The Berlin's Wall

Stationery Card

2013-03-08T09:18:00.001-05:00

We've Arrived!

2010-02-19T09:57:00.000-05:00

But I think we need a bigger home! (This is after we unpacked 20 of our boxes)

My Little Snow Bunny

2010-02-02T07:00:00.000-05:00

I find it so ironic that this Native Floridian moves to Virginia Beach, a place where it gets very cold, but never snows. However, my last weekend here we get hit with 12 inches of snow. Weather forecasters said that this area has not seen this much snow in over 20 years. What a finale to my time here! The snow is beautiful, but I'm on day 3 of being snowed in and my cabin fever has reached an all time high. On another note, Emma could not be happier. Check out my little snow bunny!

Shopping Can be Such a Drag

2010-02-01T12:14:00.002-05:00

Don't you hate it when you really need an outfit for something coming up and you cannot find anything you like? For me, I usually go to the mall with some style or vision in mind and then obsessively check every last store until I can find this look. This OCD trait of mine has landed me in the Limited Too thinking I could possibly squeeze into a kids XL and when that didn't pan out I was off to A Pea in the Pod thinking that I could make an XS work. What, I couldn't pass for 4 months pregnant? I know- I have serious issues.

This last trip to the mall was no different for me. I set out on a mission to find a new suit for a few interviews I had coming up the next day...yea no pressure. Ten stores later I had....nothing. I mean nothing. I tried on everything and I didn't like any of it. Of course I found a million casual outfits that I just 'had to have,' but no suit. I even considered getting a jacket from one store, pants from another and the top from a third store when I realized that I was turning into a crazed person. I decided to stop for a coffee, relax, and take the pressure off that I was putting on myself. The coffee place happened to be across from Banana Republic so I decided to stop in to see what goods I could find.

As I walked in I was greeted by a cheery, "Hello! Welcome to Banana Republic." Her voice sounded a bit like the Church Lady from Saturday Night Live. That’s unfortunate, I thought to myself. I politely glanced up, muttered a small hello back and put my head back down to look through the clothes. A half a second later my brain caught up with my eyes and made me take a second look at the sales girl. Hmm, I thought. She is pretty darn tall and her shoulders look a little broad in that jacket. She had on a ton of makeup but I shrugged it off and decided that this 50 something year old women was just trying to hold onto her youth and this complex she had must only be intensified by her job at Banana Republic. She was attractive and dressed very classy. Dark wash, boot cut jeans, button down collar shirt, fitted navy blue velvet jacket. I mean she looked great! I immediately wanted to find her outfit and buy it. Sale technique achieved.

As the clothes piled up on my arm, she came over to me, I mean, she towered over me and asked if I would like her to start a dressing room for me. I looked into her pretty blue eyes and at her bright red hair and with the most monotone sounding voice and straightest face I said "Thanks" But, if she could read my mind, this is what she would have heard...oh my gosh, oh my gosh, I was right, she is a man! A man, dressed as a woman. A drag queen! Wait-at Banana Republic? This just doesn't fit their image. I mean, I think it's pretty cool and hip but I can't picture Banana Republic agreeing. I quickly contemplated the stores in the mall that I felt this image did fit. Hot Topic. Betsy Johnson. Maybe Steve Madden? Spencers for sure! I couldn't help questioning if she was interviewed and hired as a man and then showed up to work one day as a women? Or did they hire her as a cross dresser? I wonder if Banana Republic hired her to avoid HIPA laws? No overtime when she splits her work week up half man and half woman. Ok, Sydney focus, don’t make her feel uncomfortable.

I followed her back to the fitting rooms. After she hung my clothes up she said, "If you need anything my name is Andy." Ok…Andy. I mean come on! Is there a more unisex name out there then Andy?

