Gingham & Pearls

Day Trip to Nashville

2016-03-08T19:36:00.000-05:00

Last weekend mom and I hit the road and took a quick day trip Nashville. The first stop on our trip was Southern Honey Workshop. While this is a small shop it is packed with wonderful furniture and decor! Totally worth the drive! We came away with a few things for ourselves!

How cute is this bed spring strung with lights!

I have buyers remorse not getting this table :(

Next stop was The Factory at Franklin . This is literally and old factory that has been turned into a retail space. We hit up a few great stores. Once of which was Relek. Here I fell in love with this beautiful apothecary cabinet. Alas the price was $$$ so I could not pull the trigger...maybe Rich can make me one!

The City Farmhouse is also in the Factory so we for sure had to stop in and do a little window shopping! Their inventory is truly amazing! I mean where do they find this stuff?!?

Last but not least we stopped at The Faded Farmhouse in Columbus for their grand opening. The store was packed with shoppers! While I was expecting to see more furniture and vintage finds the shop is stocked with new decor and gifts. Still very cute and well displayed!

Weekend Happenings

2016-03-06T19:28:00.000-05:00

We had a gorgeous weekend in the Tennessee! Temperatures in the 60's and blue skies...spring fever is really setting in!

My parents invited us to enjoy hot dogs and smores around the fire on Saturday night. We could not refuse!

Me and my little sister who is not so little anymore! She will be graduating high school in May...tears!

Rich was really excited about dinner! Hot dogs with all the fixins.

I made open face smores. Did you know they make flat marshmallows now? I actually prefer them over the traditional round ones.

For Christmas Rich and I bough my parents some lights for their back yard. We installed them while we were there and they look so good. I just love lights in trees! These are from Costco and are a much better quality then the lights we have had from Target in the past. They also come with 12 extra bulbs which is a huge plus!

I would say the first bonfire of 2016 was a success!

Splurge vs Steal

2016-02-29T07:37:00.000-05:00

It is no secret that I love to shop! Here are a few splurge vs. steals I thought I would share.

Gingham has always been one of my favorite fabrics. I remember digging through my grandmas fabric drawers and pulling out all the colored gingham and just looking at it and then reorganizing it. I guess I should have learned to sew...but organization has always been more my style.

I love this gray duvet cover from Ballard Designs.

Gwyneth Buffalo Check

It is a splurge at $109 for a Full/Queen

Ikea carries a very very similar version.

Emmie Ruta Duvet

A steal at the sale price of $29.99 for a Full/Queen

Emmie Ruta Duvet on sale now for 29.99 for a Full/Queen

Ikea

If Rich and I ever move back to a "house" where I will have the need for a dining room I would love to purchase some upholstered chairs.

These beauties are from Restoration Hardware.

Bennett Parsons chair

These are a splurge at the starting price of $379. The cost goes up depending on the fabric you choose.

This chair is from World Market and I actually prefer if over the one from Restoration Hardware.

Linen Tufted Zoey Chair

It is a steal at $249

Everyone is doing pendent lighting over their islands these days. This is a cute option from Pottery Barn.

A splurge at $199 each!

A more budget friendly option would be this guy from Overstock.

Maisie Light

A steal at $79 each

Dish towels are a fun way to brighten up your kitchen and decorate for the seasons.

This is fun summery towel from Anthropology .

Fallen Quills

A big splurge for just a towel at $22.

Target carries this similar version.

Towel Feathers

A steal at $3.50 you can afford to by one for the sink and one for the oven!

There are so many home decor stores, discount stores such as HomeGoods, and online retailers you can always find the "look" for less! Be patient, take time to enjoy the process of decorating, and of course the thrill of the hunt!

Thoughts for Thursday

2016-02-25T06:26:00.000-05:00

Rich and I do not have cable so everything we watch is either on Amazon, Hulu, or Netflix.

We are currently watching Mozart in the Jungle and it is so good!

I have used St. Ives Apricot Scrub for years but the last time I was in Target I picked up their Green Tea Scrub and really like it. It exfoliates without being to harsh on your skin. I have seen a reduction in blackheads and redness and it leaves my skin feeling so soft.

I am obsessed with the Realtor.com app. I am constantly looking at all types of houses in our area.

Maybe I should look into getting my real estate license...

Finally it is almost Friday so lets HUSTLE to the weekend!!!

