We’ve been doing LOTS of painting recently, as you may have seen on Instagram. Time to share some progress here, starting with the walls around our side patio …
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patio paint
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paint it black
We’re big fans of Rustoleum paint –the finish is great and it’s so darn cheap. So much so, I’m always on the lookout for stuff to spray. At the weekend, I bought a six-pack …
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tool shed
Warning: this post might just be as boring as it sounds. But I had to share our triumph, in transforming our tiniest space –this oversized cupboard, off our courtyard entrance. It houses our water heater, and little else. We wanted to give it more function. Previously, the door lacked a lock, and the hardware was …
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panel switch
Time to get back in the saddle –I need to catch you up on where we’re at, starting with this little (but important) project we tackled last month. These panels sit to the left of our front door, which is technically at the side of our house. And they are, or were, very orange. Not a …
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bottlebrush dustpan
That would make an interesting band name. Anyhow, despite more than one neighbor calling it a “California weed”, we love our Bottlebrush tree. The novelty may soon wear-off though, judging by the amount of ‘red stuff’ I swept up this morning. It does attract masses of bees too, but they only seem interested in the …
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keep digging
As you probably realize, we’ve been doing lots of digging recently. And we’ve turned up a few long-lost items. According to our next-door neighbor, Maria, there used to be a ping-pong table in our side yard…which explains these two balls. More difficult to explain what this rubber duck was doing there. We also found this …
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book smarts
You can learn almost anything online, but there’s something comforting about leafing through a book. Especially when it’s packed with mid-century appropriate landscaping ideas, like this one –Better Homes & Gardens’ Landscape Planning (1963). It only cost a few bucks, but it’s worth way more (to us). Funny thing is, despite its age, the homes …
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courtyard chaos
We’re used to small yards (or “gardens” as us Brits call ’em) so our outdoor space is a little overwhelming. It spans four areas; front and back yards (both with scruffy-looking lawns), a side patio (where we spend most outdoor time) and this entrance jungle courtyard. We’ve roughed-out simple plans for all four areas (which …
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all white now
The weather’s been great, so we’ve been tackling some outdoor projects. This cinder-block chimney faces our side-patio –it’s in good shape, but just looks grubby and unloved. Painting is a (relatively) quick fix, but a big difference-maker. You can see how yellowed the ‘white’ paint had become. After a thorough scrub, Karen (I leave most …
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