As I tried on what felt like seven hundred and fifty outfits, liking none of them mind you, I kept thinking about Andy. I mean I’m no prude. I happen to love drag queens. I’ve seen a drag Jennifer Lopez in South Beach that would blow your mind. This chick was smoking, definitely not from Jenny’s block. I even saw a drag Britney Spears who came out in a half piece green ensemble with a snake around her neck. Heck, my bachelorette party was at Lips in Ft. Lauderdale. A restaurant, club and nightly drag show. There was just something about walking into the conservative, traditional, conventional store of Banana Republic and seeing a drag queen working there that caught me off guard.

Oh and the suit? I never found it.

Sunday Night Line Up

2010-01-10T20:06:00.005-05:00

Sunday night is always a very stressful night in our house. We’re not juggling football games, or preparing for a crazy work week to begin. No, we are stressed because there are just too many TV shows on that we like to watch and prioritizing them is always so stressful. Our Tivo works on overdrive on Sundays. We never know which shows to watch 'live' and which to save for another night. However, tonight’s decision is easy because it’s the season premier of HBO's Big Love (woot woot!). One of my all time favorite shows! Definitely 'live' worthy. Which means that Desperate Housewives will have to be Tivoed. And who can forget about Sunday night on E! Keeping Up With The Kardashisians and my new all time fav, Jiuliana and Bill (looooooove her!)

What will we do when Entourage AND True Blood come back on!?!?! Highly intelligent TV watching going on over here!

So, what do you like to watch on Sunday nights?

Need Your Advice

2010-01-09T09:52:00.005-05:00

Ok, so...for my first try at refinishing something I chose to refinish this antique wood desk.

My original intent was to paint it white and distress it a little. My inspiration was this photo...

I planned to get some cute vintage clear knobs and buy a funky print chair.

But, at the last minute standing in the Lowes paint aisle my eyes were drawn to stains. For some reason the stains were calling my name. I ended up staining the desk a darker color to make it look more mahogany.

At first I was pleased with how it turned out but now I can’t stop my brain from thinking what it could/would look like if I stuck to my original idea of painting it white. What do you guys think? Should I repaint it white or keep it the way it is?

Scroll to the end of this post and click on the link that reads "Click here to leave a Comment" to tell me what you think I should do.

The Writing on My Wall

2010-01-06T20:22:00.001-05:00

After blogging about random ramblings that go on at The Berlin's Wall, I've decided to expand my blog by doing something I've wanted to do for a while now. For those who know me, it is no secret that I am a total blog junkie. I spend countless hours poring over other peoples blogs. From life blogs, to do-it-yourself renovation blogs, fashion blogs and food blogs. I love them all. It’s not just pure voyeurism that keeps me entertained and coming back, I have also learned a tremendous amount from some of these blogs. It was because of the blogs I read that I decided to refinish an old wood desk. It was because of these blogs that I convinced my husband that painted cabinets could look good. I finally caved and ~~read,~~ devoured the Twilight series because of all the recommendations of people in the blog world. I started juicing, drinking green monsters, tried hot yoga, all due to the blogs I read. This past year would have been very different if it wasn’t from my online ‘friends’ steering me to try new things.

So because of this I have decided to start a new series where I will feature different blogs that have inspired me in some way. Let’s face it, aren’t you just in awe of some of these women who find time to juggle all the things life throws at them, marriage, career, children, home improvement projects, working out, staying fashionable and still have time to blog (what seems like effortlessly), about it. I always think to myself, I wonder what their daily life is really like? Each featured blog will be a firsthand account of what a day in the life is really like for them. From the time their alarm clock goes off to the time they go to bed.

I’ve decided to call this section, “The Writing on My Wall.” A little play on words with my blog name, The Berlin’s Wall.

I have the first featured blog all set up so hurry back so you don’t miss it! I’ll give you a hint, she’s a real FUN girl!

Twenty-Ten Baby

2010-01-03T16:12:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year! It's a brand new year and what better way to start a New Year off then with a new page layout! I'm really excited about a few things I have coming up in the near future to blog about. So stay tuned!!

What Are Your New Year's Resolutions?