Ski Trip - Snowshoe West Virginia

2016-02-22T18:21:00.000-05:00

Rich and I recently went to Snowshoe,West Virginia to ski. Before we hit the road we stopped for breakfast at Waffle House. This was the first time I have eaten Waffle House in like 10 years....it was so good!

Is it crazy that my favorite part of the trip was the car ride through the country? Who knew West Virginia had so much farm land.

We passed so many little country churches...Rich was ready to get there so I had to take quick pics from the car as we zoomed by.

Our next fixer upper!

Sweet red barn!

It took us about 7 hours to get there but again it was a pleasant drive.

We joined my brother and sister-n-law and our little nephew Will at the condo we rented. HGTV was running back to back episodes of Fixer Upper!

We awoke to fresh powder and single digit temperatures!

Rich bundled up and ready to go! I had some trouble with my ski boots and only skied down the mountain twice. I could have gotten them fixed but was so cold....I opted to stay indoors...I don't think I will ever move where snow like this is the norm! I wold not survive!

This is the Village at Snowshoe which has several restaurants, Starbucks, and a few gift/ski shops.

The only other place I have ever skied is Sugar Mountain, North Carolina. I have to say I much prefer Snowshoe over Sugar! The atmosphere and skiing are much better at Snowshoe. Even if you do not ski there are plenty of non-skiing activities to occupy your time.

I spent a lot of time people watching and reading by the fire at the Starbucks.

On our last day the snow stopped, the skies cleared, and we had some furry visitors at our back door.

Beautiful sunset view from the condo.

Hopefully next year I will have better luck with my skiing ;)

Either way we will be back!

Maybe I can talk Rich into taking a trailer and I can go rummaging in some of the barns along the way, ha!

Weekend Happenings

2016-02-15T19:22:00.001-05:00

Last week we celebrated my mom's birthday a few days early at St. John's.

Dinner was delish!

Happy Birthday Mom! xoxox

We came back to our house for some homemade bread pudding that Rich made.

All the kidos and Mom

I put up a few Valentine decorations.

My chalkboard pantry door is literally one of my favorite things in the condo!

I am always changing it up for different holidays!

Rich picked up these flowers at Costco. They are miniature carnations and almost look like wild roses. I love them and normally dislike carnations in there normal size but miniature anything is always cute!

I ate way to many peanut M & M's....

Sunday we had lunch at my parents house. My mom decorated with these sweet vintage Valentine's!

Hope you all had a great Valentine's!

Holiday Recap

2016-01-21T19:58:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year!

Rich and I had a wonderful Christmas and New Year!

We were fortunate enough to be able to take time off work to relax, spend time with family and friends, and relax some more.

Poor Christopher has been in a neck brace since 12/5. The story of why he is wearing it is a long one, but basically boils down to a freak accident and a series of really unfortunate events. Hopefully he will get it off next week!

All the grands with their grandparents on Christmas Eve.

Everyone had fun putting together this puzzle of the Chattanooga skyline. I failed to take a picture of it completed but it turned out really cute. Great gift for Christmas Eve when everyone is hanging out visiting.

Christmas Day Breakfast table

Sticky buns...a must!

My favorite gift was the record player that Rich gave me.

Don't be alarmed by the Michael Jackson record...I have been a fan since 6th grade! Ha

On New Year's Eve Rich and I rode up to Point Park on Lookout Mountain.

If you have never been to Point Park you must go. We arrived around 10 when it opened and were finished walking the park by the time it started to get busy. We then headed down to the "valley" for lunch. This is a great little jaunt to take when you don't really have any plans.

The views

For New Year's Eve we went to half a party at The Chattanoogan...it was our first and last time...The most fun we had was outside the building on our walk home...

Photo tip: say CAT when posing for a picture and you will always look like you are having a great time...Rich is not doing it right.

On New Year's Day my mom cooked a wonderful lunch!

Traditional New Year's lunch equals lots of money and luck for the the new year! We did not win the Powerball....

Christmas Home Tour

2015-12-01T19:30:00.004-05:00

It is hard to believe that this is our second Christmas downtown.

It has been fun and challenging going from 3,000+ square feet down to 759! I will save those details for another post.

Hope you enjoy the tour!

The living room is where we spend most of our time. Our dogs Grizz and Greta love looking out the window.

