and dirt in places they shouldn't be. We have boys and their toys that are sometimes where they shouldn't be. But I wouldn't have it any other way. We are so blessed and I'm thankful.

 

Still loving my old washtubs. Flowers do really well in them. (Thanks, Susan! :) )

This area wasn't finished in my first post. I'm still trying to get figured out how to make a functioning hose reel so technically, it's STILL not finished but I took our old front door, a curbside enamel sink, cedar fence boards and a curbside wreath (I added the bow) and created a potting bench of sorts. Underneath (accessible by a door) is a wooden spool that I have dreams of making a functioning hose reel for that messy hose lying beside it. :)

2 years ago, in the front bed, I planted 2 very tiny wedding ring hydrangeas and a dwarf crape myrtle. Unfortunately, our winters are too hard for the crape myrtle and I lost that. The hydrangeas have been valiantly struggling to survive and are actually blooming this year for the first time. The bloom is almost as big as the plant. :) This bed still looks rather bare due to the fact that the plants are still so small. I replaced the crape myrtle with a pink knockout rose (it's between blooming seasons right now) and a clematis (in hopes it grows up the ladder).

You may or may not have noticed something missing in these pictures from the first time I posted. The old shed is gone! A neighbor man came and salvaged most of the remaining siding and the floor. He is planning to reuse most of it in a cabin he's building. He also took some of the beams after it was down. The only thing remaining is the flagstone foundation which we are stacking on pallets. I will keep some and we will probably sell some. The roofing is still undisposed of and I would like to keep some of it for a project that's been in my 'queue'. ;) Here are a few 'UN'beauty shots of what remains.

Today I finished up a repurpose project that is for sale. I'll try to share before and afters of it sometime later this week.

From the farmhouse, 

A Workshop. For ME!

I know I've been embarrassingly absent here on the blog. I haven't been working on any big projects (or little ones either, for that matter). Unless you count canning and school as projects. :) My older 2 boys went back to school at the end of August and I haven't really felt like starting into anything. Mind you, I have a TON of pending projects and when canning is finished, I will take on a big project again. I currently have 2 bushels of pears to can and 4 bushels of apples to turn into sauce yet before I can say I'm DONE canning for this year.

Anyway, enough excuses. :) Today DH and I are working on insulating the old chicken coop. We're (mostly he) converting it into a workshop for me. I normally work on projects in the garage or the kitchen (depending on how messy the project is) but we want to park the van and the car both in the garage this winter so my stuff needs to go.

The "chicken coop" that we're converting is the white building attached to the barn in the above picture. It is the back part of DH's shop and there was a wall separating them. He tore out the wall so now my shop and his are joined. It won't be anything fancy but it will be much better than the uninsulated and unheated garage. And it has room that all my things can be together. Woo hoo!

I will try to do an update post when we get everything in place. Have a great weekend and Happy Fall, y'all!



From the Farmhouse,

Patio Update/Pergola

I'm out of town for the week but I snapped some quick pictures of the patio area before I left so I can show you what it looks like with the pergola.

DH 'engineered' the plan and did the heavy work and I helped cut boards and hold things in place. It was a fun project to work on together and I totally love this space now.

I found these vintage chairs and table at a garage sale. I had been looking for something to sit by the fire instead of always dragging the dining chairs over. This little 3 piece set was perfect and a deal at $15 for the set. DH and I like to sit by the fire after the kids are in bed.

This summer has been so temperate that we have eaten our evening meal out here quite often.

This spring a neighbor was sprucing up her property and purging. I'm very honored that she thought of me several times during the week. One of the things she was getting rid of and called me to see if I wanted was these sweet little old wash tubs with their stand. I gave the base a coat of white paint and planted some impatiens it them. Now they brighten the space beside the grill.

And another planter that greets you as you come down the walk toward the back door:

This spring I mentioned on Facebook that I was building a stone wall (or two). I got the one finished and still haven't gotten the other one done. It sure wouldn't get me a job on a landscape crew but it's an improvement over what was there. The driveway side of the house has never really been landscaped since we moved here 6.5 years ago. This year I started some plants in hopes of having a pretty, landscaped bed in a few years. I bought really small plants (because they're the cheapest) so it doesn't look like much this year.