2010-01-01T06:34:00.000-05:00

We Need a Crane

2009-12-28T06:30:00.010-05:00

Because The Berlin's Wall is on the move! Yeap, that's right, we're moving back to Florida! We are in the midst of packing our ~~recently unpacked~~ stuff. Wish we saved the boxes. Trying to sell our house and prepare for our big trek back!

Baseball Teams in Our Backyard

2009-12-27T07:00:00.004-05:00

I'm having way too much fun with my new camera. Especially the 12x zoom lens. You can't tell from the pictures but these birds were about 100 feet from our house on the trees by our back fence. Steve brought home a few bird feeders and we put them in our backyard and we are attracting so many neat birds! We have a resident Cardinal and Blue Jay, all we need is an Oriole and we will have a baseball team trifecta!

Wood you?

2009-12-24T17:08:00.017-05:00

After pining away at other womens before and after home improvement blogs wondering if I was capable of such feats I decided it was time for me to try my hand at something. I knew I wanted to make one of our bedrooms into an office and thought what better way to start my new home improvement streak then on a new, er, I mean old desk.

So after scouring craigslist for days I finally found a little beauty, anciently old and all beat up, perfect! I was sold. I immediately called the lady to find out if it was still available and before she could finish the word yes I was half way to my car.

Once I got there I realized I had a minor problem. Either her size dimensions of the desk were incorrect or I measured wrong. Knowing that I'm a stellar mathematician (insert ridiculously obvious sarcastic laugh here) I knew it couldn't be me! I swear we tried every combination of ways to make this desk fit into my car and after all of them failing I had to step back and realize it wasn't going to happen. Now, if I was in Florida buying this desk from someone they would have said, "sorry kid your s.o.l." but since I'm in Virginia Beach, the lady without hesitation said, "wait a minute honey, let me get my SUV and I'll take it to your house." Stunned, I replied "Are you sure?" She kindly said, "absolutely honey!"

So off we went caravaning back to my house. Of course, the whole way back home I'm plotting what I will do if this is some scam and she is going to rob me, steal my belongings, beat me and then leave WITHOUT me getting my desk! (I know, I'm a paranoid freak). So after rehearsing all the martial arts self defense moves I know in my head we finally get to my house. We unload the desk, I pay her (no delivery fee or mugging) and I happily skip away!

So, if you are still with me after reading my pathetically long winded story when all you want to see is the darn before and after picture, I will not keep you in suspense any longer.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

I know it's subtle, but I'm quite proud of it. I did this entire project without the help of the hubby. I researched online what products to use and how to apply them. For those who know me well, can you even picture me in my garage wearing a mask, staining wood furniture? I think not...but I did!!

Look how beat up it was! Glass rings, stamps, marks. I lightly sanded the entire desk. Next, I applied a wood conditioner to really repair all this damage.

Next, I applied a dark walnut colored stain. After it was dry I applied a poly finish to protect it from everyday dings and scratches.

Then I installed new hardware.

And wala!

How Many Adjectives are in Your Coffee?

2009-12-24T14:18:00.006-05:00

Walking into my favorite Starbucks to order my favorite drink was quite different today. The shopping plaza was packed due to last minute shoppers cramming in the last few minutes before Christmas Eve and that meant Starbucks was packed too. Normally this would not bother me too much but I know that my drink order is a bit, uh, well… high maintenance.

Let me back up, in Boca Raton, Florida EVERYONE is on some fad diet or some coffee enema diet so hearing long winded bizarre coffee names pour out of the baristas mouth as they yell out completed orders to come pick up doesn’t phase you. But in Virginia Beach it is a rare, rare sight. So as I wait for my drink order behind 10 patiently waiting other people and in front of about 6 new people who just walked in I hear drinks being called out left and right. Normal, Starbucks drinks. Grande coffee, tall latte, Venti Hot Chocolate. And then I hear mine. I brace myself, knowing what is coming. I know everyone is gonna think, “huh, what was that drink? So then the barista shouts it out above the large crowd….

"Tall, Decaf, Non-Fat, Soy, Sugar-free, No Whip, Cinnamon Dolce, Latte."