This is the second year I have used this pre-lit tree I purchased after Christmas one year from Michael's. It is great! You will never be untangling lights again!

When we were packing and planning our move I was very selective in the furniture I decided to bring with us. This hutch was a must!

If you have limited dining space in your home I would highly suggest a drop leaf table. Our table stays folded down for just the two of us but can easily accommodate eight if we are entertaining.

The kitchen.

I painted the back splash with chalk paint back in the summer and really like how it turned out.

It's so fun to change up the drawings with the seasons.

View from the kitchen to the living room.

I have a weird obsession with deer antlers...

The bathroom.

The master.

I will be doing some tweaking in here soon!

More antlers...if you have seen the first season of True Detective this should freak you out lol!

My vanity area. My morning routine is very simple, but a must is a place to sit down and do my makeup.

Last but not least is our hallway/foyer.

This area quickly becomes a catch all if we are not prompt about putting away our things....

Hope you enjoyed the tour!

I know I have enjoyed decorating our home for Christmas and can't wait to spend this holiday season with family and friends!

Weekend Happenings

2015-11-23T18:55:00.001-05:00

The highlight of our weekend was the arrival of Chloe's new horse, Big Red.

He arrived at Triple H Equestrian Farm where he will board. The farm is beautiful and Red instantly felt at home!

The grazing pasture where several horses were out enjoying the sunny day.

The barn. The family who owns the farm lives in the top level! So neat!

Chloe taking Red's lead for the first time as his new owner.

After his journey from Maryville Red had worked up quite the appetite.

Red heading to the pasture to meet the other horses.

Watching anxiously to see if the horses will accept Red into the herd.

They all got along famously!

So excited for Chloe as she has wanted a horse for as long as I can remember! Can't wait to see her compete with Red!

Wishlist Wednesday

2015-11-18T17:48:00.000-05:00

When I discovered the blog world years ago, one of the first blogs I started following was Pure Home Style by Lauren Liess. Her blog is the perfect mix of design and family life. I love the way she effortlessly mixes old with new and always brings is elements from nature to finish off a room. I am a sucker for a vase full of branches or a lush fern. I am so excited for her first book, Habitat and I wish her all the best!

Even though I have never met her in person she seems so nice and her family is just too cute!

Last week I went to the opening of the Refindery a new antique store here in Chattanooga. The store is wonderful! It is full of unique pieces and there is just about something for everyone. I found this beautiful chest I would love to add to my collection...love the blue!

My hair dresser had these boots on today and I wanted to steel them off her feet! The mid calf height was so cute on!

EATS-The Meeting Place

2015-11-12T20:53:00.000-05:00

It's no secret that Rich and I love to EAT!

I thought I would be fun to start a series of posts highlighting local restaurants that we visit.

First up St. John's Meeting Place

The Meeting Place is right across the street from our condo. So it was super easy to get to, and we did not have to worry about parking!

The menu is updated daily!

For our appetizer we ordered the truffle fries with aoli dipping sauce. They were delish!

I decided to try the veggie plate for my main meal. The menu did not specify what vegetables would be served, but when my plate arrived I had acorn squash, mushrooms, and some type of sauteed greens. I was disappointed our waiter did not offer to tell me what each vegetable was (but I did not ask...). The mushrooms were my favorite item. I enjoyed the acorn squash puree but the actual piece of squash was not cooked enough for me and was rather tough. The greens were my least favorite item as they were mostly stems and were very tough.

The atmosphere was great! The restaurant is on the smaller side, but has very tall ceilings that make it feel bigger than it actually is. The decor is simple; not fussy, but makes a very dramatic statement. Be sure you go on a Thursday night which is when they have live music, it's lovely!

Although my meal did not blow me away, the service was good, and the live music was great.

We ate at St. John's a few weeks ago which is widely regarded as the best restaurant in Chattanooga, and it was to die for. That being said, my expectations for the Meeting Place may have been too high.

We have not written the Meeting Place off and will be giving it another try!

Thoughts For Thursday

2015-11-12T00:00:00.000-05:00

I cannot believe it is already Thursday, and Thanksgiving is fast approaching!

While Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays...I have never been crazy about fall decor. I put a few pumpkins and deer antlers out in August...I know--way early! But since our condo is so small, the seasons and holidays are really my only outlets for changing decor. So as soon as Halloween was over the grand illumination took place, and with that Christmas is now in full swing at the Allens!

