Cozy Bungalow

I bought a house! It's in my old neighborhood and I love that...I already know lots of the neighbors! Here are some pics we took the day I got the keys:

 I'm going to love this. It's a nice big south facing front porch...and it's shaded by trees...ahhhh.

The dining room has a pretty buffet with little mirrors across the back. The living room has a fireplace! All the windows on this side of the house are original, and I'm glad because they have lots of character. The windows in the other side of the house have been replaced and they are mostly in the bedrooms.

This is the other end of the living room. The little room through the French doors will be my art studio. The stairs lead to finished attic space.

The fireplace. I'm thinking built in book cases on either side of it. I've seen that in lots of craftsman style houses, and I could use the book storage space.

Here is the kitchen. The sliding door leads to a nice deck.

More of the kitchen. Wright's is coming to replace the kitchen floor soon, with something that matches the back splash better than blue plaid.

Not a big kitchen, but I think I can make it work.

Living Room

Living room looking towards the front door.

I'm excited to work on this. It's just right for me: not to big, and not too small. Most of the work are things I can do like painting and gardening, because the former owner kept the house in good shape. Hawkeye and I are looking forward to having fires in the evening...we have both missed that in our rental house.

Movember

Over the summer I biked more days than not and lost 15 pounds without even really trying. I've noticed a few of those creeping back since it's gotten windy and cold here. So, I'm going to participate in Movemeber, when lots of men grow their mustache to raise awareness about men's cancer.

So you might ask, "What does that have to do with losing weight?"  Well, Barbara at Running Strong for Hope has turned it into a fitness challenge as well. Just move for 30 minutes every day during the month of November. Anything counts as long as you keep moving for at least 30 minutes: raking leaves, playing tag with the kids, jogging, walking, dancing, etc.

I can't grow a mustache, but I can move.  Want to join me? Move every day, and if you want to make a donation you may do so on my page.

I made 2 more bags tonight. I'm starting to get this down so it's easier. Figuring out all the little tricks! I managed to match the patterns on the tops of these. The picky part of me loves that :D

I'm the bag lady....

A few years ago I bought some Route 66 fabric. I decided to make bags and aprons and such to sell at the shop. The supply will be limited by my time and materials, so there will be a limited number of them. I've been searching and there is not much selection of Route 66 fabrics out there at the moment.

It's been a while since I've done any real sewing, so I started simple with a little wristlet. We've been getting requests for them at the shop and I sold one today. I figured out how to line them so that there's no raw edges on the inside.

Then I decided to try this boxie bag from a tutorial at So Chick Handbags. It was more complicated but I just trusted her instructions and went step by step and voila!

 A cute bag perfect for make up or medicines or snacks or whatever you are packing on your trip!

It's all lined with no raw edges on the inside. Raw edges are a pet peeve of mine...so I have to do away with them.  Melissa's tutorial is written so that you end up with a beautifully lined bag. Now, that I've done one, maybe the next ones will go a little quicker. It's fun to be sewing again!

Front Sidewalk

This is the sidewalk to the front door. It's much lower than the ground surrounding it, and completly broken up and grown over. I was worried for my parents whenever they walked up this way..especially Mom since she doesn't walk so well anymore with her bad knees. Muddy too, in bad weather.

 After we scraped off the dirt, this is what we found. What a mess.

Joe and I have been using our respective talents to help each other out lately. I designed the landscaping for his house, and he has been a huge help on the labor on my yard. Here he is taking out that old sidewalk. We didn't even have to bust it up, because it was already so broken. Look at how thin that concrete is. No wonder it cracked up!

 Joe came up with this solution using large patio pavers from Ace. Works out perfectly because we are hosting a party for Colleen's graduation, and it will be done in time for that! I think the landlord may pay for the supplies since the sidewalk was in such bad shape.

 Much better! We put a course of concrete edging along the sides. Hopefully that will keep the dirt from washing back down on to the sidewalk.

View from the porch. So much better!

Have a seat......

A place to sit and relax. It's looking rather inviting!

Getting Ready for a Garden Grad Party...part 2

 

This is how I'm trying to solve the mud problem outside the back door, without spending like crazy. I got some edging and bark and landscape fabric. Joe and Mike came and we outlined an area outside the back steps.

 We edged all around. I'm so glad they came to help. This area used to be used as a drive and there was lots of gravel....it would have taken me ages to bust through all that by myself. We used the dirt to level things out a bit, and I sprayed Roundup on the grass, before we put landscape fabric down.

 Mike is going around tree roots here, and as he got closer to the house he switched to a pick-ax to get through all the gravel. He busted through it in no time. Ah, to be 25!

 Joe and I were working on getting the edging down.

 Oops. I didn't purchase enough bark! Looks like another trip to Big R.

You can see where it's headed though..I think it's going to be a big improvement.
 

This morning after a trip for more bark, we have the area filled in! This is the view out the back door. No more mud! Hope this works as well as it looks like it will.

I hope that second tree makes it. It looks a lot browner than the other ones.

We dug all these bricks out of the yard. They might make some nice edging around a flower bed!