I quickly put my huge Jackie O sunglasses on, bowed my head and walked up to the counter, grabbed my coffee and ran out!

...I think it's time for a new favorite drink.

Happy Hanukkah 2009!!

2009-12-19T10:55:00.006-05:00

Celebrity Morph by MyHeritage

2009-11-25T21:02:00.002-05:00

MyHeritage: Celebrity Morph - Pedigree chart - Old pics

I don't exactly think I look like Demi Moore...but how fun is this!!

O Canada Night

2009-10-25T20:00:00.010-04:00

O Canada Night
Our home and native Friday night restaurant
True Patriot love in all your Baja BBQ Steak Tacos
With glowing hearts we see thee friends
Baja Cafe strong and free!

From far and wide we come,
O Canada Night,
We stand on guard for thee.
God keep our Baja Cafe glorious and free!
O Canada night, we stand on guard for thee.

All For a Good Cause

2009-10-25T19:49:00.004-04:00

This past month Steve agreed to shave his head if his store could raise $2,000 for MS. Now this wasn't a normal, go to the barber and have your head shaved type of hair cut. This was a, come into the dog grooming salon and let us have some fun before we shave your head. Enjoy...

Welcome to Our Pot-tay

2009-10-10T08:26:00.014-04:00

We've been doing some 'mini face lifts' around the house where needed. One of those spots was the downstairs guest bathroom. While the bathroom itself was fine, it just wasn't exactly our taste. We tend to gravitate towards the more modern look of darker wood, grays & khakis, etc. While there was nothing falling apart or in bad shape in this bathroom the 1980's laminate oak doors just aren't our thang. So in true Berlin Wall fashion we chose a fresh coat of paint on the walls, new paint and hardware on the vanity and a few new accessories. (Actually the accessories were not new, just recycled from another area of the house) So without further ado...

BEFORE:

Please excuse the blue painters tape. I always forget to take a true before picture. By this point I had already removed the existing towel bar and started taping.

AFTER:

And yes, if you are one of those people who pays attention to detail I am wearing the same pajamas in both the before and after pic. What can I say, they are really comfy!

Close up of the vanity and hardware

Better shot of the wall color. A custom mix of Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter.

Powder Room Blues

2009-09-07T08:01:00.010-04:00

When we first moved into our house we knew what the first project we had to tackle was....our Master Bathroom. You can see the before pic above. From the looks of this picture it doesn't look so bad. However, on closer inspection you would notice how disgusting the bathroom vanity cabinets were! Now if I showed you the before and after picture you wouldn't think we did much to them. So I will show you the blood, sweat, tears, (cursing, crying and wining) that went into this project! The previous owners decided to paint the standard builder grade oak cabinets white. But what they neglected to do was do it the right way. The cabinets were peeling and sticky from not using the right paint to stand up to bathroom humidity. Plus they were not painted evenly at all. I don't think they even primed them before they had their blind son do the painting! :)

We looked into replacing the vanity but came to find out that it is a custom piece, not something standard you can buy at Home Depot or Lowes. So instead we decided to re-paint them (the correct way). First we (Steve) had to strip all the paint off which took foreva people!!!

Next we (Steve) sanded them. We don't have an electric sander so we (Steve) had to do it all by hand....ouch!

Then we (Steve) had to prime them...twice! These little suckers would just eat up the primer the second we put it on. Hungry little devils! Next we (Steve) had to paint them. Since we don't have a paint sprayer we had to do it all by hand and it took a long time. We decided to paint them a nice, crisp, clean, neutral white. This is why we couldn't just show you the before and after photos. It would look like we didn't do anything. Once all the paint dried we (Steve) replaced the hinges and re-installed the doors. We (Me, finally) bought new hardware and installed them to the doors.

AFTER:

The project ended up being more labor intensive then we originally thought but in the end we are very pleased with how it turned out. Especially because a new vanity is a few hundred dollars and we spent about $50 on paint, primer and new hardware. You can't beat that! Next we are going to replace the floor with ceramic tile or slate and we may change the paint color as well.

