Busy Weekend

You'd think that after having such a busy weekend that I would have some new, fun decorating project to show you. But no, even though my weekend was busy I did no home dec. projects. Sometimes weekends are just like that. I have about ten projects in the works right now, but the weather was so nice this weekend that I took the time to be outside.

We spent most of Saturday at various sports games and practices, but Sunday was yard work day. With the sun out and the temps in the upper 60's it was the perfect day to be out in the yard getting it in shape for spring.

I had bought some espaliered Camellias at Costco (Have I mentioned how much I love Costco? -- No? Well, I do and I'll have to write a post about it sometime) a couple of weeks ago, and then we had a week of continuous rain right on through the next weekend; so they hadn't made it into the ground. Add to them the twelve or so plants I bought at the nursery this week (when I was only stopping in to pick up a gift card for a fund raising basket), and I had a lot of planting to do this weekend.

Espaliered Camelia

Let me back up a little bit. After remodeling the house a couple of years ago, our yard was completely torn up. We knew that we needed to do something but we didn't want to spend a whole lot more money right then. We hired a landscape designer and had her draw up an overall plan for us to eventually implement. We decided to hire someone to put in the hardscape, a sprinkler system, and the front and back lawn right away, but left the planting till later.

Backyard after renovation

Another backyard after renovation

Over the past couple of years I have slowly implemented our plan. Some things have changed along the way, but the plan is mostly intact. I have now hit the point where I am refining the design; moving plants and adding new ones that I like and/or have discovered along the way.

Backyard after hardscape and two years of planting (The big tree is just to the right of the picture)

Close up of bench and rock wall

This weekend I put in some blue fescue (I have always loved that plant and will be adding some more throughout the gardens), the two camelias, and some ornamental grasses (Golden Variegated Sweet Flag). There are still some areas that I have barely touched yet and some plants that I put in last year that didn't survive (thus needing to be replaced) but overall the yard is coming along nicely.

Elijah Blue Fescue

Japanese maple and new Golden Variegated Sweet Flag (ornamental grass)

Planted espaliered camelia

More Golden Variegated Sweet Flag

I then got the boys to pitch in and do some weeding. With all the rain that we have gotten lately our large backyard tree has sown a million seedlings that are now popping up throughout my gardens. After about three hours of work, I have a mostly weed free back garden.

So, that was my weekend. Hopefully this week I will get back to some of my incomplete projects. I'd really like to finish the monogrammed pillow for my younger son's room and the two monogrammed pillows for my spring bedroom look (no, I don't stitch monogram, I fabric paint my monograms). It's about time I switched out the fall/winter room for a lighter airier look. I also would like to finally get around to painting the frame on the guest bedroom's full length mirror that has been leaning up against the wall since the remodel.

Plans for My Guest Room

I've almost finished my son's skateboarding room, so it's time to really start planning my guest room makeover. I'm not really sure I would call it a makeover though. I'm keeping most of the bones of what's there and just adding and editing. The first thing I need to do is make an upholstered headboard for the Cal King bed. I bought white denim a while back for this project so all I need now is the batting, foam, and plywood base. I found some good tutorials online detailing how to make the headboard. A few of them include this one from Craftyland, this one from Living the Swell Life, and this one (with video) from Design Sponge. Thrifty Decor Chick has a good headboard tutorial/post here where she uses egg crate foam (much cheaper than foam from a craft store).

I like the color scheme in the guest room of white, green, and yellow. I've bought some green trellis fabric to make pillow shams for the bed. I also would like to get a new, white duvet or quilt for the bed. I have a cheap full length wall mirror in the garage that I am planning on revamping and hanging behind the door since the guest room is currently sans mirror. Hopefully, now that I have put this out into blogland, I will get in gear and get this room completed (or at least started).

I have a post almost complete (just waiting to get some good pictures in there) about the skateboarding room and will have that up shortly.

Happy New Year! and Todo List for 2011

Wow, it's been a long time since I last posted here. I am new to this blogging thing and I know that I need to post more regularly to have a successful blog, but it just seems like life keeps getting in the way. Oh well, I guess it all depends on how you define success. For me, right now, I just want a place to come and share my thoughts and projects as I can. I do want to post more regularly and I have a whole host of projects I have been working on (and a whole host more that I have planned in the coming months). So this is going to be my post of projects I want to post about and ones that I have planned in the future to post about.

Projects I have started (or completed) and need to post about:

• Skater bedroom -- from little boy to big boy room
• Copycat nutcracker decorations
• Our Christmas tree
• Making decorative pillows
• King Sized pillowcases -- Who really uses them?

Projects I want to do this year:

• Remodeling the boys bathroom -- from plan to completion (note: I think this will be a series)
• Do it yourself artwork for the great room
• Figuring out how I want to configure the den/office/library
• Organizing and accessorizing the great room bookshelves
• Upholstering a headboard for the guest room (and also revamping a full length mirror for the room, new decorative pillows, and maybe making a new duvet cover)
• Built ins for the dining room

That's a start for what I want to accomplish and blog about this year. Wish me luck!