Outside Looking In...

Several of you have asked that I write a post highlighting what my house looks like on the exterior. I have described it several times as the big green monster and I think that left a lot to the imagination. This past weekend the weather was amazing for good old Astoria. Cole and I decided to get our booty's outside to mow and plant some of the hundreds of bulbs I purchased. So sunshine and all here is a look at our house currently...

 When Cole and I first visited the house I did not like it. The price was very right but I had no vision for the big green thing. Since we have moved in the place, it has started to really grow on me. I think with some curb appeal upgrades this baby wont look too bad. Below is a house that has given some vision  for our place. I realize that our house looks nothing like the one below but I want to replicate the shingles in the gables and the stone around the bottom of the house. I also really like the color.


 

As for the entrance way we have talked with several contractors (I guess we kinda lucked out cause Cole's dad and my Mark are both contractors) who  have given us the idea to extend a patio about seven feet the length of the front left of the house and zig zag wider framed in shingled stairs. The ones that are up now are pretty much a death trap. Death traps are not a good thing to have when you have kids or so we have been told. I also want to add some exterior moulding to the windows to make them look more manly, they need a little beefing up. (PS I hate the telephone pole in my front yard but I guess it is frowned upon to axe those down.) I also love the look of this door with the address painted on the front. The color is awesome and I want to replicate everything about it. If you love this door and want to feast your eyes on more click here.

 Here is a good picture to show you what we're working with yardwise. Yes those are blackberry bushes. The neighbor told us that the yard was let go for a while especially when it was on the market. There is a lot to be done. Cole and I are still trying to come to a common vision for the yard, then we will probably spend several years attaining the vision.   So Cole and I took some baby steps on Saturday and we removed our first hideous plant that probably was a weed gone crazy. The plant about to meet its fate is the one one the right... Bye bye ugly

 Here I go digging away trying to put the plant out of its misery. I had a vision to dig it out and all the grass all the way to the street to make a lovely flower bed. Cole told me I was being too ambitious and that we didn't have that much time . He also doesn't want the neighbors to think we are the type that start projects and never finish them. Not to mention it would effect all of their mail boxes.

 Cole took the last couple swipes at the bush ad viola it was gone.

Since I didn't get the flower bed I had set out to get that day I pouted and and made a strong argument that all my bulbs would have been bought in vain if we didn't get some into the ground. So we stripped out a little section and I got to plant one bag on a very sun exposed side of the house.

 The bag I got to plant. Whoop Whoop... Can't wait to watch them grow and then pick them.

After a big day of Easter egg hunting (Ummm how come no one ever clued me into the psychoticness of parents and Easter egg hunts in public. If I knew what I was getting myself into I would of prepped for the crazy parents in the 0-2 year old section with trash bags in one hand full of eggs and immobile infants in the other. Lucy got two eggs this year cause we played nice, next year watch out Seaside we're gonna be prepared.) and planting we underwent a series of first in Lucy's life..... Enjoy a quick recap of her adventures...

Lucy's First Easter Egg Hunt.... Her two awesome eggs...

Swings.... She loved them... We have the all-time greatest park by the house. Can't wait to use and abuse this place.

 Slide with Daddy...

 Also her second Easter but it was the first time I got to dress her up like a contestant from Toddlers and Tiaras. Her dress definitely pushed the boundaries on too fluffy. I loved it. Hope you all have a great holiday weekend. Any firsts for any of you? Or maybe you have some good ideas on how we should add street appeal to our home. I would love to hear from you.