Discalimer: No husband was abused, harmed or neglected while completing this project. I had to add this disclamer because it sounds like I'm a slave driver making Steve do all the hard work. But you have to know that Steve is a perfectionist and when he starts a project he thinks that he is the "only one" that can do it the right way. Yeesh!!! So he basically boots me out of the project. At first I was offended. Especially because this project was all my idea. But after my 2nd glass of wine, relaxing on the couch, eating bon-bons, catching up on my soaps...just kidding, I don't watch soap operas. LOL No seriously, I got over being offended and let him do his thing. All his hard work came out amazing and I'm sooooo lucky to have such a HANDY husband! (That last sentence was 100% for Steve). Love you babe!

Show and Tell (By Force)

2009-09-06T11:20:00.015-04:00

We have tried (desperately) to wait until our house was more finished or decorated to our taste before posting photos of the house. We really wanted to do a before and after post to show off all our blood, sweat and tears. However, all of our family and friends have gotten quite restless with the waiting. Seriously, some family members have resorted to threats of violence if we don't post some photos soon! So instead of waiting until all our work is done, because frankly, I don't think it will ever be totally done, here are some MLS photos of the house from before we moved in. All of the furniture and wall colors are the previous owners. Stay tuned for our before and after post. We have been quite busy making lots of changes. Some big, some small. Oh and don't forget to leave your comments!!!! ENJOY!

I Feel the Need, The Need for Speed

2009-08-04T08:00:00.005-04:00

My cousin Joel just got his pilots license! I haven't gone up with him yet, (see that Joel, I'm getting better, I used the word 'yet' in my sentence. I'm still trying to face my paralysing fears of flying in this tiny plane. Last weekend however when we were in DC, Steve and my cousin Karen eagerly went up with him. And lived to tell about it!

Third Decades A Charm

2009-08-02T07:55:00.030-04:00

Well my long awaited, eagerly
anticipated, 30th birthday has come and gone. I have to admit that I wasn't dreading turning the big 3-0 like some women do. I think age is merely a state of mind. If you are happy & healthy then I believe the slowly climbing number doesn't effect you as much as it would another person. I have to admit, I'm pretty happy where my life is right now. Sure, there are still a ton of things I want to do and accomplish, however I don't view my life as 1/3 over, rather 2/3 left to go!

Ok, so back to the birthday weekend! Or should I call it the Dave Matthews, Amazing Race, Scavenger Hunt Extravaganza! Let me recap. Steve told me absolutely NOTHING about this weekend. No clues, no hints, no packing advice, NOTHING! In fact, he fed me so many lies about what we could be doing that I ended up packing a suitcase that would allow me to survive on a desert island eating only coconuts and talking to my new best friend, Wilson the volleyball for about two months. But I digress, I seriously had clothes for anything and everything that came our way. When we first got in the car there was an envelope with my name on it taped to the dash that I Steve said had allll the answers, but I couldn't open it until we got there!!

SIX hours later (I deserve an award for outstanding patience)

Here's Steve hiding the GPS from me so I can't see where we are headed.

We ended up in Hersey, PA where Steve said I could open the envelope. Dave Matthews Band tickets! Yea! For those who don't know, Dave Matthews is my all time favorite band. This concert was the 10th time I have seen him live, but the first time I have ever seen him in PA.

Here we are after the show. All sweaty and gross...but happy!

After the concert we crashed at our hotel only to wake up bright and early to hit the road again. The second half of our trip we drove to Rockville, MD. Right to the door step of our cousins' house. Steve convinced me it was just Sharyn, Joel and Jordan at the house, however when the door opened 10 smiling faces yelled out surprise!!! A bunch of my cousins made the drive from New York and PA to be with me for my birthday. We quickly sat down to some off the hootspa Jewish Soul Food!

Once we finished eating Sharyn broke us up into 2 teams. She gave both teams an envelope that had $40 cash in it, a map of DC and a huge scavenger hunt.