This is not a very clear picture, but you get the idea. Lots of lights and sparkle! This is the second year I have used this pre-lit tree I bought on sale at Michaels. I have had several artificial trees with like a thousand individual branches and this tree is like a miracle compared to those! You literally put the three sections together, fluff the branches, and plug her up!

We do not have cable at our house so I am super super super super excited that Netflix has added some new HGTV shows! My faves are Fixer Upper and Genevieve Gorder's NYC Apartment Renovation!

Love Chip and Joanna! They are such a fun couple who are not afraid to share their Christian faith!

I have loved Genevieve since Trading Spaces on TLC.

Those of you who are from Chattanooga know that the Choo Choo a historic landmark is getting a much needed facelift! Part of the renovation is a new restaurant and oyster bar called STIR, scheduled to open on November 16th.

Rich and I can't wait to try it out!

They have artisanal ice...Whatever that is.

Weekend Happenings

2015-11-05T19:31:00.000-05:00

Rich's family rents a cabin in Townsend, TN at the foot of the Smoky Mountains each year. We got to spend last weekend there enjoying the fall weather, good food, and even better company!

Rich and I took a little stroll near the cabin one evening.

My Public Service Announcement...wear your retainer if you have had braces!

Loved this barn!

The guys carved pumpkins while the girls opted to paint theirs.

This was Will's first Halloween and encounter with a pumpkin. He was not to sure about it.

He did lend his feet to his mom so she could use them to make baby ghosts!

Again he was not to sure about this whole Halloween business. He was a trooper!

The fun just continued! Will turned 9 months over the weekend so he had to get his 9 month picture taken. If you cant tell by the 5 people taking his picture he is the first baby of the family!

Cutie pie!

All of the pumpkins on display.

Weekend Happenings

2015-10-25T00:00:00.000-04:00

Happy Monday!

I hope you all had a great weekend.

The weather here was perfect so my mom and I decided we would head to Stone Mountain for the Country Living Fair. This was my first time to attend the fair and it was wonderful. There were about 200 vendors who came to share their wares. The vendors had an eclectic mix of handmade and antique items.

Here are some pics from the fair to brighten your Monday!

Simple Prints

2015-10-23T19:29:00.000-04:00

I prefer Instagram over Facebook these days. I recently saw an add pop up on my Instagram feed for a company called Simple Prints which allows you to make photo books straight from your phone. This intrigued me because I can count on one hand the number of times I have actually had photos developed and placed in a photo album...our 5 year wedding anniversary was last week and we still don't have a wedding album of our over priced professional photographers pictures...opps!

So all that to say I downloaded the Simple Prints app and made a photo book of our trip to the East Coast this past spring. It was so easy to use and arrived in the mail a few days later. The quality is great and the whole process was so convenient!

This book has been a great addition to our coffee table and I look forward to making more!

Cherish, get ready for a book all about my fur babies LOL!

5 Year Anniversary

2015-10-21T21:23:00.000-04:00

Over the past week Rich and I celebrated our five year anniversary in Mexico at El Dorado Seaside Suites. It was just lovely! We did a lot of relaxing and eating!

This was the sunrise on our first day.

We walked this jetty almost every day and saw lots of tropical fish. We also went snorkeling one day and it was so fun! I had never been snorkeling before because I really hate the way the salt water makes my skin feel but I gave it a go and was glad I did!

The beach was lined with cabanas which I loved since I prefer to be in the shade.

One afternoon the resort set up a painting station on the pier and we painted coconuts which was right up my alley!

We were told to place our coconuts wherever we wanted on the resort. There were tons everywhere!

On one of our last days we ventured in to Tulum to see the Mayan Ruins. It was HOT...

We had a great time and really enjoyed our resort. We would highly recommend El Dorado Seaside Suites and if you ever go definitely book a massage at the spa, it was heavenly!

Weekend Happenings

2015-10-05T22:29:00.000-04:00

It literally rained almost all weekend and temps were in the 50's! I loved every second of it....I finally had an excuse to wear my rain boots,over-sized sweater, and make a Target run...with the cliche Pumpkin Spice latte in hand lol! It really was good!

Friday started off with a Chili Cook Off at work. I made white chicken chili. Similar recipe here. We had a total of 9 participants. It was so fun to taste all the different chili. They each had their own twist and flavor. We have several hunters in the group so I tried Elk and Venison and believe it or not, it was good!