Here is the 'BEFORE' of this area:

I still have one area to finish up (the far left area of this picture). I hope to get it finished sometime in the next couple weeks. Summer is rapidly getting away and school will be starting before I know it.

(Find the first patio update here.)

I have pictures almost ready for my other MMS milk paint project. I hope to get the post up later this week; stay tuned!

Linking to:

Wow Us Wednesday @ Savvy Southern Style
Party Junk @ Funky Junk Interiors
That DIY Party @ The DIY Showoff

From the Farmhouse

Patio Progress

If you follow me on facebook, you may remember I posted this picture

on May 4. That's the day DH (left) and a friend poured our sidewalk and patio. I've been waiting a LONG time for a patio so this was an exciting day for me!

We've had some beautiful weather so most of my 'spare' time has been spent outside sprucing things up after a hard winter. This post is mostly to share some quick shots I took of our patio. They are not pretty, staged pictures. Just real life as it happens at the farm. :)

Sidewalk (above) and patio (below) formed and ready to be poured

These are steps to the basement door the back of the house.

May 4, 2013 - freshly poured concrete!

May 9, 2013 - We seeded grass where it had gotten torn up by equipment.

This picture was actually taken today and you can see the green peeking through the straw.

May 18, 2013 - Grass is up. Moved the patio set and grill onto the patio.

A few notes of explanation about this picture:

The patio set was free from one of DH's friends. Yeah, he's a good guy! :)

The orange paint is me trying to figure out a configuration for the landscape bed.

Those things poking out of the concrete is where the legs of the pergola get attached.

The green chair is explained below. :)

Remember on facebook I told you I found a chair in the back shed (showing in the May 9 picture)?

Well, here are some (sorta) before and after pictures.

 I forgot to take before pictures until after I had started priming. The back shows it original.

After - in Green Apple 

Hope this gives you an idea of what I've been up to. I still have a lot of landscaping to do around the house so I will try to update you when that and the pergola are finished.

From the Farmhouse

Dreaming....

As the weather remains cold and more snow is forecasted AGAIN here in NW Ohio, I find myself longing for Spring/Summer. I am not a fan of cold weather to begin with and when it seems to drag on endlessly I begin to dream of pretty flowers, bright, warm sunshine, hanging out around a fire on cool evenings, sitting on a porch watching a summer thunderstorm....

Taken Fall 2012

From the first time I looked at our farmhouse as a prospective buyer, I have envisioned a wrap-around porch on it. Do you see it? From the front door where the existing porch is, extending to the corner and across the front of the house overlooking the pasture. The roof-line is such that it would not be a difficult addition; just a {possibly} expensive one. I don't know if this particular dream of mine will ever come to fruition so for now, it remains a dream.


From the Farmhouse

Not Bad for Free Flowers....

....that have been mostly neglected.

I am truly amazed at the way my flowers look considering that:

1. It's the end of August and normally all plants have been fried to a crisp by now.
2. They didn't cost me anything, and
3. Other than water them a few times, I have done NOTHING to them except plant them.

With everything going on in the house this summer (bathroom reno), I have totally neglected the outside. I hadn't even planted any flowers by the end of June. My niece started working at a local greenhouse this year. She called me one Saturday morning and said that this was the last day the greenhouse was going to be open for the season and everything that was left was free.

Say "WHA?!" FREE?!?!

Now I knew that this late in the season the flowers would be pot bound and gangly. I also assumed there would only be a few flowers left but I headed over right away. I was pleasantly surprised to see a large amount of flowers and a fair selection at that. As I expected, they were rather sad looking.

However, for free, I was willing to give them a second chance. I brought them home, rolled up my sleeves and went to work. I mixed up some topsoil with manure from the barn (well, actually, DH did that part for me), pinched all the beautiful blossoms off, and planted them. I watered them good and mulched them; then forgot about them (almost). My 6 year old would periodically water them for me and here they are 2 months later. They survived some of the hottest weather in Ohio's history.

Lest you get the idea things are pretty around here, I will let you in on a secret.

I had to practice selective photography to edit out weeds, kids bicycles, and long grass.

(Well, you can still see that the grass needs mowed but hey, I can only do some much.)

Have a great weekend!

From the Farmhouse

Linking to:

Potpourri Friday at 2805