We had 3 hours to complete a huge list of items that took us from the Lincoln Memorial, to the Spy Museum, to the Veteran's Wall, Ben's Chili Bowl and so many other places. We had to document everything we did with either a picture or video. The scavenger hunt would end when we got to the POV restaurant and bar on top of the W Hotel overlooking downtown DC. Team A (my team) was made up of Joel, Karen, Rabbi Andy, Yours Truly and Jordan. Team B was made up of Steve, Jill, Karla and Scott. Our team was called JoJo Belles Posse, named after our sweet Jordan and Team B named themselves the Shoulda Schweigers. Why, because my sweet husband loves making fun of the fact that I am never satisfied with ANY decision I make in life and he has affectionately (I at least hope) nicknamed me this whenever I say, "Oh I should have ordered the ____", or "I should have gotten this dress in _____". You get the idea.

Anyway, the scavenger hunt was a blast and we had so much fun running around DC. here are some photo highlights of the trip.

Wearing an "I Heart DC" Shirt

Roosevelt's "Dog"

Striking the Charlie's Angel pose with total strangers in front of the Spy Museam

Scott with Apollo 11

Just your average pyramid on the lawn in front of the Capital with complete strangers on their backs!

Get tourists to do the peace sign in front of the Lincoln Memorial.

Sippin margaritas at Austin Grille

Team B

Team A

The Happy Birthday Song...from strangers!

And again in Chinese

Team A Done! At the POV on top of the W Hotel

Reunited! We can now be a couple again. No more smack talking. (Even though Team A had way better smack talk)

The mastermind behind the scavenger hunt.

We were all exhausted afterwards

Such a fun-filled weekend! Thanks to all my cousins and husband who made this weekend possible. I love you all so much for making me feel so special on my birthday!!!

Labor of Love

2009-08-01T18:00:00.020-04:00

Today is the hubby's birthday! Upon his wishes he wanted to do something very relaxing. Being that my birthday was last weekend and non-stop and next weekend we are traveling to Canada for Steve's sister, Shawna's wedding, I agreed that something chill and relaxing would be a great idea. Little did I know that what I had planned would be anything but, (for me at least). This morning I gave Steve a gift certificate to this amazing driving range, mini-golf, batting gage park by our house. Sending him golfing was a nice gesture but what I really wanted to do was get him out of the house for awhile. Why you ask? Well the reason is because I had bought Steve a grill for his birthday and was hiding it in my car for the past two days. I needed to assemble this puppy while he was gone so that when he came home I could sup rise him with it. When I bought the grill at Lowes, my salesman Roger (yes we are on a first name basis) told me that he used to have this grill and it was super easy to put together. I figured if Roger could do it then why couldn't I? He said it took him about 45 minutes to put together and that was with multiple beer breaks throughout the process. He said he would screw 1 thing together then sit down and take a sip of beer, then screw something else together, then sit down and take another sip of beer. You get the idea. So here I go, set out to assemble my first grill. I decided to forgo the beer drinking because A) it was 9am and B) I needed the time advantage to assemble this little baby faster. I guess I should back up and tell you that once Roger loaded the grill into my car it was any ones guess on how I was going to get it out. The answer? Not easy! I mean I almost broke my back, or the grill, or my car trying to get it out. I think all three. The grill was so heavy! Once I pain stakingly dragged it up the driveway into the garage I started to empty all the parts out. 3,090 separate parts later I started to freak out! Ok, so maybe there was only about 25 parts, but I swear it felt like 3,090 parts! 2 1/2 hours later, dripping with sweat, exhausting every curse word I know, I finally finished putting this puppy together. What a lobar of love. Of course I had to photo journal the process....

out of the box

already confused

tired

frustrated

done!

time to grill!

success!

Maybe The Dingo Ate Your Baby

2009-07-18T19:23:00.012-04:00

Remember our brand new landscaping job? All new plants and fresh, new hostas? Remember all the sweat and tears that went into removing the gravel, replanting and mulching? So imagine our horror when we woke up this morning to find our brand new hosta EATEN! Yes, you read that correctly, it was eaten. By a rabbit!

