Could Someone Please Get Us On A Makeover Show?!

RHN hasn't really had any significant news/renovations to allow me to write an entire post. However, that doesn't mean we have been a pile of lazy bones round these parts, ya'll. Ha! For someone that says 'dawg', 'waw-der' and 'cawfee', hearing 'ya'll' come out of my mouth is kinda funny. Anyway, back at the ranch...

Let's discuss the plan Ed and I have been mulling over for the past few weeks. This said plan is mainly focused around the back yard and its components. The main components in which I speak mainly consist of the yard itself, the shed, and the big ol' deckerooni. The back yard is a hot friggin' mess with a capital HOT. Between the railroad ties laying about (almost randomly), the fallen tree, the sand/gravel left from where the pool used to be, the left over electric boxes from the early days when there used to be a pool, the slightly wobbly deck, the shed that has a moss roof and exhausted paint, and the spotty patches of grass (real and onion) underneath the 7 inches of leaves, it needs help. BAD. Actually it needs 911, CPR, a defibrillator and a hot EMT yelling 'clear'! Look, I will show you that I'm not over exaggerating.

So, first on the list is raking/blowing allllllll those leaves up and chopping up that big ol' mess of a tree that took out the (what we think was a pool) pool. Then we begin taking the deck apart. Yes, I said taking the deck apart. I know it sounds like a huge ass undertaking, but the deck is a little shakey, a little tired, a little rotted, and a lot ugly. We will relocate the stairway to the front side of the deck, put up proper railings and decorate that sucker with some fabulous outdoor lighting and a grill.

Move the steps to the front right corner.

Sad, sad, tired wood.

The back yard, *le sigh*...oh the back yard. I think what's killing us about the back yard is this: it's an amazing space with amazing potential, but the neglect and years of just shit in the yard is so friggin overwhelming. Seriously, from the picture it probably looks like any other ignored piece of land, but our had railroad ties, a landing pad of sand and 3/4 stone, a dead tree and a helpless looking shed, and about four, yes FOUR, years of leaves built up on it (who knows, maybe more). We have spoke about what we need/want in the back yard to make it functional for more than just Mama. We want a somewhat leveler yard, a fire pit, room to put up a volleyball/badminton/darts space.

As for the adorbs lil lady in the back corner: we want to re-shingle the roof of the shed, possible install new windows that would keep the elements out, re-stain that sucker, build/get a new ramp and take out the rotting railroad ties and planting table. I would also like to make a landscaped bed of bushes around the outside. You know, drip her in Cartier boxwood bushes and Tiffany's daffodils.

She so needs a make over. The entire outside needs a makeover. It's so sad that everything went unattended for so long. Oh well, we will fix-er-up good as new. I can't wait to wreck shit! Excited!

Well, in other news we are finally taking the long awaited trip to the USVI! Yippie! We (Ed, my brother and I) all went in on and purchased my father a ticket for his birthday so he too could join us. He's always wanted to go and really? what better an opportunity; Cman is so excited that his pop-pop is able to go too. So, that's about it around here kiddos. I will be back next week after Ed and I work our asses off.

Let There Be Light Fabulous Frumpka. Makeover Time!

I think it is time to come clean and confess what we have been up to in last two weeks. Well, let me tell you. No. Let me SHOW you. 

Yes, my darlings, what you see is not photo shopped. No sir-ree-bob. What we have here is a new lamp post and ... Frumpkas room. Yes, that picture on the right is friggin' Frumpkas room. The room that used to look like this:

But before we get to the tale of Frumpkas room, let's visit the ghetto lamp post that the tree that fell on our truck took out back in October.

Saturday we decided it was time to replace this really sorry excuse I can't believe we lived with it like this for six months lamp post.  We went to *cough* home depot *cough* and picked up a new, much brighter, beauty. Ed, Dad, and Mama easily pulled out the wrecked ghetto old post, found the footing, dug a hole, installed the post and bam!

Let there be light! 

 

Fabulous Frumpkas Room has me blown away. Seriously, it's insane that the crazy-ass green and fuchsia enamel walls, destroyed hardwood floor, half-ass ceiling fan, punched in light switches and outlets, bowed out, cracked, and dirty head cheese walls could actually turn into such a beautiful swan. And to you my dear peeps, I present beautiful Frumpka. 

Ok, the deets: The rug, light fixture, outlets, sofa wall, under the window wall, full size sleeper sofa and pillows are all new. The rug I found at rugsusa.com on clearance for $124 free shipping. It's a 5x8 dark teal/gray and light oatmeal zebra (obviously). This rug was about $600. Yeppers, go me! The full size sleeper sofa we found at Raymour and Flanigan clearance center. It was $1000, we picked 'er up after negotiations and a sale for $500. Like that? Half price. Yeeeaaa, boyyy-ee. The side table, curtains, curtain rods, lamp, and vase were all items we already owned. I just spray painted the table the same dark walnut to 'go' with the rest of the room. We primed and painted the walls with Behr primer+paint in the color named 'Polished'. Yup, we are that fancy. (due to the enamel fuchsia/green paint left behind by the crazies, we had to prime with enamel primer first then paint two coats of Behr premium over that. Oh and I'm not telling the story of how I almost broke my neck falling off the step stool or how I spilled an entire gallon of paint on the hardwood floors. twice. Nope, not happenin', but for what it's worth, I was under the weather.)

I think, however, we should visit the light fixture. I have been pining over similar ones for anywhere between $60-$180. Yea, Ouch. That's more than the rug or a third of the sleeper sofa - for a light. No can will do, good buddy. So, after a little research, we made our own. Let's take a closer look. 

Ok, it's not totally glam from underneath, but we put this baby together for $23! We are magic. This lighting site is where I was originally going to purchase a light. I have to admit their shades are sassy, but we can always switch ours out and add a diffuser if we feel the need for a lil more sass. Their lighting kit is $49. Home Depots is $14. Their shade is $89. Ours was free. The only other thing we added was that cute little medallion around the lighting hardware on the ceiling. It was $9. I spray painted the medallion on top of the hardware oil rubbed bronze and we have a winner. For $23. Take that $150 pendant light. And, Hi, it looks fantastic in the whole room. 

So, there you have it. A lamp post and a polished spare bedroom/office. We still need to add Ed's desk which will eventually look like so...

centsationalgirl.com

 ...And a door, and paint the closet, and add artwork and such, but for now it's awesome and we LOVE how it turned out. For our next project we have been talking a lot about the outside of the hizzy - back and front - and also getting that basement underway again. We need to desperately do something about the master bedroom which we will get to, too. Too many priorities. Oh well, at least we aren't bored!