It's Time To Fly Your Flag...

I'm very excited about this three day weekend we have and am reminded that it is important to be thankful for things we so often take for granted, such as our independence. So get out there and fly that flag this weekend and remember how amazing it is to live in a country that allows us to be free.

Happy 4th of July!

(Image taken in Alexandria, VA)

Show Us Where You Live Friday...

House work has been so slow and boring lately that I had to resort to a post on organization within our tiny garage. So to spice things up a bit, I thought I would participate in Kelly's Korner's "Show Us Where You Live Friday". Basically each Friday she gives lots of wonderful bloggers the opportunity to show off a room or area in their home. Since this week features the master bedroom I figured I would show off my master bedroom's transformation (this will prove that a little bit of paint will go a long way!). Here's what it looked like when we bought our home:



Pretty bad, huh? Definitely not the tranquil, serene, inviting atmosphere I was hoping for! But with just a gallon or 2 of paint, I was able to transform our master bedroom into a much more relaxing environment.



(Paint color is Olive II by Valspar)

If you would like to check out some awesome master bedrooms, head on over to Kelly's Korner and be sure to check them out!

Disorganized Organization...

I had to face the fact that our garage was a bit disheveled...

(This is embarrassing!)

I mean, sure, Aaron and I knew where everything was and there was a place for everything...but that doesn't make it right. So one caffeine fueled Sunday morning, we were sitting outside our local Starbucks (BTW, many good ideas come to me here!) trying to figure out what to with ourselves that day and I proclaimed that it would be the day we would add a little organization to our extremely disorganized garage. So off to Lowes we went only to find that organization comes at a hefty price. Instead of the metal brackets and braces, we went with 2x4s that I quickly primed white to match the walls. And instead of many metal shelves, we went with two 8' shelves that were later cut in half to make four shelves total. Here is the progress:

If we had used all the metal braces and brackets, this project would have cost us around $140. However, with a little wood, paint, and ingenuity, it only set us back about $50...definitely worth it for a little organization.

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back...

Oh to be a homeowner.....

Only a few short hours after I wrote this post, I came home to this:

Yep we're 'lucky' enough to live on a corner lot and with that comes the likelihood that there may be an accident at that intersection. Well this is the third in a little over two years of living here. The first was a fender bender, the second a car came crashing into a large tree on the corner of our property (no damage luckily) and, well, this is the third and we weren't so lucky this time. Same old story: someone runs a stop sign, hits the other car, other car comes spinning into our fence. Everyone was okay, but our fence definitely took the blunt of it, not to mention two Arbor Vitaes and my poor tomato plant that I so lovingly featured here and here. Everyone that stopped by to see the damage (they just can't help themselves) all gasped when seeing the tomato plant on it's side and said "not the tomato plant!". But after further investigation and careful pruning, it may survive this traumatic event, the jury is still out on that one.

So there you have it, one day I'm admiring the growth of my new garden and the next day we're picking up the pieces of our fence. Life is funny like that - you.just.never.know.

Rain, Rain Go Away?

No way! I've been guilty of complaining about the massive amount of rain we've received this spring, however, when I compare pictures of the beginning of the spring to today I cannot believe how much my plants have grown! The rain has done an excellent job of greening up the landscaping and encouraging major growth.

Before (April)

After (June)

I don't have a before picture of this garden, but nothing was here and all the hostas were split to make this garden (which by the way cost me $0 since the hostas were already mine!). I can't believe how much they've grown - they could almost be split again!

And remember this little guy?


Not so little anymore!!


I've lost count of how many tomatoes are on there and new ones sprout everday!


Seeing how everthing has flourished with all the rain has made me very thankful for its abundance this year!

A Girl Can Dream...

Since house projects are on a bit of a hiatus due to life getting in the way, I thought I would share with you a little of what I dream about on a daily basis...

A larger home with an amazing kitchen that looks a little like this:

{Uknown source, please let me know if you know}
LOVE the subway tiles, school house light fixtures, white cabinets, dark floors, and overall vintage style yet with modern functionality.

I also dream about a little bit of this..

Minus the palm trees - I live in Pennsylvania, it's just not gonna happen..

And a lovely vintagey looking bath...attached to our master bedroom..

{Image courtesy thisoldhouse.com}
On second thought...it doesn't have to be attached to the master bedroom - just more than one bathroom in a house would be phenomenal!

And a neighborhood of lovely homes to walk past everday..

Hey...a girl can dream, right?!?!

Veggie Gardens Everywhere...

According to a recent issue of This Old House, vegetable gardens are on the rise. And I have noticed this myself - even Aaron's townhouse-dwelling bachelor co-worker has one! However, I don't. I have lots of gardens, just none that I care to eat from. So this year, in between rebuilding our posts , having our house painted, and sprucing up the backyard I haven't had much time to think about a vegetable garden. So after much consideration I decided to take home my very own tomato plant. It isn't much, but it's a start! I found the sunniest spot and plunked it in a hole. Well, I'm officially addicted and already planning my very own veggie garden for next spring!

Here is my $3 tomato plant. (This is an older picture because now there are 6 tomatoes growing!!)


Any avid veggie garden growers out there care to share their very best advice??