It was going to fall apart soon anyways...

A story with pictures!

We decided our first outdoor project would be the retaining wall. It was falling apart and the only thing in the front to fix up. We figured we would look better to our neighbors by doing a little fixing up in the front. Matt took me out shopping to pick out the blocks and he learned how to do this and measured everything and all that crap.


We borrowed my moms jeep and trailer. So we took our first trip to home depot for the day. We bought 60 blocks out of 100+25(top blocks). We had 2 cute boys help us and it seemed to go very smooth. Loaded up and went home. Unloaded without the help of cute boys. They told me I'd have to pay extra for their services if I took them home. Yes I asked. So Matt and I unloaded the blocks and went back to home depot. This time we bought our grill. Why not while we have the room? So we bought the grill and stuffed it in the back of the jeep. We filled the trailer with 40 more blocks and 25 topper blocks. It was only a tad heaver the second time. Until they put on the extra blocks. They gave us about 10 extra blocks free because they were the rest of the pallet and mostly broken but good for our purposes and Matt will use them to practice cutting with. About 2 minutes into our trip home the trailer tire was smoking. OOPS. We loaded it too much. We took as many blocks out as we could and the trailer still wouldn't get off the tire. Turns out the suspension sucked and it really wasn't our fault. Either way, My mom gets new trailer tired for mothers day. I had my mom and Bryan meet us at our house to help unload the grill. We unloaded the grill and the blocks and the sand along with the sand bag I ripped open by running over it with the carts wheel at the store. oops.

Our blocks!

That was all we had planned for the day. Besides family dinner at my moms for moms day and gramps 80th b-day. While matt was explaing what and how we were doing this new wall, Bryan decided we should get started now! So we did. The ugly bushes came out first since we knew the wall would come down with them.

Not strong enough Bry.

Go Mommy!

Woot! Looks better already!

Messy.

And the second one!

Much better!

Just so you don't think all I did was take pictures!

Now we need to finish breaking the bricks apart and find a place to dump them. We have everything to rebuild the wall except some small rocks for draining purposes. We have more white concrete paint in the basement from the old owners and are going to use it to repaint the stairs and the base of the house. Then get new bushes of some sort to plant and I'd like to plant some kind of flowers or something nice and easy. Hopefully this will be done by next weekend.

Our animals

Snickers watches the neighboors walk by. He even trys to get their attention by howling at them. His nose is on that ground most of the time he's outsire. Something smells good. He also started digging some nice holes for us.

The doggy and kitty enjoying a warm day.

The light had some powerfull heat coming from it!

He climbs in the fireplace and gets nice and dirty.

Bedroom pictures!!!!

This was their lovely off white wallpaper with greenish flower things on it and their ugly green nasty curtains.

This is how we slept for the first 3 weeks. We blue the mattress up nightly and had no place to put anything of use yet.

Matt starting the room in his corner. Bryan started in the opposite corner.

Messy!

We did sleep their the first night and soon learned that was a dumb idea.

AHHH my new carpets!!
These closets were so gross and full of moldAll done and cleaning up!

And my lovely bedroom! My mom bought us the bedding collection set as our wedding present. We got an IOU until we bought our house. Perfect. I love it.

pictures!!! from the start.

This was a 20' truck. We made one trip using just that and still didn't have it filled completly. We didn't take anything big other than a 2 dressers. And Keira, see your wicker thing that i think Jeremy pawned off on us? Cat loves it!

And our beautiful house that we bought.

This was my attemp at figuring out how to put pictures on here. Seems easy. Lets see how the rest goes.

My awsome husband!

I came home from work on saturday to a painted living room! He put 2 coats on the walls, finished the ceiling and started taping to paint the trim. Sunday I came home and the trim was done. He did an awsome job and the room is fully painted. Well, we have a few small touch ups to do cause he had to wait for things to dry. I am so impressed that he did that all weekend long. Just one problem. I do not like the color on the walls. SHIT. Its more tan than brown and that is what I feared the most. He said I was in charge of repainting. The couches come in about 4 weeks. And I think I might just repaint it. I don't want to settle because this is my house and I want it the way I want it. But that means I have to do it. Crap. We shall see what happens. but I don't like it.
Tonight we are going to dinner at The Olive Garden for Matts birthday. We are then going to see a movie. Im excited!

We will have a couch in about 5 weeks.

This couch had better be perfect cause it took a lot of work.
We visited Ramour and Flanigan. Fell in love with a couch set. We had every intention of buying it and the lady was putting our order together. We told her we wanted the chocolate brown color and it went downhill from there. The couch only came in blue or green. So even though they had a color sheet with brown and it was the same fabric, it would cost us $275.00 to special order it. So why should we pay for them having non neutral blue and green? We decided that it was stupid to pay extra when we could buy something else somewhere else. We told that saled lady we were no longer interested and she proceded to explain the financing. Matt told her Financing was not the issue, wasting money on something pointless is. lol. She gave us her card and we left.
I emailed Raymour and Flanigan. I told them I thought it seemed odd to pay for a color the couch is available in. They responded that it is a "special order". Whatever.
I called Pieraways this morning because they are a dealer of Berkline. They did not carry that style couch. But! they could order it for me. So I sighed and asked how much, thinking a custom order would not be cheap. He gave me the prce of the couch and it was cheaper than at Raymour. I asked about the brown and he said that it only came in ble and green. WHAT? So I told him that it comes in brown and red and tan also and that I wanted the brown. He looked into it and told me that it does come in brown. And!! That because it is the same material, it would not cost extra. I marched right down to Pieraways and ordered my couch, loveseat, and chair. We saved $650.00 by not buying it from Raymour and Flanigan. My couch comes in 5 weeks. :) And I did email Raymour and Flanigan back. I told them I enjoyed their showroom and found a couch I loved. But I bought it at a place that did not charge me for the color I wanted. :P

My couch set. We are getting the dark brown. The chair rocks and reclines and the loveseat and couch recline. We are so excited! And we might be buying our tv tonight. And no, Matt has not painted the room yet.

next room!

We have started the living room. And yet the bedroom still needs better shades and curtians. Whatever. So we bought a light brown for the walls in the living room. And we have a offwhite for the trim. The walls and trim are primed right now. Its very very white. And messy. Matt will hopefully do either the ceiling or the walls this weekend. We have to paint the trim, walls and ceiling. Buy new doors and clean and polish the brick. We need to buy furnature. I think we found a couch set at Raymour and Flannigan. They kinda pissed us off, but we liked it a lot. And we need to buy a tv and stand for it. And end tables. I may or may not have picked out a tv. I have looked everywhere for end tables and a tv stand and have not found anything. We might have a furnished living room by the fall. Untill then, ill buy some nice pillows and put the tv on the floor I guess.