The vultures lined up and ready to dig in! Just kidding, this group of guys is the best!

My entry...I got two votes...the competition was legit!

The Chili King!

Friday night we had a family dinner to say good bye to my grandparents as they headed to FL for the winter. I sadly only snapped this photo of my moms porch decor and flat marshmallows. Did you know they made flat marshmallows these days?!?

Saturday was low key...I heated up some cinnamon rolls and ironed while watching Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman! This was one of my all time favorite childhood shows and just got added to Amazon Prime haha!

We then braved the rain and headed to the movies I literally do not know the last time I went to see a movie in the theater. We saw Black Mass which was underwhelming to say the least. The only reason I came out liking it when it was over was because it was based on a true story. Don't waste your time going to see it in the theater.

Hope you all had a great weekend!

Neutral Paint

2015-10-03T22:14:00.000-04:00

By popular demand...a post on interior paint colors!

I grew in a home of white walls so naturally I am drawn to light neutral colors.

Here are some of my favorites.

You can not go wrong with Decorators White by Benjamin Moore. This is a clean white that stays true to color even with the changing light throughout the day. What I love about white walls is that you can change your whole color scheme without having to paint which can be a pain!

Next up, Requisite Gary by Sherwin Williams. Although I have never used this color if I was going to paint my walls gray I think I would go with this. Finding the right gray is so hard because so many have blue and green undertones.

On to tan.... When it was time to choose a paint color for Twin Brook (if you are new to the blog, Twin Book is the fixer upper my husband I remodeled from sub floor to crown molding with lots of help from our sweet family and friends. You can relive our journey by clicking here)...hardest decision ever...I choose Manchester Tan by Benjamin Moore in an eggshell finish. It was hard for me to break out and choose a color other than white, but I wanted to try something that had some warmth to it. Overall I was happy with the color. The quality of the Benjamin Moore paint however did not impress me.

When we move to the condo since the space was so small, only 750 sq. I wanted to go with light and bright to make the space feel bigger than it really was. I ended up choosing Origami White by Sherwin Williams. I have been really happy with this color and the quality. I think Sherwin Williams will be my go to brand for years to come.

Finally, I love this navy blue! Blue is one of my favorite colors to decorate with and I have tons of blue accents all over. I would never paint a whole house this color, but I think it would be great for a powder room or laundry room. In the picture below they have painted their foyer and stairwell which looks great!

My three tips on choosing paint colors are:

1. Buy a quart of the color you are considering and paint a huge swatch on your wall, and watch the color through out the day. A paint that is supposed to be white could look very green at 3 o'clock in the sun.

2. Choose and eggshell finish. This is the most durable and easy to clean finish. If you are purchasing trim paint I would recommend a semi gloss.

3. For the main areas of the home I would recommend sticking with one paint color. This will allow for a good flow and flexibility when decorating.

Weekend Happenings

2015-09-29T17:58:00.002-04:00

At 8 am Saturday morning, even though it was drizzling rain we had a line of people waiting for us to open our yard sale! We went into a slight panic mode as we had no idea people would wait in the rain for our sale! The day was very successful as we were able to get rid of some things and clean/organize the garage in the process.

On Sunday we woke early and headed down to the river front to watch the Ironman triathalon.

I have not owned a bike since I was probably 12. Riding bikes is Rich's preferred method of transportation when he is downtown so he bought me a city bike pass. So I hopped on my rented bike and we were off!

If you are not familiar with the Ironman, it is a triathlon that consists of a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike ride, and a 26.2 run! I will never be participating in this craziness!

We grabbed breakfast at Rembrandt's which was delicious.

Rich and I both had the Rancheros Eggs.

I could not resist the fruit tart which is always so light and fresh!

The rest of the day we were pretty useless ;)

Happy Fall Y'all

2015-09-23T22:22:00.000-04:00

I have been ready for Fall since the 4th of July!

Hooray for cooler temperatures and all the other wonderful things that come with Fall!

I love this creamy chicken and corn chowder recipe

I am considering purchasing this blanket scarf

Ankle boots!

Football season is in full swing and although I am not really into the nitty gritty of the game, I enjoy eating "football snacks" and dressing up in Tennessee orange!