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Apparently, the cute little bunny rabbits that we have seen all over our neighborhood and back yard are notorious for eating everything plant and grass related in its path. Now being that this girl grew up in South Florida and the only rabbits I have had experience with are either in pet stores or at the fair, how would I know to be wary about this? I quickly scoured the Internet for rabbit ridding secrets. I read everything from planting garlic or cucumbers to repel rabbits to scattering your dogs hair or peeing (yes, peeing!) on your bushes to keep rabbits away. Since I assume our neighbors might not adjust so well to us urinating all over our front lawn I figured there must be a better solution. With one quick phone call to our landscaping guru friend who lives in Richmond, he immediately said, "run, don't walk to your nearest Lowes to pick up, Liquid Fence." He said that the little bugger and his hosta eating riff raff rabbit friends would be back tonight to finish off the job if we didn't act fast. So that's exactly what we did!

Never did I think I would live somewhere where I would have to buy Deer and Rabbit Repellent to spray on my front lawn!

Speaking of deer, the other night I came home to find 5 deer on our lawn eating away at our grass. How crazy is that? A soon as I turned in they galloped away into the neighboring forest. Guess this little puppy will get a lot of use at our new house!

Does anyone know if our little hosta will recover from its brutal devouring?

Our new home!

2009-07-14T19:07:00.017-04:00

It's been almost 2 weeks since we moved into our new home and we LOVE IT! Oh yea, totally bold worthy love here! Our home was built about 12 years ago and though certain things are modern and up to date other things were either neglected or left back in the 90's along with acid wash jeans and feathered bangs. A few people have asked me if we need to do any work to the place? My answer is this: Yes and No. Helpful right? Here's the break down. Yes, there is a ton of work that we 'would love' to do to our new home. Woods floors, granite counters, extend the back deck, new kitchen appliances, paint the outside of the house a different color. The list goes on and on. Then there is a shorter list of smaller (less costly) things that we would like to do to the house as soon as possible. Changing things that are not our style or things that need updating. Luckily the house is in great condition and nothing is broken or not working. Everything is minor, cosmetic details to get the house to where we would like it. One of the 'cosmetic' things on the list was the very first thing we tackeled about 6 hours after we moved in. The front lawn. Our front lawn used to look like a cemetery to me. Two layers of white concrete stone, white concrete lions, white rock/stone in all the plant beds instead of mulch and totally dead plants. A total cemetery, sterile feel, in my opinion. So Steve and I, err, and by 'Steve and I, I mean I had the vision and Steve had the muscles, decided to rip out the whole prison/cemetery theme they had going on in the front yard and just replace a few plants and mulch it to warm it up. We didn't want to go crazy since winter is just a few short months away (sigh) and we figured that next spring we will finish. So without further adieu here is the MLS picture of the house before:

I wish we had a better picture of the detail of the front yard. However, we literally moved in and the very next day starting ripping the yard up. I didn't even think to take a good "before" photo until it was too late. This photo was from the MLS listing. You can see the bench, sort of make out the 2 lions, the dead plants and of course the piled high stone trim the previous owners loved so much.

and here is the after:

Hopefully by next spring our new baby plants will have grown some and will be the same height as the other more mature plants. This will make it look much more manicured and nice.

Totally warmer right? We were so amazed how a few plants and fresh mulch could totally transform the look of the front of the house. We removed the top (second) layer of stone around the beds, removed all the rock/gravel that was in the beds, removed the stone lions and stone bench from the front yard as well. We dug up all the dead plants and tried to salvage a few of the plants that were still semi-alive. Hopefully, we can bring them back to life and make them look good. And the best part? All the rock/gravel that took Steve 2 days to remove was picked up the very next day by the lucky winner of a craigslist auction. We offered free landscaping rock/gravel in return for coming to pick it up and take it away asap. Free labor folks! Does it get any better?

Stay tuned for more house updates. We still have a few more things we would like to do to the front lawn before winter and we have also started to tackle a new project in our master bathroom! Ah, the joys of home ownership!