HAPPY EASTER!!!

 EASTER IS SPECIAL FOR OBVIOUS REASONS, BUT FOR MY FAMILY, IT'S MORE EVEN MORE REASON TO CELEBRATE!  MY DAD WAS BORN ON EASTER SUNDAY AND HE MARRIED MY MOM.....WHOSE NAME IS "BUNNY"........THIS PIC CRACKS ME UP!

photo courtesey of http://dogsoftheinterwebs.tumblr.com/page/7



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BEFORE AND AFTER: EXTERIOR FACELIFT

THIS IS MY HOUSE.....THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE WHEN WE FIRST BOUGHT IT-DID I LIKE HOW IT LOOKED? HELL NO!!! UGLY UGLY UGLY!!! BUT, I KNEW IT HAD FANTASTIC POTENTIAL...AND I LOVE A PROJECT....AND WE ONLY WERE IN TOWN FOR 24 HOURS AND WERE PREPARED TO PUT ANYTHING UNDER CONTRACT!!! 

FIRST, WE REPLACED THE WINDOWS AND TOOK OFF THAT YUCKY ALUMINUM STORM DOOR! WE REPLACED THE FRONT DOOR WITH A LARGE GLASS PANEL DOOR BECAUSE WE NEEDED ANOTHER "WINDOW" IN THE ENTRY.

NEXT, WE PUT ON A NEW ROOF AND NEW GUTTERS...HATED GETTING RID OF THE COPPER ONES BUT THEY WERE IN HORRIBLE CONDITION.

EVENTUALLY WE PAINTED THE BRICK AND GOT A PRETTY NEW LANTERN. I ALSO TOOK A WEEK OFF TO DIG EVERY SINGLE BUSH IN THE FRONT YARD (IM INSANE BUT IT WAS A GREAT WORKOUT AND I LOVE TO REARRANGE PLANTS AS MUCH AS I DO FURNITURE!) I REPLACED THE OLD WITH SOME NEW STUFF THAT I AM ESPECIALLY FOND OF...IE:ENGLISH AND AMERICAN BOXWOODS-LOVE THEM!

IN ADDITION TO A KITCHEN AND FULL BATH REMODEL, JUST RECENTLY ADDED ON A FAMILY ROOM, MASTER SUITE, AND BACK PORCH SPACE....AND I LOVE IT! ....ALTHOUGH THE HOUSE IS MUCH LARGER, IT STILL MAINTAINS THE CUTE COTTAGE FEEL AND WE ARE VERY HAPPY HERE!!

PS-SORRY FOR THE WORDS ON TOP OF THE PICS-NOT A GOOD BLOGGER!!!

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CURB APPEAL: MAKING YOUR FRONT DOOR THE FOCAL POINT!

we all want good curb appeal right??even if you think your house is ugly, you can at least dress up the entry area so your eye goes to the good part!

okay, the door is what we want to look at and we want lots of good things to frame it out...it's all about making your eye move to the right places!!!
pretty door is #1 and if this is not possible,  at least remove the ugly ie: metal storm doors, etc. add a nice doormat-i like overscaled ones!
 now let's frame the door with  planters on each side with either topiaries, or planted boxwoods (depending on how much sun you get-sculpted hollies love sun, boxwoods dont).....variagated ivy draping out is fabulous along with some impatients-love it! and if you dont have a green thumb, a kimberly queen fern is always nice in an urn!!
if you have a front porch, frame it out with some landscaping to support the focal point (being the front door!)

here are some great examples of well thought out front door areas that are beautiful!!!

photo courtesy of http://www.houzz.com/



photo courtesy of http://marcusdesigninc.blogspot.com/



photo courtesy of http://www.theyellowcapecod.com/

photo courtesy of http://www.tuckerandmarks.com/

photo courtesy of http://heirloomphilosophy.blogspot.com/



photo courtesy of http://www.houzz.com/



photo courtesy of http://www.brooksandfalotico.com/welcome.html



photo courtesy of http://www.atlantahomesmag.com/



photo courtesy of http://gervaisdebedee.blogspot.com/

 


 

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