I have written off carving pumpkins. It is just too labor intensive, so I am painting pumpkins this year! Ill be sure to let you know how they turn out.

I'm Back!

2015-09-21T21:49:00.003-04:00

Bonjour! It is so depressing that I have missed an entire year of blogging! I had some technical difficulty with my computer...I watched The Real Housewives on Project Free TV and gave my computer an onslaught of viruses...OOOPS!

So for my birthday my wonderful husband got me a new 'puter!

Since I missed all of 2014 let me just say it was a great year! Rich and I learned that we would become an auntie and uncle, we moved into a 750 sq. foot condo in downtown Chattanooga, and we were both lucky enough to take trips out West.

Here are the 2015 happenings so far....

Our nephew Will made his debut in January!

We enjoyed the only snow of the year downtown in February.

In March we celebrated Rich's 30th Birthday!

Our travels took us to DC, NYC, and Boston in April.

In May Rich completed a half Iron Man 70.3 miles! So proud of him!

Father's Day was also celebrated in May :)

All the cousins with Papaw

June brought old friends together and Callie got a spray tan, lol!

4th of July, one of my favorite holidays was celebrated on the beach in Lillian with family.

August brought my 28th birthday on the 28th...Grizz thought kisses would be an appropriate gift.

And last but not least....

My best pal got married in September! So happy for her and her new hubby!

I am happy to be blogging again and hope you will follow along ;)

Savannah Get Away

2013-12-01T18:38:00.001-05:00

Rich and I took a quick trip to Savannah a few weeks ago for our anniversary.

We did a little shopping...and a lot of eating

All of the shops were set up so cute.

The Paris Market was my favorite shop by far!

Here are a few pics from inside.

The first day we were there we had seafood for lunch. This cab cake was so yummy!

In between eating,shopping, and eating some more we took a short drive to the air museum where Rich was is heaven!

We enjoyed live music each night in the City Market which was a lot of fun.

This pizza was my favorite meal of the whole trip haha...what can I say I love pizza!

We took a tour of this historic home...I can not remember the name of it. It was pretty but did not really have any major historic significance.

Loved this herringbone patio they had out back.

More food....breakfast at Fox Cafe...so good!

One of my favorite things about Savannah are the city squares. One of them was set up with these cute tents for a fall festival.

Last but not least we ran through the SCAD store which features items made by SCAD alumni. There were some really creative displays and unique items in the store. If you visit Savannah I would recommend visiting this store along with the Paris Market!

While our trip was super fun we were glad to get home to our furry babies!

Happy Halloween!

2013-10-31T19:19:00.001-04:00

Happy Halloween!

Weekend Happenings

2013-10-22T20:08:00.003-04:00

So Rich worked super hard to get the deck finished for our little get together on Friday night.

I have to brag...he really is the best!

The weather was perfect Friday and finally felt like fall. It was so nice to be able to sit out in the back yard and enjoy the weather, good friends, and all of Rich's hard work!

Rebecca made the most delicious mocha brownies and Jessica made a scrumptious pumpkin cake with cream cheese icing! Recipes to come...too good not to share!

After a late night on Friday we got up at 6:15 on Saturday to run a 5K downtown. Rich ran the race in 28 minutes and I ran it in 32 minutes. Thanks to Jessica for running with me in the weeks leading up to the race!

After the race we took the pups to the dog park. By the time Chloe came to see them at 2PM they were pooped!

Grizz can barley hold his eyes open...we all took a nap that afternoon :)

I finally got my latest estate sale find out of the garage and into its new home. This is a sewing table which I am going to use as a craft table/desk in the "PINK" room. More details to come.

My window boxes have been up for two weekends now. I originally bought white pansy's to plant in them but pulled them up because they were not getting enough sun. So I debated on what to put in them and opted for some fake pumpkins and leaves from Michael's.

I was nervous they were going to look too fake but I added some natural dried plants and sticks and I am thrilled with how they came out. I also added lights so they looks really cute at night.

More Projects!

2013-10-11T12:00:00.000-04:00

You would think we would be sick of projects. But there always seems to be a running list of things that need to be done and things we want to do. One thing we wanted to do was build a deck or a patio in our back yard. When we purchased the house there was an existing small deck but it was in poor condition so Rich tore it down.

We finally decided that we would build a deck back rather than lay a patio. I am really excited to finally be able to enjoy our back yard!